Dialing in from the Great Midwest

I'm in Ohio visiting relatives. Oddly the weather here is as balmy as it is in Philly. Global warming may finally be catching up with us. But it rained like crazy on the drive here yesterday so outside was a little too wet for working out. I'm hopeful to get J's WoW in outdoors during one of my days here. But today I hit up the Courtyard Marriot fitness center for a quick workout.

1.5 mile run at 7:30 pace
10 x side corkscrew with a 30 lbs dumbell
8 minute abs
3 x 10 incline press 25 lbs on the 1st 2 sets, 35 lbs on the 3rd set.
3 x 10 seated press 25 lbs on the 1st 2 sets, 35 lbs on the 3rd set.
10 x side corkscrew with a 40 lbs dumbell.

(215 - estimate)

Cross Training

Went out to KoP last night to play goalie for indoor soccer. Its not the greatest workout compared to actually playing soccer but it did test some of my explosive changing direction. Felt really good on some of the lunging/jumping I had to do. Did not feel great about playing 75% of the game in our end and facing a barrage of shots. We won't talk about final scores. We will talk about the diving layout to stop a cross through the box where I exploded off the bad knee to get it.

And some combination of being sick and eating well has caused some significant weight loss in the last week+. I'm down to 214 and pretty excited about it.

In one of the next couple days I'm doing J's suicide, pushup, squat challenge. Hopefully, eventually I'll be feeling well enough to be outside for 30 minutes to do it.

Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah

Old Fashioned Ass Whooping

Old Fashioned Ass Whooping:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
1 x 140 yard suicide (cones at 8 yds, 14 yds, 20 yds, 28 yds)
10 x push-ups
20 x body-weight squats

Post rounds completed to comments.

"It has never been about how he plays,

but how he chooses to play."

A quote on the radio this morning re: the 65yr-old Keith Richards.
(Please to reference Denis Leary's No Cure for Cancer for a great short bit on Keith and his message for kids.)

How do YOU choose to play?
How do you prepare to play that way?
--
Anyway, been up to no good as usual. That is, top-secret training methods and internalmotivational work. I've discovered a new (to me at least) exercise that I'll call the L-pullup. That is, as you do a pullup, pull your legs up to parallel as you reach the apex. Shockingly, your body will now form an L-shape. Lower+straighten your body. Repeat.

Do them fast, do them slow. They simultaneously recruit more muscles for the exercise and isolate arms to complete the pullup proper.

Rules of Ultisquash

Game is played 3 v 3 in a standard Squash court. Depending on the size of the court you can play 4 v 4. We break it up into 2-1 when we've got womenfolk there. Sometimes you can go 1-2 as well.

Looking at a standard squash court:

The two service squares (labeled as 5) are the goals. Your first point of contact has to be within one of these areas with possession of the disc. All the walls/ceilings are in play. You check the disc in (usually starting at the intersection of line 6 and the line connecting the service squares) and you have to "check" the disc in off the back wall (where the 1, 4, and 7 are). This occurs either by touching the disc to the wall or catching a pass off the wall. You can then score in one of the boxes. After scoring you have to re-check the disc off the back wall. After a turnover you have to re-check the disc off the back wall. Generally more physical play is expected and tolerated. Games are to 7. You will lose track of the score multiple times because the game moves very quickly. Its a great game for working on explosive short cutting (dump cuts) and boxing out/jumping/reading/etc.

First time players definitely play a little slower than seasoned veterans. Eventually the more you play you learn to brace for running into the walls and running into other people and it allows you to play the game faster. Its a lot of fun and a great workout.

Knee is feeling pretty close to 100%

Emerged from a week of being slightly sick and extremely exhausted to go play ultisquash. I noticed tonight that I really don't notice my knee anymore. Occasionally I step slightly awkwardly and I feel a little something but overall I'm just back out there playing again. And I'm getting my explosive strength and jumping back which is exciting. Hopefully next week calms down a bit and then I can also keep working out through the holiday.

Total workout: 2 hours of Ultisquash, 1 series of 3 games in a row with TC, Tous, Schmucker, Ross, Fink, and I that was pretty killer. Last game of the night was to 11 with the same group except you replace Fink with Ricky Chung.

(216)

A Saturday routine

Wake up, slightly hungover/still sleep deprived from the week.

Throw on clothes.

Head to Haveford for Ultisquash.

Had some very excellent games today. Especially the Trey, Tous, TC, Schmucker, Wheels, and myself games. Very heated and many of them going to 8 or 9. Got a great run and won significantly more than I lost. I did lose to a Whelan blade right to the forehead which opened a nice little 1/4" gash above my left eye. Took a sub but I would return because I'm a hockey player.

Total workout: 2 hours of Ultisquash.

(218)