time for some shapeshifting

On our way to Tata!  Two weeks full-focus London.

April; a month inwhich many athletes seek sun and focus. Just before the start of the season. Since this is an Olympic year I promised Ronald we would follow the route that will lead to gold.

Close to the season.... traininggroups will grow rapidly. All winter I train three guys every wednesday, saterday and sunday, rain or shine. But in april some think I can work wonders. A common question:

"I have a competition in three week, can you teach me how to throw a javelin?".

And that's when I'm lucky!  Many don't even ask.. but sneaky join the group in warming-up hoping I understand their wishes.

Last wednesday.....ten guys joined our group. Young, old, small, big, with or without talent, coordination, muscles or artifical leg. Way too much for me. I don't think anyone of them learned something that evening, apart from the fact that some feeling for throwing is useful.

Luckely for Ronald his throws were filmed and send to Ferenc for his weekly comments. Six year ago I started with just one; Ronald Hertog. Six years of dedication from him, is the reason I accompany him in training two weeks in Tata (Hungary). Tomorrow we fly. An additional advantage, for me, is rest from a bunch of occasional throwers.

In Tata Ferenc Paragi will train Ronald. I'll shapeshift from coach to cameraman so we can daily review every training. Keep following this blog. Since I'm there with a camera in my hand,  nice footage will follow. 



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!

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)

Getting ready for the launch

In July I said we had liftoff and although it felt like a good start it was just a trial run. The real launch will start in a few days. It's nearly October. As written: in July we met Ferenc Paragi and ask for help. You probably read about it. Since then Ronald got used to new exercises for technique, sthrengh and flexibility. All easy, light and healthy. This week we do some tests.

The results will be viewed by Ferenc and he'll be waiting for us next week....
The plan is coming together

Date:  1 till 10 October 2011

Location: BUDAPEST

Occasion: The start off a long, hard, exciting winter.

THE LAUNCH OF UNIQUE COOPERATION

Our goal: Gold at the Paralympics 2012, javelin men F44

And we have liftoff

Home again,
working my way through a lot of film with comments and new excersises.

No time to give a daily update.

Time to plan...

and make sure this team will work!

It's all about focus, the rest is easy

..with one exception... getting up wasn't easy...as I could see at breakfast. Elbows on the table head low and eating with minimum effort a bowl of cereal. Is he hurting or is it the fear of an third throwing session in two days? I guess a bit of both.

So this is what happened in the morning:

Question from Ferenc (and George translating and being sincerely interested):  How do you feel?

Answer from Ronald:   Good, it's just hot and I can feel my back, my belly, my leg and shoulder....

Solution:   Ok..than it's going to be a light throwingsession. Just on the grass,  not throwing hard but focussed and repeating everything you heard yesterday.

And focussed he was...as always. With no complains and no pain starting to feel what we are working on.

After that some indoor excercises and knowing the same will happen in the afternoon.

The day ended with a nice diner with Ferenc and George. Getting to know eachother better and setting up the framework for our route to the Paralympics 2012.

Ronald will end this season with 3 more competitions to go....but already focussing on the Paralympics. We'll be back in Budapest in October. Better, because of what we learned these few days and fit to focus, plan and train for the GOLD.

Tommorrow just one more training in Budapest before we fly back. Undoubtely more of the same...but never enough.

No way back

So today it got serious. The first two sessions were inspiring. I expected some new exercises and some confimation on my understanding of the javelin. Sometimes it helps a lot when somebody tells you things you already know but in other words.

This morning we learned more than that and I think its a big change. A change that will hurt. All new exercises will hurt but also adjustments to the technique. Not mayor adjustment but enough to hurt.....a lot.

In my opinion we have a choice.
1) we continue what we are doing for the last year and have a chance of a medal in Paralympics 2012.
2) we take it a level higher and let Ferenc lead the way to GOLD.

Ronald and I discussed both option over diner. While I was eating my salad and Ronald a small horse... we knew it can only be option 2!

Will it be the end of us working together ? Maybe just the opposit. We take a big chance. Not only wil he train his ass off, but he must realize that also the time between the trainingsessions will get him were he wants to be in 2012. He need to make sure he has a good diet, he will rest enough, he doesn't get distracted, keep focused and above all.... keep fit. Listen to his body, expect and endure some pain but knowing when to stop or slowdown to avoid injuries.

In other words.... we started a seriously exciting journey. Let's hope Ronald still feels like this tomorrow morning :-)

The Kick-off

The day before our (first) departure to Budapest. Finally! A month working towards the start of an exiting Paralympic journey. An adventure towards a Gold medal in september 2012.
A month of keeping contact via email, dropbox and youtube.

Sharing history, plans, ideas and one goal.

Not used to writing in english emails got unnecessary long just to be sure the receiver understood.

But again.... finally monday we meet up with Ferenc Paragi. I expect three intensive days. We need to get to know eachother so there will be no misunderstanding in future digital contact.

For 5 years now Ronald trained under my supervision.  He went from 28mtr in 2006 to 56mtr in 2011.

He's European Champion and European record-holder.

Our National coach (Guido Bonsen) kept him fit. I 'm responsible for his technique.

Yesterday he threw 53,65mtr in Leverkusen. A bit less than expected. 

Monday June 18th 2011, Ferenc Paragi completes our team !

Lets not beat around the bush: We're all working towards the Paralympic Gold in 2012. Yes we mention de GOLD ! GOLD ! and nothing but the gold.  We don't hide. Keep reading this blog and follow us towards september 2012.

Help from a hero!

Ask me who my hero was when I was little (was I ever?)...I mean when I was young and  I have to think very deeply. The last two weeks brought me back to those days and it refreshed my memory.

I was in search of a way to help Ronald ( http://www.ronald-hertog.nl/ )  reach his ultimate goal in 2012.

I though of a clinic with someone who would be an inspiration for him.

In the Eighties we would look for foto-series in magazines like: the German 'leichtathletik' or the Dutch: 'atletiekwereld'.  Nowadays.. google and you'll find.

And so I stumble online on a hero from my youth. I remember him throwing 96,20mtr. My first training after this throw I remember very well. We (my training-buddy and me) didn't speak much. We were speechless.

So now I thought.... why not send an e-mail to FERENC PARAGI and ask for a trainingsession ?

To cut a long story short: Now, two weeks, a few e-mails and some research I think, later we've booked our tickets for a few days Budapest in July.

We are very excited ! and this could well be the start of an longterm coorporation.
I look forward to discuss the technique with Ferenc. I expect to learn a lot. But more important: I hope Ronald will get inspired so it will help him TRAIN HIS ASS OFF.

My first blog in English. The first of maybe many.
A report from our first sessions with Ferenc will follow undoubtedly... a month from now.