Pike Tryouts, Day 2

Jake and I left HP at the ass-crack of dawn to get to Philly for our 8am start time. Ouch! Anyway, today's tryout involved several focused scrimmages with a smattering of quick drills thrown in here and there. Basically, a chance to see how people perform under pressure in a game situation. Again, the energy was high and I was pleased with the intensity. And, of course, more Atlas was played.

Pike Tryouts, Day 1

Tryouts were at the Edgely Ballfields from 9-3pm. Most of the day was focused on skill/conditioning intensive drills with some time at the end for scrimmaging. Intensity was high throughout and I was very impressed with the skill level of the tryouts. This will undoubtably cause some tough choices for our captains, but at this early juncture, the team is already head & shoulders above where it was last season.

Today also marked the creation and inaugural game of Atlas, a game of skill, strength, and endurance, involving 2 teams of 3, a 10x10 yard field, and a medicine ball. Pure awesomeness.

MCUDL A League

Big Stick v. Mud Sharks

Despite dreary forecasts, the weather held up nicely for our first actual game of the Summer. I managed to get to the fields early enough to get in a solid warm-up (for once) that involved a decent run, some active stretching, and a lot of throwing. As for the game itself, we came out strong and built a big league in the first half which we managed to hold onto despite a second half surge by the Sharks. Go Stick!

Half-Filthy 50

Warm-up:

12:00 Elliptical Machine
Active Stretching

Half-Filthy 50 for time:

25 Box Jumps w/ 18-inch box
25 Jump Pull-ups
25 Kettleball Swings w/ 25lb ball
25 Lunges per leg (stationary lunges)
25 Knees-to-Elbows
25 Push-Press w/ standard bar
25 Back Extensions
25 Wall Balls
25 Burpees
25 Kangaroo Jumps
Total Time: 6:50

12:00 Exercise Bike

Snertz Workout

Warm-up:

7:01 run, 2x around Rutgers Athletic fields
Active Stretching

Snertz Workout for time (detailed explanations):

4 x 100 yard strides
2 x 40 yard grapevines
2 x 40 yard side shuffles
2 x 40 yard high knees
2 x 40 yard butt kickers
2 x 40 yard power skips
30 x push-ups
100 x crunches

4 x 15 ground jumps + 40 yard sprint
4 x 15 tuck jumps + 40 yard sprint
30 x push-ups
100 x crunches

2 x 40 yard lunges w/ full twist
2 x 40 one-legged hops (20 yards/leg)
2 x 10 two-footed forward cone hops
2 x 10 two-footed sideways cone hops
30 x push-ups
100 x crunches

10 x 5-10-5 yard shuttle runs
10 x 40 yard sprints
4 x 100 yard strides
Total time: 31:18

Cool-down:

3:15 run, 1x around
30:00 Throwing

Philly Pick-up

I headed down to Philly for some pick-up at the ballfields. Turn-out was decent, with 7 or 8 Pike hopefulls, a few ballers from Love, and a solid SAG representation. The competition was good and the sun was hot, making for a perfect Memorial Day outing. We got in 4 or so games to 7 before many folks had to leave and then finished off with an hour of Mini.

HP ETC

The couch, the HP track re-surfacing goons, and then stars themselves all aligned themselves against me, but I persevered and headed over to Piscattaway High School with Mel to so some work.

Warm-up:

3/4 mile in 5:25
Active Stretching

4 x 200s, 1:30 rest

:31
:30
:29
:28

4:00 rest

8 x 200m Pickup Sprints

4:00 rest

8 x 100m Pickup Sprints

1 x Grilled Salmon & Grilled Asparagus

Son pocos y cobardes

After an insanely long commute, I showed up at our first A-League game only to learn that our opponents didn't show up. Not one single player. Apparently, they recognized the futility of facing Big Stick and decided to hang on to what little dignity they had by hiding under a rock all night.

Although everyone was very disappointed at the lack of a game, we ended up getting a far better workout since we opted for a good 1.25 hours of Mini (1st and 2nd rules strictly enforced) followed by Tous' Slalom Drill of Attrition (started with 7 guys, ended with 4). I definitely spent most of the evening sucking wind and chasing Tous around a 20x30x6 field.

Sean and I finished things off right with a Pithari gyro. All things considered, it ended up being a very productive evening.

Tabatas for Powerful Legs

Warm-up:

7:00 Elliptical Machine
Active Stretching

Tabata Box Jumps, 15" box:

25, 23, 23, 20, 18, 14, 12, 17

30 x Push-ups
100 x Crunches

Tabata Lateral Bounds:

16, 16, 15, 15, 15, 14, 13, 14

30 x Push-ups
100 x Crunches

Tabata Tuck Jumps:

31, 23, 19, 16, 15, 17, 17, 19

40 x Push-ups
110 x Crunches

7:00 Exercise Bike

Red Fish Run

5:54 Run

Tabata Sprints:

10 x :20 sprint, :10 rest

4:00 walking rest

40-40s:

12 x jog 40 yards, sprint 40 yards
Total Time: 4:37

2:00 walking rest

3:17 Run

Bike, Tabatas, Core

Warm-up:

15 x Pull-ups
11:00 Exercise Bike
15 x Military Pull-ups
Active Stretching
15 x Chin-ups

Tabata Sets:
Burpees:

11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 10, 8, 8

Mountain Climbers:

32, 31, 30, 27, 25, 25, 27, 29

Tar Heels Medicine Ball Routine w/ 6lb med ball:
See article for explanation of exercises

20 x Big Circles
20 x Woodchopper
20 x Standing Russian Twist
20 x Squat to Press
20 x Medicine-ball Sit-up
20 x Rocky Solo
20 x Toe Touch
20 x 45-Degree Twist
20 x Suitcase Crunch
20 x Diagonal Crunch

30 x Back Extensions

10 x Shoulder Raise Combo w/ 10lb Dumbbells

30 x Dumbbell Press with 25lb dumbbells

HP ETC

Mel and I headed out to the track tonight for a quick run and some throwing.

Warm-up:

1 mile (6:42)
Active Stretching

4 x 200m w/ 1:30 rest:

:28
:29
:28
:32

4 x 200m Pickup Sprints

30 minutes of throwing

Lunges et al...

Warm-up:

10:00 Elliptical Machine
Active Stretching

Frosty Lunge Complex:

10/leg x Forward Lunge w/ simultaneous overhead press (20lb dumbbells)
10/leg x Reverse Lunge w/ simultaneous overhead press (20lb dumbbells)
10/leg x Reverse Lunge w/ simultaneous overhead press followed by step-through into forward lunge w/ simultaneous overhead press (15lb dumbbells)

Tabata Jump Pull-ups:

30, 31, 30, 32, 32, 33, 33, 33

Combo Circuit:

2 rounds of:
10/leg x Reverse Lunge into Russian Twist w/ 25lb plate
10 x Dumbbell Push-ups into Single Arm Rows w/ 20lb dumbbells
20 x Back Extensions

100 x Inclined Sit-ups

Brumfis Pickup Pike Style

Pike hosted a pre-tryout pick-up in New Brunswick to get folks out and playing together. The weather was great and the fields were soft, albeit a bit uneven. I got there a bit early, went for a quick run along the jogging path, and threw in 3 x Muscle-ups pre-pickup. After that, we did a team warm-up followed by 3ish hours of pick-up followed by some Durango Boot and a trip to Tiajuana Burrito.

Central Park Run

I went for a light run with a co-worker/friend during lunch today to enjoy the lack of rain. We did a loop around the reservoir and a quick circuit of the Great Lawn.

Stairs, UNC

Stairs I:

10 flights as follows:
every step
every step, high knees
every step
every other step
every step
right foot hops
every step
left foot hops
every step
2-legged hop up 2, back 1
Total time: 2:03

Active Stretching

Stairs II:

2:00 sprinting stairs, alternating every step, skip step

Tar Heels Medicine Ball Routine w/ 6lb med ball:
See article for explanation of exercises

20 x Big Circles
20 x Woodchopper
20 x Standing Russian Twist
20 x Squat to Press
20 x Medicine-ball Sit-up
20 x Rocky Solo
20 x Toe Touch
20 x 45-Degree Twist
20 x Suitcase Crunch
20 x Diagonal Crunch

Stairs III:

10 rounds of:
Sprint 1 flight, skipping steps
10 push-ups (first three rounds were depth drop push-ups)
Total time: 3:58

Tabata Lateral Bounds:

13, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Chin-ups:

5 x Slow as possible from full extension to chest on bar

12:00 Exercise Bike

Mostly Legs (Adductor Attack)

If you're looking for something to work out any imbalances in your legs, this workout is a great start. The first time you try this one, you'll be jelly-legged by the end and unable to walk up stairs the following afternoon. Guaranteed to destroy your adductors or your money back.

Warm-up:

5:00 Rowing Machine
Active Stretching

21-15-9:

Forward Sumo Squat w/ 85lbs
Dips
Kettlebell Swing w/ 25lbs

Single-Leg Squat Work:

2 sets of:
10/leg x Single Leg Squat
15/leg x Bulgarian Split Squat
10/leg x Slow Step-ups

7 Steps Abs:

7 x 30 crunches, various positions

Back Extensions:

x 30

Pike Scrimmage

Today marked the first (official?) Pike tryout event of the season. Basically, interested parties were invited to a morning of (organized?) pick-up down at the Edgely Ballfields in the greater Philly area. We got in a solid 3 hours of ultimate (I went 2-2 on the day) in warm, but somewhat rainy, conditions. Much fun was had by all and I was definitely encouraged by the level play throughout. Our returners seem to have returned with a lot more confidence and maturity while some of the new faces out there have the potential to make some big, positive contributions to the team. Suddenly, this UPA mandated roster limit is becoming interesting!

Post scrimmage, the _real_ tryouts began: 3 v 3 mini-disc mini-box. A test of skill, determination, and brute strength. I don't recall if I went 2-2 or 3-1 but it was definitely a lot of fun.

Post mini-disc mini-box, a few souls hung out at the Havok/Fiasco scrimmage and I managed to work in a lot of controlled throwing (something I evidently should've done _before_ this morning's scrimmage but oh well).