Dream huge, think huge, throw huge!

24 June 2002 - Adam Nelson had some injury niggles leading up to the US Championships, but still stepped into the circle to win the competition with a world leading performance on Saturday night in Palo Alto.

 Although my lead-up to the Nationals was not perfect, I'm delighted to be the new US Champion. Even better, it was a great competition. John Godina opened up with 21.91. I threw 22.13m to take the lead in the second round, and then improved to 22.22m with my last throw. 

As I said in my last email, I've been recovering from a case of tendonitis in my right ankle.  I owe a lot of thanks to the training staff at the University of Georgia (special thanks to Harris, Rebecca, and the rest of the gang), as well as Dr. Dave, Scap, Alex and Mike.  All of whom have been vital in my recovery.

The past week and half had been a little hectic.  I'd spent most of my time resting my ankle and doing a bit of visualization.  I wasn't able to throw for almost 10 days, and that can be a little nerve racking considering how close it is to the Nationals.  However, I managed to have some good lifting days and one or two solid, but short, throwing workouts. 

I travelled to California on Wednesday.  It's a homecoming of sorts for me.  I trained here for the three years preceding the Olympics.  Reuniting with old friends can be a huge and welcome distraction before a major competition.  Conversations tend not to focus on what's going to happen, but what everyone's been doing.  I'm blessed to have a very diverse group of friends with many different interests. 

My week in California really began with a press conference followed by a warm-up and short throwing workout at the track.  Press conferences are always interesting especially when you get a chance to listen to the other athletes describe their preparation and expectations for the meet.  Everyone has a slightly different perspective. 

The throwing workout was short and sweet, six full throws that were very easy.  At this time of year I like to focus on rhythm rather than worry about distance.  This workout was no exception.  In the last workout before a competition I warm-up the same way I will before the competition.  Much like a golfer sets up for each shot the same way, I prepare for each competition and for each throw the same way.  In fact, there are a lot of parallels between the technical events and golf.  Unfortunately, I'm not as good a golfer as I am a shot putter.

There's a lot of down time before major competitions. Being away from home, I like to bring books and journals to fill dead time.  Some people like romance novels or mysteries, but I'm more of text book guy. Currently, I'm reading a book called "Basic Freud" by Michael Kahn.  It's not always brain candy, but it does provoke a lot of thought. It's more a less an introduction to Freudian thinking and relationships. Incidentally, I do enjoy the occasional novel, just not recently.  The books keep my mind active and distracted while the journals help keep my thoughts clear. 

That's about it for this week.  As I've said to the press this year, some big things are happening on the infield.  Keep your eyes open and listen for the roars.  If you follow the noise, you'll probably find me there. 

Adam Nelson

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