7/5/11 Season Opener Vs. Kelly Green team
from my past DUDE experience last summer, it seems to be very handler oriented. which is great for me cause my mindset is always just go deep and use my height to my advantage. but bad because going deep everytime usually means a minimal amount of touches. and there is nothing worse than the feeling like you've contributed nothing to your team.
this year however will be different. i was blessed with a team of amazing handlers who always look deep everytime they touch the disk. i have to make the most of this summer league, or bust.
the game overall went pretty well. i caught a couple of deep scores with no contest. on the one 50 - 50 deep pass i overestimated my leg strength as i was feeling G'd up from all the squats i was doing. i tipped the disk away. In the end though, our team pulled out on top 14-7. i ran hard and was overall proud of what i did
7/7/11 Game 2 vs. team Black
A game i had looked forward all of weds and thurs. On season opener night, i saw my fellow squid team mate Tolken burn his defender everytime he went deep. when meant one thing; he would be my #1 target for our game against eachother. this opportunity came quickly, as 2 days after the opener I was warming up and throwing with my buddy Tolken, making a bet on who would get more deep scores and D's on eachother.
Opening point Tolken and I match up on eachother. After my team gets the D , I break for the endzone with Tolken a step behind. as the disk floated down, i totally just undersold it and Tolken got an easy smack on the disc, which i almost grabbed on the deflection. +1 for Tolken.
I caught one score on the break side when the goaltimate handler threw a beautiful blade to me. But I just was not making well timed deep cuts. I tired myself out and eventually got the inference that my team didnt want me to play on the O-points and just come in on D against Tolken. though they were justified, it was still a huge downer, and even though they mean it with no harm intended, i still took it personally.
Ive learned from experience at previous tournaments that that kinda feeling is enough to make you wanna sit the rest of the game out. Not gonna lie, i have done that in the past. its the worst feeling in the world. its like being told your effort just isnt enough; you cant be a positive contributor to this team. but today, not today.
We were trading points left and right. both offenses were having their way the opposing defenses. Tolken was scoring deep when i wasnt on to defend him. around when the game was at 12 - 11 black (game to 15) this was when that crushing news was told to me by our lead handler. the me in the past, blighted by lack of self confidence and regret for not conditioning enough normally would have played spectator to the rest of this game. But then I asked myself, why have i been wasting my study time watching Tim Morrill's workouts during lecture? Going to 24 for 2 hours at midnight to ensure the squat racks were open? to my high school football stadium setting up cones and throwing flicks through the uprights? to be a fucking good ultimate player.
you cant make plays from the sideline. i took these D points like they were a privilege. when i looked across the field, one thought ran through my mind; that man will never touch the disk in the endzone so long as im covering him. the next few points were hell, but i was running with Tolken stride for stride. aside from the string play they attempted to run with Tolken going deep, i sniffed it out and covered him like shade such that they looked him off. i was doing everything i can to eliminate him as a viable option.
soon the time came. the score was 16-15, my team on top. we were a score away from closing the deal against an amazing team and we were on defense. this is what i run, squat, and jump for. so the pull went off, i shaded Tolken. after several cuts Tolken took his chance deep as i had my hips completely turned. i made the adjustment quickly and put in every bit of effort i had into making sure he wasnt given the honor of a deep huck.
sure enough, the UP call was yelled. time to shine. if you fuck this up, all your training efforts have been in vain. you might as well quit and find a new hobby. but not today i thought. the huck was extra floaty and travelled directly over my head, very difficult to read. when i thought it had descended enough for me to make a play i jumped, but story of my current 2011 DUDE season, a little bit early.
I got 2 fingertips on the disk. as i fell to the ground knowing i barely redirected its path, my first thought was "oh god i think i just tipped it right into his hands." i turn over to see Tolken, arms outstretched, bidding to make the grab on the deflection. my heart sunk. from my perspective here on the ground, that disk looked sure as his.
but not today.
it bobbled out of his hands onto the turf. me feeling rejuvenated, revitalized, re-motivated....reborn punched the ground in excitement, exploded from off the ground and broke away to set up on offense. we got the clinching score on that possession. though i didnt get a touch after i made that D, i felt like i did enough.
i congratulated Tolken wholeheartedly on his amazing plays and we had a drink at the pub afterwards.
But what was the takeaway from that game? i ran fucking hard. i prevented mental blocks from keeping me from doing my best. i got that D.
I dont want to imagine what would have happened to me if Tolken had skyed me. i wouldnt have hung out for the celebration afterwards. i woulda gone home straight to bed. woken up at noon the next day, groggy and shitty. probably would have spend my whole day on my computer.
but not today. today, i woke up early. had coffee, went to the beach and caught up on my summer school readings. came home, wrote this entry, and after i post im going to continue my circuit training at 24 hr fitness. self improvement, y'all.
squatssquatssquatssquatssquats, everybody!
Update: got back from the gym about an hour ago. did the following circuits
1) Metabolic leg series - 55lb barbell
-10 cross over lunges (per leg)
-20 front squats + presses
-10 lunge hops (per leg, no bar)
2) 7 down - 55lb barbell, 15 lb dumbells
-7 upright row
-7 bent row
-7 presses
-7 pushups+dumbell lifts
decrease from 7 to 6, 5, 4,..., 1 rep
3) Clean Complex - 45 lb barbell
-6 hackey pull
-6 clean pull
-6 power clean
-6 full clean
then collapse.
