Home for the Holidays!

This blog entry comes straight from gate 88 at San Fransico International...enjoy! I am en-route to my hometown of Temple Texas for 9 days to spend the holiday with my family. This trip home comes at an incredibly good time for me training wise. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I have been hampered by a back injury that has limited the quantity of training that I have been able to do. I am pleased to say that issue has been resolved an I believe we can close the book on the winter back issues...hopefully!

I had almost 2 solid great weeks of training and may have pushed the gas a bit too hard as I was excited to be able to do normal training activities without pain. This Monday will be the start of the 8th week of training for me and I am anticipating a full 4 more weeks of successful training sessions before my next break. I was notified that the Australian and New Zealand Grand Prix series will not include the javelin this year because the Australian record holder and good friend of mine, Jarrod Bannister, is still rehabbing an injured elbow suffered in Beijing. The good news was that the javein was confirmed as one of the 2009 Golden League events for the 5th year in a row. This is virtually unheard of for 1 event and I am extremely excited about the opportunity to break back into the Golden league's.

The last 2 weeks was an extremely busy schedule for me in the community and was highlighted by the news that I am the Olympic Training Center December Athlete of the Month. When I was notified I didn't understand how I received the honor because its usually reserved for the athlete with the best competition performances for that month. However, with no competitions for any of the athletes at the training center, I was told that I was given the honor because of my role in community service for the month of December. Its a very special honor for me because I believe its the 1st time in training center history that an athlete has received that honor for performances away from competition. Never mind the fact that I get free golf for the month of January! ;P

Im attaching a few pics of my little buddy Jarmo from the Angels and athletes event last week...although we had a bit of a language barrier, we made it work and had an absolute blast...dude even gave me a hug as he left, awwwwwwwwww
M++

Slow & Steady...

The past two weeks have flown by and It hardly seem possible that its already the 2nd week of December. I suppose thats what happens when you compete through the end of September... Training here at the US Olympic Training Center has been very steady and as far as I'm concerned, acceptable...not great, not bad just average.
The reason I say that is because I am still ahead of last year at this time, however I have been struggling with back problems for the better part of 3 weeks now. I finally decided to go to the doctor last Friday for x-rays which thankfully showed nothing wrong structurally...however, I have a MRI scheduled for Wednesday morning to have a look at a few discs in my lumbar region that may be an area to watch. The doctor has assured me that its nothing to be alarmed about, rather its just something that they want to look at so we can better plan my training around it. In my event, which involves extremely high velocity combined with rotation and compression, every precaution is necessary.
Community activities were kept to a minimum the last 2 weeks, partially because of the holidays and partially because of the pain in my back. The next few weeks will incorporate 2 new community events for me. This Tuesday, December 9 I will be going to the Sharp Children's Hospital to visit with the ailing kids and hand out teddy bears in the 18th Annual Law Enforcements Teddy Bear Drive. I am extremely excited to visit these kids because it really helps me put life into perspective.

Similar to when I had the incredible honor of training with the Navy Seals last year, visiting the sick kids at the Sharp Children's hospital helps remind me how lucky I am to be able to do what I do. The next time that I wake up sore from a hard training session, I can reflect on our nations elite forces who endure more pain and extreme conditions that most of us can fathom...or I can remember my visits with kids who wont know if they will even see the weekend. Most of those kids would love to wake up and hurt from a training session. Its a great reality check for me and admittedly I think I'm due for one.

The last big event that I have planned for the year is the Athletes and Angels Event on December 12. This event is very similar to the "shop with a jock" event that I had to withdraw from due to back pain...so I'm eagerly looking forward to making up for my absence with the Athletes and Angels event. This event will be very fun because of the large amount of 1 on 1 time that the athletes can spend with the kids shopping and taking pictures with Santa. Thats all for now...to be continued after the holidays!
M++

Intergenerational Games, Version 3.0

The last few weeks have been fairly "normal" here in San Diego at the Olympic Training Center. Almost everyone here is wrapping up their 3rd or 4th weeks of training and the days are flying by. The classes that I am hanging out with here at the training center have been steady and are keeping me on my toes. This past Wednesday, I had the opportunity to speak at the 7th Annual South Bay Intergenerational Games . This was the 3rd Generational Games that I have spoken at and I was pleased to meet several people who remembered me from the previous IG Games editions.

The Intergenerational Games are designed to bring together older adults and young students for a series of games designed to promote health and physical fitness. My task was to inspire the kids with stories about the Olympic Games and my experiences as an athlete...as well as promote cooperation, interaction and teamwork through physical activities. My ultimate goal was to try to educate the kids on the importance of nutrition and health education at an early age and how that can translate into lifelong healthy habits. It was a beautiful day and I had the opportunity to hang out and answer 1 on 1 questions with many of the kids and even a few of the "older kids".

Over the next few weeks, I have 2 more classes scheduled at the Olympic Training Center, as well as my 2nd visit to the "shop with a jock". Shop with a Jock is was created by former San Diego Charger Junior Sea, and gives over 200 hundred kids to shop with local professional and Olympic athletes from the San Diego area. Last years event was an enormous success and I'm looking forward to a few more funny stories for this year.

Sunset Hills and the OTC...

This past week was one of the busiest weeks of community service for me since I started working with In the Arena. The week started off with 3 classes at the OTC that were an absolute handful followed by an awesome visit to Sunset Hills Elementary School. Although it was over an hour drive one way, it was well worth it. The kids of Sunset Hills "adopted" me while I was in Beijing and sent massive amounts of good luck cards and emails and really made me feel proud to have so many kids cheering for me, even though I had never met them... The idea was brought about by another former USA Olympian, Mary Andrews, who just also happened to be a javelin thrower as well. With Mary's help and creative efforts, I was able to return to a "welcome back" day at Sunset Hills and had the opportunity to speak the the entire school as a group as well as visit individual classrooms and see the kids one on one. Seeing how well the kids were behaved as I visited their classrooms reaffirmed my faith in the public school teaching system. These kids were the most polite and well behaved kids that I have been around and it was truly a pleasure to spend the day with them.

Now that I am back in training for the 2009 season, my community service projects will be again resume on a weekly basis and in some situations, a daily basis. Im looking forward to a busy but prosperous fall. Till next time,
Mike++

Back Home in Texas...

This past week I had the chance to return to my hometown of Temple, Texas for the 1st time since last Christmas. It was a fun filled week with alot of appointments in and around the community. The highlight of my trip was meeting Governor Rick Perry at the Texas State Capitol. Governor Perry held a nice reception for the Texas Olympians and it was a nice treat to get to meet him and his staff and get a chance to tour the capitol grounds.





I spent the entire week hanging out with my Dads 6th Grade Science class, answering questions about traveling and the Olympics and even had the chance to help out with a few lesson plans. It was nice to see the reaction of the kids as they were able to share with me the greatest experience of my life. This past weekend was the last few days of my "vacation" and it was an awesome one that included several football games, a round of Golf at one of Texas most beautiful courses and a TON of food. It has been a great break from training but I am 100% ready to get back to San Diego and get back to work.

Once I get back to San Diego, I will have a busy week ahead of me that includes several classes that I am hosting at the Olympic Training Center. One visit that I am looking forward to is my visit to the Poway Elementary School. These kids were kind enough to "adopt" me while I was in Beijing and I received numerous emails and cards wishing me well and I even received a generous donation to In The Arena for $200. This will be my first visit to the kids since I have returned home from the Olympics. I cant wait to get back to San Diego and get back to work! Catch ya later! Mike++

End of the season, beginning of the season...

Hello again...the last time I blogged I was just leaving for the last meet of the year in Daegu Korea. I flew to Daegu, literally a few hours before the competition in attempt to test the effects of jetlag flying west to east. After speaking with my coach and looking at our training from Beijing, we figured I had about a 24 hour window straight off the plane to compete before the jet lag started to set in. Our plan worked well and my body felt fairly well given the fact that it was my 18th meet of the season and then end of September. I threw 80.16m to take 4th place and was able to beat a few guys who beat me earlier this season.

Daegu was awesome! The city was amazing and the more I think about it the more I realize that it is quickly moving up on my favorite cities list and is threatening Oslo at the number 1 spot. The people were just as nice and warm-hearted as those in Beijing. After I left Beijing, I mentioned in a previous blog, "The last meet of the year for me will be in Daegue, Korea on Sept 25 and it will be interesting to compare the 2 cities. I can’t wait to see if the niceness epidemic has spread throughout Asia, or if its progression was halted at the Great Wall." I found that the Asian culture and the values that they embrace do not stop at the Great Wall, in fact they extend far beyond. However, it was very easy to distinguish the difference between the communist run China and democratic South Korea. Daegu will be hosting the 2011 World Championships and I cant wait to return there in the next few years, its truly a beautiful place and I consider myself extremely lucky to have visited there.

Now that the season is over, I have been spending the last few weeks trying to answer all of the emails and phone calls to family and friends alike that I didnt have time to get to while I was in Beijing and Europe. It has been a very fun and relaxing time, but all too busy. I have given myself a window of 1 month to tie up all of the business aspects of my season such as trying to gather income from meets and acquire new sponsors. I have also finally been able to start up a few community service projects back here in San Diego.
This week I am restarting my classroom visits to some of the local Chula Vista elementary schools. Next Tuesday through Wednesday I will be speaking to the Chula Vista Elementary School about life as an athlete and the values you learn while training to represent your country on the worlds largest stage. The following week will be very busy for me as I return back to my hometown of Temple, Texas as a United States Olympian. I have plans to spend an entire week mentoring my dads (and many other classes) 6th graders as well as spending some time with some of the high school s most promising athletes. It looks to be a very busy week in community activities, but one I am eagerly looking forward to as it brings about an entire new direction to some of these kids. Im hoping to get lots of pictures and some video of the weeks to come and cant wait to post them here. Catch up with you then, Mike++

Home Again...Away Again!

For the first time in my life, I can actually say that I have been around the world and back. I left sunny San Diego, Beijing Bound, on August 5 and since then continued my travels eastward and made stops in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Latvia and Germany all over again. My last stop in Germany was for the World Athletics Final, in which I saw the worst side of International athletics...the political side.
World Athletics Final, also known as Grand Prix Final takes the top 7 athletes on the World Athletics Tour. After 2 guys in the top 7 dropped out with injury, I was sitting a very comfortable #5, thus making me a lock for the Grand Prix Final...so I thought. After what I would consider one of the worst weekends in my life, I was notified that my manager "failed to confirm my participation" for the Grand Prix Final and as a result, 2 local guys were allowed to throw. After talking it over with my manager and several USA representatives on the IAAF council, we concluded...that I got screwed!
The IAAF went above and beyond everyones expectations on how low they can go and how bad they can "bend but not break" their own rules and I was unfortunately on the bad end of the stick. The dilemma now, go after the IAAF in legal litigation and get the prize money and possible bonuses that I would have missed on end of the year rankings...but then what? That would effectively end my athletic career. I could be the world record holder and number 1 in the world but strangely not accepted into any more Grand Prix events. So its a tricky situation, everyone knows the IAAF acted inappropriately, but everyone also knows that there isn't anything that I can do without ending my career financially.
I am now back in San Diego for a few days, just enough time to shake off the European jet-lag before I head back over to Asia to do it all over again. I leave for my last meet of the year in Daegu, Korea. This will be an awesome meet because Daegu will be hosting the 2011 World Championships. Never a better chance to get a shot at the city, stadium and maybe even the food! This will be the end of an unbelievable season for me, one I hope to be able to duplicate for several years to come. Once I return home from Korea, I will take a few days off and then begin working on my In The Arena Community Projects and begin sharing my Olympic and life experiences with the San Diego kids. I cant wait!
Mike++

08.28.08: Beijing in the rear view mirror

With my Beijing experience now in the past by a few days, I have had a chance (including a 10 hour flight to Belgium) to reflect on everything that took place.  I have had a chance to learn from a few mistakes, lick my wounds and take dead aim at the great city of London in exactly 1,456 days…and counting…

Beijing as a city was absolutely amazing; the people went above and beyond everyone's expectations. I kind of feel bad for the organizers of London 2012, they have one hell of an act to follow.  The first thing my parents said as they returned home from Beijing was how shocked they were as to the rudeness of the American people in the airports…I have to remind myself that we Americans aren’t in fact being rude…it's just that those of us who have spent the last few weeks in Beijing have been spoiled by the “niceness epidemic”.  There were actually times that the locals were so unbelievably nice and polite that it almost made me uncomfortable.  For example, there would be times when a group of locals would be sitting at a table or huddled around a TV and as soon as you came in the room, they would all stand up and say hello.  I don’t think there are 10 people who stand up in the States anymore when a lady enters the room (much less anyone else).  I honestly can’t remember a single time when they weren’t smiling or saying “hello” or “is there anything at all I can help you with?”.  Then there was the work ethic…It is no wonder why many of the world's largest companies look to China and Asia in general to produce many of their products.  The Asians are the hardest working people I have ever seen in my life bar none, and they do it all while keeping a positive attitude.  They may work for pennies per hour but they always seem to have a positive outlook on life.  I remember thinking that if I opened a restaurant in the USA and had a full staff of Beijing locals, it would be one of the most successful restaurants in the USA within a matter of months (as long as I didn’t screw it up!)  I realize that I may have not seen the way things really are or the way that Beijing was prior to the 29th Olympiad, but for what myself and almost all of those who visited Beijing saw…I am sold!  Even as I was leaving the Olympic Village and airport, I was bombarded with gifts of every kind from the locals who pleaded and begged “please come back to Beijing… you are welcome back to China!”  I for one, LOVE China and cant wait to go back.  The last meet of the year for me will be in Daegue, Korea on Sept 25 and it will be interesting to compare the 2 cities. I can’t wait to see if the niceness epidemic has spread throughout Asia, or if its progression was halted at the Great Wall.

On to my performance in Beijing: For those who saw the qualifying rounds in the javelin, you saw the weather.  For those of you who didn’t, the qualifying rounds were contested in a monsoon.  I have never seen that much rain fall in that short of time.  As much rain as there was and no matter how long my flight (group 2) was delayed…it didn’t matter.  When I woke up at 4:30am the day of the comp and saw the rain, it actually fired me up because I knew most of the competitors wouldn’t be able to handle the conditions mentally and I actually felt like I had an advantage.  I was the last thrower in the 2nd flight: thrower #48. Last thrower in normal conditions is a great place to be in because you get to watch the performances of everyone else and know exactly how far you have to throw in order to qualify…in normal conditions that is.  But with as long as I had to wait…it didn’t matter, as wet as my javelins were…it didn’t matter.  I was more ready physically and mentally than I have ever been in my life, maybe even too ready.  I wasn’t even nervous…anxious yes, but nervous no.  I have spent endless hours with my team analyzing my performance from every angle: physiologically, mentally, technically and emotionally.  And the result of our analysis was…we wouldn’t have changed a thing.  I have analyzed the film of my throws a few hundred times and it’s the best I have ever looked technically.  My physical preparation was textbook, exactly where we hoped it would be.  I was 100% healthy and 100% ready, mind body and soul. That’s why the results were so hard to comprehend.  There were 90m throwers who couldn’t manage even 70m and 70m throwers who set new lifetime bests.  In an event where the weather is so dependent on the outcome, one can only say “stuff happens”. All that matters is that you can prepare the best you can and leave it all on the track and then you must accept the results and the weather for what they are. Like the quote my coach said to me before I left for the stadium, “it is what it is”.  The entire Olympic Games were filled with upsets and amazing stories.  There were people who weren’t even supposed to make the team that ended up medaling and people who were locks to medal who were eliminated in the qualifying rounds…and the javelin was no exception.  Here is one amazing story that you may not know the inside scoop on.

I had the opportunity to hang out with a friend/rival of mine who many of you know, Breaux Greer.   Breaux was my roommate for several days while in Beijing and for those of you who don’t know his story, here is a quick rundown: Breaux is the greatest American javelin thrower in USA history and won a bronze medal at Worlds last year in Osaka and set a new American Record, which also happens to be the 9th farthest throw in the history of mankind.  Breaux had his 11th major surgery of his career this past winter…yes 11th; most people would hang it up after 1.  After breaking a bone in his throwing hand before the Olympic Trials, and not being able to take any training throws in several months, Breaux showed up at our Olympic Trials and finished 17th.  A far cry from his 90m days of last year, Breaux dealt with an enormous media backlash for him doing some of the things he decided to do throughout the year.  The javelin is a very "what have you done lately" event and Breaux received the full media fury.  Still Breaux was nominated to the Olympic Team and came to Beijing.  Why?  I asked myself the question several times…the answer which we may never truly know, is not ours to worry about and we probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend.  What I saw Breaux go through in Beijing was nothing short of amazing.  He was told by several doctors not to even show up at our trials much less the Olympic Games.  I saw a guy shoot up with pain killers just to take standing throws on the grass…I saw a guy who had everyone in the world telling him no and yet he said yes.  Even the greatest javelin coach in the world (aside from mine) Kari Ihalinen of Finland (Breaux’s coach last year) told Breaux to go home that he would risk career-ending injury if he attempted to throw again.  But those of you who know Breaux, know that he is capable of throwing 80m when he is not even remotely healthy.  So, when I heard Breaux tell my why, it made everything crystal clear, not only about why he chose to come to Beijing, but why he does everything he does in life.  Breaux looked me in the eye and said, “I'm going to give it one shot...one throw...one throw with all that I have, because I don’t want to go back home and watch the Olympics and wonder…what if?” In an event where it only takes 1 throw…this made perfect sense to me.  So, kudos to Breaux for his larger than life attempt at representing himself and his country on the world’s largest stage.  After my last throw in Beijing, Breaux came up to me and said, “remember this feeling and use it.”  Breaux has gone through this 2 times and had the agony of being 1cm short of making the Olympic Team in 1996.  He finished last in Sydney and last in Athens after posting the farthest throw of the Games in qualifying.  He also said “you will grow more from this than anything else you do in life.”  And I truly believe that I have grown more as a person and an athlete more in the last week than I have all of my life.  I have to admit that I didn’t know what to expect from Breaux when I got to Beijing, but it was a great experience that I may never truly know the value of. All I know is, if I am stuck in a foxhole in a war, I want Breaux watching my back.

So now what?  I am now in Belgium, post-Beijing and am now officially an Olympian having competed in the Games.  So where does this leave me?  As strange as this may sound, I believe that the disappointment of Beijing was in fact the best thing that could have happened to me.  If I had qualified for the final or even medaled, I would have walked away from Beijing with a sense of satisfaction, which is extremely dangerous as an athlete.  I swore to myself that I will never feel the way that I felt as I left the runway in Beijing and that very moment which will be etched in my mind forever set the stage for the next four years.  I am more determined and driven now that I have ever been in my life, which I honestly didn’t think was possible.  But knowing what I know now, I believe that the next 4 years will hold many far throws that will culminate in another amazing Olympic experience in London.  The result in London will be irrelevant, it cold be a gold medal or a last place in qualifying, but the journey along the way will be something that I hope I can someday explain in words.  The life lessons that I will learn over the next 4 years will be worth more than any monetary amount that a 9-5 job may offer and the reward at the end of the journey will be indeed priceless.  It looks as if Breaux will be moving to San Diego this fall to join our training group.  Put 2 of the worlds best throwers together to push each other physically and emotionally, couple that with the worlds best coaching, nutrition and sports science…one can only guess the end product in 4 years…London awaits in less than 1,456 days…
Never underestimate the power of ambition.

'Til next time,
Mike++

08.17.08: Five Days Out

Today was the last “intense” training day for me. This morning I had a sprinting workout, which at this stage is more for hormonal increase and release rather than trying to get faster. After the morning sprints session, I had a technical session that included some light ball throws designed to generate arm speed as well as some runway work to solidify my approach. In the previous days, my upper body and arm was moving much better than my legs. My coach said that it looked like I had a Ferrari engine strapped to a bicycle and thus the timing was off. Today it was much better and my legs are finally starting to feel alive. My arm is in the best shape it has ever been in. My coach jokingly was looking for a radar gun over here to check my arm speed. I threw 95pmh from the outfield in college and I’m guessing I would top out around 99-100mph now. The majority of the track and field athletes from the USA who have not made the finals in their respected events are now finished for the most part and the mood around the village is getting more festive. Unfortunately for me I still have a few more days before I can let my hair down! Tomorrow is another rest and recovery day. I plan to do some laundry, check a few hundred emails and maybe catch a nap or 2. See yall on the 18th,
Mike

08.16.08: The Countdown Begins

We are well underway with the track and field portion of the Beijing Olympic Games, and there have been a few upsets and a few stellar performances on the USA team. One of the toughest things to do is to sit back and watch all of your friends with whom you have trained and competed against live out their Olympic dreams. The javelin throw is one of the last events of the games, as it was also last at the USA trials. Due to the lateness of my event, I have had the opportunity to watch many of my friends compete. I had the joy of watching one of my best friends, Hyleas Fountain, have the performance of her life and win the bronze medal in the heptathlon. I have also had to sit and watch some of my other close friends see their dreams fade in the men's shot out and discus throw. It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster. Now that the javelin is the last throwing event to compete, the focus has been placed upon Leigh Smith, Breaux Greer and myself to pick up the slack in the USA medal count.

In my recent blog entries I mentioned that the amount of free time that I have is dwindling every day. I find myself staying up until well after midnight due to many of the things that I need to do during the day. The most difficult thing for me has been the juggling act of doing what I need to do to prepare for my event and also taking time to watch my friends compete and share their Olympic experience. As I have said before, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day and it doesn't seem possible that I have been in China for over 1 1/2 weeks. These games are indeed flying by and I am caught in the middle of the preparation vs. experience dilemma. My training has been great and the biggest focus now is just getting a sense of normalcy. I have competed well in 12 meets year...my program is timed perfect, my health is good and I am approaching lifetime bests in the weight room. As impossible as it may sound, I very well may just have to approach the Olympic Games as just another track meet (with over 1 BILLION people watching). My plan so far when its time to throw...."just push print."

See you on the 08.17.08
Mike

08.14.08 Back to the Chaos

I arrived back into Beijing today, and was quickly reminded of how much busier things are here than at our training camp in Dalian. As I mentioned in my 1st blog entry, there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done! This blog entry is an example as I am running late for another team meeting in about 5 minutes.

Here is what is on schedule for tomorrow...

5:45am wake up
6am depart USA housing facility at athlete village
6:30am depart for Beijing Normal University (USOC headquaters)
7-8am breakfast
8-9am treatment and therapy
9:30-11:30 last throwing session
11:30-12pm treatment and therapy
12-1pm Lunch
1-3pm rest and recovery
3:30-5pm sprinting and jumps training
5-6pm treatment and therapy
6:30-7:30 Dinner
8pm depart Beijing Normal for USA housing facility at athlete village
9pm team meeting
9pm email and blog updates
10pm lights out

I will make an attempt to give everyone an idea of what my daily schedule is leading up to the qualification and final rounds here in Beijing.

Gotta run, catch up with you tomorrow!
Mike

08.13.08: Too Good to Be True…

It would have to be a fairy tale ending to be able to go into the Olympic Games 100% healthy, maybe even too good to be true. And so it is…today was the first set back in my training, although it was a minor one. I have had problems with my low back and pelvis slipping out of alignment causing periodic pain over the past few days. I suppose that's what happens when you're loading 528lbs on your back. As a result I had to modify my training program for the 1st time. However, the modifications that we have made more than likely have more of a mental impact than physical. Basically, as my coach would say, “the hay is in the barn” and all we are doing now is tightening a few screws. Tomorrow I fly back to Beijing in preparation for my last throwing session on the 15th. I will be training at the USA Olympic Committee Headquarters at Beijing Normal University but will be staying in the Village with the rest of the team. I will send updates with what a typical day in the village looks like for me in the next blog. I have to get packing!

Catch you later!
Mike

08.12.08: Rest & Recovery

Today was my 4th day at the USA Track & Field Training Camp here in Dalian, China. Another rest day…when I say rest day, it just means that there wasn’t any sprinting, lifting or throwing. The majority of the day was spent in and out of treatment sessions that focused mainly on my low back and hamstrings, which have been giving me issues since I arrived. I also had a short meeting with our resident sports psychologist, just to go over a few mental preparation techniques and tactics. For most people, the idea of “rest” or “off” days means that one can become a tourist or go sightseeing, well for most athletes in the games it serves a different purpose. Imagine if you can a Formula 1 race car…before a major F1 Grand Prix the driver takes the car out for a test drive on the course…after returning to the team garage, the driver just doesn't park it and not touch it until its time to race...the car is virtually dissected, analyzed and tweaked to the finest detail. Not only to ensure proper future performance but to analyze past miscalculations and potential future problems. That is essentially what most of us here do. After we take the machine out, we bring it back in and make sure its ready for the next test run and eventually the competition… which for me happens to be the Olympic Games. Tomorrow is another heavy day, lots of weighted ball throws and a lifting session in which I hope to tie or set a few new personal bests.

Catch up with you tomorrow,
Mike

08.11.08 Back To Work

Today was the first hard training day since I arrived to Beijing. I had a hard throwing session this morning in the pouring down rain (which you may have seen on TV). I followed this morning’s training session with a sprints and jumping session this afternoon. The rest of the hours in between training were spent resting and recovering and then preparing for the next session. It was a pretty quiet day here at the USA Training Camp other than the practice sessions. We have had a streak of bad weather for 24 hours but it should be clearing by tomorrow. No major news from Beijing other than a few updates on the medal counts and the Chinese have put up an impressive showing so far. The American Track & Field Machine is set to roll in just a few more days…should be one heck of a show!

Catch up with you tomorrow,
Mike ++

08.09.08 The Day After...

Today I arrived at the USA Track & Field training camp in Dalian. It was a very long day, in which many of the athletes who attended the Opening Ceremonies were going on 3-4 hours of sleep. Most of us arrived back to the Olympic Village around 2 A.M. and departed for our training camp around 6 A.M. Our flight wasn't until around 11, but due to heightened security measures were had to depart early. Once we arrived in Dalian, we were shown the full force of the awesome Chinese security. Dalian is a city of almost 6 million people and they closed all the roads leading from the airport to our training camp, some 1/2 hour away. That is just an example of the how well they are taking care of us.

The locals have been awesome, and all of us here are extremely grateful and thankful of all the efforts and collaboration of the Chinese officials with the USA security forces. The mood quickly changed and became more serious once we arrived to the hotel where we were notified of the attacks on the American tourists at the Forbidden City as well as the declaration of war between Georgia and Russia. As far away as some of the problems seem to be, it still hits home and reminds all of us here that the real world is still going on without us and it is up to us to show the world an unbiased competition without prejudice. Tomorrow I finally have a day off. I plan to sleep, unpack, check some emails and catch up with my family, and sleep some more. Catch up with you tomorrow.

Mike++

So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Hello, first let me apologize if this first entry is cut short. There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done over here that needs to be done. I'm actually catching a plane in 30 minutes for our training camp in Dailan. It's been a whirlwind of a few days and I'm running on about 8 hours of sleep since I arrived. The people of Beijing have been...flawless! They are so excited to be hosting the Olympic Games and their attitudes and personalities certainly reflect that. They have been more than gracious hosts and I have fallen in love with the culture. The village is brand new, as are most of the facilities and there's everything that you would ever need.

Last night I attended the XXIX Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies. I could sit here for hours and not be able to capture the experience in words, so I'll try to wrap it up as...simply amazing, the best day of my life! I had the opportunity not only to meet, but to hang out with George W. Bush and Bush Sr., LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Coack "K" and so many more unbelievable people with awesome stories. After about 9 hours total of standing, sitting and standing some more,  I can now say that my Olympic experience is officially underway. I promise to make the future blogs longer and hopefully with a bit more detail. I have a plane to catch, gotta run!

++Mike

Beijing Bound Jitters... Part 1

...And so it begins.... I'm not quite sure the Pre-Olympic Jitters decided to hit me a 4am Monday morning, maybe its because I leave in exactly 27 hours for "Olympic Team Processing" in San Jose before taking off for Beijing the following morning. Maybe its because I foresee the tons of things that I have to do today before I leave Tuesday morning....funny, I was just telling myself how strange it felt to not have so many things I actually need to do. But as I sit here in bed, typing, my mind wonders to all the small things that need to be tied up before I take off and that task is now seeming to grow larger. Then again, the jitters, nerves, anxiety...whatever you want to call them could also be starting due to the 3rd live radio interview (and 3 TV interviews, 2 newspapers and 2 magazines) in 2 weeks that I'm doing in...5 hours 29minutes, make that 28 minutes. Whatever the reason, the nerves are here, and they are here in full force.
My roommate, 2004 Olympian in the high jump. Tora Harris, has started a you tube account called "flame and rings". The premise of this you tube account is for documenting a few athletes progress as the games get closer. He has an entire room full of HD cameras and hard drives and is truly blessed at making videos and presenting them in a unique, athletic, but unbiased perspective. He started videoing his girlfriend of several years, Shuying Gao, Asian Record Holder in the Pole Vault, who also is part of our training "family" here at the Olympic Training Center. Shuying, or "Sandy" as we call her here, has been living and training here in San Diego for a few years now and has been an awesome in teaching me new Chinese words and customs as I prepare for the games...so has Tora, seeing that he is fluent in Mandarin as well. Anyways, Tora has documented alot of his and Sandy's training (which he has dubbed "Red Vault") and has them posted on his youtube account, his videos can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/lianjuin

Tora happened to be at my last throwing session before I leave for Beijing in...now 26.5 hours, and made a quick video of the brief but very intense session, it can be found om his "flame and rings" account here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CxO5aARRTs&fmt=18

Keep an eye out for his series of videos, "flame and rings" as he will be in Beijing filming Sandy (and me I hope) throughout the Olympic Games...


Well, I suppose I am going to try to go back to sleep... however I can tell you that I will be logging onto the Starbucks website as soon as I sign off from this blog entry to see what time they open, (thats my attempt at humor at 4:35am ;) I have a feeling that these eyes wont get much rest over the next few hours, all though I will make an attempt. Wait a second, what time does Sports Center start on the west coast ;) Beijing Bound Jitters Parts 2, 3, 4, and so one to come soon!

Good talk,
M++

Beijing Bound...at Long Last!

Today....I am an United States Olympian...
That feels really great to say! For the better part of 6 years I have been making emotional and physical deposits into the worst possible bank account you could think to open, the kind of account that yields hardly any interest and moderate to no return on your investment whatsoever...Well finally, after 6 years of putting in and not getting any out...I am making one huge massive withdrawal! However, I cannot make that withdrawal until 19:30 UTC +8, August 23, 2008.

In what was an emotional roller-coaster of a week, it all culminated in a bitter sweet 2nd place at our Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon. “Track Town USA”, aka Eugene, was amazing in every way...except the weather for the final on Sunday July 6. We threw in a mild headwind in our qualifying rounds, that was very typical Eugene...but then had to throw in winds in Sundays Final that resembled hurricane Catrina. Wind gusts were measured at 25 mph at the local weather station, and were consistently between 10-15 mph straight in our faces. It was a difficult day for me because the wind conditions required very precise flights of the javelins. Any one that knows my throw knows that is an area that I must address before I head off to Beijing. In a strange twist, the wind conditions actually favored throwers with less power and lower personal bests. I finished 2nd place with 75.76m, which was good enough for me to secure my spot on the Olympic Team but my performance was also my worst of the season thus far. In the 3rd round, my ribs that were bothering me since Berlin were re-injured. As a result of this, my managers and coach have decided to pull me out of the remaining Super Grand Prix's before Beijing in order to reduce the chance of injuring them any further.

So...what a huge relief and honor it is to be able to represent the United States on the worlds biggest stage, the games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing. However, I return to San Diego with a small chip on my shoulder for not representing the United States as the reigning National Champion...bitter sweet it is!
A huge shout-out to Amory Rowe and In The Arena for making a similar emotional (and financial) investment in March of 2007. Without the support and encouragement of Amory and ITA. In a sport, and event, that seems to be a financial black hole, Amory and ITA has given my family and I a chance to "live the dream" and for that no amount of thanks will ever be enough!
M++

Back to Sunny So-Cal

Lets see, where to start this one off…It always seems as if I have a chance to update my blog, or at least gather my thoughts on the long flights home. As of right now its 7:55PM San Diego Time and I am exactly over the Mississippi River on my way home from Moscow. I left Moscow about 26 hours ago, and according to the flight computer, still have about 3 hours and 3 minutes to go. The flight home was pretty flawless from Moscow to Zürich, then to JFK in New York, but then the flight that was scheduled for 3PM was delayed until 8PM…not that it matters because after 20 hours it all starts to run together anyway…am I rambling?..Back to the updates.

The last update was as I was leaving a pretty bad trip in Brazil that I fortunately threw decent in and scored some needed World Athletics Tour Points. The next stop was Berlin for the 1st Golden League of the year. I arrived to Berlin a few days ahead of schedule, which was needed because I spent the better part of 3 days at the Russian consulate in Berlin trying to get the Visa for the Moscow Meets, more on that later. Berlin was a welcome treat after being in Brazil, being able to eat food without fear of intestinal parasites and brushing your teeth with tap water were very welcome comforts. The organization of the Golden League staff was nothing short of amazing, the ISTAF (International Stadium Festival) directors had a fully staffed 24 hour office at the meet hotel and were there for every need an athlete could have…they even hired a driver to take me to wash some clothes (much needed after 2 weeks in South America). The meet went off without a hitch and I threw 81.14m for 5th place in a field that was made up of essentially the Olympic Final. As a result of my placing I was invited to the 2nd Golden League meeting of the year in Oslo, Norway, the Bislett Games.

Ah Oslo, what else can I say about Oslo in the summer other than heaven on earth, there were times that I felt like intentionally “misplacing” my passport in hopes to be able to stay there for the remainder of my career, did I say career, I meant life ;) The Bislett Games staff was just as adept at making sure all the details needed for a world-class competition were catered to and the competition was also a tremendous success. The conditions were not ideal for long throws at the Bislett Stadium as many of the competitors were 3-5m under their normal seasonal marks. It wasn’t until the last round that 3 guys made massive moves and personal bests that I was pushed to 7th place with 80.37m. I was happy with my performance and was content with heading back home and getting 4 solid preparation weeks for the Olympic Trails, but then…. there was Russia.
I spent the better part of 3 days at the Russian Consulate in Berlin, attempting to acquire the Visa needed for Americans to enter Russia. I should have known I was in for a rough ride when I entered the consulate (after waiting 2 hours outside) and was quickly notified that the only languages that were spoken there were….take a guess, Russian and German. I finally acquired the help of a local guy there who spoke English who attempted to help me get to the Visa application window (picture 40 people huddled around a 3 foot by 3 foot window…all pissed off as hell for waiting outside and inside for numerous hours). I could go on forever about the nightmare there, but Ill skip to the summary. I had the wrong papers, no surprise, wrong size photo ect…so I returned the following day to repeat the 4 hour process all over again, only to be told to return the 3rd day to repeat the process all over again, yes 12 hours total waiting in the consulate for the stupid Visa…oh yeah and then there was the actual trip to Russia.
Here goes, I arrived in Moscow on June 8th for the competition on June 10th the Moscow Open. I was met by a man at the airport who spoke English and said that I would be taken to the meet hotel where I would meet the competition organizers ect…that was the last bit of English I heard for 24 hours. I was dropped off at Olympic Stadium (1980) and I waited there for almost an hour before I figured out the hotel (if you want to call it that) was in the stadium itself, actually around the top of it….one would think, wow a hotel at Olympic Stadium, should be nice right? Picture a hostel that sits directly above a 24 hour construction zone, fully equipped with dump trucks, jack hammers, sledge hammers, and back hoes.
There were some major renovations that were taking place to the stadium after the Manchester United vs Chelsea football match there a few weeks ago. Oh yeah, no hot water (due to construction), no internet…yeah spoiled I know, no AC and 3 channels for the TV…all in all those things can actually be dealt with, but when you don’t have access to some of the most basic necessities to get ready for a competition, its difficult to expect good results. I did see some amazing sights at the Moscow Open, I saw women that looked like men and men that looked like machines, which I was told was “quite normal” in that area on Olympic years if you know what I mean. Anyways, I was fortunate enough to throw 79.26m to take 2nd behind 2003 World Champion, Sergey Makarov of Russia. From the Moscow Open I traveled to another suburb of Moscow called Zhukovsky for the Zhukovsky Memorial. This competition was run 100 times better than the Moscow Open but the weather unfortunately didn’t cooperate with us. I was poorly prepared for the wet conditions and my performance reflected that preparation with a 4th place finish just under 75m.










So now I’m on the way home after 8 competitions in 6 weeks and 5 countries for some much needed rest and preparation for the Olympic Trails that are in just 3 weeks time. My remaining schedule leading up to Beijing will be dependent on my finish at the Trails. If I throw over 83m and place top 2, the I will be confirmed for the following meets before Beijing:
July 11 – Rome Golden League – Rome, Italy
July 18 – Paris Golden League – Paris, France
Jluy 22 – DN Galan Super Grand Prix – Stockholm, Sweden
If I do not throw over 83m, then I will likely be forced to the following meetings:
July 13 – Athens Super Grand Prix - Athens, Greece
July 16 – Lucerne Grand Prix – Lucerne, Switzerland
July 20 – Heusden Grand Prix – Heusden, Belgium

…time will tell…check back with you after the Trial, Ill take good luck wishes if your dishing them out ;)
“The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.” Teddy Roosevelt

The South American Fiasco

I really hope that I am running out of trips that could double as cheap horror flicks…After I returned home from “The Doha Disaster” (see previous blog entry), I figured that the worst was behind me, that it couldn’t possible get worse than that…well you guessed it, the week and a half journey to Brazil to hit the 3 Brazilian Grand Prix’s was nothing short of a test of my every last nerve. In fact, it was as a result of these 3 meets that I have decided to start my own website that will be dedicated to “rating” or scoring track and field competitions all over the world. Sure it will take massive amounts of time to get up and running, but the premise is to eventually be able to sell it to a 3rd party sometime over the next few years. This website will be accessed by athletes and managers alike that can log onto the site and rate the competitions that they were just in. These competitions will be rated on the following categories;
Travel, Accommodations, Food, Competition and Training Facilities, and last but not least Financial Arrangements.
These categories will be scored something like 1-5…1 being horrible, 2 below average, 3 average, 4 above average and 5 being great. After each category is ranked, the meet will receive a final grade, maybe something like a A+ to F or Failing with flying colors. I hope that this holds meeting directors and officials to higher standards when it comes to taking care of some of the most basic requirements, especially when the IAAF puts a “Grand Prix” status on a competition. I hope that athletes and managers alike will find this useful when picking meets at the beginning of the season and allows them to make well-informed decisions and what to expect from certain competitions. I will give you a few examples, there are a few meetings in Europe that are typically great places to compete with good venues, however, these few meets are notorious for not paying their financial agreements to the athletes (Ostrava and Tallinn). This information should be made known so that athletes and managers are aware of this before scheduling those competitions. There are also instances where competitions do a great job in every detail of running a world-class athletics competition, but lack proper competition facilities. This is also very helpful to know ahead of time.
I am now sitting on a train en route from Frankfurt to Berlin Germany. I am amazed at the differences in every aspect of life in Europe compared to South America, the organization, the cleanliness and the overall quality of life…I am competing in the Berlin Golden League Meeting on June 1. This will without a doubt be the largest competition of my career as the eyes of the entire athletics world are fixed upon 6 meetings a year, the Golden League Meetings…they take place in Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Brussels and Zurich. I am hoping with a good performance in Berlin, I will be able to get confirmations for Golden League meetings later this summer. These meetings are absolutely killer for World Ranking Points so it’s a great opportunity to jump a few people who I have been behind all year. The new World Rankings were posted just as I left Brazil, I have now cracked the elusive “top 10” list and am sitting comfortably atop the World Athletic Tour Standings with an almost 30 point lead…however that lead will diminish extremely quickly and will likely disappear all together as the Scandinavian guys bring their A games this summer.
My stop is coming up next, gotta pack my stuff and hit the next connection to Berlin. Catch yall later! M++

The Doha Disaster

Before you get to deep into this blog, let me just warn you in may take a while to dig through all this past week’s adventures. That being said, its now 2:30am San Diego time and I am somewhere between Northern Ireland and Greenland, I just flew directly over London and just north of Limerick. Here’s some fun facts just to kill some time:

Altitude: 36,000ft, Outside Temp: -60C, Air Speed : 548 mph, Tailwind: 32mph

I am returning from the 1st Super Grand Prix of the year in Doha Qatar. I have been trying to figure out an easy way to explain some of the madness that went on the last 4 days, and I’m not sure I can fit all the details in but here it goes.
I left the training center in San Diego Tuesday around 11am for my flight from San Diego to DC to Doha. It was only supposed to be 18 hours total travel time, which is really good for going to the other side of the world. The 1st problem of the trip was a busted panel on the bottom of the United plane that couldn’t be fixed, so after sitting on the tarmac for 2 hours, we were moved to another plane. About 1 hour into our 4 ½ hour flight, an elderly lady had an medical emergency, presumed to be some sort of heart attack which only added to the delay of the already 2 hour late flight. Oh yeah before I forget…after de-boarding the original flight and prior to boarding the new one, I noticed that there would be almost no way that I would be able to make the connecting flight. In fact, “if” the new flight left on time and had no other delays I would have exactly 27 minutes to make the connection in Washington DC. I proceeded to ask the gating agent if “in your professional opinion, should I risk taking the flight to DC and not making the connection, or take a later flight that goes through San Francisco and London before getting into Doha 6 hours later that the original flight.” She said not to worry that the flight should make it to DC in plenty of time to catch the one and only flight to Doha…well as I’m sure you have guessed, that didn’t happen. So I waited in DC for 7 hours before boarding another flight to London at 7AM and then on to Doha.
As I arrived in Doha (14 hours later than scheduled…oh yeah 32 hours later!), I was met by a baggage claim representative that told me that my bags didn’t make the connection in London (not to my surprise) as that has happened to me 3 of the 4 times I have been through London. They then said that the bags should arrive by 4pm (Thursday)…being that it was 6AM Thursday morning, I didn’t think that was too bad of a deal…but as I’m sure you guessed, again, that wasn’t the case, I suppose I can try to make a long story short.
My bags ended up arriving at 3AM Saturday morning into Doha, which doesn’t do much good when you fly to the other side of the world to compete in a track competition that is on FRIDAY NIGHT!. Needless to say after about 35 calls to London, DC, and Qatar Baggage Services, and a 300$ phone bill in 24 hours, the panic was starting to set in.
I did have a few pieces of luck that went my way. An American friend of mine that is now coaching for Qatar, Todd Henson, was able to shuttle me to a few malls on the morning of the competition so that I could buy a few needed items…underwear, socks, toothbrush, deodorant, a few red bulls and a truck load of ibuprofen! Unfortunately, when you are in the Middle East, javelin spikes and competition uniforms (the most important of all) aren’t easily found at your local sports store. I was able to borrow a Qatar National Team Uniform, which I found amazingly ironic, as I was now competing for the home team…and another good friend of mine, Andreas Thorkildsen (2004 Olympic Champ from Norway) let me borrow his extra pair of practice spikes…even though they were a size and a half too big, they still were better than throwing in tennis shoes (which I also had to buy because I thought I would try to look cool and wear dress shoes on the plane…. dumb move)
Well, as fate would have it, after all the stress and agony over not having the luxuries that most of us are used to when we travel…I was able to pull my head out of my butt and compete. I ended up setting a lifetime best of 82.31m which also moves my World Ranking to #14 and #1 on the World Athletics Tour points standings. However it was a bitter sweet competition for me, I was mentally totally unprepared and felt like crap the entire competition, not to mention that I missed every single one of my throws, even the 82.31m (I am not looking forward to the technical analysis when my coach sees the video footage). The one bright side to that competition was that I had an easy warm-up from ½ approach that was at or near the 85m mark. That being said, its always nice to get a personal best (even if everything you had on was either to big, to small or had you competing for a foreign federation)…but not as sweet as it would have been to throw to your true potential on a massive stage such as a Super Grand Prix. I have been typing for almost an hour now, so I’m going to take a small break and reflect on a few things then come back and wrap it up….hang in there.

Ok, so now on to a few of the lessons that I learned on this trip, after all… what good are all the downfalls, struggles and fights in the world if you cant learn from your mistakes. As I dealt with the Qatarian Baggage Services (not to mention London Heathrow as well) I quickly learned to look at the situation form the other side of the desk…The people who are “helping” you cannot possibly comprehend the amount of anger and frustration that you are experiencing, They are not in your situation and you are just an name and baggage claim number to them, along with the hundreds of other stranded passengers going through the same excruciating experience…
So here’s lesson #1 from this week: You are not a special circumstance and will not receive any extra effort on the part of baggage claim representative, there are others that are in the same situation, even if they don’t have thousands of dollars and points on the line that you bust your ass everyday for over the last 5 years… you just take your number, and wait along with everyone else…and if you feel the need to express how important or different your case is, all it will do is get the same response that is practiced a thousand times by these “robots”….I’m so sorry sir, I promise that we are doing everything possible to find you luggage and get it to you …” grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!
Lesson #2, this one is easy; pack your competition gear in your carry one bag…duh! I used to do this but got lazy and it screwed me, big time…lesson learned, that wont happen again.
Lesson #3, this one may fall under the common sense category, but when your blind with anger and frustration, common sense sometimes takes a back seat. Do not take for granted that when you are in a foreign country, you must abide by their rules, which means that some things that may be said or done inside the USA, may not…scratch that, WILL not be tolerated. I wont go into to details, but I almost found myself “escorted” to a place that I think I would not have wanted to go…3 TIMES in 48 hours. Remember this is that same country that cuts of fingers and hands for stealing…lesson learned.
Lesson #4, “…don’t sweat the small stuff.” I learned this way back in high school from my football coaches and I hear it weekly from my Sports Physiologist. No matter how bad things are or how bad you want something done, even something as easy as a phone call with an update (talking to you Qatar Baggage services!) Some things are out of your control and you cant possibly influence the factors that determine the outcome, so its best to save your mental energy for other things…such as what to eat for dinner in Qatar…beef or....beef, oh and there’s also some beef, to go with your side of, yup you guessed it…beef!
Lesson #5, I guess I will save this one for last since it should be the most important one and it is also the one I have the most trouble with…stand up for what you believe in!!! Im not necessarily talking about going to a Muslim country and arguing religious tactics, I’m just saying stand up for something if you feel strongly about it and don’t just be a bystander in the crowd attempt to blend in with the conversation. When I was in Australia this February, I happened to stumble into a political debate with a few of the locals and they began to rip president Bush and the entire USA government a new backside…I just sat there quietly and nodded my head and even smirked at a few of their lame wise cracks. After this conversation ended I was nauseated because I didn’t stand up for what I felt then, and feel very strongly about now. I had another similar situation in Qatar and I made sure that my previous mistakes weren’t repeated. I think everyone involved in the conversation now knows how this Texas boy stands. So for those of you who are George Bush haters and for those of you who cry about how bad we have it in the USA and how messed up the government is, go ahead and sign off now…and don’t bother to check this blog ever again. Somehow I always end up these blog entries with something political/patriotic…not sure why it always comes back to that. I suppose its because I saw a culture this weekend so amazingly different but yet awesome from ours today and it made me realize how good we have it. So I guess I will take a line out of my last blog entry…”love it or leave it!” I also heard another great quote this weekend, it was said during a discussion over some of the issues in the Middle East… “Leaders will do work when there is work to be done…and this place needs work.”
Only 13 more hours to go until home…Greenland is now off in the distance to my back right, bearing down on Goose Bay Canada…almost home…sort of

Altitude: 36,000ft, Outside Temp: -51C, Air Speed : 555 mph, HeadWind: 9mph

Until next time…
M++

Eugene Training Camp

Howdy! Just finishing up a week long training camp here in Eugene, Oregon...home of our Olympic Trials. About 9 of us from the Olympic Training Center came up for some mental preparation on the same track that we will fight for our Olympic births on. Most people would say we are crazy for leaving the sun in southern California for 40 degree rain in Oregon, and they are partly right. But its also nice to get a shot at track that the trials are on, and its ALWAYS nice to get away from the training center.
We arrived into Eugene late Monday evening and have been putting in 2 workouts a day everyday, and for most of us its the heaviest week or training as far as volume and intensity go. This is the last week of a 8 week long phase that I wrote about in my last blog entry and my body is finally showing the signs of the accumulated 8 weeks of pounding. I was playing with some numbers on the flight up here and here are some stats for you. In this last 8 weeks I have done the following:

Squated 44,160 kilos (97,152 lbs)
Power Cleaned 19,840 kilos (43,648 lbs)
Threw 2,400 medballs
800 javelin throws
1,600 weighted ball throws
*not even going to try to add up the number of miles SPRINTED

Anyways, I thought it was a good idea to add everything up and look at it in the big picture. One can almost say that the hay is almost in the barn...its now time to start tightening the screws and get ready for some big competitions and hopefully big throws. Speaking of which, today I am supposed to throw here at a collegiate meet at the University of Oregon. This comes to my coach and I as a surprise because when we departed for Oregon at the beginning of the week we had a schedule that said I was to compete Saturday evening. As a result I threw yesterday morning and lifted last night very hard. So it will be interesting to see if I can still manage to throw over 80m with every part of my body aching from the last 8 weeks beatings. My coach has let me know that unless I feel 100% sure that I am capable of throwing that I do not have to.
In other competition news, I have been confirmed for my 1st IAAF Super Grand Prix which will be in Doha, Qatar on May 9. I will finally get to rub elbows with the big guys, Andreas Thorkildsen (2004 Olympic Champ) will also start his outdoor campaign there as well.
I have also launched a website that you can get all kinds of goodies on like my music, javelin training info and of course links to In The Arena, check it out at:

www.web.mac.com/mikehazle

The Daily Grind

Since the last update (which I just noticed was saved as a draft and not published...sorry about that) I mentioned that the Olympic Training Center was jam packed with foreign athletes from all over the world. It is now the middle of April and almost everyone here is in the midst of our own personal "hell month". This is typically the last month of the year to get high volume high intensity training before the summer season starts to kick in (which is typically mid May). If this post sounds as beat up as my body feels, then I send my apologies in advance ;)
So far so good on my end, my body is holding up "fairly well" and my technical training has yet to dip below the unacceptable mark. I'm anticipating holding this phase for another 2 weeks before a rest week and then straight in to my power conversion phase which will include the following meets before the USA Olympic Trials:
May 18 - Rio De Janerio Grand Prix II
May 21 - Fortaleza Grand Prix II
May 25 - Belem Grand Prix I
June 3 - Tallinn Grand Prix II
June 10 - Moscow Open
June 15 - Memorial Zmaneski Russian Cup
In community project news. I have tentatively struck up a new project that has slipped through the cracks, I was anticipating working with troubled youth from the South Bay Family Crisis Center, however I was notified that I had to basically get a congressional appointment (not really) to get back in with these kids...seriously there must have been 5 tests including HIV and hepatitis tests as well as reference letters and applications and endless forms that needed to be filled out, all just to hang out with some kids that need a bit of direction. Needless to say this wasnt the time of year that I had that much free time available just to get through the screening process. Therefore I am still hanging out with my kids that visit the training center (who are absolute studs!!). I had the most awesome group of kindergarten kids yesterday. The look on their faces in priceless and every now and then you get the feeling that these projects actually do work and it makes it all worth wile...to be continued! Check out these rock stars below!!
Mike++

Whats 7 divided by 4?

...7 divided by 4...I pose this question because I am in the midst of trying to squeeze 7 days of workouts into 4 days. I am leaving Friday morning for Des Moines Iowa. Why in the world would anyone leave San Diego for Des Moines (sorry to Des Moines natives in advance)...well my coach and close friend is getting married this weekend...finally!

Things are getting pretty busy here in San Diego. The Olympic Training Center has turned into quite the international attraction lately. Currently we have teams training here from the following countries; Argentina, Japan, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Germany, China, and Great Britain. In the following weeks we will also have individuals from Finland, Estonia, Finland, Denmark and Egypt. I get a bit frustrated with the fuss of fighting for the last few pieces of protein at dinner and waiting in line for the ice bath, but then I remember how fortunate I am to call this place home. So as short as this blog entry may be, I would like to remind you (if you live in the USA) of how fortunate you are to call this place home...and I would like to sign off with the following..."love it or leave it!"
Catch y'all later!
Mike (oh yeah go McCain!)

...Back From Down Under

Howdy...as I sit here just returned from a month trip to Australia, I remember where I was right before I left and the mixed emotions that I had . It was a gamble, an expensive gamble at that. I had never tried to compete in February before, much less in another country on the other side of the world. For once (not including 1 lucky evening in Vegas) that gamble paid off and paid off HUGE!
I left with the aspirations of having 3 meets down under and hoping to be able to throw between 76-78m in each meet. Those results would finish me in the top 4 of each meet, allowing me to receive a "few" needed World Athletics Tour Points and a small bump to my World Ranking. As fate would have it, I managed results of 77.67m, 80.87m and throwing 10cm of my all time best 81.89m in the last meet, the Australian Olympic Trials. Departing Australia with 2 second place finishes, and one Grand Prix victory. As of now, early as it is, my World Ranking jumped from #31 to #14 and #3 on the World Athletics Tour.




As I analyze my current situation, I remember where I was 1 year ago and those that helped out in the journey. Now its time for me to spend a few minutes...hours...no days, praising the individuals that helped keep the Olympic Dream alive for me. I haven't done this in the previous blog entries, and I hope as you read this you don't feel as this is some kind of political propaganda to boost others egos, just know that it is a heart felt and sincere thank you to those that operate behind the scenes that don't get as much acknowledgment as they deserve. I think somewhere there is some hideous country song that says behind every good man, there is a better woman...well heres a fact, behind every athlete that is an immense support structure that is seldom seen, except for today.
My parents have long supported my dream of competing for the USA and have taken many financial hits, including delaying their own retirement and watched mountains of debt climb up as their son pursued his Olympic Dream. To my Mom & Dad, no words can express my gratitude for your unwaivering support. You have said that your previous financial backing was an "investment" in my future...I cant wait to see your "investment" pay out largely in 6 months time. There is a word class organization and a world class individual that heads it up, on who's behalf that I wright this blog entry...Amory Rowe and In The Arena. Without the support of Amory and In The Arena, this past years journey and all its experiences would be one word...impossible. To Amory, you have made the impossible, possible and the dream a reality. I cant express my families and my thanks in words, so I wont even struggle to find them because it would be a gross understatement. The United States Olympic Training Center was wiling to take a gamble on a guy who put all his eggs in one basket and it has thus far panned out. Without being accepted there, I would have been working a 9 to 5 back in October of 2006, a huge thanks to them as well.
Ok, that has been long overdue and I just felt I needed to get that out of the way...On to the good stuff. I approaching the 1 year anniversary with In The Arena and am eager to embark on year #2. Looking back at the successes and failures of the past years community programs, I feel the need to "funnel" my activities to certain age groups. I am going to make an attempt to reach out to kids from grades 2-5 and 10-12. It seems to me that the younger kids that fall between 2nd-5th grades look at Olympic Athletes as lager than life, they don't quite differentiate between "famous" baseball and football players and Olympic athletes. All they see is an athlete at the highest level and know that they are doing something bigger than they can comprehend. It is these kids that seem to hang on every word that you say, and I often get letters from these kids who have coined the catch phrase "I wanna be like Mike"... The kids that are reaching the upper levels of high school are an entire new ball game. These are the kids that will actually look to you for advice on life issues that they may not be able to get at home. It is this opportunity that allows us to plant the seeds that the Olympic Movement is all about. I have found through a couple of projects that the kids that fall into grades 6-10 are sometimes "to cool for school" and aren't open to seeing things in the large picture. These kids are often searching to find their own identity and wont look for help in outside sources and will figure it out on their own through trial and error.
I have the rest of the week off, and have some time to reflect and ponder new and old community projects and hope to have some exciting news for you on the next blog entry. As I sit here and proof-read this entry, it strikes me that I haven't really expressed all that I wanted to say, especially in the "thank you" department...but I will save that for another place and time...how about in Asia in August. Speak to you again soon, Mike++

Headed Down-Under

G'Day Mate,
This blog update finds me in the midst of booking flights to Australia for a short 4 meet series in February and early March. I just got confirmation this weekend and will be headed down under from the 4th of February to the 2nd of March. This trip comes as I'm finishing a power conversion phase in my training so I am anticipating some big throws.

In other news, I have been fortunate enough to be invited back to watch the "break out" session of hell week for the new class of navy Seals. This special night will take place Sunday, February 27. I will be able to meet and socialize with some of the military's highest ranking officers as well as several members of congress and a few Senators. I haven't been told who due to security restrictions, but it has the makings of a amazing night. This class of Seal's have been training for several weeks and will now begin the dreaded "hell week breakout". Basically, the seals will begin a weeks worth of pain and anguish while operating on a total of 4 hours of sleep for 1 week straight. The Seal instructors anticipate the class going from a total of over 250 recruits to 40 during this week. I will not be participating, however will be able to re-live one of the most awesome experiences of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67L35y77cWQ&feature=related


In community activity news, classes at the local Elementary and High Schools are back in and my classes that meet at the training center have also resumed. I have had a string on awesome 2nd graders come through who seem to be genuinely inspired and amazed by what they see here. It is truly a treat for me to read some of the thank you letters that trickle through after their visits. It reminds me that no matter how "routine" it becomes for me, it really is something special to many kids. I am trying to make an effort everyday to put forth as much energy and emotion as the kids show when the first arrive on site. As I prepare to leave for Australia, I will continue to strive to show our youth the real ideals of the Olympic Movement in its most untainted and untarnished form, I only hope to not let them down! Talk to you soon,
Mike++