Dr. Brian Damhoff's treatment room at the Elite Performance Institute (Dr. Damhoff photo)
Friday-
7:00a: Rise and shine did not sleep well because all I could think about was what is to come the next 48 hours
7:40a: Need to leave in 5 minutes for work, perfect time to pack for our trip to Belleville West!
8:30a: Arrive at Elite Performance Institute
My treatment room at Elite Performance Institute
9:00a: First patient of the day, collegiate 400m hurdler with knee pain
10:15a: Break between patients so I review Ubersense videos on all my jumpers competing tomorrow
11:30a: Quick power nap
12:00p: Lunch
1:00p: Patients done for day, quick workout before I leave the office
2:10p: Arrive at Plainfield North
2:25p: Can't get the minibus to start, good start to trip
2:40p: Finally get the minibus to start and we're off to Troy, Il where we'll be spending night
3:20p: 40 minutes later and we've made it the 7 miles to the interstate
3:25p: 50mph wind gusts have me gripping the wheel like a NASCAR driver
4:30p: My hands hurt from gripping the steering wheel so tight
5:00p: The winds are finally starting to subside as we approach Springfield
6:23pm Gas light comes on, 22 more miles to our destination, do we stop or take the risk?
6:28p: Coach Holler makes a head coaches decision to test our luck and push through without filling up
6:45p: Arrive in Troy, IL at hotel on fumes and drop off kids
6:48p: Fill up the minibus with 30 gallons of fuel
7:00p: The bed in the hotel never looked so good but I'm starving
The view from the hotel was less than desirable (Jake Epley photo)
7:27p: Waiting for food at restaurant, longest 30 minutes of my life
7:57p: Finally food!
8:30p: Back to the hotel to relax and thankfully I can with our great group of kids
10:00p: Can barely keep my eyes open
10:30p: Lights out
Saturday-
7:00a: Slept like a rock and wake up feeling like I'm competing today
7:15a: Hotel breakfast, they have 3 types of cereal, cold hardboiled eggs, a few choices of bread for toast and butter, yogurt, tough choices here
7:18a: I try my luck with mystery cereal and yogurt although I pretend like it doesn't say modified corn starch on the yogurt ingredients
8:59a: I go get the minibus to bring out front
9:00a: Morning team meeting
9:00a: I accidentally set off the minibus safety feature that makes the horn honk like a car alarm, nothing like making a dramatic entrance to the morning team meeting
9:15a: We depart for Belleville
9:37a: Arrive at Belleville's beautiful facility, 60 degrees slight breeze perfect weather
9:39a: Manage to set the minibus safety feature off again in the parking lot, I do this a lot so I'm used to the stares
10:15a: Check out the facility with my jumpers, I always inspect the jump venues thoroughly and talk strategy with my jumpers before they compete
10:30a: Coaches meeting I walk in and get the customary stares from other coaches that say are you an athlete or a coach, yeah I know I look young
10:32a: Nothing like finding out that long jump is going to be flighted a half hour before your guys compete, thanks for heads up!
10:45a: First long jumper is on runway for run-throughs
11:01a: First jump for senior David Latimore is 20'9, still can't put landing together
Senior David Latimore (Photo by Tony Holler)
11:10a Sprint full speed 80m from long jump to high jumper where my first jumper is jumping
11:12a: Find out that high jump opening height was bumped from 5'8 to 5'10
11:21a: Watch Cahokia junior Ja'Mari Ward leap 24'10 despite being 6 inches behind board
When Ja'Mari Ward jumps, everyone watches (Tony Holler photo)
12:16p: Latimore over to high jump now, having to come in at PR of 6'0
12:21p: Latimore no heights, tough situation to jump in coming in at PR
1:02p: Sophomore Tyler Hoosman continues his stellar season PR'ing at 19'3, would have been over 20 feet if he could have been on board
1:05p: Jog to food stand to get my lunch, quickly scarf down some slightly cold pizza
1:09p: Make it back in time to watch our hurdlers in the 110's
1:42p: Watch 2 of my patients run the 100m in their return to competition races, I hold my breath as my reputation rides on these guys running well and pain free
1:45p: Both run pain free and great times!
2:45p: I feel like I got shot in the heart, our 4x2 relay dropped the baton on the first exchange
2:47p: I finally get up from being on the ground after the dropped baton and walk off to digest what just happened
3:02p: Sophomore Adam Ratini goes 37'8 in triple jump approaching his PR with a good effort
3:28p: Starting to feel the effects of the sun, hazards of the job
3:40p: Sprint to track side to yell advice to our gentlemen running the mile
5:00p: Meet is done, we had our ups and downs
7:00p: Stop for food and gas in Lincoln, IL
8:13p: Look in mirror and see that I'm the only one awake on the minibus, must be nice
9:30p: Arrive back at Plainfield North High School
10:15p: Finally arrive at my house and my bed has never looked so good
10:30p: Passed out after a long 2 days