mischief

track workout 2008 06 17

Book page
I've thrown in some of the Snertz exercises during the plyos for fun.
As the season progresses and we drop down to shorter distances, we'll
probably see more.

warmup:
800m jog
form running (high knees, butt kicks, side shuffle, etc.)
stretching
4x100m strides (50% effort... take it easy)

plyos:
15 push ups / 75 crunches
4x15 "ground jumps" + 40m sprint (touch the ground then jump as high
as you can reaching for the sky 15 times then immediately sprint)
4x15 tuck jumps + 40m sprint (jump and tuck knees towards chest quickly)
15 push ups / 75 crunches

interval:
3x400m (around 90s rest)
3x200m (head back to start and add 20s rest or so)

cool down lap
abs

Abs workout

Book page
From Shirley, on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:26:59 -0700

Along the same lines as Mark's email about squats, some of you have expressed interest in hearing about the various ab exercises we've done, so here are some suggested workouts. Strengthening your core should help you do other exercises more effectively. It's also really easy to do core work without a gym and on your own time.

Kris McQueen's ab circuit

This one is usually done with partners but you can do it by yourself with some modifications (only 2 exercises require a partner). Do each exercise for the same amount of time (between 30-45 seconds, usually). Some of these require a med ball but again, you can modify it slightly if you don't have one, e.g. go through the motions without a med ball, do each exercise for more time.

  • bicycles
  • russian crunches (feet on the ground with knees bent, palms together with straight arms, crunch up to lift your shoulders off the ground while pointing your arms alternately left, middle, right)
  • rowers
  • side to side holding the medicine ball
  • chest throw with medicine ball (partner stands on feet, do a sit up and throw the ball from your chest to your partner's chest in a quick explosive motion. Partner tosses the ball back to you as you start going back down)
  • overhead throw with medicine ball (hold the ball over your head and throw to your partner's chest as smoothly as you can as you sit up off the ground. Partner tosses ball back to you over your head as you start going back down)
  • medicine ball press (arms straight up holding the med ball, crunch straight up towards the sky)
  • superman
  • swimmers (on you back, straight legs, kick feet up and down as if swimming)
  • leg holds (go straight into this from swimmers without putting your feet down. Hold at 6 inches to start, then 12 inches for 10s and then back down to 6 inches for the last 10 s)

"Hannah's Hell"

Also usually done with partners, but you can do it by yourself very easily.

Hold onto your partner's ankles (or onto something sturdy, or just balance yourself). Do a set number of reps of each of the following without resting in between - butt raises, straight leg throwdowns down the middle, to one side, to the other side, back down the middle, and butt raises. (If you do it by yourself, they're not throwdowns, but "leg lowers" instead.)

Other ab exercises that you can mix and match with reps:

  • regular crunches, with feet on the ground, off the ground, or legs straight up - upper abs
  • crossed leg crunches (cross one leg over the other, bring opposite elbow to that knee) - upper, side abs
  • oblique crunches (lying mostly on one side, isolating the ab muscles on the side of your body) - side abs
  • "babies" (like regular crunches except legs in butterfly position) - lower abs
  • "side rowers" (not sure what these are called) (lying mostly on your side with your legs off the ground, straight, and at an angle from your body. Have the arm that's on the ground extended out for balance, your opposite arm bent behind your head. Start with your back flat and bent elbow on the ground. Crunch up, bringing your knees in and your elbow towards your knees. Return to flat position.) - everything
  • planks (like a pushup position but on your elbows. Keep your body as straight as possible. Hold for at least 30 seconds.)
  • side planks (body sideways, on one elbow only. Try with your other arm straight up in the air.) - side abs
  • any of the exercises from McQueen's circuit (bicycles - upper abs; russian crunches - upper, side abs; rowers - upper, lower abs; side to side - upper, side abs; med ball press - upper abs; swimmers - lower abs; leg holds - lower abs)

You can easily make up an ab circuit by picking 10 of these and doing 30 seconds of each, or doing a pyramid of 5 or 6 exercises (go up the list, then back down the list). Try to mix in exercises that target different ab muscles.

If you have dumbbells you can also do:

  • Side lifts (holding a dumbbell hanging down in one hand, lean over sideways on that side, then straighten back up, keeping your core tight. You should feel this in the opposite side.)

Working out your back is also good for core - things like supermans, pull ups, lat pull down, twisty exercises with resistance, etc, but I know less about good exercises to do for that.

 

Ryan loves me, this I know

Blog

Today's practice was at Corte Madera. I managed to miss exactly half of it, as I dashed off after the throwing drills to go fill the cooler. I had arranged for Sunday last week, but thought since Pickett had arranged for the "next one" (i.e. Saturday), he would be bringing the cooler. I was wrong, so went to fix the problem. I had thought that Kris might help me out by bringing the cooler somewhat closer to the fields, instead of his car trunk, so that I wouldn't have to drive all the way back home and back, but apprently helping the wife is less important than World of Warcraft. I drove back to the house, picked up the cooler, bought food and drinks, and drove back to the fields.

Great day for Keebler to show up to practice with us.

I did manage to be at practice for a couple scrimmages and the focused throwing, to which Paul complimented my throws as significantly stronger than previous years. Kris had made a similar comment, speculating that coaching the women's team helped me learn and fix my throwing issues. Regardless, I'm happy my throws are improving, and that people are noticing.

Definitely time for my new throwing coach to help me improve more.

The most important fact I learned today wasn't ultimate related, per se. Today, I learned that Ryan is apparently attracted to me.

VERY attracted to me.

So much so that, if weren't married, he would have asked me out by now (and probably more). Apparently the crush has been going on since he joined the team. Here's how I know this: Every single cut I make, every fake I make, every juke, step, clear and every fucking mistake I make, Ryan is there to tell me what did wrong. Every one. Every single one.

Now, the only way he could possibly see everything I do (wrong) is if he is watching me non-stop. And the only reason he would be watching every moment would be because he has a crush on me.

He lurves me.

You know my logic is irrefutable.

I just wish I had figured this out last year before I yelled at him for trying to direct every single step I made, from the sideline. Only Kris has a remote control for my feet. I should let Ryan know I'm married, in case he missed all of my snuggly with Kris last year at various tournaments. Then maybe he'll stop telling me I should stop cutting when I'm 30 feet open on my defense and cutting to the correct place to pull three defenders on me so that a teammate can be wide open for the score.

Maybe.

track workout 2008 06 10

Book page
warmup:
800m jog
stretching
form running

plyos:
2 sets 12 push ups
2 sets 15 lunges
25 single leg calf raises

interval:
400-400-400
4 laps of 200m fartlek (run 200, jog 200, repeat)
400-400-400

cool down lap
abs

mischief track workout 080603

Blog
warmup:
800m
stretching
form running

plyos:
2 sets 12 push ups
25 single leg calf raises
2 sets15 squat jumps

interval:
2 sets of 6x200m

cool down lap
abs 

More fist pumping!

Blog

Hot damn!

I've been invited to post in a group blog! I've never been invited to post in a group blog before. No, wait, that's not quite true. Mom and I have tried the blogging thing in 2002. That one didn't work out so well.

We tried again this year, but we pretty much suck at that one, too. I think we'll pick that one up again once I have rereuse.com up and going and have the "post about this" functionality working. Maybe.

Still, with two failed attempts at group blogging (but one seriously good success at solo blogging), I'm optimistic with the new group blog. Especially since the other people blogging are also posting regulars on their own blogs.

Yes, I'm very excited about this venture: Mischief's team blog, More Fist Pumping!

Balancing act

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Yeah, so, that tightrope of nylon webbing/straps... some of Mischief were more brave than others. In particular, Doyle and Mark.

And maybe Andy.

I know Shirley tried, too, but I don't have any pictures of her attempts. Being the lightest of those who attempted to walk the tightrope, Shirley appeared the most graceful of the bunch.

I'm just glad that no one fell off and hit the 2' rock that was only a meter from the rope/webbing/strap.

Pull up your pants!

Blog

After the tournament, Lyndsay (and her roommates) hosted the team (and other teams) at their house in Santa Cruz. As a sidenote, the house (the downstairs being all I had really seen of it) was great, with the grounds spectacular. They have a tightrope made of nylon strapping that was quite entertaining to watch people use.

In the car on the way over, Andy drove me, Steffi, Andy Fisher and Heather over to the house. We used the navigation system in my car, which means we didn't go the most efficient way to the fields. As a matter of fact, we ended up stopping at a slew of stoplights, driving down small streets, and meandering through the neighborhood in a most circuitous way.

At one of these particularly annoying stoplights, I turned to see a couple walking along the sidewalk beside the car. The couple were both heavyset, with glasses and a slouched appearance. They walked arm in arm and seemed quite happy together. Someone, it might have been me even, made the comment that people tend to attract those similar to themselves: ultimate players date ultimate players, Techers date Techers (okay, no one said that), sporty people date sporty people, that sort of thing, leading to the comment that slightly overweight people date slightly overweight people.

The couple, then turned the corner. As they did, I started to roll down my window. Everyone knew I was going to say something to the couple walking by, the timing was too close for anything else.

And so I did.

"PULL UP YOUR PANTS!"

The guy was walking along with his pants in the style of today's youth, with his pants' crotch in line with his knees. His steps were abbreviated. I find the look incredibly retarded, stupid, inefficient, ugly and dumb. Yes, I repeated myself with three synonyms - that's how annoying that look is. Worse, that look will be back around in 20-30 years. Argh.

After my call, the guy pulled his arm from around his girl friend and lifted up his hand. I, and everyone else in the car, expected the usual response, and the response I certainly would have given had I been in his place.

I expected the finger.

Instead, he reached down, and pulled up his pants.

We were dumbfounded.

The light turned green. Andy accelerated through the street intersection, and we all burst into laughter.

The guy had actually pulled up his pants. Unbelievable.

Calstates 2008

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Today was the first day of Calstates 2008, held, once again, at UC Santa Cruz. I had asked the various junta members if they needed me to go, as the signup sheet indicated there were five women on the list to go. I figured with only five, I'd have plenty of playing time, especially in the easier games.

Except I didn't know about the tryout signups.

Turns out, we arrived, and had 11 women the first game. The number didn't vary lower than 11, but was sometimes over 11.

I really didn't need to be here today.

Worse, I didn't need to be here, and I spent the whole day not going in. Not because I couldn't go in, not because I wasn't encouraged to go in. No, I didn't go in because I was feeling sorry for myself. I had, once again, let my expectations run away, and was frustrated by reality. Even when I had the opportunity to take the field, I opted to "play the next game, when there would be fewer women" (there never were), or "play the next half, when people are tired" (they never were, with so many of us), or "play the next game, as this was a 'tryouts-specific' game" (they all were). I didn't play because I didn't play, not because the team wouldn't let me, not because there weren't opportunities, not because I couldn't.

To say I'm annoyed with myself is an understatement. Big. Fat. Understatement.

When Kris left the team, he did a clean break. I'm almost wishing I had done the same. How much easier would it be to just walk away, find something else to fill my time?

But what?

Seriously. How do you replace an activity that has dominated your life for fifteen years? Can you walk away from that? Kris has, and has filled it with World of Warcraft quite successfully. I can't do that. I just can't.

Emily

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So, what is it about Emily that every time I see her, I smile?

Every time.

It's quite consistent. Doesn't matter what kind of a mood I'm in, I'll smile.

Just today, I was miffed at something or other at the tournament, when I was on the sideline. As I looked up and saw Emily, she was turning around to look at something else and caught my eye. We both just grinned the biggest grins, and nearly started laughing. It was then that I realized that happens every time I see her.

For some reason, I suspect she has the same effect on Kyle.

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