time to relax

Time for hard training and time to have fun.

Sure we could get back to Rotterdam in a hurry. I've got a job waiting and one look at my iphone is enough to see that I should get back. But after eight days of hard training (for Ronald) and me observing, filming and learning too offcourse, we added one more day to our stay in Budapest.

No javelin throwing, no ball throwing, no throwing weight around.... just have fun with

the World Championship: Mobile phone throwing!

Yesterday my video-camera went into a coma. But today he sometimes woke up from it:

Tweet  from @ronaldhertog: BAM! And suddenly I'm a worldrecordholder in mobielphonethrowing for amputees #expectedmore #57,42m #trickierthanyoumightthink

Our plane to Holland will leave tomorrow afternoon. So just enough time for one last training on monday-morning! Needles to say it was GREAT!

a paralympic-mode

Besides Ronald I also give training to another amputee. He's now where Ronald was 6 years ago. Just starting. Since I'm here it's all athletics (on my mind) so surely I think about his road to Rio2016. By mail we discussed how many times he's planning to train and we both spilled our wishes in terms of training.

So all I said was:

- Your training for Rio starts this winter

- There will be no excuses to skip a training.

- If you got some small wounds on your stump... we find alternative excercises

- If you lose focus on the training...be sure I will lose focus on you

He asked me: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but...is it something I said  or did?"

Oeps... no son, don't worry... just get used to it.

Ronald and Robin



Maybe not the way to go with every youngster in my group (he wouldn't be the first to flee). But I guess I just expect a bit more from a potential Paralympian. A bit harsh...but Ronald set the standard for me.

Others benefit from what Ronald and I had to find out for ourselves and from our experience in the last few years. You can't blame me for expecting something back.

This morning no training for Ronald. So we sat down at  Budapest Starbucks and together we wrote a nice schedule for Robin.  Being in a Paralympic-mode we realize he's going to need the support from both of us :-)

over before you now it

And yes... summer in Budapest is gone. Not to worry, they have a great indoor facility with 6 lanes of 60 mtr and enough room for gymnastics, throwing in nets, highjump, shotput and discus. An old facility but complete. As I said yesterday trainingschedule for throwing and weightlifting were made by Ferenc. I incorporated it in Ronalds week.

Quite a puzzle considering:

- he needs and wants to train certain hour with the paralympic team (to keep up the spirit, get inspired by others and sometimes inspire other worldclass Dutch athletes)

- I can only be available one evening and in weekends (being a clubcoach a.k.a. volunteer with a mission)

- it would be nice if he can join the long jump training once a week (since he want to jump in Londen2012 as well)

- We don't want him to train alone

But while Ronald was throwing some shots around I work my way through all mentioned above. Having a indoorhall as an office for one morning. I think we did it. I don't expect Ronald to be thrilled about it. The only thing he gets thrilled about by now is the promise we don't train tomorrowmorning. :-)

Six week will be tough but after that it's get more specific and exciting. That with planning a good rhythm in new get togethers with Ferenc, the winter will be exciting and over before he knows it.

Two champs collaborating

No time to write today. After diner at 'Champs'... the perfect place for Ronald to let his mind wander off to big things next year.... I found a new schedule from Ferenc in my inbox for the upcoming six weeks. So today I leave you with a nice view.

day 4 no worries and payback

Maybe my last post was a bit dramatic. Ronalds mum tweeted anxious...if he was doing alright....

But let me tell you all: he's doing great. And no matter how you feel, I think it was a nice speech from Rocky.

Yesterday was heavy. After sprinting and throwing shots around in the morning, Ferenc planned a throwing-session. After 4 throws he called it off. It was clearly this would not be a good session. Ferenc is very clear about the quality of the training and always considering your well being. Ronald was not amused. Not amused when he started... a clear case of being nagged.

And even less amused when Ferenc made him stop! He felt like a 'quitter'.

But as said earlier; Ferenc knows when to push and when to let go.

Ronald and Petra

We took the time to see other athletes throw and had a very easy restfull afternoon. A good night sleep...and today a very good trainingday. Sprints and jumps in the morning and finally in the afternoon some javelinthrowing and weightlifting. 

After a nasty tweet about me from Ronald, I promissed a payback.

See fancy foto on the left: Sorry ronald #ikkonhetnietlaten

Our fysio Petra flew home yesterday (see did a great job) and today Ronald got a good massage from a Hungarian masseur.

Petra arranged a good gift from the Duifrunners. They made it possible we can continue our journey!

about getting hit and keep moving forward

"The world aint all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You , me and nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it aint about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! If you know what you're worth than get out and get what you're worth but you've got to be willing to take the hits and not pointing fingers saying you aint what you wanna be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that aint you! You're better than that" (Rocky Balboa)

Day 2

It feels I'm here a week already, but luckely we have a full week ahead of us.

Morningtraining started with spints and jumps.

No....again:

Morningtraining started with breakfast.

No complains from Ronald. I was anxious to see how Ronald recovered from yesterdays training..... and pretty proud to see he was doing very well and delivered a good morningtraining.

Offcourse for me and Ferenc more discussions and tuning our coorperation. Making plans for training in Rotterdam and scheduling our get togethers, in Budapest or elsewhere in the world.

In the afternoon: weightlifting. Not as smooth  as yesterday but...very good!  In the evening....Ronald was in desperate need of a small horse.     

 We knew just the place -->

Day 1

Starting with a relaxed morning, walking alongside the Danube-river, while 3000 others are trying to run the Budapest marathon...this afternoon our training:

after the first session

After about a month of relaxing it was pretty....heavy.
First some light throwing. Nice, focussed, better than in our last visit.

Than some weighttraining:

Some main exercises and some special throwing-excercises. Although Ferenc emphesize fun should be the biggest part of the training.... the first two weeks will be with muscle ache... allover.

I guess this week is hard on every athlete preparing for the games.

I must say I almost put a stop to it today. But just before I wanted to do so I realized:  This could well be the difference between 56 and 60+ mtr.

To all athletes: Good luck these first few weeks ! have fun and keep focussed.

To Ronald: As long as you say 'I am exhausted' with a smile on your face, we're not impressed and smiling with you.

just make up your mind

And we're back in Budapest.

In the past few weeks I read a bit about the Hungarian...I had enough suprises last time :-). Having said that and being in Budapest, a few hours, made me realize: we are dealing with a unique man. And I didn't read a book about the unique Hungarian. Not yet anyway.

I read that 'the Hungarian spirit' is like an straw fire (it smolders, and you need to put energy in keeping it burning). Didn't notice it today.

make up your mind: What's it going to be?

One hour after checking in, Ferenc came to the hotel for our first meeting. Nice! after our weekly skype-contact it was nice to meet eachother again face-to-face.

He explained what he has planned for Ronald this year in general and the upgoming six week in detail. It was clearly he wasn't impressed with our objections or doubts  :-)   That felt good ! Ronald got excited. If he didn't already know...he surely knows now: It's going to be a year with no excuses!

If you get stiff from one (important) excercise, you have a choice on how to prevent it.

1) don't do the exercise

2) do some extra excersises to relieve the stiffness

If you hurt your back while you are throwing, again two choices

1) don't throw like that

2) do some extra exercises to prevent the hurting

If you're a woldclass athlete going to the Paralymics you have three choices. What is it going to be ?

1) bronze

2) gold

3) silver

hint: Two, two and two / twee, twee en twee /két, két és két

Tomorrow we start our first wintertraining!!!