The Preseason Experiment

As many of you realize, the high school varsity season is upon us, and we are therefore taxing our limits trying to improve our spins, speed and skills in general.
But what about those of us who have been a little lazy?
That's right: every year I get at least a few athletes who decide that they are going to attempt to improve their game a week or two prior to varsity season.  I also get a few girls every year who think that simply doing a lesson for a half hour once a week over the course of the winter will be enough to put them into good shape.
Right.  That will work (is there a sarcasm font?).
So an unusual and opportune set of circumstances has arisen this year.  Last year, I was discouraged to find that I had torn my posterior tibial tendon (near the ankle) and was advised not to pitch at all.  Instead I decided to play tennis (story for a later time), as it is less taxing to that area.  I am now healed and currently in the unique position of not having thrown more than a few times full speed over the course of the last year.
Enter my idea for "The Preseason Experiment."
As many of you may know, I am extremely passionate about making sure that we, as athletes, are minimizing our risks of injury as much as possible.  I am currently involved in a muscle fatigue study with Lenox Hill Hospital to further our understanding of this subject.
But I would like to do something a little less official.
I have been doing some throwing as if I was an athlete who is trying to prepare for the season "last minute."
Keep in mind that I am a personal trainer and in very good physical condition.   Though I have not been pitching in the last year, I have been doing weight training, running, swimming, yoga, spinning and keeping a very well-balanced, healthy diet.  The following will be a record of just how difficult and long it takes (even for someone who has the knowledge, experience, and conditioning) to get into good "preseason shape."

Thursday, February 25th: I threw for about forty five minutes.  About five to ten minutes was done throwing lefty.  I am doing some lefty throwing for symmetry and also to get a better proprioceptive response.  I didn't try to throw hard, but my spins were mostly working nicely (except for rise, very stubborn).  I worked on fastball, change-up, rise, curve and inside curve.  I followed my workout with some stretching and physical therapy exercises then had lessons for six hours.

Friday, February 26th:  Just a little over an hour of pilates and yoga today.  I am definitely sore, but not dying.  I did all of my PT exercises and spent lots of time stretching then had lessons for five hours.

Saturday, February 27th:  I took the day off from training and just focused on my lessons.

Sunday, February 28th:  I ran two miles, did the elliptical, and then did a light upper body workout (low weight - twenty reps).  I am still a little sore from pitching (remarkably), but I feel like it is getting better.  I did all my PT and stretching, etc.

Monday, March 1st:  This is the first day that I am not sore from pitching Thursday, but have a really busy day and will throw tomorrow.  Today is pilates, yoga, PT, core work and walking the dogs followed by about seven hours of lessons.

Tuesday, March 2nd:  Today is the first day that I tried to throw hard.  I threw for about an hour righty and then a little lefty.  I did lots of drill work to focus on exploding off the mound (for someone who has such long legs, I tend to stink at that initial explosion).  I also did some throwing and running.  Even though I am trying to throw harder today, my speed sucks.  I am guessing mid-fifties (which I guess isn't too bad for not throwing for a year).  My spins are working wonderfully, though.  Today I worked on rise, drop, inside curve and change-up. I did stretching and PT after pitching followed by about seven hours of lessons.   It is a little after midnight as I am writing this, and I am already REALLY sore.  I think I will have trouble walking up the stairs tomorrow as I was really try to use my legs today.  Even as I am typing, my forearm hurts.  For those of you having lessons tomorrow, my throwbacks do not promise to be good.

Keep me posted on your preseason workouts: what is working for you?  What are you finding difficult?