20 in 2: The Double Decathlon, or Icosathlon, is a track and field competition in which the athlete must complete all twenty track and field events over two days (which includes completing a standard decathlon in addition to the ten other events,) scoring points based on performance from the IAAF scoring formulas. After finishing seventh in the 2005 World Championship, I began to train for the 2006 Worlds. This is the blog of my journey, dedicated to promoting the Icosathlon, as well as promoting a friendly, healthy track and field community...
email Dimitry: dimitry@yakoushkin.com
Performance & Goal Log Training Log
May 2006 Archive:
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Blog Archive:
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May 30, 2006 Run Away Some More!... Another great running workout THE day after I ran the 400H and threw the Jav (59.50, 40.22m) 10 minutes apart at the PAUSATF Championships. The workout went like this: 2000 meters in 7:20, 1000 meters in 3:03, 500 meters in 1:15.9, and 250 meters in 35.1 sec., all with 4 minutes rest. (That's race pace for 3000, 1500, 800, and 400, on sore legs!) But what I really need to do is take down that 6-month old 3k mark in my performance list. The 5k, 10k, and 3k are starting to really worry me, as I've traded road running and mileage for weights, jumping and throwing, probably too early for the USA double dec. champs. Last week I triple-jumped 4 cm shy of 12m on a full approach, and there's more there. The shoulder/arm is feeling better (switched back to Ibuprofen for a week - high blood pressure be damned,) and hopefully the ego will get a little boost at the Empire runners all-comer track meets where I'll run a tune-up 800, 4x400 and possibly 200 before the Santa Barbara Decathlon - my last multi-meet before the USA champs. -- post/email comment -- 0 comments --
May 22, 2006 Damned if You Do... The Warning Signs page has gotten great positive feedback from everyone - thanks a lot! My right arm and shoulder is killing me - after a week of constant pain I've backed off the vault and throws almost 100%. I would go to the doctor, but going to Kaiser with a sports injury is like joining the Marines to quit smoking. (What?... Exactly.) The good part of this injury is that I can focus on what I should be spending more time on - running. Last week I had a fantastic workout with a hard 2000 meters at 3k race pace, 5 minutes rest then 10 x flying 100's (12.1 to start and 11.4 on the last one!) and then a 56 second 400 meters after another 5 minutes rest. I know that once the shoulder heals it's back to mediocre throws, but that's the way it is when you mix the 10k and the shot. You're somewhat damned if you do, damned if you don't when it comes to spending time running vs. sprinting vs. technical work. Speaking of the shot - I stumbled upon a great gimmick (if nothing else it's entertaining) technique while looking at some videos on the AWESOME site for throws videos: MAC Throw Video. (By the way, search for Tero Pitkämäki, the world leader in the Jav - you won't believe how small you can be and throw 300+ feet!) Sorry for the digression, now, back to the shot put: it seems a Norwegian (I'm guessing an ex-gymnast turned multi-eventer) woman has come up with the most creative new "technique" for a track event. Click the thumbnails below to see a video of a "throw" from a side view and back view, respectively:
Why someone would want to go to all this trouble to learn to throw this way when you can generate so much more torque in a glide or spin (where you're feet are always on the ground and the larger, more powerful muscles in your lower body are almost constantly accelerating the rest of you) is beyond me. I'd rather use my quads and gluts to push a shot than my hip flexors and groin any day! There is a long thread at Dyestat about this technique and I'm very interested in anyone who has something to say about style. I'm no mechanical engineer, but it seems like even with a woman's shot put you'd do better in the glide. It also seems to be catching on - Nikki Zeiter at Los Gatos high used it in competition! What are high school coaches doing! Oh, and if anyone can do this with a 16 pounder, please e-mail me the video, but more importantly, the x-rays of your face and skull afterwards - I'll post them here. If I get around to doing it, you can officially commit me. There has not been any new marks in my performance list in a while - I'm bummed out. I think that 3k mark from December has got to go soon - today or tomorrow I'll take it down, and post here when there's good news! -- post/email comment -- 0 comments --
May 11, 2006 WARNING! Just in time for Mother's Day - I put up a Warning Signs page for women: how to tell if your man is a multi-eventer. Not much else in the last few weeks - another great improvement in the Jav puts me over 500 points in that event and moves me towards respectable PR (almost 45 meters - if measured throws in practice count!) Any distance running I did is pretty much wasted - I haven't gone over 3 miles in a long time - the throws and speed events are just too gratifying and time-consuming. I do have a great image sequence of a vault I did on a pulley/harness rig - this is close to what a vault technically looks like, only I did it at 1/10 speed - I was slowly pulled up with my harness attached to a pulley: (click on the picture to see a larger image)
Training is taking a back-burner very recently to some pretty serious personal stuff. Hope that doesn't sound like a downer - it's just life, and fortunately I have a wonderful family, a wife that challenges me and keeps me on my toes, and I have a way of really getting myself grounded in the present with training and competing. On a recent trip to Mendocino to visit family with Dawn and Devin, my 81-year old uncle told me about his desire to purchase a new fishing boat to out onto the ocean by himself with. It is the only time he really feels in the "now" - and I knew what he meant. Iggy, I hope you finally get your boat. -- post/email comment -- 0 comments --
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Links: Multi-Event Points Calculator - Enter your Marks & See Your Score IAUM - the governing body for the Double Decathlon All-Time Double Decathlon World Lists, Master's, Women's & Open. (individual & event performances) 2005 Double Dec. World Championship Complete Results USA T&F - United States Track and Field DecathlonUSA.org - history, records, current info on the decathlon Stabhochsprung - the most comprehensive video history of vaulting VS Athletics - track and field supplies, equipment Change of Pace.com: N.California Running & Training Clubs Kip Janvrin's Post-World Record Interview Masters Track.com: Masters Track and Field Website Have a link you want posted here or that should be posted here? email Dimitry |
