Staycation

It's rest week again! I didn't have practice yesterday, and I don't have to do anything today, tomorrow, or Sunday (although I'll do a little something Saturday).

I decided to get away. I'm at a secret location, relaxing by myself in San Diego. :)

This last block was awesome. You already know that I threw a practice PR three Mondays ago. What you don't know is that I threw another one (actually two) this Monday!! The week and a half in between those good days was pretty bad. I love when I can have a few frustrating practices, forget about them in order to move forward, and then come back more focused than before!

Ty, Mike, Andreas, Daniel, Tero and his coach were watching my practice on Monday. It has been extremely fun to have so many fabulous javelin throwers (the Germans are here, too!) and international gurus of the sport around, because there is quite a different energy at the track than when it's just Mike and I.

Andreas and Mike had all of the javelin throwers and Russ over for a barbeque last Friday. It was simply amazing to look around at all the talent eating cheeseburgers in one room! Each event in track and field is so specific that I always try to take advantage of relaxed social situations like that one. You can only get to know someone so well when you're competing against each other! The happiest guy at the party was Sean, as he set a new personal record at Mt. SAC Relays last weekend! He threw 81.62m, and there's nothing quite like that PR high that lasts a few days after competition. Good job, Sean!

HAPPY birthday

Three or four people have told me that it’s all downhill after the age of 25.

Whatever, I say.

I love birthdays. I tell Russ that mine is coming up at least a month beforehand. A lot of people might say, “Well, Kara, you’re only 25. Wait ten years and then tell me you love birthdays.” But I challenge you to enjoy each and every year of your life. You’re alive, right? Go have a good time with that. You can't go backwards, so don't waste time wishing you could.

I was brought up in a house where your accomplishments were praised, and your birthday was filled with happiness and celebration. I simply don’t understand how a birthday could be treated like every other day! It doesn't have to be a huge deal, but it should be noticed and appreciated. To me, April 10th each year feels a little bit like hitting the pause button. I get to spend a day still feeling like I’m the age I’ve been for a year, while also wondering what the next age will bring (and, chances are, it won’t be that different). I ponder what I’ve done so far, and what I’d like to tackle next. I do what I want, and I get to hear from people that I love!

This year’s birthday was so much about friends. People went out of their way to spend time with me, and it meant a lot! The calls, messages and texts that I got from people from all walks of life really made me appreciate how much I’ve been exposed to and how lucky I am to have met such awesome individuals from so many different areas (and eras, for that matter).

Don’t complain about your age. Enjoy a day that's all about you; there's only one guaranteed opportunity to do that each year!

Practice PR!

We all know that practice distances don't count. They aren't officially measured. Only you, your training partners and your coach can vouch for them (and those people might be a little biased). A lot of times, practice throws are fouls.

But when you have good practice throws, you're just happy.

When macthrowvideo.com featured me on their website last year, someone asked me if I had thrown farther than the American Record (thanks again, Cyrus!) in practice. I absolutely have not! I'm not a "practice thrower." Mostly, we focus on technique during the two sessions per week that we're on the runway, so I try not to be concerned about how far my javelins fly. But there are times that we bring the intensity up and measure throws to kind of check in with how preparation for competition is coming.

I set a training goal last year to throw 60 meters in practice. I never achieved that, but I raised it this year because of the success that I saw in competition during 2010. So, although I'm really happy about meeting last year's goal today and setting a new practice personal record :), I'm more excited about striving toward this year's aspirations.

Outdoor season has begun,

but not yet for me! My first meet of the season will be Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. I throw on Friday, April 29th at 2:00pm!