Arm Roll

 If I am going to turn up to a stadium next week for an event then I had better make sure I can at least put something out there. After yesterday's successful beach clean involving general body movement and given that it is movement that keeps the aches and pains at bay, I went across again this morning with the shot put in tow.  Even getting there and back is a workout with a steepish ramp to do twice and the walk to the other end of the beach. It was just a test of the system. A general light warmup and a few throws.  It all went fine, I was able to go fetch and return with no issues, as well.  There was no glide technique in it, as I think that will involve to much of a twist, so come sports day it will be an upright delivery if I can get there.

the shags weren't to impressed with my efforts

Fashion Shoot

 Or should I say fashion shot. I will be the best dressed shooter in the ring now that the uniform is coming together.  I have to get there in one piece first, seeing I am having complications with this pinched nerve business. My left ankle is not responding and the leg is weak but at least the pain has receded to an ache. I have been having a contest in my head about which is worse, this nerve thing or the shingles I had previously or maybe knee tendonitis which I have had three times. yadayada.  I have vowed to stand and deliver a few shots today and I have the shirt to prove it.

Two Ring Willie

 Yes after various aborted attempts I have given the Willie rings a good workout. Just three of us on the track. One on the back straight, one on the front straight and me in the middle. It was a good 45 minute session using the crushed scoria sector.  I tried to work it so that the activity increased eg the number of consecutive throws increasing to no more than five but with a rest before another set. All fine in theory but I am still just over 9m as my longest effort and this time I got an actual tape measure out.  What a step up in equipment.  The lady the other day is correct but also you need to enter thru the back as well as leave thru the back. I needed to remind myself of that and work on the approach and exit as I have been ignoring that rule until now. 

AHH the Serenity!

Masters Games United

 Some old guy throwing a weight at the beach is like a magnet for some people. This couple with heavy Irish accents were walking their dogs and the lady was wanting to talk about shot put. She has entered Master Games previously. Her first line was "Always go out the back".  I cannot produce the accent here but that is not what I heard. Then she gets closer and says it again and the husband chimes in "Out the back of the circle, to be sure."  OK don't step over the front always leave from the back, now I understood. For some reason after that I could get everything she was saying.  From now on, I am going to have sessions whenever the weather is ok. It was supposed to be a regular thing with recovery activity in between but the conditions just don't allow for it. All subject to my arm not dropping off.

Does the water look higher on this side of the wall?

Dentati Puttata

 Yes that's gibberish for having a shot put session and immediately followed by a root canal drilling and filling.  I seem to recall having done this last month as well. Good thing these root teeth only require two appointments these days. The last time I had this done was last century and there were at least four appointments over a couple of months. The hip pain never goes away as the bill caught up with me at $1,000 an hour.  As for putting the shot it was drizzily conditions but a solid 30 minutes. The elusive 10m remains just so. There may have been a 9.2 or 9.3 in the mix.  Maybe I will be able to grit my teeth more now for the final push (put).

this is supposed to show a landing zone

Toeing the Line

 I made it back out to Landy Field on a morning where I was expecting no distractions. Wrong. Little athletics training clinics were happening all over the track. Fortunately there are two throwing circles even though the little aths people were elsewhere, a professional putting coach was there and took over one ring for exclusive use.  I did try to eavesdrop and pick up some pointers however this new guy being trained was too new. It was all about technique, posture and speed, all the things I am expert at.   HaHa.  I did get a warmup exercise off them which I will try next time.  

The ring I got was covered in animal poo and silted over but it is my first session with a proper toe board in place. Hooray. I did not really jam up against it much but more sessions may tell. The pit was a gravelly rock base, not sand, so the shot got roughed up nastily.  As for distance I am still under the 10m mark and my fingers feel it. 

gravel pit

new stand

the coach ring

Construction Track

 I made my way to the John Landy Track. Here are Geelong's best athletic facilities and I am expecting the toe boards to be in place as opposed to the rings where they have been removed in Barwon Heads. I checked the google satellite photos. There are lots of empty car parking bays all along the outside.  I arrived to a complete heavy duty construction zone. No carparking except what workers have grabbed at 7:00am. I parked a block away and carried the weight in a backpack.  There was obviously no access thru the main gate that I was looking at. I peered thru the fence and could see the rings. The track itself is cyclone fenced to the exact edge of the outside lane for the length of the main straight. A new grandstand is half finished. I watch as a pumping pipe is unfolded and passed over the shot put ring while it unloads it's slurry contents. There were people in there on the back straight so you can get in somewhere but I went home. Not to give up completely, I went across to the beach for yet another sandy session.

the ring is near the concrete pump

Putting & Teething

 I don't recommend a combined putting session and dental session one after the other. At least I did 30 min of putting before the dentist hoed in. I have not had a nerve extracted for at least 20 yar and I have forgotten what it is like. This one was on the top row as well so it seems like your brain is being drilled into.  At least the putting was a good session as I think that with a proper ring and good footing you can relax and get into it, except for the mossies. Why are there so many mossies?  I am still hovering a bit over 9 meters and trying for 10m. 

Low Tide

 I went across with the shot and saw that a gang of interlopers, who were just out for a stroll, had sat themselves down on my cleared sand patch.  I busied myself at this end by filling in some more of the dugout which I can only do a bit at a time with my improvised spade. I thought the group may have moved on by then but I cleared it so well.  This turned out better for me as I tried the otherside of the groyne. Hard packed low tide sand makes such a difference. With this better surface I am sure I got it further out there. So this will be the new approach if I can put in my order in for a calm, sunny period, coinciding with low tide at around 10:00am every morning. Thank you and no squishy jelly fish in the way either. Landing a shot on a dead jelly would not be good. The hazards of beach shotting.

the landing zone all consistent on hard pack

Three Rings

 I had to pick up some replacement Sunnies after losing my old ones on the marathon day. This was in Ocean Grove so we drove a bit further to Barwon Heads to check out the shot put facilities.  There are three rings and one with a cage and it turned into a three ringed circus when bus loads of schoolies arrived for training purposes. We were not there 5 minutes before we were swarmed by hordes and they were using the ring for baseball not shot put, which is what it is meant for.  I thought you needed a mound for that anyway. No phasements. We got out of there and did a walk of the parkland which was a least 2kms around. 

the toe boards are missing

2km path

forest section