BACK WHERE THE SUN SHINES

Orlando - home to Mickey, Minnie, Disney World, Universal, Sea World and for the time being.....me!! Florida is also known as The Sunshine State and it's called that for a reason. The weather at this particular time of year is PERFECT. It's warm (70-80 degrees) but not hot, if you know what I mean. The humidity that rolls in around May and June is not here right now. You know - I'm pretty sure the weather in heaven is something very similar to March and April in Orlando, FL:-)



I've been back here now for about a week for some good old fashioned spring training and it couldn't be going any better. It's been great to see everyone - Brooks, Dave, Aub, Joel, Randy and Kenta and all the ladies - Moushami, Tiff and the Jamaican trio. Over the past several months Kenta has been giving me training advice over the phone but a few weeks ago when he told me he was coming here to train, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I would come back at the same time. How can I beat being able to be around some of my favorite people and being able to get the best coaching at the same time??!!

Suffice to say it has been going extremely well even in such a short period of time. Between Brook's wisdom and guidance and Kenta's knowledge and technical skill, I am as excited as I've been in quite some time. It's been great to see what I've been doing right and correct the things that I've been doing wrong.

Everyone is training really hard right now and there is something to be said for being "in the trenches" so to speak, together and being able to benefit from the support and motivation that a training group inherently provides. I pray that everyone will bear the fruits of their labour this season. Anyway, that's it for now...hopefully you all had a great week. I know I did;-)

YOU CHICKEN!

I have bursitis!! What is that you might ask? It's an inflamed bursal sac. A bursal sac is a sac filled with fluid that acts to lubricate and reduce the friction between two surfaces in the body. There are hundreds of them in the body but the one that occurs between my Achilles and my heel bone, right at the back of my foot, is the one that I've been having trouble with. How can I put this nicely?....It HURTS like HELL! And when you jump for a living, that's sort of a problem!!

I've been struggling with this now for the past 6 to 7 weeks and it has progressively gotten worse. I've been getting treatment every day - ice, ultra sound, massage, ibuprofen, stretching, I even took 7 days off running/jumping to see if the rest would help. It did, only minimally. So this past Saturday, when my pain was literally a 15 on a scale of 1-10, with my options running out, I finally decided to get acupuncture.

I did some research online and then just jumped in my car and drove to this office that I found. Of course, the office I went to was closed. I am not a big fan of needles but since I was desperate, I decided to continue my quest and limp down the street a couple blocks.

Luckily I found another acupuncture office a few buildings down. This old Chinese guy came out and before I knew it, I was face down getting needles stuck everywhere. Everything was fine ie. not too painful, until he stuck the one needle directly down into the back of my heel a good 2-3 inches deep. I SCREAMED LIKE A (insert whatever is the worst noise you can imagine, lol) and for a moment, I worried that all of his other patients might run for their lives out of his office. Guess what he said to me? "You chicken!" Really though??? Was that necessary, lol? I wanna see him try it on himself and smile and laugh about it! Anyway...

It's now, 3 sessions and 5 days later and my pain and inflammation has amazingly gone from that 15 down to about a 1!! Why didn't I do this sooner??? I've been banned from running/jumping again for another 7-10 days. It's really hard to adhere to this since my foot feels soooo much better but I don't want to re-aggravate anything so I'm being a good patient and trying my best to keep still. I PRAY that this works because otherwise, I'm not sure what else to do....

In the meantime, I've been talking to Kenta a lot about technique, etc and lifting, doing core work and watching video footage of jump after jump after jump. Might as well make the best of this involuntary time off.

The one place I feel right at home is on the runway and this only me makes me appreciate that even more. I cannot wait to get back "home" next week.

MY ORLANDO TRIP

So I've finally made it back home! I spent the last week down in Orlando and I had a REALLY good time:) Nothing wild and crazy happened, nothing life changing but I got to spend time with some of my most favorite people and so for that reason alone, the trip was superb. I hadn't seen Brooks since he came to my Hall of Fame Induction in November and I hadn't seen Dave since he came out here to LA a little over a couple months ago. Even when you talk to and BBM someone all the time on the phone, it's not quite the same as seeing them in person and you don't realize just how much you've missed them till you see their dimples smiling back at you:)

It felt good to be back with my old training group again too and it almost felt as if I had never left. I felt like I was on a training vacation! I pretty much did nothing during the days except just relax and get ready for practice in the afternoons. I didn't even turn on my computer one time while I was gone. I hadn't been back to Orlando for several months and so it was good to see Randy and Aub and Joel and the gang and all I can say is those guys still know how to make me laugh.

We had Friday and Saturday off practice because Dave, Brooks and Randy went to North Carolina for a coaches' clinic. I wasn't sure what I would do on those couple days but as luck would have it, one of my good friends, Chris Spencer, just happened to be in Orlando for this Celebrity/Pro Baseball Charity Golf Tournament for those couple days. So on Friday afternoon, I headed over to Ginn's Reunion Resort and Golf Course and let me tell you, this place was amazing. The baseball guys know how to do it big!!!
I rode around the course with Chris' playing group and I got to drive the golf cart, which I had never done before and I had a lot of fun doing it. I felt like a little kid, lol! Later that evening there was a dinner and a comedy show and I got to meet Ken Griffey Jr., Jacques John, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield and Bobby Bonilla to name a few and my friend Kenny Lofton was there too. It was great to sit around and listen to these guys trade old locker room stories.

Me and Ken Griffey Jr.


I spent Saturday watching football all day and on Sunday a 2pm practice time was thrown in there. I was like, "Does Brooks not know the playoffs are going on, lol?" Yeah, he could care less! Anyway, unfortunately my trip to Orlando came to an all too quick end. You know that old saying about time flying when you're having fun...well it flew and I had to bid everyone adieu yesterday. It's back out to the track for me tomorrow as I continue to get ready for either a couple indoor meets or an early start to my outdoor season. We'll see. Anyway, hope you all didn't miss me too much and really and truly it is good to be back...

TEAM DISNEY

I just made it back to Orlando last night and suffice to say, I was EXTREMELY tired. It has been a whirlwind the past couple weeks full of emotion and disappointment and highs and lows and highs again! First, my own Olympic Trials which didn't go as well as I had hoped and then one last chance at redemption where everyone who potentially could be on the Bahamas Olympic team had to go to Cali, Colombia to compete in the Sr. Central American and Caribbean Championships.

Once again, I didn't do so well, finishing 5th, but because I am the only jumper from the Bahamas who has met the distance standard requirement of 6.60m within the qualifying period, as set by the International Olympic Committee for jumpers from all countries to meet, I ended up being chosen for my team. To say that I have not been stressed and anxious would be an understatement of great proportion. Even with the confirmation that I had made the team, very little relief came. I could barely sleep the night after the competition because I just kept replaying my jumps over and over in my mind.

Now that a few days have passed, I am feeling a lot better and much more hopeful about what lies ahead. I have 6 weeks or so to hone my technique as best as I can and because I have been able to do so in the past, I expect that I will be able to do so again. So I am going to forego going to Europe to compete prior to the Games. Instead, I will just get back to work and continue to do everything I possibly can to rectify my problems and be at my utmost best come August 17.

So, then came the US trials and all the drama and the intensity that that entails. I was almost as nervous for my own competition as I was for my friends and training partners who were vying for spots on the US team. In the end, Tiffany Ross-Williams won the women's 400m hurdles and David ended up winning the men's 110m hurdles. I swear the day of David's races I was just a bucket of nerves and I couldn't calm them until he was safely across the finish line, victorious. I have seen the hard work and dedication that both Tiffany and David put into their training and so if for no other reason than that, I couldn't be more happy for them. It's gonna be great to get to share this magnificent experience with them both.

The only person from the group left with an opportunity to qualify for the Games is Joice, who competes in the British Trials this upcoming weekend. I will say a prayer and keep my fingers crossed for her to do her best and join us in Beijing.

Until then, I thank God for seeing it fit to allow me to fulfill my dream this year of becoming a 5 time Olympian. I know that the members of that club are few and so for that I am truly thankful! Now I need to not just be a participant. I don't want that, don't need that. I need to get back to basics so that I can be competitive too and improve upon my 6th place finish in 2000. Work starts at 9am tomorrow morning at Walt Disney's Wide World of Sports...

TRAINING/OLYMPIC TRIALS UPDATE

Prompted by 12Kyle, I figured I'd give a brief update on how my preparations are coming along. Time has flown by and believe it or not, my Olympic Trials are this upcoming weekend in Nassau, Bahamas. The women's long jump will take place at 5pm on Saturday afternoon. This year has been a lesson in diligence and dedication and with less than a week to go, I am finally feeling confident about what I know I can do.

Year in and year out, whenever I go home, something about the atmosphere and the expectations and the excitement of it all, always brings out the best in me. The home crowd is always very supportive, the location of the long jump pit in our National stadium is right near the stands and so the energy that I can draw from the crowd is great!

For such a small country (only around 300,000 people), The Bahamas is a powerful little track nation. To continuously produce medalists at every major championships in everything from the gold in the women's 4X100m relay in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney to the silver in the men's 100m at the World Championships in Osaka last year to the gold in the men's high jump last year also, I am proud to represent such a great country.

I will be leaving on Thursday morning and although I have already met the Olympic qualifying mark necessary to compete in Beijing, it is still imperative that I go home and win and do well. Please include me in your prayers and wish me health, strength, focus and God's speed.

Just as an added extra, I thought I would post a few pictures from training recently that were given to me by Andre Brown. Thanks 'Dre, I really appreciate it. This is what I really look like on an average day at work......

HELLO MICKEY!

So a couple days ago, I arrived here in Orlando, the land of Disney and Mickey and Minnie. No, I am not here for fun and pleasure, although that would be welcomed, but rather I am here to train. With the Olympics coming up in just over 5 months (man - is it that close already???), I decided to do something that I probably should have done a long time ago and that is to come to train with the man that guided my college career and led me to two NCAA championship wins, two PAC-10 championship wins, 5 -time All American status, Stanford record holder (record still stands) and my first final at the Outdoor World Championships, while still in college.

Brooks Johnson was my coach at Stanford University and while it was a tumultuous relationship at first (he was brash and outspoken and I was waaaay too meek and mild), by the time I graduated, I would have to say that there have been very people aside from my parents, who have impacted my life in the way he has, not just on the track but off the track as well. I find myself all the time referring to things that Brooks said, or reminiscing on the time I spent under his tutelage. He had a special way of bringing out the best in you.

He DOES NOT beat around the bush!!!! That is putting it mildly. He is a straight shooter, to the point, no-nonsense type of guy and right now in my career, that is what I need. He expects nothing short of your best and in turn, you are left expecting the same of yourself. And trust me when I say, if you come up short on your end, he will DEFINITELY let you know. He is not the coach for the weak in spirit or in heart. You might as well check out before you check in.

There is a very good core of athletes here training as well and I hope to thrive in this environment of high hopes and high expectations. My good friend Joice Maduaka moved here from Great Britain in the fall and her results so far already show that she made the right choice and I want some of that! So that's it. For the next few weeks, this is where I'll be (save a couple trips back and forth to LA for Urban Safari business). I look forward to being reacquainted with Brooks and I know that with his wisdom and my determination, this year should prove to be my best one yet!

Flying Solo!!

As I mentioned before, the last two years on the track for me have not been the best. It has been a hard blow to my confidence, to my self-belief, not to mention my wallet. As a result, with the Olympics right around the corner, I decided to take a huge chance and go back to the person that knows me the best....myself!!

At the end of the day, the buck starts and stops with me. When I do well, usually both myself and my coach get the credit but when I do poorly, regardless of the reason, I get the blame, as it should be. After jumping for so many years, let's just say I have a fair idea about what the long jump is all about. I coached myself in 2005 and I would have to say that I had a pretty solid year. I jumped over 6.70m (22ft.) a couple of times, I made the finals at the World Championships, I won a bronze medal in a pretty tough field at the Central American and Caribbean Championships, and I had a solid season over in Europe.

This year, I decided for my last go round at The Games to put everything on my own shoulders and let the chips fall where they may. When it comes down to it, if I can't trust myself, then who can I trust? Now, I should add that I am getting some help from an old teammate of mine, Troy Kemp. Troy was a high jumper from The Bahamas and he is still our National Record Holder at 2.38m!! Yeah, that's high!! He won World Championships back in 1995, beating Sotomayor when he was in his prime - no easy feat!!! Troy is writing my workouts for me and so far I have to say that I am 100% satisfied with where we are. He had a great work ethic and I am very excited about his program.

Today was an exercise in self-reliance. It was my first day of jumping in practice and for the first few jumps, everything was just off and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Thankfully, I had brought my video camera with me. When I am coaching myself, the camera is my eyes and my ears. I have to rely on it heavily for feedback 'cause there's no one standing there saying do this or fix that Jackie. I set the camera up after I began to get frustrated and after filming the very next jump, I immediately saw the problem, was able to fix it and the results were instant!!! It made me feel really good because it just confirmed for me that I know what I'm doing and what to look for. And now, I can't wait to get back out there on Thursday to jump again. I'll be flying solo again, but Coach Sony (my video camera) will be right there to back me up!!