Read Online Higher (The University of Gatica #3) by Lexy Timms - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lexy Timms
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leaned forward and rotated her legs so they switched positions. “What time did you get in last night?”
Jani yawned and they both laughed. “It was late.” She sighed as she yawned again. “Carter’s addictive. Like a different kind of high.”
“Higher than HJ?” Aileen teased.
“About the same.” Jani raised her hand to a pretend level of a high jump bar. “He’s a close second.”
“Cool. As long as he doesn’t pass it, I won’t bug you.” Aileen brought both legs out in front of her and shook them to loosen her hamstrings. “By the way, did you get your essay handed in on time? I figured you worked late, or should I say early, since I couldn’t wake you up this morning.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to miss weights. How’d they go?” She veered away from answering the essay question.
“Good. Not the same as when we work out together. It’s better when you’re pushing me.”
Jani nodded. “I’m going to have to go after practice today, or tomorrow and lift two days in a row.” She never missed training. She might miss classes, but never track.
“Do it today. Otherwise Wednesday’s lifting will suck. The cycle’s meant for a rest day in between the lifting.”
They moved to the back straight-away to go through high knees, butt kicks and the rest of the warm up training drills. After accelerations Aileen headed to Coach Anderson to work on blocks and the first hurdle. Jani jogged over to Coach Maves who tossed her a roll of athletic tape.
“I’ve marked out your three-step, mid-step and your ten-step approach we measured out last week.” Coach Maves pointed to the three pieces of tape set out in a backward ‘J’ shape away from the high jump mats. “Start at the ten and do a couple of run-throughs. The tape is so I don’t have to measure it again.”
Jani nodded. Maves always did the first measurement of the year, after that it was each jumper’s responsibility to use their feet or a measuring tape to mark it out again. Jani only needed to know the point where her curve started and the ten-step where she started. She never paid attention to the rest of her strides. Her feet knew where they were going.
She moved to her spot. Maves liked working with one or two jumpers at a time. Any more and she complained of spending too much time raising and lowering the bar. Jani preferred it because it meant one-on-one coaching.
Her first run-through with no high jump bar felt close. She jogged back and ran the approach again focussing on accelerating and letting gravity pull the left side of her body toward the ground as she hit the curve. Her take-off location was better.
“I’m going to put the bar up. Just low.” Maves set the hot pink bar up on the standards.
Jani moved back to her tape and waited for Maves to set the bar to the height she wanted. Maves never discussed height in practice unless you asked for something. Jani loved that also. As she continued with run-throughs, the stress and worry of the day evaporated. She forgot all about her paper or the fact she’d be flunking a class. Whatever happened, she could handle it.
Maves raised the bar to a height that looked somewhere about when Jani usually came into a competition. Probably one-seventy, maybe one-seventy-five . Five foot seven, or eight tops.
Jani set her tape marker the length of her foot up from its original spot. She watched Aileen blast out of the starting blocks and cruise over the first two hurdles. Her legs glided over the hurdles like they weren’t even there. She was fast. Jani’s old roommate, Linda, had gone out at the same time and had only hit the first hurdle when Aileen had already passed the second. Faster than fast . Jani grinned. Indoor nationals was going to be a riot this year.
“Anytime, Jani,” Maves called out from her usual position on the left side of the high jump apron. She liked watching the full approach, focussing on the curve and then half the time she lifted
Jani yawned and they both laughed. “It was late.” She sighed as she yawned again. “Carter’s addictive. Like a different kind of high.”
“Higher than HJ?” Aileen teased.
“About the same.” Jani raised her hand to a pretend level of a high jump bar. “He’s a close second.”
“Cool. As long as he doesn’t pass it, I won’t bug you.” Aileen brought both legs out in front of her and shook them to loosen her hamstrings. “By the way, did you get your essay handed in on time? I figured you worked late, or should I say early, since I couldn’t wake you up this morning.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to miss weights. How’d they go?” She veered away from answering the essay question.
“Good. Not the same as when we work out together. It’s better when you’re pushing me.”
Jani nodded. “I’m going to have to go after practice today, or tomorrow and lift two days in a row.” She never missed training. She might miss classes, but never track.
“Do it today. Otherwise Wednesday’s lifting will suck. The cycle’s meant for a rest day in between the lifting.”
They moved to the back straight-away to go through high knees, butt kicks and the rest of the warm up training drills. After accelerations Aileen headed to Coach Anderson to work on blocks and the first hurdle. Jani jogged over to Coach Maves who tossed her a roll of athletic tape.
“I’ve marked out your three-step, mid-step and your ten-step approach we measured out last week.” Coach Maves pointed to the three pieces of tape set out in a backward ‘J’ shape away from the high jump mats. “Start at the ten and do a couple of run-throughs. The tape is so I don’t have to measure it again.”
Jani nodded. Maves always did the first measurement of the year, after that it was each jumper’s responsibility to use their feet or a measuring tape to mark it out again. Jani only needed to know the point where her curve started and the ten-step where she started. She never paid attention to the rest of her strides. Her feet knew where they were going.
She moved to her spot. Maves liked working with one or two jumpers at a time. Any more and she complained of spending too much time raising and lowering the bar. Jani preferred it because it meant one-on-one coaching.
Her first run-through with no high jump bar felt close. She jogged back and ran the approach again focussing on accelerating and letting gravity pull the left side of her body toward the ground as she hit the curve. Her take-off location was better.
“I’m going to put the bar up. Just low.” Maves set the hot pink bar up on the standards.
Jani moved back to her tape and waited for Maves to set the bar to the height she wanted. Maves never discussed height in practice unless you asked for something. Jani loved that also. As she continued with run-throughs, the stress and worry of the day evaporated. She forgot all about her paper or the fact she’d be flunking a class. Whatever happened, she could handle it.
Maves raised the bar to a height that looked somewhere about when Jani usually came into a competition. Probably one-seventy, maybe one-seventy-five . Five foot seven, or eight tops.
Jani set her tape marker the length of her foot up from its original spot. She watched Aileen blast out of the starting blocks and cruise over the first two hurdles. Her legs glided over the hurdles like they weren’t even there. She was fast. Jani’s old roommate, Linda, had gone out at the same time and had only hit the first hurdle when Aileen had already passed the second. Faster than fast . Jani grinned. Indoor nationals was going to be a riot this year.
“Anytime, Jani,” Maves called out from her usual position on the left side of the high jump apron. She liked watching the full approach, focussing on the curve and then half the time she lifted
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