Word Up from Brazil

Just wanted to let you know how I did today. I placed 5th again at 68.83m. Felt better than the last meet, so I'm building into my big throw for the big meet on the 26th in Rio. Chasing Yipsi Moreno of Cuba, Jenny Dalgren from Argentina, and Sultan Frizel from Canada...they all beat me at both meets but not by much. I just gotta relax and do me! When I get into the rhythm of my throw, i don't have anything to worry about cuz I know its going to fly. I just have to do what I do.

Thanks to everybody for their support. I'm having a great time, and gaining some invaluable experiece. Rio is the big hammer challenge meet and big things are coming! www.cbat.org.br. its in portuguese, but just google translate it on your pc. To see the results. Meet on Tuesday was in Uberlandia, today was Sao Paulo and next meet is in Rio!!!!!

Rio Rio

Amber's in Rio. Throwing long and strong. We have to work on getting her travel legs under her. Since she is down there competing in 3 meets (1 down placed 5th) she should improve in meets 2 and 3. Good Luck Amber.

Daegu

Well this was certainly an interesting trip. I arrived on Monday night excited about the upcoming week because this was the first overseas meet of the year. Not only that, but it was the World Championships Preview for this coming August. I had a good training session on Tuesday where I took about a dozen throws so I could get my legs under me, and it went well. The field wasn't marked so I'm not exactly sure where they were landing, but the rhythm of the throw felt good. Wednesday was a rest day, and I was hoping to get in some shopping so I could see some of the city and stretch my legs but it rained heavy the whole day so I read a book instead. I woke up this morning pumped up and looking forward to big stuff popping off in this competition. We took our two warm-up throws in order of how we would compete, and off we went. I stepped into the circle for my first throw and let it fly...at least I thought so, they marked it at a whopping 65m. It didn't feel that bad, so I knew I had some work to do. My second throw I told myself to relax and let the ball do its work. Which it did, but my feet didn't cooperate and I fouled out of the side of the ring and the sector. The upside of that was the distance was about 70m but it doesn't matter if I don't keep it in. Ok, so I know I need to get this thing moving and I take my time to make sure my technique is good on my third throw, but I guess I took way too much off and it only went 64m. Last throw, and to my surprise I'm still not sweating the fact that I don't have a respectable mark on the books yet. So I'm smiling to myself knowing that it only takes one good throw to change the outcome of the competition. I step into the ring for my last throw, then let it rip! I knew I tagged that one and when it came up on the screen....67.87 (que sad music) my feelings were so hurt! I guess I didn't realized that my jets were totally not firing today. But that's just the way the cookie crumbled today. I finished in 6th place. I'm going to chalk this one up to experience and look ahead to better days. But not until I make a very special trip to Indianapolis for my best friend's wedding!!!!! If she lets me, I'll post a couple pics of the blessed event. My next meet is in beautiful Brazil! So I will definately have pics to post of that.

On to the next one,
Amber