Battle Preparations

Machine,

In the few days left before we end or extend our season, we each have the power to influence the outcome of this tournament. What you do in the next few days will impact pool play, the crossover, the bracket, and the game to go. Each man must find his own way to prepare his mind and body for these challenges. Here is what I will be doing.

Monday: Half-tabata workout, partner throwing
Tuesday: Scrimmage vs CHS
Wednesday: Quick explosive workout, swim, stretch
Thursday: Practice
Friday: highlight videos, 3-man marking drill, yoga

8 hours of sleep each night, a big mean salad each day, lean protein and complex carbs. But because this game is mental as well as physical, I will be preparing my mind as well. Relaxing, allowing the memories and regrets of the past to dissolve, giving my attention to the things that I can control--the water I drink, the food I eat, the uniform I lay out ahead of time. The time I wake up on Saturday, the music I listen to before warmups, and the effort I put into my warmups. The way I extend my hands to catch the disc. The options I look for on the field, the throwing choices I make, the way I step out and how I throw. The energy I put into my cuts, the direction in which I look, and the way I seal off my defender with my body. The way I position my hips on defense, the way I look at his thrower, the way I stay on my toes and the way I always choose to work harder. The way I help my teammates from the sideline, the trust I put in each of them, the way I respond to bad calls or aggressive play. These are all things I can control. These things are what I will be focusing on during the week, as I'm visualizing the weekend, and they are what I will be focusing on from warmups on Saturday to the cool-down on Sunday. My focus. My effort.

Do that, trust your teammates to do the same, and we will be successful.

Sunday Lifting Group, Practice

The other half of my workout:

Overhead squats: 8 at 45, 8 at 65, 8 at 85lb
Back squats: 3x8 at 135lb
Bench press: 2x8 at 115, 4 at 125, 5 at 115lb
Weighted calf raises: 3x10 each leg at 45lb
Medicine ball extensions: 10 each side
10 torso twists in a backhand lunge
10 torso twists in a forehand lunge

I love lifting before pickup/practice on back to back weekend days, preparing myself for those tournaments...

Past, Present, and Future

I'm on a bus back from Boston, and there's only one thing on my mind.

Metro NY Sectionals 2009.

It started with a few old movies that a former captain and teammate of mine shot. I cracked open a can of Monster and turned on the 05 MNY Sectionals highlight reel, wherein one can see Machine beat Princeton into submission 15-4 in the semi-finals. A team in control, excited about every point and taking care of business. The beat bounces in the background as the handlers bounce the disc from sideline to sideline, breaking marks at will and skying the bejeezus out of any fool who goes up for Machine plastic. The finals are no different--you can hear the cheers echo across University Park every time the team rushes the field to celebrate a score. The best moment of the video is its end:
"Rutgers Machine Ultimate goes 7-0 to win Sectionals."

Next up is 05 ME Regionals. A team underestimated goes toe to toe with some of the best teams on the east coast and comes away with a 2-2 record and a -1 point differential, against the 2, 3, 4, and 6th seeds of the tournament. I sip Monster while watching consecutive Callahans, and I study the fire and focus of my former teammates. There is still only one thing on my mind: Metro NY Sectionals 09.

06 ME Regionals and the tone shifts. The tension, the urgency of the team is visible in their movements. The plays they make and don't all have that in common, and every D and layout burns with an intensity you can tell had been bubbling for a long time. Every spike and score is a statement. I've started to grind my teeth between sips of Monster. I want out of this bus and onto that field. I want to be forced to practice outside of my comfort zone, tired from consecutive fight clubs and a grueling workout the night before, defending a teammate who knows I will love to hate him til the scrimmage is over and we can shake hands knowing neither went easy on the other. A teammate who I can trust every day from now to April 19th without exception.

I listen to "Breathe" by Fabolous while watching the next video, 07 MNY Sectionals. I'm watching myself and my teammates on the film, but seeing in my head what would never make a highlight reel. In the front of my brain is our collapse against Princeton, NYU, and TCNJ in 2008--but in the back of my mind is still only Sectionals 09.

In the coming days and weeks, I will be faced with challenges and choices. The pain in my thumb will fade. The animal inside of me, clawing to get out, will quiet at times. But there is one sentence that will reawaken that beast anytime during the next 94 days.

Rutgers Machine Ultimate goes undefeated at Metro New York Sectionals 2009.

Why do you sweat and bleed?

Little Bit of Everything

I have been following the routine I sent out to the team. This is just a crazed, muscle hungry person who needed more lifting to do.

Workout - sets x reps (weight)

Squats - 3x 10, 8, 6, 5(95, 155, 185, 215)
Pull ups - 4x 8(my fat ass [~170])
Deadlifts - 3x 10(145, 145, 185)
Dumbbell press [bench] - 3x 3(50's, 60's, 65's)
Alt. Front/lat raises - 2x 16, 12(15's, 20's)
Bicep curl [curl bar] - 2x 8(55, 65)
Different lat raises - 2x 10, 8(15's, 20's)
Lawn-mowers - 1x 8 (55) [I agree... weaksauce]
Shoulder press w/ forward turn (dumbbells, slowly) - 2x 10(30's, 35's)
Lat pull-downs - 2x 8(115, 130)
Tricep Pull-downs (cable machine - rope grip) 5x 8(70, 90, 105, 120, 135)

3x 10 Crunches, 10 bicycles, 10 push ups, 10 mt climbers - Fast
2 mins rest
40 bicycles - tired as hell

Went home and immediately drank skim milk, ate [1] wheat toast w/ peanut butter, and 3 eggs scrambled w/ a little cheese. Gotta get that protein baby! Plus Skim milk is ridiculous good for you after working out. (both cardio AND lifting)