Saturday, June 28, 2008

pretty good...

thursday, ran 7 miles, at about 7:30 pace, biked 1.5 hours (mountain)
friday, ran 7 miles (about 7:15 pace), swam 20 minutes, lifted
today, 2.5 hour mountain bike ride. i was going to swim, but i'm thinking i'll do it tomorrow, with running intervals in the AM, and maybe a medium bike (1hour or so), and shoot for a full 30 min swim.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

solstice, etc.

i played solstice this weekend. here's the line.
1 drop. 1/2 turnovers, several hucks, several d's (mainly in the zone).

i was pretty solid. my throwaway was a lead break mark that kind of hit the guy as it went by, and then he could have run it down... i think. I definitely take the 1/2 turnover there. The drop was of the embarassing sort. the hucks were leading, easy catches. i missed my one 'h' bid on 'd', but covered 2 players in the zone a couple times, and i think forced d's (like i'd break to the side for the catch 'd' and it'd be in the turf in front of me). my ankles are starting to look so so even. If anyone has a set of the two year ago used, size 12 speed TD's in decent shape, or one left, I got 40 bucks.

the team was so-so, not talent wise: great young players, it just took us a while to shake off the rust. we lost by 2 to the 2 finalists, and should have won both games. (this was the open bracket, but see my Rec.sport.disc post for my thoughts on the superiority of elite play)

the U of O is in good shape if they take it upon themselves to win; dusty was sick, nice long shots, aggressive, but backed up by stellar 'd', stout made some plays i can only have dreamed of making in my prime: kevin minderhout was everywhere, and solid the whole time. We just came out of the gates shaky, and only decided as a team late to make a serious play on saturday. Great play also by dan force and all the other kids (and i mean kids only in the complimentary manner).

monday morning, i went for an 8 mile run, and my ankle blew up like afro - sheen. It's definitely related to the weekend.I'm really struggling with my new cleats. I think it's just the slight differences in ankle cuff height, and new cleaty-ness.

tuesday, i wasn't going to play hs ultimate, but i did, and sort of was fine, jogging around in my limpy running shoes. i won my two games of mini (players picked their own teams), and sort of won the full field game, but i called travel on myself on the winner (i mean, it's sort of silly to beat up on HS kids just 'cus I can throw it far).

i encouraged my kids to use the silly mark: 'don't count to ten, just go 1, 0, 1,1, 0' since no one was going to hold onto it for more than 5 seconds, also, 'turn your back to the thrower, and wave your arms' and 'put your hands peekabo style in front of the thrower for 1 second.' It was pretty funny.

Then I ran 30 minutes, lifted weights, swam 20 minutes, and then rode my bike for 1.3 hours watching the Georgia College world series game... before Georgia's dismal performance led me to take the bike off the trainer and go do 3, 4min max effort intervals on a big hill.

today, i 'rested' and just timed the kids runs. I probably biked around for 40 minutes total.

Ankle is quickly recovering: it's clearly related to cleat break in. I'll just tape for further games. I may or may not play league tomorrow: i need to call Krupf: If he's playing, I should play, and if not, I can skip it in good conscience. Definitely odd: I spent several seasons in seattle taping my ankles in much worse shape: I just don't want to take advil right now, nor do i want to limp through anything.

Tomorrow is morning frisbee, then I'll swim or ride for a while. Maybe league night: If i don't do it, I'll run, or bike intervals.

I'm inspired to play potlatch: I got the usual shot in the arm by playing open ultimate. Got a good team?

We've had 20 kids out every morning for frisbee (t/th), and pretty decent play.

Friday, June 20, 2008

sabe.

pretty low key week.
monday, i rode my bike for about 30 miles (but just sort of commuting). let's here it for commute options. also threw in a 20 minute 5km.
tuesday: a rippin' morning frisbee session, with 3 great dutch games, and then 30 miles of biking, then a casual afternoon frisbee pickup game.
wednesday: rest day. watched a couple movies.
thursday: easy early morning frisbee session. lazy 12 mile bike ride, then, 2 league games. i actually got a legit layout goal. we won both games. i'm a little miffed, as we had 3 subs, but somehow, everyother team had 3 new pickup players. my long game was working, but about half were due to lucky catches.

this weekend. solstice, i think.

next week, i'm going to talk with my HS kids what do they want to do to be winners next year, and what do they want to do to win this year? i'm happy to have all games as casual, but if they want to run drills, i will.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

skools out.

wednesday, I think I rode the bike a bit, but pretty low key.
thursday, biked to and from league night, about, 30 min each way, played, we won.
friday, i think i rested...
saturday, I got up, and did 4x4 intervals on my bike. the first one was amazing. this very steep hill i climb for the intervals is marked by a road at the approximately 4 minute mark, except it's VERY rare I can hit it 4 times (I don't think I ever have). But this time was different. Even though I've barely ridden this year, I hit the road at 3:30!!!! I was cranking.

However, the next few were worse, and I realized, that I counted incorrectly on my stopwatch... But the workout was solid. Foaming at the mouth, working hard. Later, I ran 50minutes easy with a dog i'm sitting.

Today, birds woke me at 4 am. Walt Disney can kiss my ass. the soothing song of songbirds? More like Swiss cukoo clock hell. but i ran a bunch of errands on my bike, biked with this crazy border collie (slowly, I know not to abuse a dog on a bike), put in about 25miles in total. Then frisbee started out slow. At 4 (the stated time, there were 2). At 4:15, there were 4. By 4:45, though, we were playing 3v3 dutch, then 4v4 mini (games to 3, then 4, then 5), then a low key 5 v 5 game of 'regular' then 6v6 to 7, then 5, then 3. I didn't play the game to 3. Pretty sweet, couple of alums showed up, and some other Uof O guy I didn't know, and it was a really fun brisk game of pickup. I won every game, dutch, mini (won the first 2 x-nil, switched teams, won that one, won all of the frisbee games).

you know what I say, better to be lucky than good. but a good high paced game, got to run the field a little, played some occasional OK defense, got 5 handblocks... but, boy o boy was i tired by 6:20. nba game was pretty good.

tomorrow, day one of xc practice... i'll bring the dog, and it's a 15 min run to the meet sight, so, it'll be a 70min run. maybe less if i'm fried (i guess i can walk back).... then i'll take the rest of the day off, or maybe swim or paddle. oh, and move my room across the hall...

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

dgfdhgfgd

i dunno. where was I. quick tourney wrap up. varsity goes 3-1, losing a heartbreaker to Crescent Valley. Up 7-3 at half, we lose 13-9. We agreed not to cap the game: the 2 hour plus game may have gone the other way, but a great team with more experience won. tough loss, but hopefully the kind that grows the team. basically, we won ugly early in a hucking game, and in the second half, our defense was too soft, they broke the flat mark repeatedly to the backhand side. and the most importantly, they completed 20 plus passes per point to win. my kids were bumming:

I said, we had a good half. They said, we always had a good first half. I said, no, in years gone by, we'd have no good halves. We're on the upswing.

Personally Friday was the great run, 7miles, 49 minutes with a 21 minute 5km sandwiched in the middle: no great times, except for the overall.
Saturday, coach allday.
Sunday, rest.
Monday, bike 1.5 hours. Run 30 min. Lift 30 min.
tuesday, bike to and from school (20 min?), rode the trainer (40min) (It's coldish, watched a little diehard2). Biked to pickup: 15min, ran 15min, then, 3x4min HARD intervals. with 3, and 4min recovery. Then another hour of ultimate, mixed bag. had my first discussion on the new marking rules (through a completion, and called violation on a guy (he was wrapping with the arms, definitely over the pivot with the line). It was a pretty funny conversation, where my team is downfield turning it over, and the opponents are coming back, and I'm explaining the new rule, this character moves his arms back flat (they weren't to start, they were wrapped), and says, I wasn't wrapping.

pretty funny to see him spread his wings and say, 'naw, this is what i was doing.'

my side won the 2 games to 5, the first was playing 4-3 vs 5-2.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

best current conspiracy theory

Polybius

afdad

What follows is a true story.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Tuesday 7 am, I go to start my car. It disagrees. After pumping the gas, etc., I look under the car. Lo and behold, my gas line is severed. “Whoa, I think. I must have hit a speedbump too hard.” A note. I tend to drive my 25 year old car like a grandpa, unless there is snow, or speed bumps involved. Where speed bumps are concerned, I go with a 'speed is safety' approach. Where snow is concerned, I tend to go with a 'rear wheel drive rocks.'

Cut to Wednesday night at the BBC. I retell the story for the 4th time of the day, when Scott notes. “Seriously. How far could your car have run with NO GAS.” I'm a pretty trusting fellow. And frankly, what's the value of assuming that my pump was stolen. However, the fact that 2 feet of hose was missing should have tipped me off.

Well, I’m a trusting soul, but I’m wondering if perhaps, my Graduatiing seniors on ‘Senior Campout Night” stole it as a prank. That evening I board the senior bus as a chaperone, and after discussing the graduating requirements (any drugs, alcohol, or beachballs will be met with tasering) I ask, “and by the way, did any of you steal my fuel pump?” I retell the story to the gang (my first bunch of kids I’ve taught 4 years, and several note, “well, it’s funny, but we’d go to jail.” I'm pretty sure none of them were drunk (they breathalyzed), but i'm not sure they weren't inebriated.

Either I taught them well, or I taught them too well.

Cut to Friday. Work ends, and I decide to go for a run. I make it all of one block, when I notice another old Volvo. With racing stripes. And all f$%$ up.

With a pile of automobile parts underneath the car. I jog home, and call 911. It turns out, when you do that with a cell phone, it locks up the phone, and causes all sorts of problems. Eventually I return to real world, and within 10minutes, an officer, Officer “P____” is on hand.

I’ve had extensive experience with the police, as my repeated “Yes Officer. Thank you sir,” demonstrates. I relaxed with a 'whush' when he was done, then checked myself, and realized I was not being investigated.

He leaves, and goes to investigate.

I go on my run. Pretty good run: 7 miles, with the middle 3 miles in about 20 minutes. Total time 50 minutes.

After a thrilling hour, I return home. I’ve literally been home for 5 minutes, when the officer returns, and knocks on the door.

“We got your fuel pump back.”

so, Great. I got a gasoline soaked pile of rags on the deck, and some dude out there who thought fuel pumps cost 500 dollars (his story to the cop). Sadly, this 100 dollar part is going to cost someone a lot of shit. And for me, I'll have to deal with the tow. Conceivably, I'll get paid back from the crime. but, It's nice to solve the crime myself.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

affdafd

Monday, I rode for 2 hours
Tuesday, a little practice. My new cleats (I think) are hurting my right ankle. Not an achilles, but back of ankle pain. I remember this from 2 years ago when i bought new cleats. Very sore and stiff at work. If my new cleats work out, I'll probably buy 2 more pairs, and break them all in. Hopefully I can get through the next few years. Then we tie-die'd shirts for the team, and a BBQ. I spent a lot of time cleaning the hosts kitchen.
Wednesday, today, bike intervals, 4min,4min,4min, 6min. Hammering. I'm a little concerned that I could only get my heart up to 175, but when I run, I can get it up to 185... the times are all that matter, as I measure my improvement...

Uh, I woke up this morning, and my fuel pump was gone. I thought I just dropped it, but, maybe it was stolen. I mean, it's something weird to lose.

That would be weird.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

more of the same.

i'm completely wiped. teaching, coaching, etc. i'm not even at the magic 5 year mark of teaching by which 50% of teachers quit.
02-03, grad school
03-04, subbed
04-05 half time
05-06 taught
06-07 taught
07-08 taught

so 5ish.

the coaching is wearing me down. i coach, almost 52 weeks a year. i get paid for about 20 of them. it's affecting my training.

tuesday, i cancelled practice. it's been pouring rain here: our fields don't accomodate them well. it doesn't help that our 'fields' were closed by sinkhole for 2 years. pretty irritating. i ran stairs.

wednesday. i went for a short bike ride.
thursday. coached frisbee, played a lame league night.
friday. slept
saturday: got dressed to ride, saw lightning, went home, sat around in my kit for 5 hours as it poured rain. the break never came, so it was another rest day.
today, 1.75 hour mtb ride, .5 of commuting errands, 2 hours of ultimate.

and what sweet ultimate it was.

my ideal 'pickup' ultimate was met.
a bit of a breeze (makes things more interesting)
hard play (everybody was running)
civil play (it's pickup. there are rookies out here. let's skip the close calls)
good humour (a personal beef. i have a hard time with bullshit heckling)

literally, as far as i can remember, not a single call was made... i know i tried to play my part... i dug one out on a go to cut... but i felt grass (it was high).. i just threw it down, told my team mate (ahh... shorter grass, it's for sure up, but it may have hit the grass)... a nice, tight clean game was played, with every player giving the other team the benefit of the doubt. win it with excellence, not with calls.

to me, the perfect way to play a pickup game. that said, i can be the worlds biggest asshole, stickler to the rules. but sunday in the park, just win it with your legs, and throws, not with your calls.

in contrast: i've just given up on some calls in league play. they fall on deaf ears.
'a turnover in the endzone, and the opposing player is walking it up, and spinning it on their finger and drops it, and picks it up. (i just let it go).
'a player cramps, (on a team with tons of subs).' they stay in
'2 players leave for injury in one point.' i sub 2. they say 'you don't HAVE to sub' 'Thanks, i say'

i'm good with all of this, until the opposition starts screaming pick, when they poach, or losing it when we play zone, and they call every ticky tack double (fair) but when i ask their cup to step off the double a bit, they lose it.

back to an earlier post:

why is it OK to let a bad result stand in the interest of 'let the players sort it out' where ignorance is concerned?
if a player doesn't really know the rules, is it right to let a new player be taken advantage of?

at the risk of alienating everyone:

your child gets in an argument with your other child or another child.
is your instruction 'work it out' . or is your desire for a right outcome.

seriously. teaching the rules is part of spirit of the game, codified in ettiquette.

From Section 1. Introduction, item B. "Spirit of the Game. Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting opposing players, dangerous aggression, belligerent intimidation, intentional infractions, or other 'win-at-all-costs' behavior are contrary to the Spirit of the Game and must be avoided by all players."

specifically, adherence to the rules. that's part of spirit of the game. where players don't know about the rules, we should make sure they do!!!!