luke's blog

Dirty Half Marathon

2009-06-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Not terribly much to report.
Here's the race website. I got up, biked over (just 3 miles or so), went to the bathroom, jogged 1/2 mile to the start. The first mile was too fast (6:50) and with no warmup I was toast for a while. The next two miles, where much of the climbing occured, were around 8:00 as I was just trying to get it back together.

Finished in 1:37:50 or so, so, 7:28 miles on average... I was hoping for 7-7:30's so it was just OK.

Little warmup, better first mile and I hopefully go 2 minutes faster.

That's all.

state champs!

2009-06-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

well, not true. but we're the central oregon champs. no one from the valley would come play co-ed (it's tough: they start earlier, it's tough to juggle schedules, the tournament was pretty thrown together. i'm sure someone would have whomped us).

We split X-Y. So it's

Summit Green
Summit Black
(Both wore white)
Bend High
Mt. View.

Bend was missing their most dominant player... a great young thrower with a lifetime of family discing from an old darkstar (long term eugene team) dad.

Summit green went up big versus Mt. View early, then traded points to win. Summit lost the best thrower on the squad, and between that and Bend finally 'showing up' it could have been closer.

Summit silver scores easily to make it 1-0, then with our starters in (we probably had 12 per team)a literally 20 minute point ensues. When it ends, it's 2-0 summit, while it's 7-2 on the other field. It the terrible feel of one of those points that can make or break a young team. But we scored, and our subs scored easily to make it 3-0, and the team did a little better than trading points from there on out to win.

round two: Mt. View defeats Bend High, in what all my kids felt was an upset. I was never so sure, as Bend had better flow, surer flicks, and more depth. But mt. view was willing to huck, and had tremendous desire. Mt. View wins.

Summmit Green vs. Summit black. Missing the best thrower on the squad, summit green is no longer the favorite. blackworks by executing the 'o' and and involving everyone. Summit Green gets great play out of the new arrivals: The state finalists in tennis (last year's champs, lost to other summit doubles this year). The two boys can run and jump (varsity soccer/XC running) and it's a close game. Thrower shows up, and gets a break on a long throw, and i told my best defender to bring pressure on the mark, and make his life hell (he rolled an ankle, and so he's a little slowed up, but always wants to throw, not run). Time cap comes, game over, 8-8. I could have made them play a point, but, hey, what the hell.
I told them before the game that only half of them could be state champs. This lit a fire under the team, and at half, i told them, 'you don't have to cool down. but be aware. this is the intensity i expect at scrimmages. and if you scrimmaged like this, we'd scrimmage more.' and they got it.

round 3
Summit Green vs. Bend: Bend was on to our complicated endzone 'o'. Cut to a corner. So they covered the front of the stack, and poached from the 2nd spot, and which ever girl was in the back half. The first time they did it, i yelled at person one to cut to to the cone, and for josh to come forward uncovered. he flared a little, but we got away with it. Then i showed them what the 'd' was doing, and it was easy from there out. Again, Bend was without their best player, and rather than split into 2 teams, they played a deep roster, so i'm not gloating, just saying.

Summit black vs. Mt. View. A little Nip and Tuck in the early going (2-0, 2-2, 4-2, and then it was trading and extending) until they locked down on defense, and finally realized that against a hucking team, 7 players have to run to the disc. ONe of my seniors who is solid, but not super agressive, finally made the play. A huck goes up, he sprints 45 yards, and deflects the trash away from the open 3rd receiver. They catch it, we bemoan luck. You make your own luck there.

Play of the weekend: Brando, a wicked fast (JO skier, sub 17 5km runner, low 2's 800, you get it) is marking. HIs player swings it, and he runs it down and d's it before it gets completed. Just amazing.

So Summit Green 2-0-1
Summit Silver 2-0-1
Mt. View 1-2
Bend 0-3

I guess I could figure out pt. diff., 17-7 in favor of green, but, the tie in the head to head shows the value of fighting.

Great little tourney, done early,
missing some of my better players (say, 3 'a' team starters) and a couple more.

Season wrap up.
Week one
Mt. View d. Bend 13-10
Week 2
Summit d. Mt. view 13-5
Week 3
Summit A d. Bend B 15-10
Summit B d. Bend B 15-10
Week 4 Bend, d. Mt. view
Week 5
Summit A d. Bend A
Summit B d. Bend B
Summit mix d. mt. view.

So a nice little season.

Central oregon is growing. The other teams are good, and developing their own style. Summit is just a year or two ahead in development, but that gap should be closed by next year.

Personal:
Tuesday: 4x400 at about 85 with 1min rest, 6min mile (rest 2), repeat the set.
Wednesday: uninspired league play loss
Thursday rest
Friday: run one mile, 8 miles at 6:30 pace, cool off one mile
saturday: coach
sunday, 11.5mile run. probably 8:30's
munday, hour bike, very easy, mow the lawn.

tuesday, i'm taking off from race training, to hopefully have some steam for the first time ever at city league, and more significantly, i'm tapering for a 1/2 marathon in a couple weeks.

why home is home... or... this blog's for you.

2009-05-19T23:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight, a mix of frisbee an personal, coded frisbee. And a paen to why I live in Bend. And an invite, to those who feel frisbee has been served, and they deserve a Valkyrie's ride to Valhalla. Enough mix of greek and scandyhoovian.

I awoke at 4, but only because I had Santa Sickness. That child's disease that afflicts those who get up early in anticipation of something better. Sacrificing sleep for activity, I lay in bed, trying to sleep, but with a half hearted effort until 5 am, when I arose, put on the coffee, and showered. I ate a simple repast of a banana, a handful of wheat chex, and coffee, and sat until 5:55. Then I jumped on my new mountain bike, and rode on TRAIL to school, almost 5 minutes away.

There I met a coworker, on furlough from familial responsibilities associated with a new child, and in 50 degree weather, we rode mountain bikes in the high desert. Immediately upon leaving campus, we hopped onto the trail, and rode for the next hour on the shortest of many loops associated with the nearby trail system.

we arrived back at campus at 7:05, ate some school breakfast (not the fearful prospect you may imagine, i had a breakfast burrito, an apple, an orange, a banana, a fruit cup, and a juice) and taught engaged seniors: only 2 weeks away from graduation, they were involved in both the process and the outcome.

after school (here's the frisbee part), i gathered 2/3 of the team (that showed up to practice) ran them through a drill with modest results, made an adjustment in motivation, and then achieved perfect results in the drill. the scrimmage in 20 mph wind, while marred by turnovers, showed flow, and execution of the things we've been working on. And in the end, the 'worse' team won: because they won by doing the things we've been working on.

(and they got a little lucky).

home, a nap, then a tempo run:
1 mile warm up:
4.25 miles in 28 minutes (about a 6:35 pace)
then, bike to the local night at the Bend Brewing Company.
And on the way home, over he 3 mile bike ride, I was in pitch black riding in my small town of 70,000 for almost a third of the ride. And there, I saw a righteous shooting star.

So, a long but fruitful day.

ride reports for the weekend...

2009-05-17T22:56:00.001-07:00

well, Friday evening, more of a run. i was uninspired to run until about 8 pm, then i cranked out a really pleasant 11 mile run, in about 80 minutes. felt good. challenging, but not brutal. the upcoming half marathon will be more uphill than i ran, but, hopefully, it will be a successful jaunt. the hardest part between now and then will be just getting used to running in the morning. uh, 'diet' and, uh, bathroom management for an early morning run will come into play, so over the next couple weeks i'm going to start some morning runs to get that dialed in, and switch over to an actual race diet. that is, less breakfast burritos, and more oatmeal. but damn do i love breakfast burritos.

saturday, i letharged the batteries, and vegged out. i skipped the insanity of pole pedal paddle and instead, went for a 2 plus hour ride that got a little hillier and speedier at time than i meant to go for. probably closer to 2.5 hours.

sunday: an easy ride with a couple teachers, should have been just over 2 hours, but some mechanical failures (flats and a broken spoke) stretched it out. mowed the lawn, and then went for an unsuprisingly unspectacular 9 mile run. i was slow and sluggish in what passes for oppressive heat here in bend. just 80 something but after weeks of workouts in 50 something degree weather, it felt like a july summer in georgia by comparison. acclimitization will occur, but i'm not up yet to the challenge of heat.

tommorrow will be rest (or maybe a short run with the state track attendees in the middle distance discipline).

peace

hs ultimate in bend.

2009-05-05T23:07:00.001-07:00

HS Ultimate in bend is in flux. total numbers of kids have grown, as Bend HS now has 2 teams, MT. View may have 2 teams (but one for sure) and summit has 2 or 3 teams. Sadly, Sisters HS hasn't been able to maintain a squad this year, but we're hoping to remedy that next year, and add Redmond HS and Crook County to the fold.

Last week, Bend HS split into two squads (Blue and Gold) and each side played a half to Mt. View, with Mt. View winning the overall 'Cricket' score.

This week, Summit played vs. Mt. View, and summit High won. Summit High will probably play Black/Green for a few weeks, while I decide varsity / JV.

Game notes. I did play a 'starting 7' for the upwinder, which we scored. given the emotional nature of HS games, I'm well aware that this is different than subbing even/even for a full game. After this, I generally played a mixed team and tried to make sure that every player got equal playing time. The team put together a number of good 'flowing' points upwind.

Areas to workon:

1) endzone execution. it's mildly exasperating to see a team get upfield against a 25 mph wind, only to turn it 3 times on the goal line, and then the other team gets off a punt... and you start all over.

2) good flow in general, but our best points were 5 or less passes. the challenge will be against a team that makes us throw 10 or more passes against a stiff breeze.

3) sportsmanship: was, very good for both teams. there were very few calls, all were amicably resolved on the field, and thats really good for new players. i don't think either team was 'getting away' with travels, or whatever, and in general, where new players are concerned, I discourage my teams from making calls unless the whole team is not making violations. That is, play by the rules, and if you are, feel free to make a call. If you've got a few rookie foot draggers on the team: don't be making calls on the other team.

4) plays: a callahan, a couple diving 'd's a couple diving catches, and all and all, i thought the teams played well, with plenty of room for improvement.

City league: My co-ed city league is 2-0, but that will soon change. This year, we were allowed to build our own teams with a minimal draft. Mine is a couple 18 y.o. hs kids, a couple room mates, and a couple buddies. AND a couple of u of o players returning in june (yes, those U of O players plus a U of O girl) and a couple former players who attend, but aren't on the U of O team.

So for the next couple weeks, we're going to focus on 'process' not 'outcome' and try to develop the new players, with the goal of 'seamlessly' integrating the nudists.

We'll see how it goes. It's actually pretty nice: league play in central oregon is marked by either sun and wind, or hail and wind (i shit thee not), so the fact that we have only 11 players for the windy game is a plus, wind (sic) lose or draw.

But it'll be nice to have the go to guys for the tourney.

Here's the part where I talk about breakfast, so tune out if you like.

I'm part of a tuesday running group now.
The past few weeks were:
1) Trail Hill workouts, elapsed 'hard time' 40 minutes. (you don't count the rest)
2) 3x2km with 2min rest (hard) but i did that one on my on
3) Track: 200/400/600/800/1200/1200/800/600/400/200 with rest equal to the length of the run. Hamstrings hurt for 8 days.
4) 6 x 3min, (about 850 m) with 1 min jogging between
5) 30 total minutes of hill running, and the snaky nature of the run left a short 1.5 minute run down a steep hill to the start. 7 intervals of 3:00 (1:30 down) and then, blown up, the next six were 3:30 with 1:30 down). Actually pretty good or better or equal to what i've done in the past, but 7 not 3 or 4, and so-ok. actually averaged faster than 3:30, so, good.

Other than that, running about 30 miles per week, with the tuesday thing, plus a couple mtbike rides per week (2 hours or so), and the wednesday game, plus taking off a day or 2 each week.

i had oatmeal for breakfast.

personal log: stop reading NOW unless you want to read what i had for breakfast...

frisbeeish

2009-04-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

Weather improves, and so does the ultimate.
Numbers are steady, between 15 and 30.
Pretty weird.

What do we work on:
Warm up, say, 5 minute run
Warm up drills:
4 line drill, cut out, cut in.
lines face each other, and cut break and cut the other way. the facing drill can be either a cut from the front of the stack, or a cut from the side position to get open down line.

then a thrower option drill, where one line cuts out and it's either a huck, or, you wave the cutter in.

then, it's 2 teams do short scrimmage, while i work with a third team on a concept.
today, it was defensive positioning, marking, and cutting:

mark: don't get broken
defender: don't get beat to the open side, and, don't get beat to the break side so much you can't get a quick mark on.
defender: defend the dump or short throw, but not at the expense of the gainer that gives a powerful thrower the disc.

downfield defender:
'triangulate' or don't lose sight of thrower and cutter.

downfield cutter:
constantly juke so defender can't see thrower and cutter.

marker:
move laterally, move your feet, don't cross your feet, don't give up the cheap break.

that's what we worked on... here's what i worked on...

today:
ladder workout
200-400-600-800-1200-1200-800-600-400-200
the rest was equal to the work

it went
38-80-2:05-1:20-4:30-4:35-1:20-2:05-87-40

so very much not perfect, but the short rest made it hard...

monday rest,
sunday,
run 3 miles, 3.1 mile time trial (6:10 pace), 3 mile run home
30 mile mountain bike ride

saturday, friday, nothing
thursday, frisbee for 2 hours, 1 hour steady biking, weights.
wed: rest
tuesday, 3x2km with 2 minute rest, weights...

friskee...

2009-04-17T01:06:00.001-07:00

current state of affairs...
typical practice...
throw
warmup run, involving run, bearcrawls, run over the picknic tables 8 times, pushups, situps, highknees, butkicks, etc.... takes about 8 minutes.
6 line running drill:
about 5 kids per line, cut out, cut back, focus on
1) don't watch your throw (throw and cut)
2) run through it
3) practice checking in as you cut so that you never run away from the disc blind
4) get faster each rep
5) throwers communicate with thrower by fakes or waving or yelling (out, in)

then we do that drill as a relay race: if one line is visiblly more talented, their cut to cone is farther away (i.e., have to cut out 30 yds, not 20).

then, the 6 lines pair up, 3 pairs of two, and do a check in, cut out. as they get more sophisticated, they should be able to run that as both a front of stack drill, and a cut and down line drill...

then, we remove 2 lines, and run it as a 4 line cycling out in, cut out, and thrower option drill where the kids are expected to throw completions, if that means waving the cutters in for unders...

then, we did groups of 10, where it was a 5 minute game, where teams pulled, and played, but were only allowed 3 turnovers per side (i know: but it's high school). the third 10 ran run throughs:

practice a stack start, and focus on:
1) initiate
2) continue
3) clear
4) attack
5) finish

so it's say a basic 1-3-5, but the fills clear space, sprint downfield, and the rest of the team moves up, and we finish with an off the back cut.
i'm trying to get them in the habit of attacking to the disc, but clearing deep to create space...

then we finished with 30 minutes of open scrimmage. a reward day. first nice day in 2 weeks.

personally,
monday rest
tuesday, 3x2km at 7:30, 7:30, 7:15 with 2 minutes rest in between, on grass.
bike 1 hour
lift.
wednesday, rest
thursday, practice with kids, run 80 minutes (9 miles and change), bike a total of about 50 minutes...

updoc some frisbee.

2009-04-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Monday Practice:
I had to coach track for the first hour, but I've got a great new 'cocoach': Another teacher who played a little in wisconsin, plays co-ed regionals type stuff, etc. Really cool dude the kids like. So he worked the team through the usual early season wamup and drills

1km warmup
drill lines (6 lines, cut out cut back, return the disc, and i allow the thrower a couple throws rather than one and go) and a second drill where the lines face each other and the opposing line makes a dump/down line cut or you can visualize it as a front of stack handler cut.

then mini and dutch...

for the 40 minutes i was there, i put groups of 7 through a very basic, swing, continue, continue, and gave special focus to having the 'fills' practice actively engaging in the stack through little jukes and then clear to the break and run down field to get into position to continue.

tuesday, it was 40ish, and howling. so we warmed up and played dutch. i just walked as my hip flexor still needs lots of warming up, and it was insane. passes of 3 feet were flying crazily out of bounds, etc.

tomorrow they are calling for an inch of snow tonight, high 40, gusty winds to 29 mph. i might see if i can get the gym, and just do drills and throwing.

otherwise, we'll make the best of it...

i'm thinking of the following for training tools:

personal schtuff:

monday rest, tuesday, 21 miles on the bike
wednesday run 55 minutes of fartlek with 2 kids who just came out for track (nordic ski kids i coach) with 10 min warmup, then 1:15 hard, 45 easy, 1:30 hard, 1:00 easy, 1:45 hard, 2:00 easy, and then 4 by 2:00 hard with 2:o0 easy and a 15 minute jog back. coached at the rest of the track meet....

then 1 hour on the bike.

updoc.

2009-03-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

frisbee first:
we practiced for 5 days over spring break. 7v7 every day, usually on small fields. I kept it as a 'roll out the balls' practice, and was graced with some returning alums. We had a couple of U of O players and a couple of U of O b teamers... and the kids benefitted. I was a little dissapointed that there weren't more attendees.

Things to work on:

Zone: Teaching zone to new players is a challenge. It's easy to teach the static positions, but to teach zone defense against early season and new high school players is a challenge. Turnovers are cheap, and the players get stuck in the static zone positions, without learning to move to follow the disc because of the inabillity of players to complete multiple passes. I'm going to start next week, but with the following plan. I'll use a 'ball' either a softball or a kickball (doesn't matter) and the rule that it can be rolled or thrown but that it's not a turnover if it hits the ground. The goal is to teach proper recover and movement of the positions. It's limited by the inabillity to 'huck' but that ends up being a plus in some ways.

Warm up and drills: I'm doing a really basic warm up right now. Run a lap of the fields (about 8 minutes) then a modified line drill. 6 lines with 5 or so kids in each line. you cut out 20 yds, then check back. Thrower gets to throw 2 or three throws. Then the lines, which are in pairs, face each other, and the oposing cutter cuts jab step and down line. It's also used replicating front of stack cutting, and the cutter cuts 3 steps then cross.

New Players: Lots of dutch and mini. Dutch is a box of varying size, teams of 3 or 4 or 5, and complete 5 passes for a point. When I split varsity/JV, it's 10 passes for a point.

Breaks: I don't do breaks. Practices are 100 minutes long, and breaks are times to throw back and forth.

Conditioning: I push off day conditioning. I have too much to teach in 3 days a week. Kids who want to make varsity are told to run on off days. Right now I want them doing 2 30 minute runs. We'll move to shorter harder stuff.

Personal:
spring break '09 wooohhoooo.
Monday: Skate ski one hour, run 45 minutes with track team, play ultimate 1 hour.
Tuesday: Bike 1/2 hour, tempo run (10 easy, 15 hard, 10 easy), frisbee
Wednesday: Bike 21 miles, run easy 40 minutes, frisbee 1 hour
Thursday: (Rest) Lazy frisbee (for me) 1 hour
Friday: Ski 80 minutes, run 20 minutes, 1.5 hours vigorous ultimate
Saturday: 2 hour ski, 1 hour bike, 30 minutes weights
Sunday: 50 minute run, 1 hour bike
MONDAY REST

first practice, hawaii

2009-01-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

phonetic languages are great. i seldome spell hawaii incorrectly. unlike mispell, or is it miss pell. my hawaii training program is basically my normal program, except i've run all winter. i took almost 10 days off from running, but until that point i'd run at least 3 days per week, varying between 9 mile runs and interval sessions varying between hill repeats or treadmill intervals. today i finally picked up a disc and played with the kids. we played dutch (10 passes for a point, 3 to win in a box) mini (short field make it take it) then small field 4v4 with pulls. i was ok. playing with kids, i end up aiming it a bit, so with the short field i was a bit off with the longer stuff, but i moved allright. the shin started hurting after an hour or so, but i'm saying it's probably allright.

been skiing my brains out,

monday weights
tuesday 1.5 hours easy
wednesday 1.5 hours medium, 1 hour bike, weights
thursday 1.5 hours with 5x6min decent intervals with 3 minutes rest
friday ultimate.

tomorrow, kids race, and i'll ski as much as i can, do some intervals or a time trial, and either run or bike easy when i get home.

thoughts: couldn't place the inverts well, felt like i wasn't springy, etc... but i'm not really ultimate training. the morning sessions fell through, but i'll try to play frisbee one more time.

thoughts for kaimana: hopefully i can get the team engaged in a little structure, as i think it will help us in the later games, but i'll be lucky if i can get them to think about anything other than the social game. cool team, mix of current studs, former champs, party stars, and me.

team of HS kids already has a couple of potential ringers showing up, senior receivers and soccer kids. the usual story, it'll be a mix of returners and new athletes.

the skiing has been stellar. we haven't had real snow in weeks, but miraculously it's been good skiing. over the past 2 weeks, we had enough snow in town to keep me off the roads running, but it looks to be good weather (or, bad, if you are a skier) such that i'll be able to keep the running up before the tourney.

ok, frisbee thought for the day:
generic 4 month frisbee plan for HS kids.
play frisbee 3 days a week, with drills and scrimmage
run 3 days a week, and throw 100 throws after.

the frisbee will build in terms of strategy and tactics
the running will move from base to short stuff so run for one month, do shorter hard runs or intervals for 1.5 months, do ladders for the last month, taper for the last 2 weeks.

if appropriate, strength train: but you have to be careful strength training HS kids based on physical development.

what the what.

2009-01-25T20:30:00.001-08:00

i'm about to throw down the 3 week frisbee training throwdown.
Here's the goals:
3 days of shuttle runs
3 days of throwing. if i can combine the two, it's a 3 day training program.
lame, but, it's not like i'm off the couch, and i've run more than i ever have in the winter. and some intervals. just need enough speed to minimize risk of injury. i have neither the time nor inclination for a full on, 4 day per week frisbee prep program, but the team looks stacked, so hopefully i can play my way into shape over 3 days.

that's a joke. but at least i'm running.

ski'd a lot this week.

what the what.

2009-01-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

hiway hawaii

2009-01-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

awright. gearing up for hawaii. don't have the personal days cleared yet. but the ticket is in the bag, so is the registration.

training. well, i'm doing a basic, build program. 15 hours per week right now. running 3-4 days per week, 2xintervals, one 9 mile run. plus 4-5 days per week skiing, 2 of those were intervals. resting fridays. monday weights, and easy biking. threw sunday, and wasn't nearly as bad as i'd thought i'd be.

planning on throwing in some early morning speed and agillity for 2 weeks prior to the tournament. probably try to throw 2x per week just for kicks.

my team is the typical hawaii team. lots of talk of shotgunning by players who will in fact show up and try to win. or have i lost it, and should i expect lots of winners showing up with nothing on their mind except drinking. i will show up with goals of playing to win, and temper them with the reality of drinking.

thinking about my cleats: don't like the new speed tds i have, may pick up some soccer cleats just so i can mix it up. and, yes, i'm thinking of the ridiculosu new pumas.

go southern dandys... it's blogonautoferific.

just kickin it on boxing day.

2008-12-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

lessee. basically in a base phase kind of deal. Usually one hard workout per week. After the break, morning agillity training with a bunch of kids. Weird mix, since it's an open gym, mostly baseball, frisbee, but the baseball coach is a buddy, and he invited me and the frisbee kids to this open preseason deal. Should be fun. I'll have to figure out something to do on the other mornings other than sleep as i find it better to get up at the same time every day.

dec 26 80min skate (level 3), 50 min jog (lev 1) weights
dec 25 hike/ski say 2.5 hours. probably 1.5 of that was climbing, 30 min skiing, 30 min social, ski from the house very easy 1hour
dec 24 skate 1 hour, ski in town 2 hours -- easy but slow, skis were icing
dec 23 70 min skate (level 2/3) 1 hour skiing.(downhill)
dec 22 rest
dec 21 rest
dec 20 ski'd probably 15km. lifted
dec 19 rest
dec 18 1.5 hours classic ski, lifted
dec 17 skate 1.5 hours, easy
dec 16 1.5 hours classic ski, easy
dec 15 LT intervals on treadmill, weights, core
dec 14 ski 1hour. run 1hour
dec 13 ski 2 hours with kids
dec 12 rest
dec 11 ski 1 hour with kids
dec 10 ski 1 hour easy
dec 9 ski 1 hour easy
dec 8 rest
dec 7 ski, run

state of the luke

2008-12-06T21:02:00.001-08:00

Sigh. I've been relegated to having to post frisbee tags to my blog to get a post on ultimate talk. Bummer. The kids today have no idea what they're missing.

Today was sick. First day on snow. Coaching, So we did a 4 mile loop, with drills coming back up the hill. Then a couple kms of drills of no pole on a loop. Then I squeezed in another 4 mile loop.

Then we played a fun game.

Pretty sketch skiing. 3 inches of snow ontop of the highway. but it was totally workable, and not hard on the skis at all.

Then, a burrito, a coffee, 2 hours guitar, and an 8 mile run, 8min pace.

Then some weights and core: really light: more focused on PT type excercises and some pistol squats, pushups, incine bench, deadlift, calf eccentric work, and core. 30 minutes exactly, which is my limit for lifting.

Then a good meal, a pint, and some ski care.

Tomorrow, ski, run or bike, and organize at the new house.

Weekly totals, Mon-Sun
run 35-37
ski twice, 2.5 hours
bike once 1.75 hours
lift twice

It's a base week: When i start ski racing (i'm no good, but i have a plan) I'll run less. And I did no intensity this week. If I had my druthers, I'd do no intensity for a 3 month period with lactate threshold runs, then switch to easy and hard runs. I have to modify.

Winter plan is a little different from the past as it will include running:
Ski: 4-5 days per week. Race 2x per month
Run: 3x per week. Intervals through January, then switch intervals to skiing and running as steady only.
Frisbee: Limited opps to throw, but will do one early morning set of cones/shuttle runs in the gym to be as ready as i can be for kaimana.
Weights: 1-3 times per week with attention to core, stretch, flex, and maintenance.

2008-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

teaching zone

1) get 7 players who know how to play zone
2) get your team together
3) if they know how to throw and catch well, play agressor squad vs new players
4) if they are new players... use a red kickball and let the players throw the ball around so that they can have completions. If they need to, just let them throw it around... and bounces are cool.
5) Use a teaching technique called 'freeze and discuss.' where you let the play develop then call freeze. then discuss positional issues. use this as an opportunity to move people around.

To develop speed, incorporate this workout in the early season: not the late season.
run laps around the field: run the diagonols at a dead run with good form. then jog the endzone. Repeat for 20 t 30 min. Note. This is an early season workout. Not a late season workout. This is to develop form, and develop conditioning. Focus on form.

Then, 10 minutes of throwing. Focus on crisp throws, imagining a mark... Alternatively, 10 minutes of mark drill. College kids, do this now, and you will improve.

no, no real frisbee content, but it includes... the word hawaii... so idris, why don't you post this one just to piss some people off.

2008-11-28T22:35:00.001-08:00

yeah, hawaii baby. at least that's the plan. all 'teacher' myths aside, i only get two personal days. it would be unethical to take sick days to go to hawaii, but i think i've got it worked out with the personal days, and the 3 day weekend.

my problem: i haven't played frisbee in february in 5 years. i barely run in february: i ski. coincidentally, i'd planned on running 3 times a week all winter to stay in shape for races: actually to get in better shape. i'm planning on running one tempo run (like 6 miles, with a middle (or whole portion) at 6:30 pace), one interval set (1000's or miles, of some utility for frisbee), and one long run (9-13 miles).

i'm going to add in one early a.m. in the school gym running lines and cones for 30-40 minutes, and try to throw a little at lunch.

but I still imagine conversations like this:

alex: huh. not to take the attention from my own stats, but, what's up with luke.
kid: i don't know. but, let me throw in here, did you see my sick stab? it was a no look. oh, luke. is he trying his 'off speed run' to set up the cut.
jim: no, between adding up my stats in meaningful points, and i want to note that i'm dominating, i noticed that he hasn't changed his pace. and between accounting for 5 of our 6 goals in meaningful ways, i clocked his pace. it's a steady 6:20 per mile. pretty slow for sprinting.
alex: well, i had assists on 3 of those, and you can't keep counting hockey assists as meaningful touches.
will: look. i captained sockeye to 2 national titles in the modern era. and i drew the hodag logo myself. so i'm personally responsible for 4 titles. but man, you're right. he looks slow.
alex and jim: 6 titles
all: pre-flick era.
alex and jim: no way. it was just as good back then.
luke comes off: man, did you see my sweet mark: perfect
all: lots of practice.
luke: but i caught the goal
will: well i wouldn't cover the cripple in the powered cart if he were out there
all: you got posterized by a girl
will: i got that d. and it was leslie calder
all: whatever.
kid: seriously, luke. try imagining your not in jello
luke: what are you talking about. i set up that cut with change of speed. got to have the off speed pitch.
robbye: so you're proud of your 75mph fastball?
luke: i'm a nordic skier. i use kph.
all: ooooohhh. hundy.
luke: fuck y'all i'm going for beer.
all: don't come back empty handed.

this week: didn't go skiing in yellowstone. not enough snow, and i had to move.
sunday: 6.5 miles, 6:50 pace.
monday: rest
tuesday: 9 miles, 8:00 pace, weights
wednesday: 5 miles, 8:00 pace
thurs: rest
friday: 13 miles, 8:00 pace, weights

basically an easy week. looking to go 35 miles, and throw in 2 mt. bike rides sat and sunday. got 10 more miles to do tomorrow and sunday. (my weeks end on sunday).

nope still no frisbee content. well, a little.

2008-11-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

i'm going to hawaii. first time. i'll have run a lot, but this is going to require going to a gym and running shuttle runs. and find some time to throw disc indoors enough not to make a total choad of myself. since winter here precludes frsibee, i'll have to make a concious effort to at least throw.

monday, rest.
tuesday: ran 5 miles, played calvin ball, then ran another 3.5 miles
wednesday: ran 2.5 miles, lifted, ran home
thursday: ran an adventure race set up by another coach: 70 min, ran as hard as i could for the whole time, call it a 7 mile tempo effort (that's conservative, but, just being safe)

retro thread of the day. yes, definitely frisbee related

2008-11-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

http://tinyurl.com/linkofday

this is the link of the day. a prolonged discussion about legitimizing ultimate. from 2001.

enjoy and comment.

seriously, nothing to do with frisbee.

2008-11-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

11-14 40 min ultimate frisbee, 8 mile run.
11-15 13 mile run
11-16 3.5 hour mountain bike ride. maybe best ever

not potlatch part two.

2008-11-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

none of this is for the frisbee readers. it's my defacto log. in frisbee, the kids are playing. we tried to go to a tournament, but the road got wiped out by a landslide. tommorrow, I think I'll just play frisbee with the kids, run 5 after. saturday, i'll run 10. sunday, i'll ride (90 min plus). that's technically rest. monday, we'll run and core, then i'll run longer. but it's kind of complicated, b/c i have to run xc ski practices... and i have to plan my workouts among them...

10-29 run 5
10-30 ran 5 miles and lifted
10-31 rest
11-1 8km tempo/race pace (5mile at about a 6:20 pace)
11-2 6 mile run
11-3 rest
11-4 5x1km repeats at 4:00 (like a 6:20 pace), 1 min recovery, plues 3 miles warmup cooldown
11-5 7 miles
11-6 run to gym. lift. run home. 5 miles
11-7 rest
11-8 10km race. plus 1 mile warmup. 7 miles total.
11-9 50 min run. 6 miles?
11-10 6 mile run. then 20 minutes of frisbee soccer game (i call it calvin ball. sweet. rules to follow). then 3 miles. then weights.
11-11 5.5 mile hike. call it an off day
11-12 1.25 mile warmup, 3x2mile repeats with 3 min rest. 6:20 pace. (it's a short course, let's call it 6:30 to 6:45 pace)
11-13 35min run, stadiums, core, weights, 25 min bike

Potlatch, Day 1.

2008-10-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well, technically, it's d-day minus 3. I'd played Solstice with a young Oregon college team from UofO, and had a good time, and I was feeling friskee. Sunday night, mon, tuesday, at somepoint I was shooting the shit with John Hammond and he invited me to play on Dave Bestock's Potlatch team. Under normal circumstances, that might not qualify as an invite from the Kid, but it's pretty much how I landed on Sockeye in the first place, and Dave's a pal, so I figured it was worth a shot. As an aside, it's pretty much how I landed on my Solstice team, so I was game.

Thursday night I played City league, and dominated (whatever that means in city league), and was feeling friskee. I roped ryan, league coordinator, into going. He was iffy about playing, and I guaranteed him no guarantee of our team, but told him he'd have a spot on SOME team. Plus, selfishly, It's a long drive. And gas was costing $4.00 per.

Friday night, we prepared to leave. My car was sitting outside the house, minus the fuel pump, stolen 2 weeks earlier (great story, I'd solved the crime, but not troubled myself to replace the pump, more on that to follow). So I was riding over with housemates Scott and Chris to portland, where Ryan and I would take Scott's car up to the fields. Scott Had been go to play until thursday night until a family emergency took him out. I'd actually promised to squeeze him onto the team with what was known as the Ketner clause (when, 3 years earlier, the last player to be named later I'd brought watched all weekend, played 2 points, and one of them was in the quarters where he played one point and delivered the game winning block. So my scouting rep was better than my own playing rep). Anyway, Scott's out, so he was being pretty cool with the car loan.

Ryan, guest of guests is late, so we don't roll out until about 7. Drop Scott and Chris off at the family hacienda in Portland around 10 or so, fumble around Gresham for a while, and then roll north. I think we arrive in Remond, or Kirkland, or wherever the hell potlatch is held (I don't know, garmin and google take care of those details, I just knew I could guide it in from the exit). I think we get there around 2.

As we approach the fields, the mist shrouds 40 acre soccer complex. A fox crosses the road in front of us. The scene is pastoral, and I'm relaxed to know that I'm going to get a good, peaceful nights sleep prior to 3 days of ultimate.

And then I turned off the ignition, and opened the door, and was greated with a cacaughanous roar from the fields.

No, The fox was fleeing drunks, the noise was terrible, and I simply hung my head. I'd been there on the other side of this debacle before, and now it was my turn to reap the whirlwind. It was loud, and it was time to suffer.

I set up my tent in the quietest (my thoughts) corner of the fields, in an area that would receive latest sunrise due to the location of the hill. I was a saavy vet, even if I'd not achieved countal levels of eye patches and neck pillows.

And then I notice ryan standing around with a sleeping bag and a pillow. "Uh, where's your tent ryan?," I asked. "Kind of don't have one," said Ryan.
Great. And now I'm stuck with a room mate. How could this tournament get worse in the next 6 hours. Games at nine, not technically on a team, some dopey giant taking up air in my tent, and the loud noise of 1200 twenty somethings freed from normal societal rules. I was being confronted with every painful transgression (Well, at least 15% of them) I'd ever made at a frisbee tournament, but now on the other end of the stick. It was Lord of the Flies. I was treading on Piggy territory. How could it get worse.

Turned out, Ryan snored.

To be continued.

(Non frisbee corner. Ran 80 min yesterday, and lifted. Rode 90 minutes recovery today, and did IllioTibial Band rehab)

xc districts, minimal frisbee content.

2008-10-25T22:50:00.001-07:00

summit sweeeeeeeeeeps.
boys, girs, jv, varsity.
the hugest upset was in boys, where a great runner of ours who had not run for 3 years turned in a third in the district time and summit defeats a talented, and classy hermiston team 29 to 30.
.
they were great kids, and came over to shake hands after the match. when state comes up next week, its still up for grabs: their best runner is the best runner in the state, and due to the nature of scoring, they could defeat us by running the exact same, but having 2 runners from other teams finish after their first runner, but before ours. at the same time, we could widen our gap if the boys all run the same, and there are more scorers between the runners.

our girls were dominant, pack running, and our favored runner had her worst run of her year. she's suffered 2 fractured femurs in her hs career, and we're always concerned about that, but she was fine. and if she just had a 'bad' day, that's fine, it's just important to know that she just had a 'bad' day but is healthy.

our JV boys won the 'jv crown' for the first time ever. the heartbreaks come with the boys, where the varsity (7) battles with the first 3 jv guys for positions on the state team. All 7 were given sweet tights, but it's tough to see a guy who poured his heart out qualify as an alternate, not a primary runner. (that is, we carry 7 runners on the team, and 2 alternates).

On the girls, it was arguably tougher, where our JV girls team may have been the 2nd or 3rd best team in the district: it's got to be tough for a girl who knows she could go run for another school in the city and make it to the state team, but instead, she 'settles' for being on a more competetive team that drives her to be better. there is probably an ultimate metaphor here.

personally, i went out to forerun the course this morning, with the goal of running it in a sub 20 time, but within 800m, i felt the fatigue that is 'supposedly' associated with post marathon blues, so i just settled into a tempo run. so 2.5 miles at 8 min pace, then a tempo 5k at 21 min with no kicking. Frustrating, in a sense, but fine, and smart in another.

Then saw tropic thunder, which is hysterical.

no frisbee conten

2008-10-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

today, i ran a 10 minute warmup, then 3x6min miles with 2 min rest, then a 10 min cooldown. that's ok, since i'm recovering from the marathon. technically, i should have run 6xmiles, with 1min rest.

i MIGHT play frisbee tomorrow, but likely not. that said, when 6pm rolls around, yeah, i'll probably be out there under the lights with tights on, and a big vacant look on my face looking off bad cuts with the mindset of chucking it deep to the only slightly worse long cut.

Fan mail

2008-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, I've been receiving a lot of fan mail and comments lately, and I just want all you fans out there to know, I just don't have time to reply to every individual note. But know this: your thoughts matter to me, so, keep those messages coming.

I mean, you could could be choosing to read about how Match carried Furious to the world championship, fulfilling his lifelong dreams.

But instead you choose to come to my little corner of the world. So keep those letters of encouragement coming!