Okay, a short list:
1. Blogger.com: please stop changing your goddamn format. I know you won't read this and I'm one person out of a thousand, but I spent a few months back when I started this shitty blog making my format work. Looked and investigated the html I needed for what I wanted, typed it all up, made it auto-format for all of the posts, and had the patience and experience w/in the format to go back and correct typing errors. Now? It's a whole different thing that I have to re-learn even though it's the same damn site. That doesn't even start on the fact that now, with your new post-writing format, I can't see the box i'm supposed to type in, don't know where anything is and can no longer find what i'm looking for. I can't effectively scroll down on the damn page to get to the end of my ramblings. I can't even figure out how to put linebreaks in easily, and now my post is one messy shitstorm of a paragraph with "&" all over it. This is like when google groups switched over to the new shitty format. I want the internet to be simple, text-based and consistent as a user. I don't need your fancy-pants UI garbage. Stop changing shit unnecessarily or at least give me another option. Oh, wait... Google's one of the best at the bait-n-switch? Oh. Never Mind, i'll just gfm.
2. I'm still working out a post re: Ultimate in 2012. It's a mess and covers a lot of things, so I'm trying to make it vaguely coherent. Hopefully It'll be up at the beginning of December.
3. Hey, Expert Panel at SkydMagazine:
Let's look at Mr. Pooh's question (#2):
“After playing ultimate since 1995, I’m lopsided from doing thousands and thousands of right leg lunges (to pivot to throw forehands mostly), what are some exercises to rebalance especially my hips and mid/back area?”
Your answers overlook the simplest way to work on balance from right to left sides w/r/t throwing: PRACTICE THROWING&PIVOTING WITH YOUR OFF-HAND.
In an ideal world, we would all be as ambidextrous as Steve Nash, but that's pie-in-the-sky for the future of ultimate. Stopping short of my Utopian views on that, and setting aside the functional usefulness of base-level throwing skills with your non-dominant hand, there are many benefits to using this as a workout tool:
a. the obvious balancing of motions.
b. the slightly-less-obvious balancing of brain-use.
c. the learning of how to teach a hand that can throw how to throw (think of teaching a new player to throw)
d. the use of off-hand throwing as an "active rest" for your dominant hand during extended throwing sessions.
e. the use of off-hand throwing as an "active rest" for your dominant brain during extended throwing sessions.
Okay, not going too much deeper on this, but I find it galling that these experts are looking for complex solutions to a simple problem. All of their suggestions are strong and valid, but they display the prejudice of folks preoccupied with a specific modality of solution. What can you do yourself without a doctor, sports medicine specialist or even a gym? Just throw with your off-hand! Want to make it more strenuous? Do marking drills using only off-pivots and off-hand throws. Yeah, at the beginning you'll look dumb and be bad at it-- just like when you first did marking drills with your dominant hand. Pull with your non-dominant hand. Work on non-dominant footwork in dump-swing situations or in-cut to throwing pivots or whatever. Point is, don't go complex before you go simple.
Often the answer you're seeking is implied in the question you ask.
Thursday, November 29
1, 2, 3: Experts Overthink and Agree
Monday, November 21
Walkthrow
I know, the name is not as clever
as The Wiggins Zen Throwing Routine
but then again, I never was clever.
Point is, nearly everything is in there is great. Specifically have used over seasons myself: Warmup littles, Strobe Catches, Rainbows, Single Leg Throws, Throw Hard, Quiet Catches, Target Throwing, Late Eye Pickups, Full-Power Windups, Catch&Release Long, Off-Leg Pivots, Dishies. Under different names and with sometimes different focus. The rest I have less experience with, but I find appealing.
The two things I would add in are:
1. Loud Catches.
Duration: 1 minute
Description: Catch each throw with as much noise as possible, even when throwing soft. It may help to extend arms and catch while bringing them down towards your neutral throwing position.
Upper-level: Do this while moving toward the thrower.
Other-level: Taco the disc on your catches.
Goal: Develop catching prowess through power catches. If you can make the noise catches consistently, you can make all catches consistently.
2. Walkthrow
Duration: 1-5 minutes
Description: Start at ~2yds and throw with your partner. One rule: You must walk at all times, unless you are accelerating to catch a disc. No travels, no change of direction. Throw in time with your walk (Catch, step, throw). Lead your receiver.
Second iteration: On each catch, start your throw in the drection you're traveling (a righty walking to his left would start to throw a backhand, naturally), then pivot and throw the opposite.
Upper level: Throw the throw opposite your momentum without stopping. (a righty walking to his left would throw a flick while traveling left)
Goal: Slow your momentum down to conscious levels. Control your momentum w/r/t your throwing motion. Throwing the throw your momentum dictates to a location determined by someone else.
This last one seems complex to explain, and really simple to execute. The point is that it slows down and focuses on the fundamental transition from receiver to thrower. You catch teh disc going in a direction, leading to your likely first throw/fake. Your receivers do something as this is occuring, determining where you can throw to. If you can, you want to throw your first option (the one w/ the momentum). I you can't, you want to throw your second option as quickly as possible, before the defense can adjust. You need to do the following things: Catch, get the disc ready to leave your hands, get balanced (aka footwork), read the field, throw.
This is a fun warmup to do with your team before a game too. Break up into groups of 2-3 and use the whole half a field your team gets. Don't hit your teammates, throw only with your group. Do for 2 minutes. Increase awareness of field awareness.
I can't necessarily beat you at stalls 3-7, but those first 0-2? I'm aces. Walkthrow has a lot to do with it. Along with Catch&Release, dishies, Throw Hard and Full Power Windups. (The other is the 2-stall 4-6 man marking drill...)
I rarely drop a disc. This has a lot to do with quiet catch, loud catch, strobe lights and late-eye pickup (aka the jude and j drill).
Thursday, July 28
Did You Ever Wonder
...what your arm/chest look like when you throw really hard?
This guy looks like he's throwing a disc.
The first pic that came to mind was me at CHC08 getting humped by the mark. Post-release, rather than pre-, but the similarities incl. off-hand positioning (I do get called for pushoff fouls from time to time. I believe these are more accurately described as "upper-body rotation fouls".), and... not sure what else.
That gallery, however, included the following pics: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Things to look at: Off-arm/hand positioning, positioning of throwing arm relative to shoulder, elbow angle(& valgus stress!), facial expression, hips, and more.
Back to the original photo. Consider the engagement of muscles from all of the pectoralis major (clavicular [aka "upper", aka "attaches to clavicle"], sternal [aka "middle", aka "attaches to sternum"], and costal [aka "lower", aka "attaches to the ribs"] sections, to everything in the general frontal/side-al ab region, to the ever-sneaky coracobrachialis. Consider the engagement of the muscles on the opposite side of the body. Consider that the motion is essentially a full-body twist/rotation with the spine/sternum as the pivot.
Consider the elevation of the handballer's arm. Consider the extension of the muscles at various arm positions (compare to the frisbee photos). Consider the paths that they draw to the sternum.
Try an activity! Put your non-throwing arm (L for Righties) on your throwing chest. Now, pin your elbow to your side and externally rotate. If this confuses you, put a disc in your throwing arm, and slowly replicate a throwing motion with your elbow pinned to your side. Feel how the muscles in your chest move. Note how far back you can move the disc. Now, straighten your throwing arm at shoulder height. Rotate similarly with elbow locked. That is, take your arm back as far as possible, and then swing it forward to point straight ahead. Note the difference in distance behind your back. Notice the difference in what your non-throwing hand feels in your chest muscles. Now, reach UP and BACK with your straight throwing arm. Swing it forward so that it ends at chest height in front of you. Notice any differences. Finally, reach UP and BACK with your throwing arm, but when you reach the end of the line, bend your elbow to ~115 degrees. Swing your arm forward to the same end point. Note the differences.
Which of these feels strongest? Which, if you provide resistance, is the strongest? Which engages more muscles? Which engages more muscles in a straight-line force-production rather than bending through your shoulder joint?
Back to the handballer. That dude is about to rip the shit out of the ball. He's calm, he's got his eyes on the prize, he's got good form, he's taking the ball high rather than low (see: tennis.), he's engages the muscles from his wrist through his arm through his shoulder through his abs through his hips. I bet if he had no pants, we'd see good activation in the hips/legs as well.
But what about that awkward off-hand? What IS it doing? Why is it so similar to what frisbee players do? What about that funny way that soccer players run around with their hands awkwardly reinforcing the strength of their legs? Counterweight. Balance. Power. Not sure exactly why in all cases, the palm is facing inward, but I know for a fact that I do goofy looking hand positions like that too when I throw. The opposite side of the body has to counter what the activate side of the body is doing. If I grab a disc and huck a flick in slow motion, one of the first things I do is reach forward with my left hand. As I start the throwing motion, my left hand moves back toward my body. If I pretend someone is hugging me on the mark, I throw my shoulder forward without extending my arm. Counter. Counter.
Further, if you imagine that this handballer has a disc in his hand would there be any changes to make to his form? Aside from the largely irrelevant notion of "wrong pivot foot"? I come up with exactly zero.
So, why, again, do we teach people to throw low?
To add on, if you consider the arm extended at the following degrees (60, 90, 110) from the torso, which of them provides the greatest distance from hand to body? 90, pretty obviously, for those of us who have seen triangles before.
So, why, again, do we teach people to throw low?
This is why, while I have monkey-arms, my arms seem even longer. Even when I throw from a lowered body position or a sub-90 angle, I am extending my arm as far as possible at the point of release.
So, why, again, do we teach people to throw with their elbows pinned to their sides?
If you've played against/with me and wondered "how does he throw like that?" the answer is in this handball picture. The answer is in how infielders throw in baseball. The answer is in "because my body works that way".
Next question... why do people insist on releasing low in the wind? Is there less wind there? Is it because they believe that by throwing the disc UP to their target that the disc is less likely to fly up up and away? Is it because they can't actually throw well so they need to get low and throw hard hoping that it will balance out?
Next question... why do people say "think about the wind before you throw"? Isn't that like "looking at the defender instead of the offender" when you throw? Doesn't that just mean, in a very literal sense, that the defender/wind is in your head? Isn't "so I don't have to think about the wind when I throw" why warmups that involve game-time throws in the conditions of a given game are important?
Next... Nope. I'm done. That was a lot of rambly-type typing just now.
Friday, March 21
just.throw.
I love throwing with people I know.
I can learn so much about the way they play the game, or the way that they think when they have the disc just by tossing that disc back and forth. I learn which throws people like to catch, and which throws people struggle to catch. Which throws move them from receiver to thrower quickly, and which slow them down. Which way do they pivot? What's the lazy go-to throw?
Different characteristics of people I throw with, one per person:
Perfect rhythm, OI flicks, balanced, nonchalant, throws like I'm a girl, catches strong, holy easy snap, infielder, drops bombs, perfect form?, drunken-master style, IO flicks, the big smooth, robotflair, craftylefty, etc etc.
Throwing with different people focuses on different throws. They like throwing at different distances and with different rhythms and doing different things. Yet... there's never really a need to talk it out. Just adjust and keep throwing. Keep learning. Keep working. Keep focusing.
directconnect.
I love throwing with people I don't know.
I can learn so much about the way they play the game, or the way that they think when they have the disc just by tossing that disc back and forth. I learn which throws people like to catch, and which throws people struggle to catch. Which throws move them from receiver to thrower quickly, and which slow them down. Which way do they pivot? What's the lazy go-to throw?
So many different characteristics to notice.
Throwing with different people focuses on different throws. They like throwing at different distances and with different rhythms and doing different things. Yet... there's never really a need to talk it out. Just adjust and keep throwing. Keep learning. Keep working. Keep focusing.
"Ibid, your honor."
Wednesday, January 2
reset
Time to start again.
Yeah, there's stuff I haven't done (recapping and looking back and all) but now is the time to move forward.
First official workout for Pike 2008 commenced yesterday.
Did 8x(20on/10off) of pushups. 25/20/11/9/8/7/8/8 Wow... I am a bit out of shape. Goal in 2008 is a Pike goal for 2007: 20+ on each group, for a total of 160 pushups in 160 seconds. I can do over that with squats, now time to match with pushups! Quick unchecked math puts me at 96 now with 64 to go!
Did a ton of stretching and foam roller stuff (though I've been doing both regularly since November). They work fantastically well in tandem. I've got so many little injuries which are finally getting workout out of my system. Love it.
Did some work on release points and footwork. It looks goofy as hell, but simply watching yourself throw/fake in a mirror does wonders. Doubly so if you imagine how you would mark yourself. If you have a video camera, that might be better, but I find the immediate feedback of the mirror to be rather helpful after having done the video thing in the past.
Did some other general strength stuff (pullups, lunges, abs/core, balance).
Ummm... about 25 total minutes on strength, 30 minutes of stretching/foamrollering and 15 minutes on release/footwork.
I gotta get out and throw more!
Sunday, November 25
Imperfect Grip
I think one of my greatest strengths as a thrower is to be able to throw with an imperfect grip.
Not that I have a bad grip on my flick or backhand or anything, but when are situations during play for whatever reason (weather, quick grip switch, greatest attempt, whatever) and I am left with an imperfect grip, I can still complete my passes.
A great example of this was at Chesapeake this year when I picked up the disc from the ground after a stoppage and prepared to throw to someone (dono?) cutting deep, as was the play call. It was an incredibly humid, sweaty day and everyone had expressed the difficulties they were having. As I went to throw this flick, between cocking the disc back and changing the momentum to go forward, the disc began to slip out of my hand. By the time I hit the release point, it was just on the tip of my index finger. I knew it was in the wrong place, but I managed to snap my finder around a little further than I wanted to and get it to the right place. Completion.
This sort of thing happens when I get fouled on the mark and when I sometimes trip over myself while playing. Or on greatest attempts. for which I seem to have a disproportionate share of. In any case, I find this ability very useful, and I have no idea where it came from or if it is the same for everyone else.
Tuesday, November 20
Throwing/300 Posts
If you live in the metropolitan NY area and would like to throw...
Get in touch. Email's best. Any time. Most anywhere in Manhattan with enough space. Downtown preferred. Jersey City Parking Lots are also available. Weather is not an issue save for absurd extremes.
I also posted 300 times over the year (this is 301). That's a lot. And I have, in theory, another month to increase that. Yow.
Thursday, October 4
One of the funniest running gags...
For this season has been the emergence of the "Blockle."
Now, the name (blog + heckle = blockle?) could be better, but the notion of heckling me about the blog seems to strike some people as a good idea. I couldn't agree with those people more. I would probably do the same, if I could think of something clever to say about someone's blog. Like, "Hey, Idris... do you like toast too? Yes, as do I. It is warm and crispy and a perfect place for jelly to lay. Now stay away from me Idris, I ain't got shit to say to you!"
Wait... that sucked. And it was a ripoff. I'm not good at this.
Anyway, the basic form of the blockle sounds something like this:
And usually follows something dumb I did on the field. Sometimes it is after I do something good as well. Either way, this adds little entertainment value to the game and is really kinda childish. I mean, yes, I've got a blog. There is a chance I will write about whatever just happened. I also might not. Hooray for pointing out facts as a heckler. That's like the guy from the sideline who yells things like "You got broken!!" in an attempt to heckle. That's pretty basic stuff. Also, every stoner and drunk on the sideline can muster this witty remark. No sign of originality.
The second level of this phenomenon is something to the tune of:
These are all at least a little better. There is a second thought implied by the first, or a pair of things working together to give a more complex type of humor. This is good. Moving toward actual quality heckling. Also, it shows some level of preparation for the heckle, or at least a working knowledge of possible heckle-worthy items.
The third level of this is more like:
Either through sheer meanness (nos. 1 and two), setup/punchline format (no.two) or predictive power (no.3) these deliver a second level of humor, not just a second level of understanding. Especially entertaining are the well-delivered two-parters. The heckles I expect next are things along the lines of "Rhodes, you magnificent bastard, *I read your blog*!!" or something else that is both referential and topical. I can't think of something that is referential and also has a set-up and punchline, but that's not my forte. I'm still the guy who thinks any quotes from The Big Lebowski, Tombstone or The Princess Bride remain the pinnacle of comedy.
So, for the rest of the season (and/or as long as I continue to write crap about this crap) by all means, bring your best blockles* to the field! Sometimes y'all are downright funny. Other times it is great fun to laugh at people who can't bring the hot sauce.
In any case, I'm loving this season and never want it to end. Ultimate is so much fun, even though I hate it.
*-Still accepting submissions for better names.
--
Workout Total:
45 min throwing
icing, resting, stretching, massage
upper body interval
Friday, September 28
Regionals Preview
Here ya go, you vultures:
Ring--
Favorite to the title again. You know they feel it is a failure if they do anything other than finish first in the Region. I don't recall the last time they played more than 4 games at Regionals... Maybe it was just before my time. They're not unbeatable by any stretch, they just have the best track record. I always look forward to playing Ring. Them boys play hard.
Truck Stop--
Believe that they can take Ring down. And they just might. I can't see these guys finishing out of the top 3. I'll bet that they externally put their goal at finishing one, but on the inside they're expecting to finish 2. I could be wrong, and if I am, more power to them. I always look forward to playing Truck Stop.
Pike--
Expected to finish third or lower. I believe we've got a lot more in us than that. I've seen positive things from this team that I haven't seen from past Pike teams, even in the Semis-Quarters years... There's also a phenomenal team attitude this year. Based on the results of the season, we certainly look like a team who could lose to anyone, anytime. There is also no real proof that we can hang with the big teams on the block. A lot of unknowns with this team. All I can say with certainty is that I want to go to battle with my teammates this weekend.
Burgh--
Pretty clearly the 4-seed. I don't see them knocking off any of the top three, but they don't suck either. They do, however, seem to be an almost entirely college-age team. That means that their experiences will pay off in the college season, but this weekend could be tough.
Los--
Some big free-agent acquisitions seem to be helping them up from their spot last year. I bet that they're a dangerous team saddled with some early season losses. If you need a darkhorse pick for your office pool, they've pretty much got to be it. Gelling late in the season can be tough without playing together as a team for the season as a whole. Especially with an influx of new players. It'll be interesting to watch them this weekend.
Warriors--
I still think they're always dangerous. I could be wrong.
MedMen--
I know they're always dangerous. That's just the style that they play.
HOV/Duke--
Looking at the schedule, I see almost no way that we'll end up seeing these guys.
GreenMan--
??
I think they have orange jerseys, oddly.
Philly--
I know some people on this team. If they get on a run, emotion could help them big time.
Stall 12--
?? Stall 12 seeded 12? That can't be right.
AC/DC--
I heard a rumour that their name means "All Cuts D.C." That's funny if true. Actually, it is funny regardless of truth.
As Good As Advertised--
Foss'll have those kids whipped into a fury, I imagine. He's still good. I hear they have some 6'7" dude. That's crazy. It should be an intense first round at least.
Roots of Rhythm--
Mercer County summer league team and Pennsbury kids. Young. I don't understand why they and Philly aren't one team...
Floodwall--
?? I think I've played them before.
So, the most likely scenario is Ring, TS or Pike winning. The loser of the finals winning the second place game after conserving energy in a losing finals effort. The 3rd place game will involve whichever of Ring/TS/Pike has not qualified playing against one of: Burgh/Los/Warriors/MedMen.
That will be a brutal game, as always. I would wager that the team coming out of the second place game will be better equipped to win this one. The losers of the 9am backdoor games could stagger into this one, but that is a *serious* uphill battle.
Game/sub management will enter into the plans for every team in this format. Even if you don't sub that way, your opponent may, which will affect the outcome of your game.
I'm overwhelmingly excited. If I can, I'll put something up mid-tourney, but who knows how that'll fare.
--
Workout Total:
10 min throwing
30 min stretching
Thursday, September 27
Space Monkey
That's not exactly what I asked for...
There I was, on a Thurday night with a little time ot kill before heading out to dinner. Seemed like the right time to get a haircut, as I often do, before a tournament. You know-- you look good, you play good. Some would say "well," but that ruins the parallel phrasing. Fools!
I strolled over to the usual place after procuring some coffee for the next morning, sat and waited. Once I got up to the chair, I said the usual thing. Now, I won't go into details about what was said, but apparently there's a language barrier of some kind. I'm also no expert in stylistically different hair-cutting techniques (some guys use clippers for different lengths, some don't, etc), but there was a moment that passed during this particular hair cut that qualified as a point of no return.
Suddenly, as I snapped out of my little daydream in the barber's chair (something about a weekend of ultimate ahead) I noticed that there was a TON less hair on my head. Holy Hell!! What has happened here? Well... as it turns out, the hairs that got cut, got cut a lot shorter than I expected or asked for. Once I realized what was going down, there was no changing the decision. No going back. Buy the ticket, take the ride. Let this wild ride play out until the end. At this point, I can't correct him, and if I try, he'll likely just resent me. Or more likely, not understand me, becasue I'm not sure he speaks English aside from "Okay."
Turns out, he interpreted what I said to essentially mean "crew cut" or some reasonable facsimile thereof. Interesting. I don't think my hair has ever been this short. It ain't the cut I asked for, but it's the one I got.
Crazy. Now I've got a playoff haircut. I didn't expect the haircut to be mind-altering, but I think it was... Shed the old weight, be a new man. Hungry. "Like a monkey, ready to be shot into space. Space monkey! Ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good."
Team First!
(space monkey last)
--
Workout Total:
30 min stretching
10 min throwing
Monday, September 24
Three Bids?
Obviously, the surprise news of the day is that there will be three bids to Nationals from Mid-Atlantic Open Regionals.
Now, this is good. No lies, no bullshit. Anyone in the region who tells you otherwise is full of shit. No matter if it is Ring or Floodwall. Mo Chances is Mo Betta.
Also, the word on the street is that we won't have to play some backwoods 14-team cock-face format with 5 games per day either. This is also good. This will be the same as 03-05. 16 team double elim.
I'll talk more about the tourney itself later this week, but for now... it will be very exciting. Ring, TS and us are pretty clearly the top 3. Burgh is back again, though they seem very young. Los is improved (new additions always help), Warriors are always dangerous with Mike G at the helm, MedMen, HOV and Sir Duke can all upset "better" teams, and 10-16 are all better than their opponents expect, though they're all pretty young as well.
I love this time of year.
More to type on this later.
New Orleans looks terrible and Drew Brees is killing my fantasy team.
--
Workout Total:
30 min Full dynamic warmups
10 min throwing
30 min stretching
Tuesday, September 18
Suicides
Did a track-esque suicide workout tonight.
16 minute run over, stop and chat with Frantzen (NYU Violet Femme) and Zac (Femmes coach), and then get on the turf to sprint it out. Cleated up an all!
4 x 120 yard suicide w/ 1:15 rest
0-15-0-25-0-40
6 x 80 yard suicide w/ 1:00 rest
0-15-0-25-0
Focused on staying balanced without putting my hand on the ground and fighting through each turn by leading with my hands. This seems to get my weight out in front and over my toes a bit more effectively. Pushing my center of gravity forward seems to make my muscles respond better.
The rests were certainly adequate. Times for the first were ~20 seconds, time for the second were ~15 seconds. Not too bad. The cuts all felt good and the acceleration was there, which is what I've been banking on returning at about this time of the season. I followed this up with a 3 sets of 5 pullups/10 dips, and headed on down to visit the NYU practice.
Talked with Zac some more, got some throwing in and then left as the teams started going over things like "how to throw backhand" and "how to throw a forehand." I love coaching, but I hate teaching this kind of basic skill shit. Just a means to an end. And, I found that I was my own best teacher in terms of skills. Me coaching you probably won't solve your problem. Just go out and work on it. Actually, I take that back, buy The Inner Game of Tennis, read it, and then go work on your throwing skills.
--
Workout Total:
15 minute interval run
15 minute track workout
10 min throwing
20 min stretching
Wednesday, September 12
Wednesday Strength
Strength Exercises are toning down a bit, but not too much.
This was a good one to focus on explosion with ample recovery and minor general fatigue:
3x
Bent Over Ankle Bounce (like the plyo version of a RDL), 20xeach leg
10 slow, full ROM pushups
1:30 rest
4x
Depth Jump, 24 inch box (aka my bed), 3x
5 pullups
2:00 rest
4x
On-box Jumps with variable 3-step lead-ins, 4x
10 clap pushups
2:00 rest
15 divebombers
1 min rest
1 set of Tabata burpees
Good, highly explosive leg work with a focus on *really* hitting my peak on each jump. Good slightly tiring upper body work in between each set. Solid whole-body finisher at the end.
After that, got in some focused visualization corrections after this past weekend's pulls. Feeling very good about that. Just picturing that perfect pull and dialing in is useful
Finally, got in about an hour of throwing in the lights in a parking lot in Jersey City. Seems appropriate somehow, considering the origins of this ridiculous sport. If you've never been to the birthplace of ultimate, stop by some time and throw. Just 'cause.
--
Workout Total:
lower body explosive work
upper body general strength
20 min stretching
1 hr throwing
Wednesday, September 5
Jet Lag
When I covered my favorite stuff for ultimate, I was remiss in not mentioning Melatonin.
I would go into detail about why it it so awesome, but Mark's Daily Apple (A Pretty Phenomenal Health Blog, if you ask me) just had a post that covered it in more depth than I could possibly manage on my own. Essentially, if you're traveling through time zones for ultimate (or work-- JP, I'm look at you) this will help keep you somewhat attuned to the world around you and help avoid the jet-lag nightmare.
It ain't perfect, and like anything, you don't want to become dependent, but it does work. The only downside I've had is that sometimes I sleep waaay too well. Like a log. And then I'm groggy for an hour or so after I wake. The regular sleep pattern is definitely worth a little grogginess, for me.
For a workout today, I did a three-parter. The first was a little circuit of pain including some plyos and general strength work:
Circuit:
10 ankle hops
5 pullups
20 sec rest
10 mahlers
20 sec rest
5 4-star jumps (each leg)
5 pushups
15 sec rest
10 burpees
15 sec rest
30 yard *backwards* slalom jump
5 divebombers
10 sec rest
5 frog jumps
5 clap pushups (try clapping behind your back if this is too easy)
10 seconds rest
Repeat 3 times
The second was simulating Field-Like Cutting (aka, me on the parking lot behind my apartment):
Set up 3 cones in an equilateral triangle, about 8-10 yards per side. Assign the cones names like this:
A C
B
Get your stopwatch set to everyone's favorite interval: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
Start at cone A. Backpedal to cone B, Sprint to cone C, backpedal to cone B, Sprint to cone A. Do 8 reps of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off. Dial in on your balance. Keep your weight low and over your toes. Focus on your footwork. Are you taking more steps than necessary to stop? Are you balanced to go in the other direction as soon as you hit the cone? Can you accelerate faster?
Take a 3min break to throw (in my case against a fence with a bunch of discs) and then repeat the exercise, but sideshuffle facing the inside of the triangle instead of backpedaling. Take a 2min throwing break and repeat with sideshuffles while facing outside of the triangle.
The third was an absolutely *killer* set of general-strength Tabata intervals. (Can you tell I love this protocol?):
8x20sec on/10sec off: Burpees
8x20sec on/10sec off: Bodyweight Squats
8x20sec on/10sec off: Pushups
12 minutes, no rest. When you finish this, you know you've done something. In fact, the pushups almost made it impossible for me to take a shower afterwards because I couldn't lift my arms. I started off with 24 pushups, then 22, then 12, 10, 10, 8, 5, 5. After I could no longer do regular pushups in the 12-5 range, I swallowed my pride and did pushups on my knees instead of my toes. These were what did me in, I'm sure of it.
Off to the track tomorrow before the NFL Kickoff!
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Workout Total:
15 min circuit
20 min agility/throwing
12 min interval
20 min stretching
Tuesday, September 4
Pickup, of all Things?
Dropped by pickup today in Prospect Park.
I only got 2 games to 3 in as the sun was dropping, but I played aggressively and got a D or two. Almost got up to full speed on a couple of cuts. Got some throwing in before I could get on the field as well.
Good to see some of the "local" players as well. I say local mostly because there isn't any pickup in Jersey City at all, or, for that matter, in Jersey at all that I can get to without traveling much further. And with a car. Which I don't have.
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Workout Total:
20 min pickup
10 min throwing
20 min stretching
Friday, August 31
Wait... September??
Where did the year go?
So much has happened in 2007... most of the ultimate-related stuff is here in the blog, but even outside of that... Every year gives something so different. I mean hell, once we get to June 08, I'll have been out of High School for 10 whole years!
Which also means in September 08, I'll reach my tenth year of ultimate. Well, to be accurate I had played one or two games before that at CTY, but then again, I never played in a tournament until April 99 (Yup, Sectionals with 8 people).
In either case, I have often read that the 10 year mark is when you really begin to learn how to do it. That seems about right to me, as there are things I'm learning about ultimate now that I never even thought to think of before. The levels of strategy, skills and the like that reveal themselves to the dedicated player are endless. Little tiny cues that I used to have to actually process when given (my defender is shifting his weight, I can change direction now, or the thrower I'm marking is unbalanced-- he cannot recover from this fake and so forth, the defender has turned his head-- my man is open, and so on) now are just things I react to without consciously processing.
Anyway, looking forward to practice tomorrow.
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Workout total:
20 min stretching
20 min explosive strength
90 minutes throwing in Central Park
Tuesday, June 26
Breaking News from the Track: This Shit is Hard
Did a track workout in the sweltering heat of NYC this evening.
I felt that it was a matter of manhood to go out and do the workout because I knew well enough that the heat at this level was just a challenge, and not, in fact, a serious health hazard. As I ran over to the track, I felt awful. When I arrived, I saw Zac and Jeff as they were doing 200s or whatever Puppet Regime is up to this week, but did not go over to check it out as I was searching for some objects to jump onto and off of for my plyo workout.
Workout looked like this:
Plyo Workout:
Richochet Jump 3x50
Side-Side Box Jump 4x10
Onto Box Jump 3x8
Low Squat Jump into Jump Lunge 3x5 per leg
1-2-3 Jump 3x5 jumps per leg
30 yard accelerations x4
Consecutive Broad Jumps 3x8
60 seconds rest between sets and exercises
Upper Body Circuit/Interval
4 clap pushups
5 divebombers
6 regular pushups for speed
15 sec rest
4x through
The first section was hard, but not killer. That is, it was just what a plyo workout should be. I knew that my muscles were getting worked over, but I wasn't completely dead for movement, but the muscles/tendons I use to be springy were fatigued. The second part of the workout was a killer. Just try it, trust me. I think in the future, I'll try to do something more like 8x through a 2-3-4 progression with 10 seconds rest. This would approximate a Tabata Interval set while mixing up the exercises for the full duration. On the other hand, I might also collapse and die.
Speaking of the Tabatas, these will become more and more prevalant in my workouts as the Fall Series approaches. Tabata sprints are really hard. Tabata suicides are worse. Tabata-set marking drills are murder. I also like to say Tabata. Just a phenomenal way to train for explosive endurance. Train your body to exert maximum force multiple times!
We got together and threw for a bit after this. I feel like I'm picking up disparate movement patterns from effective throwers and incorporating them into my style as a thrower. It is an odd thing to you notice certain effective little movements or adjustments that great throwers make and then consciously decide that you should be able to do that. My version never quite duplicates the observed version, but I know exactly from whence/whom most of my throws/fakes originated and how they've changed over time to be my version of them. That is, they change slightly to be more effective for my slightly peculiar style of throwing/faking while retaining their basic form.
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Workout Total:
30 min Explosive Strength
3 min upper body interval
Wednesday, May 9
Never Whole
Occasionally, I am reminded of the ACL surgeries I've had...
Though the context varies my immediate reaction is usually "Well, that's in the past, so whatever." But something deeper is usually triggered. As I look down at the scars on my knees (One big one down the center of my right knee, two smaller ones on the inner part of my left knee, and those little arthroscopic holes surrounding each) a twinge of sorrow always sneaks through my emotional armor.
When you go in for ACL surgery, you're agreeing to have your body altered. Either to have something alien added or parts of your own body repurposed.
For my right knee (the one I tore playing soccer senior year of High School), the surgeon's repair of choice was the"Gold Standard" (a phrase he would unendingly repeat during discussions) of cutting out the middle third of my patellar tendon of the same knee, part of my patella and part of my tibia, drilling a hole through my femur and tibia and then assisting the bone-to-bone graft in those holes with screws. He also performed a partial meniscectomy while he was in there. My knee is still scarred and deformed. The "donor site" on my tibia is like a ditch you can see if you compare knees and easily feel with your fingers. Don't press hard though, that motherfucker still hurts. If I bang me knee on a stair I'll likely be in debilitating pain for 5-10 minutes. Oh, and a big patch of the outside of my calf is surface-numb. And I can't completely straighten my leg.
For my left knee (the one I tore playing ultimate junior year of college), the surgeon swore by replacing the ACL with the semitendinosus hamstring tendon from the same leg. The surgeon cut/pulled out one part of my hamstring on the same leg, drilled a hole in in my femur and tibia, and attached the tendon using some sort of bone-adhesive screw and loop procedure. I'm not sure which method, exactly, this surgeon preferred. While he was inside my knee, he sewed up part of my meniscus, performed a related partial meniscectomy and widened the intercondylar notch. My knee is still scarred and deformed. One particularly notable pea-sized bit of scar tissue gives me a horrible burning sensation if I sit with my leg at approximately 85 degree angle for too long. Oh, and there is a larger portion of the outside of my calf that is surface-numb, as is a portion of the interior of my ankle. Also, my left hamstring will always be ~5-10% weaker than my right in addition to being unable to pull my knee up to my ass without assistance.
The sadness isn't due to the affect it has had on me athletically, (Even though I still can't jump as high or run as fast I am more determined than ever) but rather the what it drained from me emotionally. Rehab is fucking hard. Those first couple of days/weeks after surgery are pain pain and pain. You can't stand up for more than 15 seconds before the pain is unbearable. You can't get to the bathroom on your own. You can't do anything other than elevate, ice and push through the tears in rehab.
The sadness extends to the notion that, in some way, my body wasn't built right. In some fundamental way, I'm less than everyone else. My knees weren't sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of competition. As a result, the rest of my legs have been ravaged by surgery to compensate for my structural shortcomings. They'll never be the same, and I can never go back.
Surgery masks the larger issue and causes other problems. I'm not whole again, I'm differently put together.
The knees don't often hurt these days (save for that one fucking bitch-ass piece of scar tissue), and when they do, it isn't the troublesome sort of pain. I'm just sore from a good workout or a tough game/practice. That actually feels good, in a way.
The thing is, there is no way I'd be playing ultimate without suffering that first torn ACL. I'd still be playing volleyball. The thing is, I probably wouldn't be playing for Pike if I didn't tear that second ACL. I wouldn't feel the same need to prove myself everyday.
When I look at those scars, I almost feel the pain again.
When I look at those scars, I definitely feel the weakness again.
When I look at those scars, I know I can overcome anything.
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Workout Total:
2 hours throwing in Central Park
Monday, April 30
Release Points
When I was taught to throw anything other than a backhand, I was taught a bunch of bad things:
If I could go back, I might slap the guys who taught me this crap. Admittedly, I wouldn't call myself the best thrower I know, but I am an effective thrower. My lack of experience as a thrower in high-level games hurts me. That is improving with time, and I will get better.
Back to the point, all of these things are crap. I can think of ~ 2 good throwers who use the split finger (definitely the exception). There are occasions to throw your flick low, but for every throw? That's dumb. Pointless pivoting should be a violation. Throwing in the wind is way more complex than the above.
For each of these topics, you'll do much better if you ask questions of better players, and honestly spend some time adjusting the grips and release points to suit your own body mechanics and strengths. It took me until I made Pike to have the time to correct my grip and take the time to think through release points and the implications of having a static release point. Then I just went out with 20 discs (with or without a partner) and threw a minimum of 200 flicks every day for a couple of months. I would usually follow that up with a couple rounds of disc golf using ultimate discs. This did more for my throwing than anything else possibly could have.
They key to it wasn't the time I put in (there are a ton of mediocre throwers who put in the time), it was that I was constantly dissecting everything about what I was doing until I found a "stroke" so to speak that was not only comfortable for me, but from which I could quickly generate power. Each time I neared that, I would stop and reassess to determine if I would be able to vary my release point without drastically changing the arm/wrist motion. This is where something that Idris wrote about years ago (and I heard through Geoff Buhl) of throwing while standing on just your pivot leg. This was a revelation to my throwing motion. I discovered that with a good snap and a quick change of balance, I could throw nearly as far as I could with that ridiculous windup I used previously.
Now, I'm working to perfect that big step-out low release flick. When you combine it with a variable release point, the mark can do just about nothing save for "get lucky" from time to time.
Anyway, I'm definitely rambling, but in the words of Space Ghost on the first Danger doom album: "It's my show."
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Workout Total:
2 Core Workouts
Upper body Strength
Stretching