Another training session. This one consisted of 6 x 200m sprints with decreasing rest between them (5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minutes respectively). The aim is to run each of these at a 400m or 800m pace. Given that this was likely to be a tough workout, I was initially conservative, with my first run being around 38 seconds, which corresponds to a time of 76 seconds for 400m. My time for the 400 was actually 74.55 a few days ago, and I was surprised that the first 200 was so fast. The next 4 sprints were in the range of 33 - 36 seconds, all faster than my 400m pace, and the final 200m run, which took place after only a minute's rest after the previous run, was still around 38 seconds.
I enjoyed this session and surprised myself at how well I performed in this training session. I thought I knew myself well, but I'm discovering my capabilities are well in excess of what I had thought. I'm really looking forward to competing in the coming track season.
And the athletics club have been showing interest in having me run in the 4x400m relay in my age group. :)
- Tony
Saturday, August 08, 2015
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Breaking new ground - conquering a tough distance.
Made a major advance in my sporting pursuits last night. I attended a small twilight athletics competition after training last night. Because it was a small meet, event choice was limited - 1500m, 400m and 2 miles.
I am a sprinter by nature, but have always struggled with the 400 metres, and to a lesser extent with the 200, so I didn't expect any miracles with the 400 and was doing it more as a training run and to participate in the program.
During my training session, I did a number of 400m runs with a break (usually a lap of walking) in between. The first run was like so many 400m runs of the past, a good strong start, fading around the 200 metre mark, but it was still around 80 seconds - among the faster ones I've done. I did several more 400m runs, but eased back a bit, as well as some run throughs on the main straight to keep warm.
So, race time comes, I got off to a good start, then eased back - 100m, 150m, 200m and I'm still feeling rather good. Hit the 300 metre mark, still feeling good, much to my surprise, so I decided to give it everything for the run home, and instead of running out of steam, I actually got faster, finishing strong.
The final time was 74.55 seconds, somewhat better than expected, but more significantly, with what happened, I feel I will improve on that dramatically, because it's as though I've unlocked an energy system that until now has been largely inaccessible (but most people have).
For the future, I will work on my 400 metre race more and see what I can do with this new found ability, and I will experiment with 800 and maybe 1500 metres to see what effect this has in the middle distance range, which has always been the most difficult for me. Another benchmark will be my 3km cross country runs, where my performance is now well studied, with a couple of recent PBs among them.
- Tony
I am a sprinter by nature, but have always struggled with the 400 metres, and to a lesser extent with the 200, so I didn't expect any miracles with the 400 and was doing it more as a training run and to participate in the program.
During my training session, I did a number of 400m runs with a break (usually a lap of walking) in between. The first run was like so many 400m runs of the past, a good strong start, fading around the 200 metre mark, but it was still around 80 seconds - among the faster ones I've done. I did several more 400m runs, but eased back a bit, as well as some run throughs on the main straight to keep warm.
So, race time comes, I got off to a good start, then eased back - 100m, 150m, 200m and I'm still feeling rather good. Hit the 300 metre mark, still feeling good, much to my surprise, so I decided to give it everything for the run home, and instead of running out of steam, I actually got faster, finishing strong.
The final time was 74.55 seconds, somewhat better than expected, but more significantly, with what happened, I feel I will improve on that dramatically, because it's as though I've unlocked an energy system that until now has been largely inaccessible (but most people have).
For the future, I will work on my 400 metre race more and see what I can do with this new found ability, and I will experiment with 800 and maybe 1500 metres to see what effect this has in the middle distance range, which has always been the most difficult for me. Another benchmark will be my 3km cross country runs, where my performance is now well studied, with a couple of recent PBs among them.
- Tony
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
A new strategy, and two new sports!
After a successful 2014-2015 season, I took the chance to review my performances and looked for areas of improvement. I feel I can improve. Firstly, my strength preparation wasn't as good as it was the previous year, which may have contributed to injury issues. Secondly, I haven't been satisfied with my top speed and have been looking for training options in that area.
To address these issues, I've stepped up the gym work to deal with the strength issue. This has been going extremely well over the past 2 months, with good gains all over, and key muscles are as strong as they've ever been. Resistance training has proven in previous seasons to be effective in both injury prevention, as well as developing the power required to haul the reel down the track.
To improve my speed, I decided that coaching by a sprint coach would be the way to go. Through contacts, I was put in touch with the local athletics club, and have commenced cross country running (for a bit of stamina, as well as social interaction and networking), and have just started training with the club at the local athletics track. Coincidentally, the week after I started cross country, there was a winter athletics meet, so I entered in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. Despite being at the end of a 4 month break from any sprints, not having spiked and the weather being wet, I did quite well ib the 100m event, especially in the start, where my power worked to my advantage. The 200m was a bit more of a struggle, but I've never been particularly good at this distance. Definitely need a lot more work there. Anyway, I've got the athletics bug, and though the season overlaps the fire competition season, I should be able to compete in a number of meets over the warmer months..
So I've now started training. Tonight was particularly well suited to me, being focused on speed work. I think the process of rewiring my motor pathways is already beginning, I felt a noticeable improvement as the drills progressed, though there's still a long way to go. My goal is to take more than a second (preferably 1.5+) off my 100m time, which will give me the time I need in one of our key events to get down the track and up the ladder in a time that would give us a State win.
Anyway, the big experiment has begun, how successful it is, I won't know until at least the summer. Pushing this boundary is something I have seen no documentation on for autistic people. However, I have noticed one side effect, my mood in general has improved, even in the middle of the coldest winter I've experienced for over 20 years.
- Tony
To address these issues, I've stepped up the gym work to deal with the strength issue. This has been going extremely well over the past 2 months, with good gains all over, and key muscles are as strong as they've ever been. Resistance training has proven in previous seasons to be effective in both injury prevention, as well as developing the power required to haul the reel down the track.
To improve my speed, I decided that coaching by a sprint coach would be the way to go. Through contacts, I was put in touch with the local athletics club, and have commenced cross country running (for a bit of stamina, as well as social interaction and networking), and have just started training with the club at the local athletics track. Coincidentally, the week after I started cross country, there was a winter athletics meet, so I entered in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. Despite being at the end of a 4 month break from any sprints, not having spiked and the weather being wet, I did quite well ib the 100m event, especially in the start, where my power worked to my advantage. The 200m was a bit more of a struggle, but I've never been particularly good at this distance. Definitely need a lot more work there. Anyway, I've got the athletics bug, and though the season overlaps the fire competition season, I should be able to compete in a number of meets over the warmer months..
So I've now started training. Tonight was particularly well suited to me, being focused on speed work. I think the process of rewiring my motor pathways is already beginning, I felt a noticeable improvement as the drills progressed, though there's still a long way to go. My goal is to take more than a second (preferably 1.5+) off my 100m time, which will give me the time I need in one of our key events to get down the track and up the ladder in a time that would give us a State win.
Anyway, the big experiment has begun, how successful it is, I won't know until at least the summer. Pushing this boundary is something I have seen no documentation on for autistic people. However, I have noticed one side effect, my mood in general has improved, even in the middle of the coldest winter I've experienced for over 20 years.
- Tony
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
autismwalk 2015
The weekend of May 23-24 saw the second autismwalk fundraiser. This is a walk that takes place around a circuit in a park over a 24 hour period. This year, 5 core walkers, who are all on the spectrum took part. I was one of those walkers, this being my second year.
For the event, I walked a total of 119 laps of the park, which equated to 95km, some 14km more than in the previous year. Interestingly, I spent less time actually walking, a bit under 16 hours. The rest of the time was rest breaks, plus an estimated 1 hour stopping each lap to record the lap count! (119 times an average of 30 seconds ;) ).
As a fundraiser, it was a huge success, raising a lot of money for iOS devices for people on the spectrum. In addition, it engaged the public, who joined in throughout the 24 hours to support us.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to next year, when I am planning to break the 100km barrier.
- Tony
For the event, I walked a total of 119 laps of the park, which equated to 95km, some 14km more than in the previous year. Interestingly, I spent less time actually walking, a bit under 16 hours. The rest of the time was rest breaks, plus an estimated 1 hour stopping each lap to record the lap count! (119 times an average of 30 seconds ;) ).
As a fundraiser, it was a huge success, raising a lot of money for iOS devices for people on the spectrum. In addition, it engaged the public, who joined in throughout the 24 hours to support us.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to next year, when I am planning to break the 100km barrier.
- Tony
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
From one extreme to the other!
Once the competition season ends in March, the next major physical event on my calendar is the 24 hour autismwalk charity fundraiser. This year, the walk takes place on the weekend of 23 - 24 May.
Training is interesting, because up until the second Monday in March, my focus is entirely on speed and power. The longest run I have there is a little over 100 metres (admittedly often much of that is with 150kg in tow), and the longest event takes less than 40 seconds. So somehow I have to transition from that to walking for at least 18 hours in 24, in a 10 week period. In addition, time for long walks is limited. For some reason, this year has been socially busier than normal since the state championships. Normally it goes fairly quiet, but not so much this time.
Last year proved that I could make the transition, and this year I am taking a similar approach. The trick for me is to incorporate walking into my daily routine as much as possible. I normally cycle or drive everywhere, but the majority of those trips have been replaced by walks. It just means I need to allow a bit more time to get to places. These short (2 - 10 km) walks tend to be done fast. In addition, I try and schedule a few 3 - 4 hour walks, taking advantage of the network of shared walking and cycling paths around town here. These usually end up being in the 20 - 30 km range, and are taken at a slightly slower pace. This year, I seem to be a bit ahead of where I was this time last year, with both maximum average speed and "cruising speed" somewhat higher than they used to be.
At just over a month out, I'm feeling confident of both making the 24 hours and achieving the 100 km goal I've set for myself.
After the walk, the long campaign to transition back to speed and power begins, and I will attempt to rewrite my motor neurology yet again. :) - Tony
Highlights from the last year
The past 10 - 11 months have really flown by, and not much activity on the blogs. Thought I'd better give a brief update.
I took part as one of the "core walkers" in the inaugural autismwalk charity fundraiser last June. This walk is a 24 hour event that takes place in a local park around a walking track, and as a core walker, I was expected to be out on the track for the majority of the time. I logged 16 hours out of the 24, and covered 81 km, which is among the top contenders for the longest walk I've ever done in 24 hours. However, one or two rogaines in years gone by are in a similar ballpark for distance, though I didn't have access to the same level of technology to log those accurately back then.
After the walk, it was back to basic fitness training in the gym for the rest of the winter and early spring, into October. I also did some outdoor fitness work with some of my teammates once a week during this period. As regular training ramped up during October, my self directed work tapered off.
In late October, I was awarded "Runner of the Year" in my team for the 2013 - 2014 season at the fire brigade's annual awards presentation dinner, which capped off a good season.
The fire brigade competition season started on the last week of November, through to early March. This year, we ran quite well, managing to take out the season aggregate in our class. I had a fairly good season, though some hamstring trouble took the shine off it. The first time was in late January, but fortunately, I was taking the next competition off to participate in the Pride March for the CFA's first official involvement, and the following weekend had no competitions, which gave me plenty of time to rest. The second time the issue came back was in my first home and reel event at the state championships in March. Somehow, despite my injury, and that of one of my teammates in the same run, we kept up with the opposing side and even won the heat! Being the first day of competition, this had a significant impact for all of us, as it meant we were a couple of people down, and I was not available for the usual heavy workload.
Initially, it looked like I was out for the weekend, but I was able to run my usual position on the ladder in the pumper and ladder event, because the only physically stressful part was the vertical climb, which wasn't affected. I also managed to run the Y8, but in a different position, again where I could avoid some of the stresses. Turned out I still had quite a bit of useful power, despite the injury. Finally, on the last day, probably the riskiest event being the hose and ladder 5 event, I had to sprint the entire length of the run, before climbing the ladder. Despite some soreness, the sprint went well. Unfortunately an unrelated slip on the ladder cost us a place. In the end, we came up with a couple of minor placings for the 3 days, which was good, given that the team was severely disrupted, missing one key runner altogether (the other injured person was out for the weekend), and myself being limited in what I could do.
In the end, I identified a couple of key issues to address for next season. Firstly, it looks like I have to pay more attention to hamstring strength during the summer months, especially over the Christmas break and the weekends where there's no competition. Secondly, I'm not happy with my speed. With the power I have, and other traits, I feel I should be able to go faster in a sprint. I also need to pick up a second or two for the hose and ladder event, to ensure I can get to the top in sufficient time to win the state championships. Something isn't coordinating quite right, and my running form is a little unusual at higher speeds. A couple of weeks later, during a Street parade march, I did notice that while my legs were in perfect time to the band, I had trouble with sensing where my arms were. Past history suggests I can find ways to compensate, if I find the right way to train. This is still under investigation, stay tuned! - Tony
Thursday, June 05, 2014
I wasn't a born sportsperson!
On the eve of a 24 hour fundraiser walk for autism, I have been contemplating my relationship with exercise and sport, and how I got to where I am today - healthy, happy and active, despite significant early challenges.
This blog post is a departure from the last several years. Instead of talking about achievements, I will talk about challenges and overcoming them - the story of the unlikely sportsperson. That person just happens to be me. I didn't always have the strength, power or the winning edge, in fact,as a kid I could barely make the finish line, let alone win, and I was the classic nerd who was last choice for any team sport at school. So what happened? And how can this benefit others?
Let's go back to the start. My first memory of sport was Little Athletics, a great program to get school age kids into track and field. This was around the start of my primary school years, and to put it bluntly, I finished dead last in every race, well behine the next kid. After a summer or two of this, I basically quit. There was a part of me who liked the idea of being good at some sport, like the athletes on TV, but I had resigned myself to the "fact" that it would never happen.
Through most of my primary school years, I never really gave much thought to sport, it was simply something I was never good at, though surprisingly, I did enjoy school sports day, as I preferred being outside to being in the classroom, despite being a good student academically, with a number of As.
When I was 10, a friend got me interested in judo, and I decided to give it a go. Spent a couple of seasons in the club, and enjoyed it, but making progress was slow. A year later, I joined the local junior fire brigade, and started training for their competitions. Again, at that time, progress was slow, though steady.
My teenage years could be described as the time of "accidental therapies". What I didn't know, but now strongly suspect is that I actually have some level of movement issues, which weren't known or understood at the time. The first of these "accidental therapies" was, surprisingly, football, specifically Aussie Rules (now often called AFL). The year I turned 13, I decided to try playing for a local club. As a footballer, I was a disaster, but what really did work was the intense training. The coaches were old school, and I took to the hard training regimes like a duck to water. By the end of the season, I still couldn't play football to save my life, but my fitness, especially strength, speed and power had improved out of sight, so much so that my role in the fire brigade events had to change the following summer, to take advantage of my new found speed, and I became a consistent placegetter in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and triple jump at school athletics, and always picked for inter-school competitions. I also found that intense training also helped me mentally, I felt good after the footy training, and the world seemed a better place. I had an interest in developing my strength and speed further, though opportunities were limited at the time. Already, exposure to the right environments was having a huge beneficial effect.
At this time, I played cricket too, which I enjoyed, but again totally sucked at! :)
The next "accidental therapy" came a couple of years later, and I blame my younger sister! :) At the time, she was in the local gymnastics club, and would often practice at home. Being a visual person, I noticed imperfections in her practice and started helping her with her form, so she could rol and tumble with more grace. One night, while helping her, the coach dropped in and saw what was going on. She invoted me to come down to the club and become a coach. Of course, that meant _doing_ gymnastics, which I hadn't contemplated until that moment. I joined the club, became a part of the older boys' class and quickly studied to be a coach, coaching the boys. Turned out much of gymnastics suited me. I had the strength for rings, and the power for the vault. Floor was the hardest, because my late start meant I lacked flexibility, especially in the upper body. My flexibility did improve (even today at 46, it's still somewhat better than average). But the big thing that I noticed is a lot of my clumsiness has since gone. There are traces of motor coordination issues that sometimes crop up, but the bulk that I had as a kid became insignificant after gymnastics. In any case, I stayed with the club until my early 20s, when I left home. For many years, my Saturday would start with coaching the younger kids, one or two of whom were referred to the club by a paediatrician to help with coordination issues, and later working with the older, mostly teenage boys, as a coach and role model. I also had to give up the fire brigade competitions, which I had enjoyed a fair bit of success with, especially after playing football and starting with the gymnastics club.
After leaving home, I drifted away from sport for around 10 years, but remained active, mostly walking. That was until my mid 30s, when I discovered the various forms of orienteering. I had a lot of success with Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), a form of orienteering that involves using radio direction finding techniques to locate controls, instead of having them marked on the map provided, at international level. I also did reasonably well at other forms of orienteering, particularly street orienteering and rogaining. I also joined the Melbourne Frontrunners, a GLBTI running and walking group, and ran with them most Saturday mornings, and from there, ran the occasional fun run, up to and including my first marathon in 2008. This period reminded me of the psychological benefits of exercise. I enjoyed pushing myself to the limit, and with distance running, you're really competing against yourself for that PB, or to finish a new distance (the feeling of completing a marathon is well worth the pain! :) ). However, I also knew distance running wasn't where I'd be competitive on a wider scale. Running for me became a social thing, the Saturday run and coffee, and the camaraderie of running races and comparing notes after the event. After the marathon, I decided to take up gym workouts. I had tried when I was younger, had built some strength then, but not much muscle mass. However, now 40, I found both strength and muscle mass easier to come by.
In 2010, I left Melbourne and rejoining the fire brigade became a distinct possibility that was not lost on me. As it turned out, that process started only 3 weeks after moving. I got back into competition, as described elsewhere and have had a lot of success, as I have written about over the past few years in this very blog. No need to say too much more here (it's been said elsewhere in this blog), other than to say I am in a sport which suits my traits perfectly, and despite having a number of coordination issues as a kid, I've managed to find a niche that I enjoy, and have found the benefits of exercise and competitive sport have been a major contributor to my life.
I am pleased to see that I am not alone, and others on the spectrum have actually started selling training programs designed to kelp kids on the spectrum improve their coordination and self esteem. I benefitted from a number of fortunate events and choices, and I wonder what would be possible with further specialised training to meet my specific needs - despite my successes, I still have some performance limiting coordination issues that I believe I can work on. Similarly, I wonder what might have been possible, had these programs been available 40 years ago. I am sure I would have enjoyed them as a kid, as my history suggests I would, but I'll never know how much more I would have been able to take my sporting interests. I hope the kids who are benefitting from these programs come to enjoy being active and develop a passion for sport, or at the very least, for active recreation. For me, exercise has been the only antidepressant I've needed to rely on, but it's been a good one with many beneficial side effects! :)
While encouraging adults to be more active probably faces more barriers from years and decades of learned aversion to exercise and sport from negative experiences like constantly being picked last for teams (and as I said, I've been there, done that!), bullying, teasing and the like (yep, all familiar), I believe it is still worth trying to encourage adults on the spectrum to at least partake in some form of non competitive exercise, and exploring from there. I am not aware of anyone targeting adults with exercise programs, but I believe there could be some significant benefits.
Are you an adult on the spectrum reading this? Why not give exercise a try. You may need to find a mentor to help you keep the motivation up - someone who is supportive, but firm and fair. Don't under estimate the benefits of a daily half hour walk, or a few strength workouts per week. Gamers and tech heads might relate to something like nerdfitness.com.
Or are you the parent of a child on the spectrum? In this case, see if your son or daughter would like to try one of the specialised programs out there, or if there isn't an autism specific exercise program, there might be something for children who don't fit into mainstream sport, or a gymnastics class with an understanding coach and management. If the child takes to the program, fantastic! if not, you might need to find something different - non autism specific programs may have unexpected sensory issues or other things adversely affecting the child.
I hope my story has been some form of inspiration. I am far from a child prodigy, and I've had to work hard to get to where I am, but I've come to enjoy the journey and am thankful for the side benefits that have come as a result of my active life - health (both physical and mental), happiness, fitness, friendship and camaraderie, and a lifetime of self knowledge.
- Tony
This blog post is a departure from the last several years. Instead of talking about achievements, I will talk about challenges and overcoming them - the story of the unlikely sportsperson. That person just happens to be me. I didn't always have the strength, power or the winning edge, in fact,as a kid I could barely make the finish line, let alone win, and I was the classic nerd who was last choice for any team sport at school. So what happened? And how can this benefit others?
Let's go back to the start. My first memory of sport was Little Athletics, a great program to get school age kids into track and field. This was around the start of my primary school years, and to put it bluntly, I finished dead last in every race, well behine the next kid. After a summer or two of this, I basically quit. There was a part of me who liked the idea of being good at some sport, like the athletes on TV, but I had resigned myself to the "fact" that it would never happen.
Through most of my primary school years, I never really gave much thought to sport, it was simply something I was never good at, though surprisingly, I did enjoy school sports day, as I preferred being outside to being in the classroom, despite being a good student academically, with a number of As.
When I was 10, a friend got me interested in judo, and I decided to give it a go. Spent a couple of seasons in the club, and enjoyed it, but making progress was slow. A year later, I joined the local junior fire brigade, and started training for their competitions. Again, at that time, progress was slow, though steady.
My teenage years could be described as the time of "accidental therapies". What I didn't know, but now strongly suspect is that I actually have some level of movement issues, which weren't known or understood at the time. The first of these "accidental therapies" was, surprisingly, football, specifically Aussie Rules (now often called AFL). The year I turned 13, I decided to try playing for a local club. As a footballer, I was a disaster, but what really did work was the intense training. The coaches were old school, and I took to the hard training regimes like a duck to water. By the end of the season, I still couldn't play football to save my life, but my fitness, especially strength, speed and power had improved out of sight, so much so that my role in the fire brigade events had to change the following summer, to take advantage of my new found speed, and I became a consistent placegetter in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and triple jump at school athletics, and always picked for inter-school competitions. I also found that intense training also helped me mentally, I felt good after the footy training, and the world seemed a better place. I had an interest in developing my strength and speed further, though opportunities were limited at the time. Already, exposure to the right environments was having a huge beneficial effect.
At this time, I played cricket too, which I enjoyed, but again totally sucked at! :)
The next "accidental therapy" came a couple of years later, and I blame my younger sister! :) At the time, she was in the local gymnastics club, and would often practice at home. Being a visual person, I noticed imperfections in her practice and started helping her with her form, so she could rol and tumble with more grace. One night, while helping her, the coach dropped in and saw what was going on. She invoted me to come down to the club and become a coach. Of course, that meant _doing_ gymnastics, which I hadn't contemplated until that moment. I joined the club, became a part of the older boys' class and quickly studied to be a coach, coaching the boys. Turned out much of gymnastics suited me. I had the strength for rings, and the power for the vault. Floor was the hardest, because my late start meant I lacked flexibility, especially in the upper body. My flexibility did improve (even today at 46, it's still somewhat better than average). But the big thing that I noticed is a lot of my clumsiness has since gone. There are traces of motor coordination issues that sometimes crop up, but the bulk that I had as a kid became insignificant after gymnastics. In any case, I stayed with the club until my early 20s, when I left home. For many years, my Saturday would start with coaching the younger kids, one or two of whom were referred to the club by a paediatrician to help with coordination issues, and later working with the older, mostly teenage boys, as a coach and role model. I also had to give up the fire brigade competitions, which I had enjoyed a fair bit of success with, especially after playing football and starting with the gymnastics club.
After leaving home, I drifted away from sport for around 10 years, but remained active, mostly walking. That was until my mid 30s, when I discovered the various forms of orienteering. I had a lot of success with Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), a form of orienteering that involves using radio direction finding techniques to locate controls, instead of having them marked on the map provided, at international level. I also did reasonably well at other forms of orienteering, particularly street orienteering and rogaining. I also joined the Melbourne Frontrunners, a GLBTI running and walking group, and ran with them most Saturday mornings, and from there, ran the occasional fun run, up to and including my first marathon in 2008. This period reminded me of the psychological benefits of exercise. I enjoyed pushing myself to the limit, and with distance running, you're really competing against yourself for that PB, or to finish a new distance (the feeling of completing a marathon is well worth the pain! :) ). However, I also knew distance running wasn't where I'd be competitive on a wider scale. Running for me became a social thing, the Saturday run and coffee, and the camaraderie of running races and comparing notes after the event. After the marathon, I decided to take up gym workouts. I had tried when I was younger, had built some strength then, but not much muscle mass. However, now 40, I found both strength and muscle mass easier to come by.
In 2010, I left Melbourne and rejoining the fire brigade became a distinct possibility that was not lost on me. As it turned out, that process started only 3 weeks after moving. I got back into competition, as described elsewhere and have had a lot of success, as I have written about over the past few years in this very blog. No need to say too much more here (it's been said elsewhere in this blog), other than to say I am in a sport which suits my traits perfectly, and despite having a number of coordination issues as a kid, I've managed to find a niche that I enjoy, and have found the benefits of exercise and competitive sport have been a major contributor to my life.
I am pleased to see that I am not alone, and others on the spectrum have actually started selling training programs designed to kelp kids on the spectrum improve their coordination and self esteem. I benefitted from a number of fortunate events and choices, and I wonder what would be possible with further specialised training to meet my specific needs - despite my successes, I still have some performance limiting coordination issues that I believe I can work on. Similarly, I wonder what might have been possible, had these programs been available 40 years ago. I am sure I would have enjoyed them as a kid, as my history suggests I would, but I'll never know how much more I would have been able to take my sporting interests. I hope the kids who are benefitting from these programs come to enjoy being active and develop a passion for sport, or at the very least, for active recreation. For me, exercise has been the only antidepressant I've needed to rely on, but it's been a good one with many beneficial side effects! :)
While encouraging adults to be more active probably faces more barriers from years and decades of learned aversion to exercise and sport from negative experiences like constantly being picked last for teams (and as I said, I've been there, done that!), bullying, teasing and the like (yep, all familiar), I believe it is still worth trying to encourage adults on the spectrum to at least partake in some form of non competitive exercise, and exploring from there. I am not aware of anyone targeting adults with exercise programs, but I believe there could be some significant benefits.
Are you an adult on the spectrum reading this? Why not give exercise a try. You may need to find a mentor to help you keep the motivation up - someone who is supportive, but firm and fair. Don't under estimate the benefits of a daily half hour walk, or a few strength workouts per week. Gamers and tech heads might relate to something like nerdfitness.com.
Or are you the parent of a child on the spectrum? In this case, see if your son or daughter would like to try one of the specialised programs out there, or if there isn't an autism specific exercise program, there might be something for children who don't fit into mainstream sport, or a gymnastics class with an understanding coach and management. If the child takes to the program, fantastic! if not, you might need to find something different - non autism specific programs may have unexpected sensory issues or other things adversely affecting the child.
I hope my story has been some form of inspiration. I am far from a child prodigy, and I've had to work hard to get to where I am, but I've come to enjoy the journey and am thankful for the side benefits that have come as a result of my active life - health (both physical and mental), happiness, fitness, friendship and camaraderie, and a lifetime of self knowledge.
- Tony
Monday, March 10, 2014
Another season finished, and an amazing State Championships
This past season was rather unusual. After my early success in December, it got tough actually being able to compete. Due to an unusually hot summer and severe fire conditions, a number of competitions were cancelled. We had one in late January with good results, then the next was in mid February. Unfortunately, a groin injury 3 days early put me out. I barely managed to run my first event, then was rested for the day. I spent the rest of the day as a judge, making aure the other runs were completed properly and disqualifying teams that didn't do the part I was judging within the rules. The following week was the junior state championships. I went away with the kids, as one of the judges for the weekend and enjoyed being an official.
Another week later was our last competition before the state chapionships. By this time, my groin had healed and I was back in action. Had another reasonably successful meet.
This weekend just past was the State Championships for 2014. This year it was held here in Bendigo, so there was no need to deal with travel and accommodation. I have stepped up and was in a total of 10 events, which is up from the 6 events of previous years, or all but two of the events that we run.
Many of the events have been explained previously, do here's the summary. Saturday was a bit of a tough day. Didn't manage to get through any hears in the ladder race or C section hose and reel 4s. However, that would change dramatically on Sunday. First event was the pumper and ladder 5s, which we won with our best run ever. Next was the 2 man marshall, which was a bit rough and we didn't place.
The third event for the day was the hose and reel sixes. This is the first year we have run this event. It's another one using the hand drawn hose reel. In this event, two lengths of hose are carried down and unwound after the hydrant. The disc is hit with water from the first length, and the second length is brought back to the hydrant, coupled on (often while the water is turned on fully!) and the disc is hit again with the second length. My job is to pull the card down to where the end of the first length flies, then help the second coupler get the second length back to the hydrant. Our run wasn;t bad for our 4th one in a competition, but not good enough to get through our heat.
After that was the pumper 4s. I hadn't often run this event previously, but this time I was running on the hydrant. Had to set the hydrant, help couple the hose on, then signal to the pump operator that I was turning the water on, while actually turning it on. Our run wasn't bad, but not good enough for a place.
The last event for the day was the Y8. I ran the same position as last year - pole (pulling the cart), assisting the third length back, and ladder. This turned out to be our best run at this event ever, and was good enough for a third place! :)
Today (Monday) we started with the hose and ladder 5s. Our run was good, but just missed out on a place on the day. In previous years it would have placed. Next was the 4 man Y, where we missed out on a place by 0.02 of a second! Last event was the Champion 4s, which is an open event (all sections). We happened to draw against one of the top A section sides, who easily beat us. But they ended up coming third, so it was a tough draw!
Anyway, to sum it up, it was a fantastic and successful weekend. I have had the experience of being in a winning C section team back in 1986, but this one, despite only being 6th overall) was sweeter, because I had a hand in our victories this time around, rather than being a minor player.
Just finished up a celebration at a local pub - a few drinks with both of our teams, coaches and some others from the fire brigade and partners, etc. Was a great evening, good to recap a fantastic weekend. The guys (and girls!) are a great bunch of people. We talked about a lot of things, including the uniqueness of our sport - both the extraordinary precision with which we must work, and the fine line between pulling off something awesome and having things go totally wrong, especially when trying to push the envelope.
Sadly, words and even videos don't do our sport justice. I was hooked as a kid after I was taken to a state championships by Dad when I was 6. People I've taken or invited to the track have been impressed or even amazed at what they've seen. If you're ever around these parts when there's an urban fire brigades championships on, especially the State championships), do yourself a favour and take a look.
Another week later was our last competition before the state chapionships. By this time, my groin had healed and I was back in action. Had another reasonably successful meet.
This weekend just past was the State Championships for 2014. This year it was held here in Bendigo, so there was no need to deal with travel and accommodation. I have stepped up and was in a total of 10 events, which is up from the 6 events of previous years, or all but two of the events that we run.
Many of the events have been explained previously, do here's the summary. Saturday was a bit of a tough day. Didn't manage to get through any hears in the ladder race or C section hose and reel 4s. However, that would change dramatically on Sunday. First event was the pumper and ladder 5s, which we won with our best run ever. Next was the 2 man marshall, which was a bit rough and we didn't place.
The third event for the day was the hose and reel sixes. This is the first year we have run this event. It's another one using the hand drawn hose reel. In this event, two lengths of hose are carried down and unwound after the hydrant. The disc is hit with water from the first length, and the second length is brought back to the hydrant, coupled on (often while the water is turned on fully!) and the disc is hit again with the second length. My job is to pull the card down to where the end of the first length flies, then help the second coupler get the second length back to the hydrant. Our run wasn;t bad for our 4th one in a competition, but not good enough to get through our heat.
After that was the pumper 4s. I hadn't often run this event previously, but this time I was running on the hydrant. Had to set the hydrant, help couple the hose on, then signal to the pump operator that I was turning the water on, while actually turning it on. Our run wasn't bad, but not good enough for a place.
The last event for the day was the Y8. I ran the same position as last year - pole (pulling the cart), assisting the third length back, and ladder. This turned out to be our best run at this event ever, and was good enough for a third place! :)
Today (Monday) we started with the hose and ladder 5s. Our run was good, but just missed out on a place on the day. In previous years it would have placed. Next was the 4 man Y, where we missed out on a place by 0.02 of a second! Last event was the Champion 4s, which is an open event (all sections). We happened to draw against one of the top A section sides, who easily beat us. But they ended up coming third, so it was a tough draw!
Anyway, to sum it up, it was a fantastic and successful weekend. I have had the experience of being in a winning C section team back in 1986, but this one, despite only being 6th overall) was sweeter, because I had a hand in our victories this time around, rather than being a minor player.
Just finished up a celebration at a local pub - a few drinks with both of our teams, coaches and some others from the fire brigade and partners, etc. Was a great evening, good to recap a fantastic weekend. The guys (and girls!) are a great bunch of people. We talked about a lot of things, including the uniqueness of our sport - both the extraordinary precision with which we must work, and the fine line between pulling off something awesome and having things go totally wrong, especially when trying to push the envelope.
Sadly, words and even videos don't do our sport justice. I was hooked as a kid after I was taken to a state championships by Dad when I was 6. People I've taken or invited to the track have been impressed or even amazed at what they've seen. If you're ever around these parts when there's an urban fire brigades championships on, especially the State championships), do yourself a favour and take a look.
Monday, December 02, 2013
Start of the season - and the power of the unconscious.
Started the competition season on Sunday, had a really good day. Won the hose and ladder 5s and got 5th in the Y8. Also substituted into the A class side for their Y8 and won that with them - first and 5th in the same event, not bad! :) And my ladder race time was only 0.19 seconds behind the PB I set at the state championships in March, which is good for this early in the season.
Even more significant that this is what's been happening in the 4s. Late last year, I was moved from the front of the cart to the back to get more speed off the start. This season, we've all been swapping positions, and last Monday at training, the first run was with me on the back, which worked reasonably well, except the guy on pole was pushed around a bit by the unbalanced forces on the back. The next run, I was put back on the front. This time, the cart was even faster, and for much of the run I was pulling it pretty much single handedly, according to those who were on the back. We stuck with this arrangement on Sunday, again with similar results. It seems sometime in the last couple of weeks, my unconscious mind has completely reprogrammed how I pull the cart, giving me considerably more power, and enabling us to go around 10% faster - around the same speed as our A class team. The change was sudden, like it didn't happen until this "reprogramming" was complete, then it caught everyone off guard. I have had similar quantum leaps of performance since my teens, but it's only recently that I'm starting to understand what's going on. The mysteries of the autistic mind never cease to amaze. Now to find more efficient ways to harness the unconscious power within. This is only the tip of the iceberg of what's possible. :)
Even more significant that this is what's been happening in the 4s. Late last year, I was moved from the front of the cart to the back to get more speed off the start. This season, we've all been swapping positions, and last Monday at training, the first run was with me on the back, which worked reasonably well, except the guy on pole was pushed around a bit by the unbalanced forces on the back. The next run, I was put back on the front. This time, the cart was even faster, and for much of the run I was pulling it pretty much single handedly, according to those who were on the back. We stuck with this arrangement on Sunday, again with similar results. It seems sometime in the last couple of weeks, my unconscious mind has completely reprogrammed how I pull the cart, giving me considerably more power, and enabling us to go around 10% faster - around the same speed as our A class team. The change was sudden, like it didn't happen until this "reprogramming" was complete, then it caught everyone off guard. I have had similar quantum leaps of performance since my teens, but it's only recently that I'm starting to understand what's going on. The mysteries of the autistic mind never cease to amaze. Now to find more efficient ways to harness the unconscious power within. This is only the tip of the iceberg of what's possible. :)
Sunday, November 17, 2013
The 2013-2014 season approaches
It's a little under 2 weeks to our first competition for the 2013-2014 season. As usual, I've been working on fitness throughout the winter. This year will be complicated by the need to build endurance for a fundraising event in April (stay tuned!), while working on the speed and power required for competition. With the help of a sprint specialist, I have been able to significantly improve my starts and have a few more clues into my top speed issues (still working on those - ongoing project).
Looking forward to the season! :)
Looking forward to the season! :)
Thursday, May 02, 2013
End of the 2012-2013 season... And a trip to Perth!
The rest of the season went well, with a couple of event wins, numerous minor placings and coming second overall in our section at one competition. My roles underwent some changes, the most significant being in the 4s, where I was moved from the pole to branch. This move was done to increase cart speed and take advantage of my power over a wide range of speed, especially near the start.
The state championships were held in Warrnambool, around 200km SW of Melbourne on the coast, during the March long weekend. This year, I again had 6 runs. First up was the ladder race, where I made it through 2 heats and ran in the final against time. I narrowly missed a PB (since the comeback) in the second heat, and a slip in the final cost me a PB after a good start. My next event was the C section 4s. First heat was a disaster, but the opposing team was disqualified, so we got through. Second heat was a fast run, good enough to get us a spot in the final round against time. Our final run was also good, actually a team best, and narrowly missing out on a placing. Day 1 ended up with a change of clothes into a dress uniform to march with the team in the evening torchlight procession, which we did well in, though didn't score a placing.
Day 2 saw me running 3 events, starting with the pumper and ladder. Our initial run was good, but the officials had set the truck up incorrectly, so we were given a re-run. The re-run was also good, and gave us a 5th place in the event, out of 28 teams. :) Second run for the day was the 2 man marshall, one of the dry events described in a previous post. Managed one of my better runs for the season. The last event of the day was the Y8. My role in the Y8 changed this season. I ran pole almost the length of the course, then assisted the third length back to the middle of the track, before climbing the ladder and hitting the final target. A hiccup cost us a place in this event, but that's the way things go.
On the third day, I ran my last run for the championships. This was the hose and ladder 5s, and as usual I ran the ladder position. We managed to score 4th place in this event, which was a satisfying end to my state campaign! :)
Normally, this would be the end of the season, but this year we travelled to Perth, Western Australia to compete in the W.A. Easter Championships. This was the culmination of a year's planning, fundraising and saving. The 3 weeks between the Victorian state championships and the WA competition were spent learning new events that we don't run over here.
The Perth trip started with a 2:30AM wake up, to meet the bus for a 3:30 departure for Melbourne Airport to catch the flight to Perth. Once in Perth, we set the gear up for the weekend's competition and got an early night.
Day 1, and my first event was, as usual, the ladder race. Got through the first round with a post comeback PB time, but beaten in the second round. The next event was the hose and ladder race, which was the first of the unique Western Australian events. In this event, you run to a hose lais out on the track, break the coupling and run back to a hydrant and connect the host to it. Run back to the centre, connect the branch, then put the end of the hose over your shoulder and climb the ladder. Again, I got through the first round, but not the second. However, in the second round, I ran the best time of any attempt, including training.
My next event was another of the events unique to WA, namely the 3 wet hose event. This event is a little like the Y8, except the hoses are laid out on the track, and no cart or ladder is used. My role was to break the first length, couple onto the hydrant, then run down to the other end of the track, fit the third branch and hit the final target. Once I had finished the first coupling, there was plenty of time to get down to the third branch.
During the afternoon, I ran the 1 man Y. This event used to be run by juniors in Victoria until the mid 1980s, and I'm one of the few people still running who have prior experience with this event. It is a dry event, involving 3 hoses laid out on the track near a Y dividing piece. One quirk is that the Y is placed on the track upside down. The aim is to connect the 3 hoses, so that one hose from the hydrant leads to the Y (and remember to turn the Y over!), and then 2 hoses from the Y to branches.
The following event was the disabled wet hose. In this event, two hoses are laid out on the track. The first one is connected to the hydrant and the target is hit, then the first length is replaced by the second length, and the target is hit a second time. I had to run second coupling, which has to break the second length, bring the coupling back to the hydrant, wait for the first coupler to uncouple and then connect the hose to the hydrant.
I also ran a 4 man Y, which uses the same hose layout as the 1 man Y, except that the Y is placed the right way up before the run, and the branches are 3 feet apart, instead of 1 foot. This event is also run in Victoria, but I don't normally run it.
My final event for the day was the 4s. Again, I was on branch. This time, things didn't go quite as well as planned in the heat, which ended our day.
On Day 2, I started with the hose and ladder 5s. Had a good run down the track, but got beaten by the water to the top, and for some reason, had trouble directing the stream to the target, which cost a few seconds. However, we still managed to get 5th place in the event.
I also ran a 2 man marshall, with one of my best runs of the season. :)
Finally, I had a shot at the firefighters sprint. This is a simply 100 yard (91.4m) race down the track. Wasn't as quick as I hoped - I actually perform better under load, and I suspect some of my lingering coordination issues start to become significant at those speeds. I want to try to see if one on one coaching can help iron those issues out and unlock my potential.
So now it's back to fitness work. Moving house in April has delayed my program a bit, but the heavy lifting involved no doubt has helped! :) Hoping to get back to normal weight and cardio training next week. I'm also going to explore the possibility of getting coaching with a local athletics club for sprinting, to try and improve my speed on the track.
And on to 2013/2014! :)
The state championships were held in Warrnambool, around 200km SW of Melbourne on the coast, during the March long weekend. This year, I again had 6 runs. First up was the ladder race, where I made it through 2 heats and ran in the final against time. I narrowly missed a PB (since the comeback) in the second heat, and a slip in the final cost me a PB after a good start. My next event was the C section 4s. First heat was a disaster, but the opposing team was disqualified, so we got through. Second heat was a fast run, good enough to get us a spot in the final round against time. Our final run was also good, actually a team best, and narrowly missing out on a placing. Day 1 ended up with a change of clothes into a dress uniform to march with the team in the evening torchlight procession, which we did well in, though didn't score a placing.
Day 2 saw me running 3 events, starting with the pumper and ladder. Our initial run was good, but the officials had set the truck up incorrectly, so we were given a re-run. The re-run was also good, and gave us a 5th place in the event, out of 28 teams. :) Second run for the day was the 2 man marshall, one of the dry events described in a previous post. Managed one of my better runs for the season. The last event of the day was the Y8. My role in the Y8 changed this season. I ran pole almost the length of the course, then assisted the third length back to the middle of the track, before climbing the ladder and hitting the final target. A hiccup cost us a place in this event, but that's the way things go.
On the third day, I ran my last run for the championships. This was the hose and ladder 5s, and as usual I ran the ladder position. We managed to score 4th place in this event, which was a satisfying end to my state campaign! :)
Normally, this would be the end of the season, but this year we travelled to Perth, Western Australia to compete in the W.A. Easter Championships. This was the culmination of a year's planning, fundraising and saving. The 3 weeks between the Victorian state championships and the WA competition were spent learning new events that we don't run over here.
The Perth trip started with a 2:30AM wake up, to meet the bus for a 3:30 departure for Melbourne Airport to catch the flight to Perth. Once in Perth, we set the gear up for the weekend's competition and got an early night.
Day 1, and my first event was, as usual, the ladder race. Got through the first round with a post comeback PB time, but beaten in the second round. The next event was the hose and ladder race, which was the first of the unique Western Australian events. In this event, you run to a hose lais out on the track, break the coupling and run back to a hydrant and connect the host to it. Run back to the centre, connect the branch, then put the end of the hose over your shoulder and climb the ladder. Again, I got through the first round, but not the second. However, in the second round, I ran the best time of any attempt, including training.
My next event was another of the events unique to WA, namely the 3 wet hose event. This event is a little like the Y8, except the hoses are laid out on the track, and no cart or ladder is used. My role was to break the first length, couple onto the hydrant, then run down to the other end of the track, fit the third branch and hit the final target. Once I had finished the first coupling, there was plenty of time to get down to the third branch.
During the afternoon, I ran the 1 man Y. This event used to be run by juniors in Victoria until the mid 1980s, and I'm one of the few people still running who have prior experience with this event. It is a dry event, involving 3 hoses laid out on the track near a Y dividing piece. One quirk is that the Y is placed on the track upside down. The aim is to connect the 3 hoses, so that one hose from the hydrant leads to the Y (and remember to turn the Y over!), and then 2 hoses from the Y to branches.
The following event was the disabled wet hose. In this event, two hoses are laid out on the track. The first one is connected to the hydrant and the target is hit, then the first length is replaced by the second length, and the target is hit a second time. I had to run second coupling, which has to break the second length, bring the coupling back to the hydrant, wait for the first coupler to uncouple and then connect the hose to the hydrant.
I also ran a 4 man Y, which uses the same hose layout as the 1 man Y, except that the Y is placed the right way up before the run, and the branches are 3 feet apart, instead of 1 foot. This event is also run in Victoria, but I don't normally run it.
My final event for the day was the 4s. Again, I was on branch. This time, things didn't go quite as well as planned in the heat, which ended our day.
On Day 2, I started with the hose and ladder 5s. Had a good run down the track, but got beaten by the water to the top, and for some reason, had trouble directing the stream to the target, which cost a few seconds. However, we still managed to get 5th place in the event.
I also ran a 2 man marshall, with one of my best runs of the season. :)
Finally, I had a shot at the firefighters sprint. This is a simply 100 yard (91.4m) race down the track. Wasn't as quick as I hoped - I actually perform better under load, and I suspect some of my lingering coordination issues start to become significant at those speeds. I want to try to see if one on one coaching can help iron those issues out and unlock my potential.
So now it's back to fitness work. Moving house in April has delayed my program a bit, but the heavy lifting involved no doubt has helped! :) Hoping to get back to normal weight and cardio training next week. I'm also going to explore the possibility of getting coaching with a local athletics club for sprinting, to try and improve my speed on the track.
And on to 2013/2014! :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
2012 - 2013 mid season update
So far, competition has been going well. A couple of wins, several minor placings. Fitness has been fairly good for the most part, aside from a minor hamstring strain 2 weeks ago which slowed me down a little but didn't stop me competing completely. I just had to choose my events and be a little more careful than usual - Still managed a win and a third on that day! :)
Looking forward to going all out now that the injury is pretty much healed, and taking on more events, and working towards the state championships in 5 1/2 weeks time.
Looking forward to going all out now that the injury is pretty much healed, and taking on more events, and working towards the state championships in 5 1/2 weeks time.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Autism and sport on the radio Nov 10, 2012
Just a note to say I will be interviewed live on the radio on Phoenix FM, a local radio station here. This is a segment of a weekly show about autism spectrum issues called "Real People Talk Autism (formerly Real People ASD Talk Radio)". The interview will be about my involvement as someone on the spectrum in sport.
If you're in Bendigo, you can listen on 106.7 on your FM dial. Everyone else can listen online using the "Listen to live radio" link at the top of Phonix FM's webpage http://www.phoenixfm.org.au . The show will be broadcast live at 10 AM Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on Saturday November 10. For people in other areas, click HERE to find out when it's on in your time zone.
Update: If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast at this link (updated due to change of URL).
If you're in Bendigo, you can listen on 106.7 on your FM dial. Everyone else can listen online using the "Listen to live radio" link at the top of Phonix FM's webpage http://www.phoenixfm.org.au . The show will be broadcast live at 10 AM Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on Saturday November 10. For people in other areas, click HERE to find out when it's on in your time zone.
Update: If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast at this link (updated due to change of URL).
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Back to the gym :)
Now that the season is over, it's time to go back to the gym for basic fitness work. I had my assessment yesterday, which was interesting. As expected, I had lost only a little of upper body muscle mass and gained a bit on the legs from the competition season. The big surprise came with the cardio test (5 minutes on the exercise bike). My heart rate peaked around 140bpm, which is slightly slower than it had previously, but immediately after the test, the heart rate dropped away. It was down to 110 within 30 seconds, recovering more than twice as quickly as it used to. The trainer's manual count averaged at 126 (down from 140+). I hadn't expected such a change in cardio recovery.
State Championships 2012 and Season 2011-2012
Another competition season has finished. My calf injury in November turned out to be a torn calf, which kept me off the track until the end of 2011. Some physiotherapy and a specific exercise regime got me back in form for the start of 2012, with the result I only missed the competition in December. With the bulk of the season ahead, I got stuck into training with the rest of the team.
The year started with me doing my usual ladder events, plus assisting the "A" side in a couple of events, with the occasional dry event in between. However, with a coaching change in mid February, things started to change. The coaching change came about because we actually have two teams, and it was decided that it would be best for each team to have their own dedicated coach. With our new coach for the "C" team, some changes came about. While I retained my specialist role on the ladder, I started to move into new roles, most notably the "pole", which is the position on the front of the cart, which is responsible for steering, as well as a significant amount of the power down the track. During the season, we also ran an additional event, known as the "Y8" (or more formally, the Hose, Ladder and Y coupling practice for 8 competitors). This is the longest and most complex event, but it's also a fun one to run. With the addition of the Y8, there is now only one event we don't run, which is the 6 person event. We are hoping to run this one next season. Results were mixed through the season, with a couple of placings (mostly in the hose and ladder event) at a couple of competitions.
The State Championships were held in Mooroopna, 175km north of Melbourne on the Labor Day long weekend (March 10-12). I had positions in 6 events.
First up was the ladder race. This is a simple straight sprint (25 yards) to the bottom of the ladder, then up the ladder to the top of the staging, 20 feet above the ground (the original imperial measurements are still used, though expressed in metric these days). I narrowly missed getting through my heat. Here's a video of my heat. I'm on the right in the light blue.
In the afternoon, was the C section 4s. This involves 4 people running down with a standpipe and the cart (which is loaded with hose) down the track. One person takes the standpipe an sets it in the hydrant plug in the track, while the other 3 get the cart down the track, couple the hose on and hit the target. My role was the pole, which is where I have to pick up the front of the cart, pull it down the track, and steer. This is a very intense role, as it's a sprint with the cart in tow. For the first part, there is assistance from the other two on the back, but they drop off one to perform their specific roles. We got through the first round heat, but not the second round. However, our times were the two best times we've had all season, so we were still pleased with the outcome.
On the second day, my first event was the pumper and ladder. In this event, 5 people work together to draw water from a hydrant using a pumper (otherwise known as a fire engine), then deliver that water to two hoses - one on the ground, and one up the 20 foot ladder. As I have done for over a year, I ran the ladder position. I ran up to the back of the pumper, coupled my hose to the delivery outlet on the back of the truck, then placed the branch into my ladder harness and ran up the ladder to strike my target on top. I had one of my smoothest runs ever, and made it up with plenty of time. Our time was on a par with the rest of the season, but we were running with a different lineup than we had used all year, so the result was still good.
That afternoon we had the Y8. This was only the third time we've run this event at a competition, the first time being only 4 weeks earlier! :) The Y8 is one of the most complex events, involving a team of 8 competitors, plus an extra one to "catch" the cart at the end of the track. The team must work together to get water from a hydrant and then strike 3 targets in order - 2 near ground level over the track (90 and 180 feet from the hydrant), and the third up the ladder. The order is to strike the first target at 90 feet, then couple a second length of hose and strike the second target at 180 feet. Finally, the first two lengths are uncoupled, a "Y" dividing piece is inserted in between, so a third length can be run up the ladder for the third target. In this event, I started on the pole, hauling and guiding the cart around the hydrant, then towards the second target. Near the second target I removed my branch from its holder and guided the cart to the catcher, who took it off me and controlled it for the rest of the run. I then ran to the end of the third length of hose, coupled on the branch (still in my hand!) and ran down to the guy waiting on the ladder. I then placed the end of the hose into his harness, so he could climb, then assisted him by guiding the host up beside the ladder. Our time was not bad, given our lack of experience in this event, and it being the first time we had run it with this exact team arrangement. We actually managed to finish not too far outside a placing. :)
Day 3, the final day, and again I had two events to compete in. The first was the ladder 5s, which I have been running for a while now. This event is similar to the 4s above, except there are 5 people in the team, and the target is on the ladder staging. I ran in the ladder position, where I take my coupling and branch off the cart, put them together and then place them into my ladder harness. From there it's a sprint down the track (total distance from the start is approximately 100 metres) to the ladder, climb the ladder and hit the target. We had a problem with the cart at the start, which made it more difficult to get my branch off its holder. This caused a delay in the run, but despite this, we still managed one of our best times for the season.
In the afternoon, I had the Champion 4s. This event is identical to the C section 4s, except that we compete against every team at the competition, instead of only those in our section. Our lineup was slightly different, but I ran the pole, just as I did in the 4s 2 days before. We got through the first heat, but not the second time around. I was happy with my performance, being able to keep up with our opposition in the heats. :)
As like last year, the State Championships were an awesome weekend, the only downer being that it marks the end of the season, and it's now 9 months until the start of next season.
The year started with me doing my usual ladder events, plus assisting the "A" side in a couple of events, with the occasional dry event in between. However, with a coaching change in mid February, things started to change. The coaching change came about because we actually have two teams, and it was decided that it would be best for each team to have their own dedicated coach. With our new coach for the "C" team, some changes came about. While I retained my specialist role on the ladder, I started to move into new roles, most notably the "pole", which is the position on the front of the cart, which is responsible for steering, as well as a significant amount of the power down the track. During the season, we also ran an additional event, known as the "Y8" (or more formally, the Hose, Ladder and Y coupling practice for 8 competitors). This is the longest and most complex event, but it's also a fun one to run. With the addition of the Y8, there is now only one event we don't run, which is the 6 person event. We are hoping to run this one next season. Results were mixed through the season, with a couple of placings (mostly in the hose and ladder event) at a couple of competitions.
The State Championships were held in Mooroopna, 175km north of Melbourne on the Labor Day long weekend (March 10-12). I had positions in 6 events.
First up was the ladder race. This is a simple straight sprint (25 yards) to the bottom of the ladder, then up the ladder to the top of the staging, 20 feet above the ground (the original imperial measurements are still used, though expressed in metric these days). I narrowly missed getting through my heat. Here's a video of my heat. I'm on the right in the light blue.
In the afternoon, was the C section 4s. This involves 4 people running down with a standpipe and the cart (which is loaded with hose) down the track. One person takes the standpipe an sets it in the hydrant plug in the track, while the other 3 get the cart down the track, couple the hose on and hit the target. My role was the pole, which is where I have to pick up the front of the cart, pull it down the track, and steer. This is a very intense role, as it's a sprint with the cart in tow. For the first part, there is assistance from the other two on the back, but they drop off one to perform their specific roles. We got through the first round heat, but not the second round. However, our times were the two best times we've had all season, so we were still pleased with the outcome.
On the second day, my first event was the pumper and ladder. In this event, 5 people work together to draw water from a hydrant using a pumper (otherwise known as a fire engine), then deliver that water to two hoses - one on the ground, and one up the 20 foot ladder. As I have done for over a year, I ran the ladder position. I ran up to the back of the pumper, coupled my hose to the delivery outlet on the back of the truck, then placed the branch into my ladder harness and ran up the ladder to strike my target on top. I had one of my smoothest runs ever, and made it up with plenty of time. Our time was on a par with the rest of the season, but we were running with a different lineup than we had used all year, so the result was still good.
That afternoon we had the Y8. This was only the third time we've run this event at a competition, the first time being only 4 weeks earlier! :) The Y8 is one of the most complex events, involving a team of 8 competitors, plus an extra one to "catch" the cart at the end of the track. The team must work together to get water from a hydrant and then strike 3 targets in order - 2 near ground level over the track (90 and 180 feet from the hydrant), and the third up the ladder. The order is to strike the first target at 90 feet, then couple a second length of hose and strike the second target at 180 feet. Finally, the first two lengths are uncoupled, a "Y" dividing piece is inserted in between, so a third length can be run up the ladder for the third target. In this event, I started on the pole, hauling and guiding the cart around the hydrant, then towards the second target. Near the second target I removed my branch from its holder and guided the cart to the catcher, who took it off me and controlled it for the rest of the run. I then ran to the end of the third length of hose, coupled on the branch (still in my hand!) and ran down to the guy waiting on the ladder. I then placed the end of the hose into his harness, so he could climb, then assisted him by guiding the host up beside the ladder. Our time was not bad, given our lack of experience in this event, and it being the first time we had run it with this exact team arrangement. We actually managed to finish not too far outside a placing. :)
Day 3, the final day, and again I had two events to compete in. The first was the ladder 5s, which I have been running for a while now. This event is similar to the 4s above, except there are 5 people in the team, and the target is on the ladder staging. I ran in the ladder position, where I take my coupling and branch off the cart, put them together and then place them into my ladder harness. From there it's a sprint down the track (total distance from the start is approximately 100 metres) to the ladder, climb the ladder and hit the target. We had a problem with the cart at the start, which made it more difficult to get my branch off its holder. This caused a delay in the run, but despite this, we still managed one of our best times for the season.
In the afternoon, I had the Champion 4s. This event is identical to the C section 4s, except that we compete against every team at the competition, instead of only those in our section. Our lineup was slightly different, but I ran the pole, just as I did in the 4s 2 days before. We got through the first heat, but not the second time around. I was happy with my performance, being able to keep up with our opposition in the heats. :)
As like last year, the State Championships were an awesome weekend, the only downer being that it marks the end of the season, and it's now 9 months until the start of next season.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Training goes on, some new insights.
Training has been ramping up since July. From July to September, we trained once a week, and started full twice weekly training from September. Initially, we concentrated on basic fitness, mostly speed, strength and power, which is what we require most of. We are now into the skills part, where we practice entire runs as they will be run in competition.
On the up side, I am somewhat stronger. Work during the off-season in the gym has prevented any recurrence if the groin injuries that plagued me last summer. However, I have had further hamstring trouble, and have just strained a calf. These injuries have led to some new insights. The hamstring problems seem to be associated with coordination issues that develop under certain conditions, namely high effort, combined with fatigue. So far, the use of compression tights seems to be keeping this under control.
The calf injury is a new one for me, as my calves have never given trouble in the past. Again, fatigue seems to be a factor. I'll try going to full length tights, though I think the real solution lies in tailoring the warm-up and general fitness work to my specific needs, to take into account that I have very little natural middle distance ability, far less than anyone else I know with my overall fitness level, as well as putting in extra time to overcome that deficit as much as possible. Looks like a long chat with the team physio next week. :)
On the up side, I am somewhat stronger. Work during the off-season in the gym has prevented any recurrence if the groin injuries that plagued me last summer. However, I have had further hamstring trouble, and have just strained a calf. These injuries have led to some new insights. The hamstring problems seem to be associated with coordination issues that develop under certain conditions, namely high effort, combined with fatigue. So far, the use of compression tights seems to be keeping this under control.
The calf injury is a new one for me, as my calves have never given trouble in the past. Again, fatigue seems to be a factor. I'll try going to full length tights, though I think the real solution lies in tailoring the warm-up and general fitness work to my specific needs, to take into account that I have very little natural middle distance ability, far less than anyone else I know with my overall fitness level, as well as putting in extra time to overcome that deficit as much as possible. Looks like a long chat with the team physio next week. :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
The road to Mooroopna 2012 starts...
Since the 2011 State Championships, I've spent a lot of time at the gym strengthening muscles that gave trouble last season, and have managed to make some significant improvements over the last few months. The team has begun pre-season training, with last Sunday being the first session for the upcoming season, with a 5km time trial (which is far from my ideal distance). Last night, we did some speed work, which felt good, and went well.
Looking forward to the coming season when summer comes. :)
Looking forward to the coming season when summer comes. :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
State Fire Brigades Championships 2011
Posted this to my blog a minute ago, and thought it appropriate to share here as well. Autism and team sports? Yes, it's possible! Read on. :)
What an awesome weekend! The VFBV State Championships are a series of events run over the Labour Day long weekend every March (second Monday in March here). I had 5 events to run, which were the Ladder Race, Hose, Hydrant, Pumper and Ladder, 2 Man Marshall, Hose and Reel 8s, and the Hose and Ladder 5s.
My only event on the Saturday was the ladder race, which is basically a 25 yard sprint to the ladder, then 20 feet straight up. I started well, but had a slip on the way up, which put me behind in the first heat. Here's a photo from the local paper. :)
Sunday was the busy day. First was the pumper and ladder event. We scored a clean run, but it wasn't enough for a place. My role was to couple my hose to one of the pump outlets on the truck, then climb the ladder and hit the second target. The next event for me was the 2 man marshall, which is a dry (i.e. no water) event that requires speed, skill and precision in laying out hoses in a specific sequence. We had a good clean run, but again, not enough for a place. The final event for the day was the hose and reel 8s. This consists of running down the track with a habd drawn hose reel, laying out one hose, hitting the target, then coupling on a second hose and hitting the target a second time. In this event, I had to push on a side arm on the reel, helping to give it an initial push away, then adding some speed down the track. Once past the hydrant, I had to leave the reel and assist the first branch (with the nozzle) get his hose over the line to hit the target. Had a great run, but unfortunately, something went wrong elsewhere, which messed up our run.
On Monday, I had my final run for the competition. This was the hose and ladder 5s, which again used the hand drawn hose reel. This event involves running down the track with the hose reel, with the aim of sending someone up the ladder (me!) to hit the target at the top. In this event, I had to take the coupling off the reel, then the branch, couple them together and place them in the harness I was wearing to carry the hose. From there it was a sprint of over 100 metres to the ladder, climb the ladder and hit the target. I had a good run, except when I went to get the coupling, the rubber band holding it on wouldn't break! It took 3 attempts to break it (any other time, they break when you don't want them to!). Knowing I was a bit behind, I gave it everything down the track and made up the lost time. Unfortunately, one of the others had some problems down below, which affected our time. It was one of those things.
Anyway, that was my weekend. In between, I was helping out with preparations for the guys, and taking videos of the events I wasn't in. It's been 20 years since I was last involved, and I am glad to be back. Bring on 2012! :)
What an awesome weekend! The VFBV State Championships are a series of events run over the Labour Day long weekend every March (second Monday in March here). I had 5 events to run, which were the Ladder Race, Hose, Hydrant, Pumper and Ladder, 2 Man Marshall, Hose and Reel 8s, and the Hose and Ladder 5s.
My only event on the Saturday was the ladder race, which is basically a 25 yard sprint to the ladder, then 20 feet straight up. I started well, but had a slip on the way up, which put me behind in the first heat. Here's a photo from the local paper. :)
Sunday was the busy day. First was the pumper and ladder event. We scored a clean run, but it wasn't enough for a place. My role was to couple my hose to one of the pump outlets on the truck, then climb the ladder and hit the second target. The next event for me was the 2 man marshall, which is a dry (i.e. no water) event that requires speed, skill and precision in laying out hoses in a specific sequence. We had a good clean run, but again, not enough for a place. The final event for the day was the hose and reel 8s. This consists of running down the track with a habd drawn hose reel, laying out one hose, hitting the target, then coupling on a second hose and hitting the target a second time. In this event, I had to push on a side arm on the reel, helping to give it an initial push away, then adding some speed down the track. Once past the hydrant, I had to leave the reel and assist the first branch (with the nozzle) get his hose over the line to hit the target. Had a great run, but unfortunately, something went wrong elsewhere, which messed up our run.
On Monday, I had my final run for the competition. This was the hose and ladder 5s, which again used the hand drawn hose reel. This event involves running down the track with the hose reel, with the aim of sending someone up the ladder (me!) to hit the target at the top. In this event, I had to take the coupling off the reel, then the branch, couple them together and place them in the harness I was wearing to carry the hose. From there it was a sprint of over 100 metres to the ladder, climb the ladder and hit the target. I had a good run, except when I went to get the coupling, the rubber band holding it on wouldn't break! It took 3 attempts to break it (any other time, they break when you don't want them to!). Knowing I was a bit behind, I gave it everything down the track and made up the lost time. Unfortunately, one of the others had some problems down below, which affected our time. It was one of those things.
Anyway, that was my weekend. In between, I was helping out with preparations for the guys, and taking videos of the events I wasn't in. It's been 20 years since I was last involved, and I am glad to be back. Bring on 2012! :)
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
A 20 year comeback!
We recently moved from Melbourne to Bendigo, a regional city of about 85,000 people. One of the side effects of this change is that outside the inner Melbourne suburbs, there is a different fire service, the Country Fire Authority, which is composed mainly of volunteers. In my distant past, I used to be a member of the local fire brigade in the small town that I lived in. That was up until nearly 20 years ago, when I moved to Melbourne.
The volunteer fire brigades not only put out fires and deal with other emergencies, but many brigades also compete against each other in a competition that involves the use of firefighting equipment, particularly older forms, such as manually pulled hose reels. This becomes a challenging test of skill, strength and speed. Back in my former CFA days, I was very active in this form of competition.
Fast forward to about a month ago, I assisted a passing traveller who had car trouble. There were other people helping out, including one guy from a local fire brigade. This sparked a conversation about the fire service and I mentioned that I used to be involved in the competitive side. Not long after, he had to go somewhere else, and the conversation was forgotten. However, last night, there was a tap on the window. It was the guy from the fire brigade. He had come to ask if I was still interested in joining their team this summer. I took some contact details, and will be calling the team coach later today. Good thing I keep myself fit, I may be rusty in the skill department, but I'm physically in top shape. I workout most days, and walk or cycle everywhere.
Fingers crossed for a place on the team this summer. :)
Now, most readers probably have no idea what these competitions look like. Well, I've just uploaded some videos to YouTube. Check these out for some samples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI1O9lic0AE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QJNSYKGdBk
The volunteer fire brigades not only put out fires and deal with other emergencies, but many brigades also compete against each other in a competition that involves the use of firefighting equipment, particularly older forms, such as manually pulled hose reels. This becomes a challenging test of skill, strength and speed. Back in my former CFA days, I was very active in this form of competition.
Fast forward to about a month ago, I assisted a passing traveller who had car trouble. There were other people helping out, including one guy from a local fire brigade. This sparked a conversation about the fire service and I mentioned that I used to be involved in the competitive side. Not long after, he had to go somewhere else, and the conversation was forgotten. However, last night, there was a tap on the window. It was the guy from the fire brigade. He had come to ask if I was still interested in joining their team this summer. I took some contact details, and will be calling the team coach later today. Good thing I keep myself fit, I may be rusty in the skill department, but I'm physically in top shape. I workout most days, and walk or cycle everywhere.
Fingers crossed for a place on the team this summer. :)
Now, most readers probably have no idea what these competitions look like. Well, I've just uploaded some videos to YouTube. Check these out for some samples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI1O9lic0AE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QJNSYKGdBk
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Running
I've been a bit slack in posting here, but just a quick update. Over the last few years, I've run in a few events. Notable ones include:
Australian Rogaining Championships, July 2007. This was a 24 hour hiking/navigation event in the Australian Outback, some 80km east of Alice Springs. The scenery was stunning. I haven't got time to recount it all here, but you can see it in my blog at http://t-dubvk.blogspot.com/2007/07/navigating-red-centre.html .
Run For the Kids 2008. This is an annual charity run for the Royal Childrens Hospital. In 2008, I managed a time of 1:23.49 over 14.1km
Melbourne Marathon 2008. My first marathon attempt. I managed a time of 5:19, and had to walk the last 18km, due to injuries from a road incident 3 months earlier.
Run For the Kids 2010. Came back for more. Run For the Kids is a popular charity event, attracting 30,000 runners. The course is quite spectacular, taking in part of Melbourne's toll road system, with a tunnel and bridge crossing, followed by the redeveloped Docklands precinct. This year, the course was 14.38km long, and I finished in 1:24:54 in somewhat warm conditions.
I'll try and post more frequent updates! :)
Australian Rogaining Championships, July 2007. This was a 24 hour hiking/navigation event in the Australian Outback, some 80km east of Alice Springs. The scenery was stunning. I haven't got time to recount it all here, but you can see it in my blog at http://t-dubvk.blogspot.com/2007/07/navigating-red-centre.html .
Run For the Kids 2008. This is an annual charity run for the Royal Childrens Hospital. In 2008, I managed a time of 1:23.49 over 14.1km
Melbourne Marathon 2008. My first marathon attempt. I managed a time of 5:19, and had to walk the last 18km, due to injuries from a road incident 3 months earlier.
Run For the Kids 2010. Came back for more. Run For the Kids is a popular charity event, attracting 30,000 runners. The course is quite spectacular, taking in part of Melbourne's toll road system, with a tunnel and bridge crossing, followed by the redeveloped Docklands precinct. This year, the course was 14.38km long, and I finished in 1:24:54 in somewhat warm conditions.
I'll try and post more frequent updates! :)
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