12-29-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Offhands, Overheads, Catching

Field Strong
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
4-way hip stretch
Hip Lifts
Banded Psoas Activation
3x:
Superman Holds - 20 sec
Goblet Squat Hold - 10 sec
Ring Pull Ups - 5
Banded Full GHR - 5
Goblet Squat Hold - 10 sec
----
Deadlift 1x5
Warm Up: 135x5, 185x3, 245x5, 255x5, 265x5, 275x5, 285x5
Work: 295x5

Back Squat 3x5
Warm Up: 45x5, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 235x2
Work: 245x3x5

Prowler Push:
8x:
40 yds (150 lbs)
----
Cool down: Stretching

Reading:

I read more of "The Book of Basketball".  Bill Simmons talks about Bill Russell and Wilt, and about The Secret.

Notes:

I listened to this:

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/600/will-i-know-anyone-at-this-party?act=1

It was totally nuts.  This shines a light on how immigration (racism) became such a large issue in this election cycle, and how misinformation and xenophobia are being spread.

12-28-2016

Workout:

Champe Challenge:
3x:
1 min plank
40 shoulder touches

Correctives & Prehab
100 Squats
Eccentric Stability Pistols
Hip Flexor Stretch
Adductor Stretch
Supine Piriformis Stretch
Adductor Stretch with Strap
SLDL
Miniband Side Shuffles

Reading:

I started reading "The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons.  How have I not read this book yet?

12-27-2016

Workout:

Champe Challenge:
5x:
1 min plank
40 shoulder touches

Conditioning & Throwing:
- Offhands and Flick Hucks
- 6 x 150 @ 1:1.5

Field Strong day ? (I'm going to stop counting the days)
Warm Up:
3x:
10 Empty Bar Strict Press
5 Strict Pull Ups
---
Sprinting Arm Action Circuit
3x:
Seated Arm Swings
10 Supine Ring Pull Ups
Kneeling Arm Swings
10 Supine Ring Pull Ups
Staggered Stance Arm Swings
10 Supine Ring Pull Ups

Bench Press 3x5:
45x5, 95x3, 135x3x5

Conditioning - 10 minute as many rounds as possible of:
Dumbell Walking Lunges (45 lbs ea, 20 yds)
Sandbag Dynamic Push Ups - 20
---
Cool Down

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

I watched "Minimalism" on Netflix.  It was great, strong recommend.

12-26-2016

Workout:

No workout - sick

Reading:

I did not read today.

Notes:

- I am starting to feel better. 4 stars would recommend

- I watched an episode of "Making a Murderer".  It was good, not sure how they are going to get 9 more episodes of content here though.

12-25-2016

Workout:

No workout - sick

Reading:

I read "The Circle" by Dave Eggers.  This book was kind of weird.  It's a powerful commentary on privacy and information, but it's kind of packaged into a mediocre young adult novel.  It's a little like a mashup of "1984" and "The Hunger Games".  Apparently a movie is being made of it, I predict that the movie will suck.

Notes:

Being sick is lame. 0 stars would not recommend

12-24-2016

Workout:

No workout - sick

Reading:

I did not have the mo to read today.  As Champe correctly pointed out, being sick does not actually prevent me from reading.

Notes:

Today I was sick, so I took a lot of naps.  I hung out with family and helped out in the kitchen.

12/21 - 12/23/2016

These days I was sick with a cold.  I did not work out or read.

12-20-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 10
Warm Up: Foam Rolling, Hip Stretching
3x:
Spiderman Crawls w/ Elbow drop
10 Plyo Push Ups
10 Empty Bar Strict Press
----
Bench Press 3x5: 45 x 5, 95 x 3, 135 x 3, 140 x 3 x 5

Depth Plyo Push Ups 5x3

Push Press (95) 4 x 20
----
Cool Down

Champe Challenge:
2x:
1 min plank
40 Shoulder Touches

Only got 2, need 10.

Reading:

I started "A Spy Among Friends" by Ben Macintyre on Audiobook.  It's mostly about Soviet/British espionage in WWII.  It's pretty entertaining so far.

Notes:

Stretching

12-19-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 9
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
Hip Stretches
3x:
10 Pillar to Plank Press Up
5 ea 1 leg Glute Bridges
10 Empty Bar Front Squat
---
Clean Warm Up (45)
Power Clean 4x4
Warm Up: 95 x 3, 135 x 3
Work: 155 x 4 x 4

Static Hold GHR 4x4

Front Squat 4 x 8
Warm Up: 45 x 5, 95 x 3, 135 x 3
Work: 135 x 8, 145 x 8, 155 x 8, 165 x 8

Shin Hop to Broad Jump: 4x4
---
4x:
30 sec ea Side Plank
Band Resisted Deadbugs
---
Cool Down

Reading:

No Reading.

Notes:

A new Champe challenge this week!
Throughout the day:
10 min of Planks
400 Shoulder Touches

12-18-2016

Workout:

Active Recovery: Indoor Rock Climbing

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

The college football bowl series is terrible.  There are 41(?!) bowl games this year.  The bowl game is officially the participation trophy of college football.

I would go so far as to say that the if the "college bowl series" ceased to exist next year, I would not notice or care.

12-17-2016

Workout:

No Workout - Rest Day

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

- The Flash is a mediocre tv show.  There are flashes (ha!) of depth in the characters, but ultimately the show falls victim to what almost every superhero show faces, repetitiveness and oversimplification.  For example, the flash breaks up with his girlfriend because she moves to the adjacent city, despite supposed ability to run at 2k mph.  This makes no sense.  Why wouldn't he just run to see her?

- Comcast installed a new router today, my internet at home is now at least 10x faster, according to speedtest.  There was no hyperbole used in the making of this sentence.

- Last year we were still working out outside in December, this year the snow and ice make the footing much worse.

- I want to see "Rogue One".  I'm not really upset that Disney is re-writing Star Wars history, because it means the world gets a bunch more great quality movies.  But, they run the risk of turning the franchise into a train wreck (like x-men) if things get out of hand.  Curious to see how this will go over the next ~5 years.

12-16-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 9
Warm Up:
3x:
10 Reverse Shrugs on Dip Bars
10 True Push Ups
1 min ea Lateral banded side shoulder raise
---
OHP 3x5
45 x 10, 65 x 3, 85 x 3
95 x 3 x 5

DB Bench 4x8 (50)

Supine Ring Pull Ups 3 x 10
---
Cool Down

Reading:

I did not read.  Not a good reading week.

12-15-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 7
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
4-Way Hip Stretch
Glute Bridges
Front Leg Raises
Side Leg Raises
3x:
3 Strict Pull Ups
10 Parallel Bar Dips
5 Goblet Squat Static Hold (40)
5 Banded Full GHR
Quick Feet Low Box
----
Deadlift, 1x5, Add 10 lbs to last time, work up with 4-5 sets
Warm Up: 135x5, 205x5, 225x5, 245x5, 265x5
Work: 285 x 5

Back Squat, 3x5, add 5 lbs to last time
Warm Up: 45 x 8, 135 x 3, 185 x 3, 225 x 3
Work: 240 x 3 x 5

As many sets as possible in 12 minutes:
10 Banded Reverse Hypers
10 Ball Slams
----
Cool Down: Stretching, Foam Rolling, Ecc hamstring

Reading:

I did not read.

12-14-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Wide Release Flick Mechanics

Field Strong Day 6
15 Min of Jump Rope (normal, alternating, 1 leg, 2x1, 2x2, side to side, front to back)
----
Correctives
5x:
IT band slow twisting kick (3ea leg)
Banded Vertical Lunge Stretch
Active Hamstring Stretch W/Banded Assist
Dancer Stretch
Banded Support Full Squat

3x:
5 Shin Hops
5ea Get Up Sit Up (35 kb)
50 yds Power Walks w/ Sled (3 plates)
----
Cool Down: Foam rolling, Stretching

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

- I am a little better at Jump Rope
- Threw outside today.  I did not bring gloves, so the wind and snow made my hands pretty cold.  Bringing gloves tomorrow to fix this issue.

12-13-2016

Workout:

Field Strong - Day 5
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
Stretching Hip Flexor
Adductor Stretch
Piriformis Stretch
Adductor Stretch with Band
SLDL
Miniband Side Shuffles
Miniband Hip Abduction
1 leg glute bridges
3x:
10 Empty Bar Strict Press
5ea 5-way upper med-ball plyo circuit
5ea Spiderman Crawls w/ elbow drop
----
Bench Press 3x5, move the bar fast:
Warm Up: 45 x 5, 95 x 3
Work: 135 x 3 x 5

Slide Board Push Ups - 50

Rowing:
5x:
30 seconds on max effort
2 minutes rest

Banded tricep extension
Barbell reverse curl
----
Cool Down, foam rolling, stretching, voodoo band

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

- running 150s is harder than rowing for 30 seconds

- slide board push ups are very difficult

Current idea to get more defensive footwork reps is basketball.

12-12-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Offhands, Overheads, Blades, Catching

Champe Challenge
3x:
20 push ups
40 sit ups

Field Strong Day 4:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling
4-Way Hip
Hip Lifts
Supine Kicks
Lateral Lunges
3x:
3 Strict Pull Ups
A Skips
B Skips
C Skips
Pillar to Plank Press Up
---
Power Clean 4x3
Clean Warm Up
(HPC) Warm Up: 45 x 3, 89 x 3, 111 x 3, 135 x 3
(HPC) Work: 145 x 4 x 3

Back Squat 3x5 - Goal: good speed, linear progression
Warm Up: 45 x 5, 135 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 255 x 2
Work: 235 x 3 x 5

5x:
10 KB Supported Deadbugs Hands
10 KB supported Deadbugs Feet
10 Seated Med Ball Throws
---
RFESS: 3 x 10ea (25 kb) - explosive
Mini-band Athletic Position Shuffles - 2 x 10 steps each direction

Cool Down:  Foam Roll and Hip Stretch

Reading:

I did not read

Notes:

"Vision without action is a dream.  Action without vision is a nightmare."

I need to figure out how to get more defensive skills work into my day-to-day.

12-11-2016

Workout:

Champe Challenge:
5x:
20 push ups
40 sit ups

Indoor Ultimate - 2.5 hrs
Pre Indoor 150s: 3 @ 1:2

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

This was day 2 of the coaching clinic with Matty Tsang.

Matty discussed a very wide range of topics during this clinic.  Some of the concepts were about philosophy, some were ideas that are immediately actionable, and a lot of the rest fell somewhere in between.  He also shared a lot of anecdotes about Fury, the National teams he has coached, and how he works with his middle school team.  It was an extremely worthwhile experience, my only regret is that it will probably be a decade before another coaching clinic of this caliber comes to the midwest.

Matty mentioned a lot of coaching resources and books during the clinic, in addition to two blogs that he liked.  One is from Dusty Rhodes, who chronicles his entire year after a regionals where Pike misses nationals.  The second blog features a variety of players, mostly from the Atlanta area and their thoughts on ultimate.

http://ultimatejournal.blogspot.com/

http://ultfris.blogspot.com/

12-10-2016

Workout:

No Workout - Rest Day

Reading:

 No reading

Notes:

I spent most of today at a usau coaching clinic.  Matty Tsang was the instructor.  If you don't know who that is, you have some research to do.

In a revelation that should surprise no one, Matty is an excellent coach and teacher.

12-09-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 3:
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
4-Way Hip
3 x:
10 Reverse Shrugs on dip bars
10 Parallel Bar Dips
10 ea Lateral Banded Side Shoulder Raise

Strict Press 3x5 (85)
Single Arm DB Bench 3x15 (40)
4x:
20 Kneeling close clapping push ups
20 Kneeling wide clapping push ups
20 Russian KB swings (60)

Cool Down
Foam Rolling and Hip Stretching

Reading:

I finished "Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour book store".  It was great!  Very enjoyable.  I listened to the whole thing at 2x speed.  I had some discussions around whether listening to something at 2x speed "cheapens" the experience.  My current opinion is that the ability of my brain to understand the contents of a book is usually limited by the speed at which I can read it.  If I can listen to it faster, that doesn't necessarily imply that I am losing anything by doing so.

12-08-2016

Workout:

Field Strong Day 2:
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
Hip Raises
Banded Psoas Activation
Planks
Hollow Rocks
Banded Reverse Hypers
Empty Bar Front Squat
---
Deadlift: do 5-7 warm up sets of 5 with moderate weight, make small jumps.  Hit a final set of 5 to start a linear progression, should have plenty of reps in the tank at that weight.
Work up sets: 135, 155, 175, 195, 215, 235, 255
Final set: 275

Teapot walking lunges (20 lb kb, 20 yards, 4 sets each side)
Strict Pull ups (4 sets, 7,5,5,5)
---
Conditioning:
6 rounds as fast as possible:
30 yds: Sandbag Slide Sprints (this is a prowler/sled alternative)
10ea: Dynamic Step ups
---
Cool down

Champe Challenge:
5x:
20 push ups
40 sit ups

15 minutes of foam rolling, voodoo bands

Reading:

I started listening to "Mr. Prenumbra's 24 hour bookstore".  This is the first time I have listened to a fiction audiobook.  Good stuff.

12-07-2016

Workout:

Field Strong - Day 1
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
Jump Rope - 15 Minutes (variety of movements, 2 legs, 1 leg, alternating, 2x1, 1x2, 2x2, etc)
Correctives:
Banded Vertical Lunge Stretch
Child's Pose Progression 1
Vertical Column Side Stretch
Active Hamstring Stretch w/ Banded Assist
Child's Pose Moose Antler
Banded Support Full Squat
Trunk:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
- Alternating contralateral deadbugs (1 minute)
- Sandbag turkish get ups (~50 lbs)
- Ab wheel (10)
Cool Down

20 minutes of Foam Rolling

Champe Challenge:
5x:
20 Push Ups
40 Sit Ups

Reading:

Today I listened to "1066, the year that changed everything".  It was a series from "The Great Courses" about the events leading up to and following William the Conqueror's take over of England.  It was a dizzying cultural and political discussion of that time period, but it was short and a good change of pace.

Notes:

- I listened to this at 2x speed as well.  When I started listening, it sounded like a hyperactive child who had inhaled helium was excitedly teaching me history.  By the end of the lectures it felt normal.  At this speed, each lecture (there were 6) took about 13 minutes.  So that was nice.

- I am extremely bad and jumping rope.

- Sandbag turkish get ups were difficult at that weight.

12-06-2016

Workout:

Champe Challenge:
5x:
20 push ups
40 sit ups

Prehab Exercises:
Golf Ball: Feet, ankles, calves
Foam Roll
Hip Flexor Stretch
Adductor with Trunk Rotation
Supine Piriformis Stretch
Adductor Stretch with Strap
SLDL
Ball - Hip flexion and extension
Miniband - Side Shuffles
Miniband - Side Lying Clamshells
Side Lying Hip Abduction - Weighted
Banded Hip Adduction
Side Lying Hip Adduction - Weighted
Ball - Split Squat
Ball - Eccentric Hamstring Curl

Additional Core Stuff:
Pillar to Plank Press up
Pillar Hold alternate hand reach

I am feeling good, ready to get back in the gym tomorrow.

Reading:

I finished "John Wooden's Pyramid of Success".

Notes:

Favorite Coach Power Rankings:

1.  Phil Jackson
2.  Gregg Popovich
3.  John Wooden
4.  Matty Tsang

Side note: I have a book by Coach K on my to-read list, so he may end up rounding out the top 5.

Side note 2: It is very possible that a lot of truly transcendent coaches have never written a book or just aren't noticed by the sports media machine.  So my exposure to the insights of these skilled coaches is extremely limited, basically just to those who have decided to publish books or those who have had articles written about them.  I have a strong suspicion there is a lot of unrecognized coaching greatness out there that we will never hear about.

12-05-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Offhands, Overheads, Blades

Champe Challenge - 100 push ups, 200 sit ups, 50ea split squats

Core Workout - Isometric Core, Deadbugs

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

This is a deload week.  Weight training will resume at the end of this week.  In the mean time I will be doing a lot of bodyweight movements, maintenance, and prehab.

12-04-2016

Workout:

3v3 with NUT coaches and Walden

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

It snowed today during 3v3.  It was a great time, pretty cold and wet by the end.
My goal today was to bring the heat on defense, practice playing with my hips lower so I can change direction more quickly, and try to make plays on discs in my layout range.  I especially wanted to work on setting up well, using my body, and making plays on in-cuts.  I think I did a pretty good job applying pressure and I pulled the trigger a few times when I thought I had a look.  I got close but wasn't able to get blocks from them.  I was happy with the level of intensity I brought, but I think I need to continue to ramp it up in those areas.

Results-wise, my team got smashed at 3v3.  I turned in a pretty poor offensive performance.  I would definitely like the opportunity at a rematch a little later in the off-season, I think it was within our power to win and I think given another chance we have a good shot.

To beat Walden's team at 3v3, you have to contain him.  The strength he brings to his team is that they get a guy who is always hustling, is an extremely reliable reset, a great defender, and takes the right angles on everything.  When I say contain him, I specifically mean you have to play tight enough on him so that his teammates make throwing errors trying to get it to him.  If you give Walden the free reset, he will take it all day, break the mark, and play mistake-free as he wrecks you.  So, come ready to battle (best plan is probably to rotate matchups on him), and maximize mismatches on other players.

12-03-2016

Workout:

With Champe:
5 sets of:
20 Push ups
40 Crunches
10 Split Squats (each side)
- I am going to dub this the "Champe Challenge"

15 Minutes of hallway throwing with Champe

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

On parting with old jerseys:
Today I gave away a lot of my old jerseys that I don't wear often.  Some of those jerseys represent seasons of hard work, success, struggle, injury, disappointment, fulfillment, etc.  A few of those jerseys had (and still have) a lot of meaning for me.  But at the end of the day, I have accumulated a ridiculous number of jerseys and I am very happy to donate a few to a greater cause.

Other Jersey Notes:
- As a piece of advice for younger players, you definitely don't need to buy tournament jerseys in most cases.  You will attend more than 10 tournaments in a single year of college+club, and buying a jersey at every one becomes ridiculous very quickly.  One exception to this might be your first college or club nationals tournament, worlds, or some other tournament of that nature.

- KB's theory is that college sophomores are the guys who are most in need of jerseys.  They've been playing for a year or so and are all in, but they have not yet accumulated enough jerseys for practices and so on.  So the best bang-for-your-buck donation is to distribute extras to sophomores.  Invested rookies are a close second.

- Some simple jersey math:  On most college and club teams your jersey kit will include a minimum of 1 white, 1 dark, 1 pair of shorts, and 1 long sleeve or reversible jersey.  This does not include any multiples you might buy.  So if you play a college season and a club season in one year, you are getting 2 of each at a minimum, per year.  Throw in a random fun team jersey per year for good measure.  Maybe you trade a few here or there, but that generally will be a wash in terms of quantity.

So after a 4 year college and club career, you will have accumulated a minimum of 8 white jerseys, 8 dark jerseys, 8 pairs of shorts, 4 fun tournament jerseys, and 8 long sleeves and/or reversibles.  This is a rather large drawer-full of gear.  So, don't buy that random fall tournament jersey, you'll have plenty of jerseys soon.

12-02-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

The 4v4 tournament playoffs and finals are tomorrow!

12-01-2016

Workout:

Throwing:
Warm Up
Flick Hucks (2-leg no step)
Low Backhand (wonder under, working on shape)
Backhand Pull (adding power)

Reading:

I listened to "Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success" by John Wooden and Jay Carty.  I pulled this off of C's audible library and it was much more religious than I expected.  Since I wasn't expecting it, it was a little disconcerting at first.  But I really liked how John Wooden's coaching philosophy is completely and utterly consistent with his set of beliefs and values.  For instance, John Wooden believes in a certain definition of what it means to be successful (broadly) and what it means to be a good individual, and everything he teaches is based on those beliefs.  Everything he says and does reflects and reinforces this strong ethos.  Everything in his philosophy is close-knit and clear.

I think this is one of the things I respect the most about John Wooden.  The unwavering character and cohesiveness to his teaching (and coaching) style feels powerful and worth aspiring towards.

Notes:

- I wanted to work out with Champe today after practice, but the fields were closed and we had to cancel.  I would like to set up weekly 3-man marking and footwork sessions with my co-coaches when winter rolls around.  I think it would be a good thing for me to work on keeping my reactions as sharp as possible through these off-season months.

- I listened to this audiobook at 2x speed.  At first it felt extremely fast, but after about 30 minutes I got used to it and it felt pretty normal.  Normal to the point that I was considering trying to go faster by the end of my drive.  I think there is a bit of audio quality lost, but I don't consider that to be a big deal.

11-30-2016

Workout:

No workout - Rest Day

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

Tomorrow is the final practice before winter break.

"Hit the gym, Northwestern"

11-29-2016

Workout:

Week 4: Day 1 (1.5 hrs)
Warm Up:
Foam Roll
4-Way Hip
Hip Lifts
Mini band psoas activation
Kneeling t-spine rotation
Side Plank
Front Plank
Ankle Mobility
SLDL
2x:
Toe Touch Squat
PVC Hip Hinge
Eccentric Push Up
---
High Object Jumps 2x10
Rhythmic Lunge Jumps 2x10ea
Depth Jumps 2x5
Jump Squats with Barbell 2x6 (65)
Romanian Deadlift 3x3 at 85%:
Warm Up: 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 3
Work: 255 x 3 x 3
Back Squat 3x3 at 85%:
Warm Up: 45 x 8, 115 x 3, 155 x 3, 205 x 3, 245 x 1
Work: 255 x 3 x 3
---
Cool Down:
Pivoting Practice
Hip Stretches
Voodoo band

Throwing (0.5 hrs) - Ivert Flick Huck Wrist Mechanics, Backhand Pull Wrist Mechanics

Reading:

I did not read today.

Notes:

Fun fact: Blue mini-bands last approximately 3 years for me before they wear out and snap.  I have snapped 3 in the last couple weeks.

11-28-2016

Workout:

Disc Golf (0.5 hrs)

Foam Rolling, Activation, and Prehab (1 hr)

Reading:

I finished "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics" today.  In the last lecture they discuss "nudges", various kinds of policy changes that can alter behavior, and a few other misc. topics.

Overall, the idea of "the great courses" is cool.  The thought that you can learn about any number of topics from great teachers is an attractive one.  However, I felt that the verbal methods the lecturer use make it much harder to listen to as compared to a "true" audiobook.  I thought that it was worth listening to this, but I also felt like the lecturer would get very dry at times or over-explain basic concepts.

Notes:

Mental note - After daylight savings, it gets dark outside very quickly after a normal work day.  This makes working out outside after work more difficult.

Mental note 2 - Once the ground freezes in late December, working out outside is no longer on the table, since cleats don't work properly.  This is the absolute latest that footwork and skills work need to move indoors.

11-27-2016

Workout:

Indoor Ultimate (2.5)
- 2 x 150s beforehand

Foam rolling and prehab (0.5)

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

Mon: 3.25
Tue: 4.25
Wed: 2.25
Thu: 1.5
Fri: 2
Sat: 0
Sun: 2.5

Total: 15.75 hrs

This week I fell very far short of my target of hitting 30 hours.  In order to get to 30 hours, I need to be working out 4.3 hours per day.  The only time I came close to this was on Tuesday.  I will try this again over winter break and see how far I can get.  A few notes that require consideration when trying to work out this much:

- recovery is obviously critical
- diet gets more important for providing you energy and recovery
- sleeping enough also gets more important for the same reasons
- scheduling workouts so that intensity is varied enough to allow for recovery also matters a lot more
- I think day 3 is the most difficult day

When I was writing my schedule, I was also struck by how easy it was for me to omit or gloss over certain types of training.  More specifically, it was easy for me to fill the schedule with the kind of training I like to do and am very familiar with (i.e. throwing, weight training).  But it's very likely that my "optimal training" and the training I like to do may not be completely in-line.  So, I think my challenge is to adopt the more optimal path, whether or not I love every second of it.

11-26-2016

Workout:

No workout

Reading:

I listened to "Outliers".

Notes:

I spent today in Madison with family.

Monday: 3.25
Tuesday: 4.25
Wednesday: 2.25
Thursday: 1.5
Friday: 2
Saturday: 0

11-25-2016

Workout:

Week 3: Day 3 (2) 
Warm Up
Foam Roll
4-Way Hip
Cook Hip Lift
Lax Pin and Stretch
Posterior Capsule Rock
Supine Band Psoas activation
Prone Hip Flexion
Side Plank
2x:
Miniband In/outs
Miniband Retro walk
Miniband sumo hold
1-arm Farmer's carry
---
Back Squat 5x4 at 85%
Warm Up: 45x8, 115x5, 205x3, 245x2
Work: 255 x 5 x 4
Romanian Deadlift 5x4 at 85%
Warm Up: 135x5, 185x3, 225x3
Work: 255 x 5 x 3
Barbell Jump Squat: 5 x 8
Depth Jump: 5 x 5
RLJ: 5 x 10 ea
HOJ: 2 x 10
---
Cool Down: Foam roll, Hip Stretch

Reading:

I read chapter 2 of "Flow".

Notes:

Monday: 3.25
Tuesday: 4.25
Wednesday: 2.25
Thursday: 1.5
Friday: 2

11-24-2016

Workout:

Defensive Footwork (1)
- dynamic warm up
- ladder + 8 cone drills
- marking
- hill sprints
- cool down

Foam rolling and prehab (.5)

Reading:

I read and listened to a few different things today.  On the drive to thanksgiving I listened to "Outliers" by Malcom Gladwell.  It was pretty decent.

During the day I read the first chapter of "Flow" by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi.  This book is incredible thus far.

Notes:

Today was thanksgiving!  It was good to see family.  I had a much longer workout planned for today, but my plans changed and I was not able to log as much time as I originally aimed to.

Monday: 3.25
Tuesday: 4.25
Wednesday: 2.25
Thursday: 1.5

11-23-2016

Workout:

Throwing (1.5) - working on wrist mechanics and breakmark moves

Foam Rolling and Prehab (.75)

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".

Notes:

Monday: 3.25
Tuesday: 4.25
Wednesday: 2.25

11-22-2016

Workout:

Mobility, Activation, and Prehab (0.75 hrs)
Throwers 10 exercises
1 leg balances
Sumo squats
Lateral lunges
Standing miniband psoas activation

Throwing - Low Release Backhand w/ wonder under (0.75 hrs)

Thanksgiving Break Pickup with NUT (2 hrs)

Week 3: Day 2 (0.75 hrs)
Warm Up:
Foam Rolling
Shoulder Touches
Isometric Core
Lateral Squats
Miniband Squats
---
Trap Bar Speed Deadlift 5x4 (135)
4 rounds:
Bench Press 8
1-Arm Dumbbell Row 8ea
Bicep Curl 8 ea
Tricep Extension 8
---
RFESS 6 ea
T-Rotations
---
Cool down: Stretch, Voodoo band

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".  The author talks about the prisoner's dilemma and game theory, and talks about equilibrium outcomes.

Notes:

Monday: 3.25
Tuesday: 4.25

I played pickup with the nuts today.  It was fun!  I did not feel slow, but my throws felt rusty.

11-21-2016

Workout:

Stretching, Mobility, Activation (0.75 hrs)
- Foam Rolling
- Hip Flexor Stretch
- Adductor Stretch with trunk rotation
- Supine Piriformis stretch
- Adductor with strap
- SLDL
- Miniband side steps
- Miniband side lying hip abduction
- Side lying hip abduction (weighted)
- Band resisted hip adduction
- Side lying hip adduction (weighted)
- Eccentric hamstring curl

Throwing - Catch and Release (0.5 hrs)

Week 3: Day 1 (2 hrs)
Warm Up:
Foam Roll
4-Way Hip Stretch
Hip Lifts
Plank Pull
Kneeling t-spine
Front Plank
Side Plank
Ankle Mobility
SLDL
2x:
Toe touch squats
PVC Hip hinge
Eccentric Pushup
---
High Object Jumps: 5 x 10
Rhythmic Lunge Jumps: 5x10ea
Depth Jumps: 5x5
Barbell Jump Squat: 5x8 (55)
Romanian Deadlift 5x4 at 80%
Warm Up: 135x5, 185x3, 225x2
Work: 240 x 5 x 4
Back Squat 5x4 at 80%
Warm Up: 45x5, 105x5, 145x5, 195x3, 235x2
Work: 240 x 5 x 4
---
Cool Down: Lax Ball, Voodoo Band, Foam Roll

Reading:

I listened to some more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".  The author talks about how people use heuristics, bounded rationality, and evidence in decision making.  He talks specifically about the familiarity/availability heuristic.

Notes:

I am trying to get to 30 hours this week, so I am keeping track of the amount of time I spend working out.  Things that count for this total include any kind of physical maintenance, lifting, running, skills work, and/or throwing.  I have made a schedule for working out and recovery and I'll log my progress here.  Today: 3.25 hrs.

11-20-2016

Workout:

30 minutes of Mobility and Activation exercises

Reading:

No reading

Notes:

Today I flew home.

11-19-2016

Workout:

No workout

Reading:

No reading

Notes:

Today KB got married!

Quick Hits:

- It snowed a little in Minnesota.  It was 68 in Chicago on Friday.
- "St. Paul is a cleaner, smaller Chicago" - Someone
- The 2012 men's great lakes regional final universe point was specifically referenced during a wedding toast
- Surly was served throughout (A+)
- "A roller coaster of a weekend" - Jared, probably

Weddings are strange in a lot of ways.  For the couple, it seems like you spend 6-12 months planning a huge party for family and friends, but then you are too busy to attend it because you have to do things like take pictures.  Also, it kind of feels like the wedding planning industry basically just tries to fleece you for as much money as possible by making you buy fancy paper, candles, and matching flower arrangements that you will throw away the next day.  And then since you spent a lot of money on all that stuff, people feel obligated to purchase you a wedding gift, which is usually an expensive set of dishes or towels or something like that.  So at the end of it, everyone pays a premium for the experience, you get some expensive dishes and towels, and everyone else attends a cool party that you kind of get to watch from afar.  If you ever wonder why "Bed, Bath, and Beyond" is somehow still in business despite being the smartphone-less radioshack of interior design, the answer is wedding registries.

Obviously this is a cynical view.  Hosting a party with all of your family and friends should be more than enough reason to make things worth it.  KB + Rose did a good job managing all of these weird social constructs and making the best of things.

11-18-2016

Workout:

No workout - rest day.

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

Today I went to MSP with my boy Adam.

11-17-2016

Workout:

Week 2: Day 2
Warm Up:
Foam Roll (PVC)
4-way Hip
Cook Hip Lifts
Lax pin and stretch
Glute capsule rock
Supine band psoas activation
Prone hip flexion
Side Plank
SLDL
2x:
Miniband in/outs
Miniband retro walk
Miniband Sumo Hold
1-arm farmer carry
---
Back Squat 4x5 at 80%:
Warm Up: (45 x 5, 105 x 5, 145 x 3, 195 x 3, 235 x 2)
Work: (240 x 4 x 5)
Romanian Deadlift 4x5 at 80%:
Warm Up: (135 x 5, 185 x 3)
Work: (240 x 4 x 5)
Barbell Jump Squat 4 x 10 (45)
Depth Jump 2 x 5
Rhythmic Lunge Jumps 1 x 10ea
High Object Touches 1 x 10
---
Cool down: Couch stretch, foam roll

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

I wanted to run with Champe today, but I did not make it to practice early enough.

11-16-2016

Workout:

No workout

Reading:

No reading

Notes:

No notes

11-15-2016

Workout:

No workout - Rest Day

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

"Andy N is a genius."

11-14-2016

Workout:

Week 2: Day 1
Warm Up:
4-way Hip
Hip Lifts
Supine Band Psoas Activation
Kneeling T-Spine
Front Plank
Side Plank
Ankle Mobility
SLDL
2x:
Squat to Stand
PVC Hip Hinge
Eccentric Push up
MB slams
--
High Object Touch 4x10
Rhythmic Lunge Jump 4x10ea
Depth Jump 4x5
Barbell Jump Squat 4x10 (45)
Romanian Deadlift 4x5 at 75%:
Warm Up: (135 x 5, 185 x 3)
Work: (225 x 4 x 5)
Back Squat 4x5 at 75%:
Warm Up: (135 x 6, 185 x 3)
Work: (225 x 4 x 5)
--
Cool Down:
Hip Stretches
Foam Rolling

Throwing: Disc Golf

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".  The lecturer talks more about risk, risk aversion, and information uncertainty.

Notes:

Walden works out 30 hours a week.

11-13-2016

Workout:

I played indoor 7v7.  After my warm up but before the game started I did some short sprints and ran 1 x 150.  My plan is to use this indoor time to get some extra conditioning in.  I think this will be helpful, especially in winter when field access is limited.  My plan is to ramp up the number of sprints I do beforehand.

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

My boy KB is getting hitched next weekend!

11-12-2016

Workout:

Today I played 4v4.  My lack of conditioning was very obvious, and my team got smoked.  On paper, it should have been close.

Reading:

I did not read.

Notes:

I played a card game called "Coup".  It was great, much better than Avalon but with a similar flavor.

11-11-2016

Workout:

Week 1: Day 3
Warm Up:
Foam Roll
4-Way Hip
Cook Hip Lift
Supine Band Psoas Activation
Prone Hip Flexion
Side Plank
Wall Slide
Miniband in/outs
Miniband retro walk
Miniband sumo hold
1-arm farmer carry
--
Squat - 3x6 at 75%
Warm Up: 45 x 8, 105 x 5, 145 x 5, 195 x 3
Work: 225 x 3 x 6
Romanian Deadlift - 3x6 at 75%
Warm Up: 135 x 5, 185 x 3
Work: 225 x 3 x 6
Barbell Jump Squat 3 x 10 (45)
Depth Jumps 3 x 5
Rhythmic Lunge Jumps 3 x 10 ea
High Object Touches 3 x 10 ea
--
Cool down
Static Stretching and foam rolling, voodoo band

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".

Notes:

-Maximize Every Opportunity

11-10-2016

Workout:

Defensive Footwork
Dynamic Warm Up
Ladder - Slalom
Ladder - Multi-directional Slalom
8 Cone - 2 in 2 out
8 Cone - 1 in 2 out
3 step drill
Ladder - D backwards icky
Ladder - D backwards icky sprint
Breakmark game
Change of Pace
Cool down

30 minutes of foam rolling and stretching

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".  The author talks about risk aversion and reference bias.

11-09-2016

Workout:

No workout - Rest Day

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Great Courses: Behavioral Economics".  The lecturer is getting into "Neuroeconomics", or an inter-disciplinary field somewhere between Econ/Psychology/Neuroscience.  The lecturer talks about how dopamine is associated with a feeling of "wanting".  He sites an example where dopamine was used to help treat Parkinson's and the patients report becoming addicted to gambling while on the treatments.  The lecturer also talks about how the amount of dopamine released in the brain is associated with the level of expectation as compared to the level of reward.  If the reward is large and unexpected, this releases a lot of dopamine.  If the reward is expected to be large but is small, this results in a steep drop in dopamine levels.

11-08-2016

Workout:

Throwing (232) - Flick Mechanics Progression

Week 1: Day 2
Warm Up: Squat Jumps, Pushups to Down Dog, Reverse Squats, Spiderman Lunges, Couch Stretch

Clean Warm Up (barbell only)

Every 2 minutes for 16 min:
Clark Complex: (95)
- 6 Deadlifts
- 5 Hang Power Cleans
- 4/ea Front Rack Lunges
- 3 Push Press

As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes: (35)
- 12 KB Swings
- 6/ea KB lateral lunges
- KB Sumo High Pulls

Cool Down: 10 minutes of foam rolling

Reading:

I started listening to "The great courses: Behavioral Economics".  The first part was an explanation of what behavioral econ is.  This was dry, since I already knew this stuff.

Notes:

Today is a disgraceful day to be an american.  The election of Donald Trump to the presidency represents a massive step backwards on social issues, inequality, and freedoms in general.

http://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/a20072

11-07-2016

Workout:

Throwing (150) - Catching Focus

Week 1: Day 1
Warm Up and Correctives:
4-Way Hip
Band Psoas activation
Keeling t-spine rotation
Front Plank
Side Plank
Ankle Mobility
SLDL
2x:
Toe Touch Squat
PVC Hip Hinge
Eccentric Pushup
--
Workout:
- High Object Jumps 3x10
- Rhythmic Lunge Jumps 3x10ea
- Depth Jumps 3x5
- Barbell Jump Squat 3x10 (45)
Romanian Deadlift 3x6 @ 70%:
Warm Up: (135 x 5, 185 x 4)
Work: (210 3x6)
Back Squat 3x6 @ 70%:
Warm Up: (45 x 5, 95 x 5, 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 235 x 1)
Work: (210 3x6)
--
Cool Down: Static stretching and foam rolling

Reading:

This was not quite as good as I had hoped based on the title.  I felt like I was rehashing a lot of basic principles.  In any case, it did an okay job giving an overview of some of the stylistic coaching things I believe in:

https://leadersinsport.com/performance/art-relationship-based-coaching/

Notes:

It's election day!

11-06-2016

Workout:

No workout

Reading:

No reading

Notes:

This was Sunday of MLC.  We now have 3 months until our next tournament, we must take full advantage.

"Hit the gym, Northwestern."

11-05-2016

Workout:

No workout

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

This was Saturday of MLC.  A few random thoughts:

- When I went to MLC as a rookie in 07, it was 33°C and raining.  I remember nearly freezing to death in a mud pit.  This year it was mid-60's and sunny.

- The new field site is way better.

- Some teams drive a very long way to face good competition.  A 12 hour drive for a team that is less centrally located is not uncommon.  This is why it surprises me when nut calls a 6-hour drive "A very long drive".

- I really thought that Wes Chow and Mark Rauls would have graduated by now, apparently not.

- Side note, I think Jack Williams is the best men's player in college this year.  But I think J. Stubbs will win the Callahan anyway due to last year's nationals performance.

11-04-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Offhands and Overheads (65)

Reading:

I finished "Blink" today.  I thought it was pretty decent.  I felt like I learned a few things, definitely wasn't a waste of time.

Notes:

MLC is this weekend!

11-03-2016

Workout:

Throwing (208) - Pull mechanics and flick mechanics

Reading:

I read more of "Blink".  The author talks about how in extremely high pressure situations, people revert to a the lowest quality action.  For example, after a car chance, a police officer is often unable to think straight due to the immense stress of the situation, and therefore may act erratically.

Notes:

I am taking a lot of video of my throws this month.  My goal is to create a clear picture of my weaknesses and areas for improvement.  I have done this in a limited way in the past, but I am attempting to gather a lot more data this time.

11-02-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Flick Mechanics (161)

Reading:

I listened to more of "Blink".  The author talks about perception as it relates to snap judgement, talks about sip taste testing studies, and talks about how sometimes focus groups don't test products in a realistic way, or might pass on a game-changer because it is too weird or outside the norm.

11-01-2016

Workout:

Prehab Exercises - 45 min

Throwing - Flick Hucks (260)

Reading:

Today I listened to more of "Blink".  The book is basically about how snap decisions can be surprisingly functional in some situations, but can be misleading in others.  The author talks about "thin slicing", a process where decisions are made based on less information, rather than more.  The author also talks about how an overload of information can actually lead to a worse decision, due to the presence of distracting factors.

Notes:

It's no-shave November!

10-31-2016

Workout:

20 minutes of foam rolling

Throwing - Wrist Mechanics (348)

Reading:

I finished "The Signal and The Noise" today.  High recommend, a good listen.  It's a bit lengthier, but I found it to be compelling in a lot of different ways.

I am starting "Blink" by Malcom Gladwell.  Side note, I think it's pretty cool when the author narrates their own audiobook.

Notes:

This week is a de-load week according to my programming.  So this means spending more time on prehab exercises and moving around, less time under a barbell this week.

10-30-2016

Workout:

Prehab exercises - 1 hr

Other Stuff:
- 1 leg balances
- Mini-band resisted knee drive drill (standing/prone)

Mini-circuit
- 10 KB sumo squats (25)
- 10 KB sumo deadlifts (25)
- 10 KB lateral lunges (25)

KB get-ups

Reading:

No reading.

Notes:

I voted early today.  It was cool.

10-29-2016

Workout:

Offensive Footwork
Dynamic Warm Up
Ladder - 1 leg hops
Ladder - 1 leg sticks
Ladder - Linear Quick Feet
Ladder - Sprinters Drill
A skips - Sprint
B skips - Sprint
C skips - Sprint
Outside Foot Push
Inside Foot Push
Combo OFP+IFP
- I am trying to work on having good/steep shin angles in this drill by keeping my hips low.  It was very different than how I have done this before.
Hollywood Squares (10x10)
Max Effort 150 shuttles (2) - 27, 28
Cool Down

Reading:

No reading today

Notes:

Today I went to Milwaukee to hang out with friends for Halloween weekend, it was great.

10-28-2016

Workout:

Week 7: Day 3
Warm Up: Hip Stretches, Miniband Series, Squat to Stand

Trap Bar Deadlift: Work up to a heavy x 1.  Don't sacrifice form for weight.
135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315, 345, 315

355 came off the ground, but I wasn't interested in letting my form fall apart to finish the rep.  345 was the best I had today,

Speed Deadlifts: 225x5, 135x2x10

Cool Down

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Signal and The Noise".  

10-27-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

I listed to more of "The Signal and The Noise".  The author talks about poker, the "poker bubble" of the 2000's, "fishes", "sharks", and his brief stint as a full-time online poker player.  I thought it was very entertaining.

The author talks about how the ESPN world series of poker made poker go mainstream.  He also talks about how the broadcasts made poker seem fun, dramatic, and made the viewer feel like poker was easy.  As a result, a whole bunch of fans felt like they were incredibly good at poker (despite having no skills at all), and signed up for online poker games and the world series of poker.  The author mentions an anecdote about how no other game has new players who are as full of hubris and deluded about their abilities as you'd find in poker.

Notes:

The Big Fish in a Small Pond
You head off to college and sign up for the ultimate team.  When you join, you are certainly one of the worst players, but definitely not the worst.  You stick with it, going regularly to practices and tournaments, and you feel committed.  After a few years, your ability level relative to your peers begins to grow.  Maybe you're an upperclassman, and those who you knew were better than you at ultimate have graduated by now.  You're clearly one of the better players on the team (in your opinion), but also definitely not the best.  You can't touch that guy, he's a beast.  You feel secure in your standing as an older, wiser player.  You feel like you have established yourself, that you are among The Upper Crust.  You have made it!  Maybe you dismiss a few disappointing regionals results as flukes.  How could you lose?  You're an all-star, right?  Maybe you get comfortable and start to make excuses.  Maybe you let your lifting schedule or throwing schedule slip.  I think this is the trap of the big fish in a small pond.

If it was the case that you would only ever compete against your own teammates, then this wouldn't be a problem.  This is what happens with Intramural sports.  But since you compete against teams outside your own, that you do not see very often, with players outside your immediate pool, the small pond is an illusion.  I think that the size of your pond is dictated by the competition you choose to enter.  You must be willing to look beyond your immediate surroundings, out of the pond and into the ocean.  And I think that if you choose to compete on a national stage, it is absolutely critical to realize that you are a very small fish in a massive ocean.

10-26-2016

Workout:

No Workout - Rest Day

Reading:

I listed to more of "The Signal and The Noise".  The author spends a lot of time trying to convince me that probabilistic approaches are valid.  Since I already believe they are, this feels a like known territory.  The author talks about Bayes, talks about lung cancer, talks about bias, and gets into the weeds more on Earthquake and Economy predictions.  Good stuff.

Notes:

10-25-2016

Workout:

Week 6: Day 2

Warm Up: High Knees, Jumping Jacks, Spidermans, Pushups into down dog, squats with a miniband

Every minute on the minute for 10 min:
Clark Complex (don't put the bar down): (95)
- 6 Deadlifts
- 4 Hang Power Cleans
- 3ea Front Rack Lunges
- 1 Jerk

As many rounds as possible in 8 min:
- 21 box jumps (24")
- 15 KB Swings (50)

Cool Down

Reading:

I listed to more of "The Signal and The Noise".  The author talks about the difficulty in predicting earthquakes and the behavior of the economy.

Notes:

I listened to this, at the request of KB.  It was great!  It's about the science of deliberate practice.

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/peak/

10-24-2016

Workout:

Week 7: Day 1
Warm Up: Jog, Jump Squats, Squat to Stands, Hollowbody rocks, Band Assisted external rotation

Back Squat, work up to 1x10 heavy, then 2x10 at 90%.  Heavier than last week.
(45, 125, 145, 165, 185, 205, 225, 215, 215) x 10 ea

Assisted Pistols 4x8

Cool Down

Reading:

I listened to more of "The Signal and the Noise".  I'm loving this book.  The author digs into the history of 538, the terrible inaccuracy of political forecasting, "Foxes" vs "Hedgehogs", the "moneyball era" in baseball and Pagota, the relative success of modern weather forecasting, and the immense challenge presented by predicting earthquakes.  It's fascinating so far.

Quick hits from the book (these may be slightly paraphrased):

- "A forecaster's job is to make the most accurate forecast possible.  The original sin of forecasting is to tweak or fudge the forecast in some way for an external reason."

- (on political forecasting) "Foxes consider a lot of different kinds of information and take them into account in their predictions.  Hedgehogs latch on to one major thing and use that as their primary source.  Hedgehogs make better TV "experts" due to flashy claims, but foxes are more often correct."

Notes:

I like how the book is grounded in data and approaches things in a probabilistic way.  I think viewing sports though this lens can offer some insights.  

10-23-2016

Workout:

No Workout - Rest Day

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

Today was the second day of Windy City Invite.

10-22-2016

Workout:

No workout - Rest Day

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

Today was the first day of Windy City Invite.  I was a little sore from the deadlifts, but not bad.

The highest volume lifting workout I have ever done was back in college.  I don't think there was any rhyme or reason to why I did it, other than to see if I could.

The workout was:
20 sets of each, alternating:
Barbell Deadlift -  225 lbs x 5 reps
Barbell Bench Press -  135 lbs x 5 reps

10-21-2016

Workout:

Week 6: Day 3
Warm Up: Hip and Glute Activation, Miniband series

Trap Bar Deadlift Pyramid: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

Warm Up: 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 235 x 3

10 - 235
8 - 255
6 - 275
4 - 295
2 - 315
1 - 335
2 - 315
4 - 295
6 - 275
8 - 255
10 - 235

Cool Down

Two things about this workout:
1.  About three hours before I did this workout, I was arguing with A about how training using volume deadlifts is generally a bad idea.  My argument was something like, it's fine if your form is flawless and you have a very weak deadlift, but why on earth would you train that way?  Then, when I looked at the programming for today it was the highest volume deadlift workout thus far.  Sweet.  Don't get me wrong, I love deadlifting, but for the record I would not recommend training volume deadlifts too often.

2.  This was a very difficult workout.  I believe Natalie programmed about 20 minutes for the pyramid (61 deadlifts over 20 minutes?! ).  This took me more like 45 minutes from start to finish.  While I was ramping up the first part of the pyramid, I was worried about my ability to finish the climb back down the other side.  By the last set, my hands were torn up, burning, and stinging.  I briefly considered phoning in the last few reps, but I glanced at my wrist and finished strong.  I think that a small reminder at the right time of a bigger purpose can be powerful.

Reading:

I listened to "The Signal and The Noise".  It's phenomenal so far.  I'm a big fan of 538, so I was not in a lot of danger of not liking this one.

10-20-2016

Workout:

Defensive Footwork

Dynamic Warm Up
Ladder - Slalom Drill
Ladder - Multi-Directional Slalom Drill
8 Cone - 2 in/2 out
8 Cone - 1 in/2 out
8 Cone - Jab/Crossover
8 Cone - Backwards Jab/Crossover
3 Step - Decel/Plant/Accel
Ladder - Defensive Backwards Icky
Ladder - Defensive Backwards Icky into sprint

Breakmark game - 10 discs, 2 x flick, 2 x backhand

Offhand 3-man marking

Reading:

I finished "Start With Why".  I stand by my original assertion that this book wasn't a total waste of time, but wasn't my favorite.  I didn't like how the author uses "why" as a noun.

The author shares an anecdote in the last chapter of the book that I liked:

"When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you.  But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you."

The author presents this in the context of a cross-country runner, who shows up every day with the singular focus of competing against himself.  The author offers this as an example of purpose-driven growth, and it is an example with broad application that I like.  I think it's a good way to look at the "growth mindset".

Notes:

Next I am going to read (listen to) "The Signal and The Noise" by Nate Silver.

Full steam ahead on the audiobook train!

10-19-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Wrist Mechanics (290)

40 minutes of Foam rolling, Stretching, and Activation

Reading:

I listened to more of "Start With Why".  More of the same.  Thankfully I'm almost done with the book.

Notes:

I don't consider myself a Cubs fan.

When I was a kid, my family lived in Evanston and my parents were Cubs fans.  We would occasionally go to Cubs games at Wrigley field when the weather was nice.  I remember taking stats on a scorecard at a few games, I remember Harry Caray, and I remember the Ivy-covered walls before they put "Underarmour" logos on the green doors in the outfield.

When I moved to Minnesota, I started following the Twins.  I would regularly listen to the games on the radio while I was doing my homework in high school.  The metrodome made weather a non-issue when we went to games, and we could get nosebleed tickets for $7, with $1 hot dogs on Wednesdays.  Johan Santana was in his prime and was dominating, Joe Mauer was close to hitting .400, Justin Morneau was cranking home runs on the regular, it was a good time to be a twins fan.

If there is such a thing as having a distant 2nd-favorite team, mine would be the Cubs.  So while I am not a Cubs fan, I am watching this playoff series with reserved interest.  It's easy to root for an underdog, and I reckon not winning a title in 108 years qualifies you as an underdog.  

10-18-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Blades, Offhands, Overheads - (348)

Week 6: day 1
Warm Up: Hip stretches, Running, Jump Squats, Toe Touch Squats, Hollowbody rocks, Band assisted external rotation

Back Squat - Work up to 1x10 heavy, then 2x10 and 90%, heavier than last week
(45, 115, 135, 155, 175, 195, 215, 205, 205)

Assisted Pistols 4x8

AMRAP in 5 minutes:
- 5 Hang Power Cleans (95)
- 5 Burpees

Deadbugs 4x8 each

Cool Down: Couch Stretch

Reading:

I listed to more of "Start With Why".  The more I listen to this book, the more I dislike it.  The author basically cherrypicks things from history that confirm his arbitrary hypothesis about how motivation works and sloppily tries to relate it to business.  The book title should probably be named "Confirmation Bias: Why I like Apple Inc., MLK's 'I have a dream speech', and the Wright Brothers".
Listening to this book, I feel like the author is blatantly disrespecting my intelligence.  The book is a carnival of vagueness told in short, simple business-speak.  While I don't feel like listening was a total waste of time, this book does make me think that writers in this genre can essentially just make up whatever bullshit they want, strap wings on it, and expect it to fly.

10-17-2016

Workout:

Throwing (230) - Pull Mechanics

No Workout - I am amped to squat tomorrow

Reading:

I started listening to "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek.  The title is pretty descriptive of what the book is like.  I don't hate it so far, but it feels extremely anecdotal and preachy.

Something I liked:
- Discussion of what it means to inspire and motivate by rallying around a single purpose or belief

Something I disliked:
- The author starts making claims about a "golden circle" that "has to be in balance" and then tries to tie it into the "symmetry present in nature" by talking about food chains and the golden ratio.

I can't stand it when people use "the symmetry in nature" as justification for random things.

Notes:

I went to "chicago ideas week" last night with C.  It was a good time.  There were 4 talks presented in succession that were all different:

- Abby Wambach talked about her memoir "Forward"
(Side note: This is a phenomenal book name choice)

- Bill Burnett and Dave Evans talked about the intersection of mechanical design and psychology

- Sebastian Junger talked about modern society, "tribes", human interaction, and never treating those upon who your life depends with contempt

- Jose Antonio Vargas talked about what it means to be an american, what the next 30 years will be like, and why we need to have more uncomfortable conversations

I felt like the show was worth the price of admission.

10-16-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

No Reading

Notes:

Today was a missed opportunity in terms of reading and training.

Side note, Matty Tsang is leading a coaching clinic in Chicago in December.  If you don't know Matty, you best educate yourself.

To help explain how excited I am about this, if I could pick any ultimate coach on earth to listen to at a 2-day clinic, it would be a tie between:

A. Matty Tsang
B. Dutchy

10-15-2016

Workout:

Physical Therapy Circuit - 1 hr
- Hip Flexor Stretch
- Adductor Stretch with Trunk Rotation
- Piriformis (supine)
- Adductor Stretch with Strap
- Eccentric Hamstring Strengthening (SLDL)
- Hip Flexion Extension - Ball
- Banded Side Shuffles
- Side-Lying Banded Hip Abduction
- Side-Lying Weighted Hip Abduction
- Resisted Hip Adduction
- Side-Lying Weighted Hip Adduction
- Split Squat Foot on Ball
- Eccentric Hamstring Curl - Ball
- Single-Leg Bridges - Ball
- Wall Sit - Ball

Reading:

No Reading.

Notes:

Prior to 2013 I did not consider mobility, core & hip strength, or eccentric strength to be priorities as I trained for ultimate.  I would go through the motions in warm ups, use a foam roller after hard workouts or tournaments, and deal with soreness as it cropped up in a reactionary way.  My primary goal at that time was basically to move as much weight in the gym as possible.  My thought was more weight lifted -> more explosive -> better player.  I was following a modified version of stronglifts, squatting in the low 300s, deadlifting in the 400s, doing front rack RFEs at over 200.  But I was also chronically injured.  My training had done a good job of making me faster, but I was also struggling with recurring hamstring and groin issues.  I spent more than half of 2013 on the sideline for various different tweaks and pulls.  This was frustrating mentally and physically.  On the 2nd to last day of the 2013 season, this proved to be too much for my body to take, and I tore my ACL on a non-contact play.  As anyone who has been through a surgical procedure like this knows, this tends to serve as a wake-up call for even the most stubborn people (like me).

After surgery, I spent the next six or seven months working with a physical therapist building basic function and strength.  The goal of these months is not to prepare someone for playing ultimate, it is to prepare someone for basic tasks like running, squatting, balancing, using stairs, and other simple day-to-day tasks.  When you are "cleared" by your surgeon, they are not saying you are "ready for ultimate", they are saying you are "ready for basic life tasks".  Once you are cleared it is up to you to prepare yourself for sports.  There is no set path or guideline for this, you are on your own.

So after I was cleared by my surgeon, I focused on the kinds of basic footwork and strength that are needed for ultimate.  I went to Long field and did workouts regularly with Jack and Walden to work on this.  I also hit the gym to build up basic strength.  I knew I wanted to get ~3 months of field work and lifting in before I returned to playing in real games - the thought here being that playing in a game is unpredictable, and I want to trust that my body is capable of moving and reacting in the correct ways in-game.  I also knew that it is very easy to overcompensate with the opposite leg, which can result in an increased chance of injury to that leg, and I wanted to avoid this as best I could.

About two months in to this field work, I was starting to have the same groin issues that I had had prior to my injury.  In my infinite wisdom I felt that I was past this injury, and that the stiffness and soreness was nothing to worry about.  A few weeks later, during a field workout I strained my groin again.  Not wanting to deal with another knee surgery down the road, I got a referral to Athletico and stopped all other training to focus on this.  My physical therapist had played NCAA Lacrosse with Northwestern, winning a number of championships, and also had personally torn both of her ACLs and dealt with groin issues for much of her athletic career.  I explained my injury history, what ultimate was, and my goals for recovery, and told her I did not care how lengthy or difficult the rehab circuits were.  I asked her not to take it easy on me at all, to give me something that an NCAA athlete would be expected to do.   I went to PT three times per week for the next four weeks, and on days when I didn't go I would do the circuits she gave me 1-2 times per day, religiously. She made me work very hard, and it was well worth it.

All told I spent about 6-8 weeks solely focused on physical therapy for my groin.  These weeks directly pushed back my ability to play ultimate, which at the time felt like a massive sacrifice.  But if I had not dedicated myself to this during those weeks, it is very likely this injury would have haunted me for the remainder of my playing days.

The circuit I did today was one of the circuits from 2014.  There are movements that I find easy and there are movements I still find very difficult.  No part of this workout is as "sexy" as a max squat or deadlift.  But I would argue that if you are worried about how "sexy" your training is, you have lost sight of what's important.  I would attribute my ability to be injury-free for the last two years to understanding my body better, recovering better, to circuits like this, and doing more of the critically important un-sexy stuff that goes into training.

10-14-2016

Workout:

Week 5, Day 4
Warm Up: Hip Mobility Drills, Core Stability Drills, Mini Band Sequence

Trap Bar Deadlift - 3x10 - don't sacrifice form for weight (225)

As many rounds as possible in 12 min:
- 20 KB swings (50)
- 15 Air Squats
- 10 Push Ups

Cool Down

Reading:

I finished listening to "Nudges".  I would highly recommend it, although I still think "Legacy" is more bang-for-your-buck.  I felt like the book provided insightful thoughts with actionable solutions.  I appreciated how the book explained relatively basic behavioral economics things to me without making me feel like an idiot, and I liked how the authors were able to shine some light on a few murky issues in plain sight.

10-13-2016

Workout:

Throwing - Flick Huck Mechanics Progression (203)

Defensive Footwork
Dynamic Warm Up

Ladder - Slalom Drill
Ladder - Multi-Directional Slalom Drill
8 Cone - 2 in/2 out
8 Cone - 1 in/2 out
8 Cone - Jab/Crossover
8 Cone - Backwards Jab/Crossover
3 Step - Decel/Plant/Accel
Ladder - Defensive Backwards Icky
Ladder - Defensive Backwards Icky into sprint

Marking - 5 cone drill

Conditioning - 40 yd change of pace drill, 15 min of work, about 25 reps

Cool Down


Reading:

I listened to more of "Nudges", I am about 3/4 of the way through.

The author has convinced me that Libertarian Paternalism is The Way.  (Note: in mechanical design, libertarian paternalism would be a fancy way of saying "good design".)  The author discusses how simply maximizing options doesn't result in people making the best decisions.  The example used for this are Medicare Part B and a Swedish retirement fund allocation case study.  In the Swedish case, an overwhelming number of options was presented, with the thought that more options would be better.  Most people were confused by the massive pile of choices and ended up selecting a worse decision than the "default".  In the Medicare case study, the argument was that it was far too complicated to sign up for the kind of personalized coverage you would want to optimize your costs.  So the takeaway is that if something is way too difficult to do, then people won't be able to make optimal choices because they get caught up in the process itself.

The author also talks about how transparency can be a nudge, for instance if people received a succinct yearly log of their energy bill, they would be much better able to adjust their use in an optimal way.

This was essentially the point of the summer throwing challenge.  I knew that some people would want to really compete, and others would not.  I also knew that some of those people who didn't want to compete would still log regularly.  But the main point was to create visibility between the team so that everyone could see how much others were throwing.  The thought was that getting a weekly reminder email and seeing the hard work of your teammates would galvanize you into throwing 10-20% more than you would have otherwise.  The throwing challenge was not required or mandated, it was an opt-in challenge with prizes.  While I feel that it was incredibly successful this summer, I'm not sure I was able to convey the power of logging your throws has on teammates, nudging them to throw more, nudging the team to collectively improve.  If I had conveyed this better, I think there are a few returners who may have put up some bigger numbers.

10-12-2016

Workout:

Throwing - wrist mechanics (116)

No Training - Rest day

Reading:

I listened to more of "Nudges" on my way to and from work.  A nudge is a basically a thing that influences the "doing mind"(automatic system/etc) to do something.  This could be anything, from where an architect places the bathrooms relative to the offices in a building, to which foods come first in a middle school lunch line, to how taxes and mortgages are presented.  Essentially, nudges are everywhere.  This book is mostly interested in how "Decision Architects" can design things in a way that helps people do the things they want to do (i.e. make the best choices), as naturally as possible.  An example of this that is given is having retirement savings plans be "Opt out", as in, employees are automatically signed up to save for retirement, unless they say otherwise.  The theory is that people actually do want to save for retirement, but they do a bad job of "getting to it".

This book is great so far.  The biggest carryover to coaching that I see is that language and actions matter.  My thought here is that language and actions have influence, whether you are aware of that influence or not.  Once people are aware of this, I think it is much easier to channel these nudges into making the best team (and team culture) possible.

Notes:

At the recommendation from KB, I am listening to this book at 1.5x speed.  It makes the audiobook sound like an extremely articulate and well-spoken child who has just had their first energy drink.   It is pretty weird adjusting to the pace, but I think I am getting used to it.  I'm not sure I would want to listen at this pace for every book.

10-11-2016

Workout:

Week 5: Day 2
Warm up: Hip activation series, burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, banded front rack stretch, banded lat stretch

Clean Warm up (barbell only)

Power Clean x 3 - Every minute on the minute for 10 min (155)

Pull ups x 50 in 8 minutes, any rep scheme. (I did these strict, only got to 25 in the time cap)

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
- Front rack walking lunges (barbell only)
- Burpees

Reading:

I am hopping on the audio book train, and I am psyched about it.  My typical commute time is 2+ hours a day, and it feels like I am taking this previously useless time and getting a bunch of value out of it.  On a side note, I realize that I get the majority of my daily news from Morning Edition, so I'm not sure abandoning the radio altogether is the best play.

It feels weird to list audiobooks under "reading", but I am going to do it anyway.

I started "Nudge", by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.  It's great so far.  Listening to the speaker talk about "The Econ" and "Libertarian Paternalism" is entertaining.  It reminded me of a design contest I came across a while ago called The Fun Theory.

Notes:

I love behavioral economics.  I think one of the reasons I like it is because understanding the relationship and tensions between the planner (mind 1) and the doer (mind 2) feels like it cuts to the core of discipline.

When I was a sophomore in college I took a microeconomics course taught by Eric Schulz.  In one of the lectures he offhandedly mentioned that he also taught behavioral econ during one of his related examples.  After listening for 5 minutes I knew I needed to take that class before leaving Northwestern.  A few years later I did, and it was well worth it.

10-10-2016

Workout:

Week 5: Day 1
Warm Up: 3 min jog, jump squats, squat to stands, hollowbody lifts, banded external rotation

Back Squat - work up to 1x10 heavy, then 2x10 at 90%.  Heavier than last week.
(45, 105, 125, 145, 165, 185, 205, 195, 195)

Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3x10 (40ea)

3 Rounds for Time:
- 400 m run
- 12 Trap Bar Deadlifts (155)
- 12 Box Jumps (24")

Cool Down: Couch Stretch, Adductor Stretch

Reading:

http://kbthemovement.blogspot.com/

I basically did not read anything yesterday.  I meant to read but did not get to it.

10-09-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15 of "Legacy".

These chapters did a pretty good job wrapping up the book.  This is a book that is dense with strong quotations and anecdotes.  This is by far the most "bang-for-your-buck" book I've ever read on this topic.  I also think that the author is speaking a language of leadership that I believe in.  I would highly recommend it.

Reading 2:

I had more time on my flight.

Chapters 1, 2, 3 of "There is an I in team" by Mark De Rond.  

This book is basically about how individuals behave differently than each other in a team context.  The book is pretty interesting so far.  The author gets into a lot of topics that don't make that much sense of out context, but does bring up some culture themes that I relate to, especially with several of my club experiences.

10-08-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

"The Rap Yearbook" by Shea Serrano

Shea is a strange guy & his book is fun to read.

Notes:

I was in New York today:

-On Trains: New York Subway < Chicago Subway/El < Hong Kong Subway
-There is trash everywhere
-Times Square is full of tourists
-On the plus side, there is tons of stuff to do
-I can't imagine going to NYU as an incoming freshman

10-07-2016

Workout:

No Workout

Reading:

Chapters 9, 10, 11 of "Legacy".  These were called "Pressure", "Authenticity", and "Sacrifice".  I thought they were great.

Notes:

Planes are the ideal place to read or watch a movie.  You have essentially nothing better to do with your time.

10-06-2016

Workout:

Week 4: Day 4
Warm Up: Miniband Glute Series, Core Warmup, Hamstring Warmup

Trap Bar Deadlift 5x5 (265)

AMRAP in 15 min:
- Overhead Lunges 8 each leg (just the bar)
- Burpees

Cool down: Ankle strength, couch stretch

Reading:

Chapter 8 of "Legacy"

This chapter is about preparation.  I loved this chapter.  The author talks a lot about how mental preparation and putting players in uncomfortable or unexpected game-like situations is a way to grow a mentally strong team.  This chapter feels like it has direct application to what I'm looking for.

10-05-2016

Workout:

Throwing  - Backhand Breaks (290)

No Workout - Rest Day

Reading:

http://ericcressey.com/pitchers-elite-time-off-throwing

This was an interesting read.  I think this blog is one of the best free resources out there for information on training throwers.  There are also obvious differences between throwers in ultimate and baseball pitchers.  Mechanics aside, the volume and intensity of pitching several innings of baseball is clearly far greater than the kind of throwing done in ultimate.  Also, pitching a baseball is obviously very mechanically similar every time, whereas throwing in ultimate puts a lot of different kinds of movements into a single bucket (just in terms of arm and wrist position, e.g. flick, backhand, hammer, scoober, etc.).

Let's say a pitch is roughly equivalent to a max effort hammer.  So obviously you don't want to throw 100+ max effort hammers every day, year round, that would be asking for an injury.  Luckily in ultimate, there are lots of other things you can work on between max effort hammer sessions.  You can work on your arm positions, your accuracy, your wrist mechanics, and so on.  So I think you can throw a disc every day without injuring yourself, provided you have good variety in your throwing plan.

I think there is a lot of depth to throwing in ultimate, and I think it is essentially impossible to be "too good" at throwing.

Notes:

No Wisconsiquences

NUT went to No Wisco twice during my college career, in the fall of 2009 and in the fall of 2010.

2009:  I don't remember a lot about this tournament.  I do remember that we only had 1 bid and we took an odd squad of ~25, including a mix of captains, returners who needed reps, and people the leadership decided were "good rookies".  I think we did fairly well, looking decent against split squads from teams like CUT and Wisconsin, with those teams still solidly in the tryout phase.  It was a good time, it felt fun.

2010:  As I remember it, this is how the tournament went down:

Thursday - Decision is made to drive up Saturday morning, departing at 5 am
Friday morning - We have only 1 bid again, van list gets sent, our team is 18 strong, 3 rookies, cool
Friday afternoon - Revised van list gets sent: team is now down to 12, including 2 captains who can no longer attend, yikes.
Friday night - At least 6 of the remaining 12 attend a Kid Cudi/Snoop Dogg concert at Welsh-Ryan arena, double yikes.
Saturday - People are on the sidelines, too hungover to play.  Terrible.  We struggle to get 7 bodies on the line all day.
Saturday - 4th game of the day we play Iowa

Side Note: Iowa before this was very middle of the road.  In 2010-2011 they were a straight up dominant team, qualifying for nationals in the toughest region in the nation and finishing tied for 3rd overall in the country.  They featured guys like Sean "Shark" Parker (6'5, linebacker sized), Jimmy Weisbrock and Tyler Glenn (6'2, 35"+ vertical), and they were coached by Mike Denardis, who later coached UNC to a college title.

I distinctly remember striking deep with Shark guarding me, the throw going up, him closing the gap, then laying out shoulder-height for the block.  I don't know why I remember that so vividly, but that still motivates me, to this day.

Saturday night - We go to Panhans' house.  While we are all battle weary and disappointed with how we performed, it is awesome

Sunday - We play some games in the loser's bracket, ending up in not-last by beating a high school team in a relatively close game

I remember watching the finals that year.  I believe it was Wisconsin X vs Wisconsin Y, since back then (maybe still now?) the hodags would use No Wisco as a tryout tournament.  For some reason I think muffin was there, playing, though he would have had to have been some kind of assistant coach at that point.  I remember him getting beat deep.  It was a hotly contested game, but while I was sitting there watching it all I could think about was how we could build a program as deep and as strong as possible.  This is a question I still think about often.  I believe there is no "silver bullet" for this, but I have a few ideas I like so far.