Last week unfortunately proved to be a little more relaxed than I originally planned. However, I still feel it was a beneficial week.
Wednesday evening I got in a good hour of throwing and Thursday I did Yoga.
Friday I had planned to go to the gym, but I woke up on Friday morning with a stiff neck. I didn't want to chance anything with training on the Saturday so I missed the gym on Friday and just did more throwing practice on Friday evening.
Saturday training was great in most aspects. We had a large number of our squad there despite players missing through world Under 23s, and everyone was focussed and putting in a lot of effort. However, the ground was unbearably hard and with it being the week after Tour 3 we were wary of pushing players too hard to the point of injury.
We got a lot out of practice and trained in some of the fundementals of our offence, as well as areas of our game which had been weakest at Tour three and throughout the season. We then played a few games of 5-Pull. This was encouraging in that our D-Line was playing just as well on both sides of the disc as they had been doing at Tour 3 when they had been fantastic all weekend. The O-Line had decided to exclusively play a new formation which we hadn't trained before or used at any tournaments and currently isn't in our playbook. It was limited in it's effectiveness, though I'd say considering it was the first run through of it, and that our D-Line was still on fire. Also, half the turns from our offense came from miscued throws or subtleties of the new formation which we were practicing for the first time. I think it will be a nice new look for our offence to throw, but will not be a major component of it.
Saturday and Sunday I was able to get in an hour of throwing on both days again. Today is just cycling and tomorrow I will hit the gym with a revised training plan.
I have also just had my mid-season review conversation with Pichler and have just been given my areas for improvement for the period between now and Regionals. Time to work hard!
Monday, 22 July 2013
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
What a weekend!
In the glorious Cardiff sunshine, a Ka-Pow! team full of confidence and cheer, despite coming from a disappointing Tour 2, found themselves finishing Tour 3 undefeated with a 5th place finish for the second year in a row. That marks the fourth tournament in which Ka-Pow! have gone undefeated in their two year history (DED Invitational 2012+2013, UKUTour3 2012+2013).
Of course we know from last year that Tour 3 results don't mean a thing when it comes to Regionals/Nationals so we know we need to work hard in the coming months if we want to succeed when it counts.
Saturday:
Game 1: Win vs Manchester Ultimate (14-13)
Going into this game we knew that our last matchup against this team had ended in a loss. We seemed slightly tentative throughout and Manchester were playing hard. They have put together a good structure and created an identity around some very good players. We were up 13-10 with a couple of chances to win it, and though we let it slip to sudden death our O-Line stepped up and calmly put away the last point to take the win.
Game 2: Win vs Reading Ultimate (15-6)
Ka-Pow! went up early in this game (6-0 I think) before Reading finally got on the board. They were making mistakes all over the field and never really got into this game which I think is a shame as I felt they had more to give. Reading will probably be disappointed with their 17th place finish after their fight to qualify for A-Tour at Tour 2.
Game 3: Win vs LeedsLeedsLeeds (15-5)
With both teams going into this game as a second in a back to back it was going to be a test in the harsh heat. However, whereas Ka-Pow! had put away Reading fairly quickly and had time to rest and mentally prepare, Leeds had to come in off a hard fought and close loss to Manchester (15-13 I think). Unfortunately, they came into the game against us a little deflated and we were able to take full advantage. Leeds like Reading are better than they showed in the game against us.
Three games against some strong regional programmes from across the country and Ka-Pow! came away with three wins, which put us in prime position to put ourselves back into the top 8!
Sunday:
Game 4: Win vs Devon (14-12)
We knew Devon had been playing some of their best ultimate in the last two tournaments, beating Fire 1 to put them in the top 8 at Tour 2 and going 8-3 up against Chevron in their group game at Tour 3, before losing in a nail-biter (14-11). We knew we would have to be at our best and our D-Line were so up to the challenge. After our O-Line had gone 3-0 down to Devon, our D-Line swamped Devon's O-Line to earn multiple breaks whilst the O-Line got their rhythm back. We closed the game out well to take top 8 again!
Game 5: Win vs Fire 0 (15-5)
We had over run in our game against Devon and had to trudge over to the other side of the fields, filling water as we went to start our game which was already 15 or so minutes in against Fire 2 (or Fire 0). Luckily, we came out hard and managed to break them over and again in the first half. Our D-Line were once again dominant. Over this weekend our D-Line were converting probably 95% of the time when they got a block, if not more. This was a weakness of ours last year late in the season, but if we can keep this up it would be fantastic. Fire 2 seemed out of it by the end of it and were making mistakes which are uncharacteristic of what has been a strong team throughout this season. With Fire 1 not managing to win their crossover, Fire 2 finished higher than Fire 1 for the second tour in a row. We went into this game with a record of 0 wins and 3 losses to Fire 2 on the season so, going into Regionals in a couple of weeks, it was really important for us to get this win, especially in such a dominant fashion!
Game 6: Win vs Brighton City (14-12)
Another game for Ka-Pow! against another very talented and well organised regional club to finish the weekend. Our D-Line was once again dominant early and we took an 8-3 lead going into half. Brighton came out firing in the second half, with their D-Line breaking us to bring the score to within 2. Ka-Pow! maintained a lead throughout the entire game, but that half time lead would prove to be really important to Ka-Pow! surviving the late surge from Brighton. We also got our first up-close look at their Mexican-Hexagon offense. It is a really interesting offense and, if past results are anything to go bym has done them well this season. They were buoyed by Dyno returning and once again this year will probably have their strongest team going into Nationals with Roach also playing for them, so this result should give Ka-Pow! confidence, but we should actively look to avoid complacency if we have to face them again.
UKUTour 3 proved to be the confidence rebuilding tournament we were hoping for! Spirits were high, our systems were working and everyone played well which would have been fantastic being taken by itself, but coming off a disappointing Tour 2 is even more exciting.
Some more interesting stories from around Tour 3:
- Clapham were able to edge out Chevvy in the closest Tour final yet! With both teams missing their GB Under 23 players for all three tours, but Clapham missing their World Games players for Tour 3 and still winning, they should be feeling confident of taking their 13th National Championship in a row (unlucky for some...).
- Though the GB Under 23 open team weren't able to break into the medal positions, they should still be feeling really good going into the World U23 championships in Toronto. They have pushed the top teams all season long, and have learned the kind of team cohesion that will stand them in good stead against the best in the world (plus no Dylan Freechild or Simon Montague to team USA anymore). It is a highly talented, intelligent and athletic squad being sent with strong leadership and coaching and I'm sure I'm not the only one expecting great things for them.
- EMO close out their incredible Tour season by securing the 3rd bid to Worlds (assuming they don't win Nationals or place highest at Euros). This is a fantastic achievement off the back of their first (?) European qualification last season.
- Iceni were finally bested this season, not once but twice at Tour 3, with both losses coming to Bristol who took the Tour champions apart 12-6 in the final! Iceni have plenty of time to regroup before attempting to retain their National and European Championships, but the Women's tour appears to be more wide open this year than I can ever remember seeing it.
- Mixed: Let the rumours and speculation surrounding UKU Mixed Nationals 2013 begin! We know Bear Cavalry will be looking to defend their national championship on the road to Europeans and Worlds, but if their's one thing I heard quite a lot of this weekend it was rumours about which teams would be putting their efforts into Mixed this year, foregoing Open/Womens.
Of course we know from last year that Tour 3 results don't mean a thing when it comes to Regionals/Nationals so we know we need to work hard in the coming months if we want to succeed when it counts.
Saturday:
Game 1: Win vs Manchester Ultimate (14-13)
Going into this game we knew that our last matchup against this team had ended in a loss. We seemed slightly tentative throughout and Manchester were playing hard. They have put together a good structure and created an identity around some very good players. We were up 13-10 with a couple of chances to win it, and though we let it slip to sudden death our O-Line stepped up and calmly put away the last point to take the win.
Game 2: Win vs Reading Ultimate (15-6)
Ka-Pow! went up early in this game (6-0 I think) before Reading finally got on the board. They were making mistakes all over the field and never really got into this game which I think is a shame as I felt they had more to give. Reading will probably be disappointed with their 17th place finish after their fight to qualify for A-Tour at Tour 2.
Game 3: Win vs LeedsLeedsLeeds (15-5)
With both teams going into this game as a second in a back to back it was going to be a test in the harsh heat. However, whereas Ka-Pow! had put away Reading fairly quickly and had time to rest and mentally prepare, Leeds had to come in off a hard fought and close loss to Manchester (15-13 I think). Unfortunately, they came into the game against us a little deflated and we were able to take full advantage. Leeds like Reading are better than they showed in the game against us.
Three games against some strong regional programmes from across the country and Ka-Pow! came away with three wins, which put us in prime position to put ourselves back into the top 8!
Sunday:
Game 4: Win vs Devon (14-12)
We knew Devon had been playing some of their best ultimate in the last two tournaments, beating Fire 1 to put them in the top 8 at Tour 2 and going 8-3 up against Chevron in their group game at Tour 3, before losing in a nail-biter (14-11). We knew we would have to be at our best and our D-Line were so up to the challenge. After our O-Line had gone 3-0 down to Devon, our D-Line swamped Devon's O-Line to earn multiple breaks whilst the O-Line got their rhythm back. We closed the game out well to take top 8 again!
Game 5: Win vs Fire 0 (15-5)
We had over run in our game against Devon and had to trudge over to the other side of the fields, filling water as we went to start our game which was already 15 or so minutes in against Fire 2 (or Fire 0). Luckily, we came out hard and managed to break them over and again in the first half. Our D-Line were once again dominant. Over this weekend our D-Line were converting probably 95% of the time when they got a block, if not more. This was a weakness of ours last year late in the season, but if we can keep this up it would be fantastic. Fire 2 seemed out of it by the end of it and were making mistakes which are uncharacteristic of what has been a strong team throughout this season. With Fire 1 not managing to win their crossover, Fire 2 finished higher than Fire 1 for the second tour in a row. We went into this game with a record of 0 wins and 3 losses to Fire 2 on the season so, going into Regionals in a couple of weeks, it was really important for us to get this win, especially in such a dominant fashion!
Game 6: Win vs Brighton City (14-12)
Another game for Ka-Pow! against another very talented and well organised regional club to finish the weekend. Our D-Line was once again dominant early and we took an 8-3 lead going into half. Brighton came out firing in the second half, with their D-Line breaking us to bring the score to within 2. Ka-Pow! maintained a lead throughout the entire game, but that half time lead would prove to be really important to Ka-Pow! surviving the late surge from Brighton. We also got our first up-close look at their Mexican-Hexagon offense. It is a really interesting offense and, if past results are anything to go bym has done them well this season. They were buoyed by Dyno returning and once again this year will probably have their strongest team going into Nationals with Roach also playing for them, so this result should give Ka-Pow! confidence, but we should actively look to avoid complacency if we have to face them again.
UKUTour 3 proved to be the confidence rebuilding tournament we were hoping for! Spirits were high, our systems were working and everyone played well which would have been fantastic being taken by itself, but coming off a disappointing Tour 2 is even more exciting.
Some more interesting stories from around Tour 3:
- Clapham were able to edge out Chevvy in the closest Tour final yet! With both teams missing their GB Under 23 players for all three tours, but Clapham missing their World Games players for Tour 3 and still winning, they should be feeling confident of taking their 13th National Championship in a row (unlucky for some...).
- Though the GB Under 23 open team weren't able to break into the medal positions, they should still be feeling really good going into the World U23 championships in Toronto. They have pushed the top teams all season long, and have learned the kind of team cohesion that will stand them in good stead against the best in the world (plus no Dylan Freechild or Simon Montague to team USA anymore). It is a highly talented, intelligent and athletic squad being sent with strong leadership and coaching and I'm sure I'm not the only one expecting great things for them.
- EMO close out their incredible Tour season by securing the 3rd bid to Worlds (assuming they don't win Nationals or place highest at Euros). This is a fantastic achievement off the back of their first (?) European qualification last season.
- Iceni were finally bested this season, not once but twice at Tour 3, with both losses coming to Bristol who took the Tour champions apart 12-6 in the final! Iceni have plenty of time to regroup before attempting to retain their National and European Championships, but the Women's tour appears to be more wide open this year than I can ever remember seeing it.
- Mixed: Let the rumours and speculation surrounding UKU Mixed Nationals 2013 begin! We know Bear Cavalry will be looking to defend their national championship on the road to Europeans and Worlds, but if their's one thing I heard quite a lot of this weekend it was rumours about which teams would be putting their efforts into Mixed this year, foregoing Open/Womens.
- Thundering Herd: They will be taking a few players from Fire 2, as well as from Burro and Tooting Tigers who found themselves falling to B-Tour for most of this year in a down year.
- DED: After taking a step back from their fantastic inaugural season last year, the rumours at Tour 3 was that DED would be focussing on Mixed after a fairly successful Mixed season.
- Brighton: Mixed reports on this. I know a lot of the girls were leaning towards mixed, though the boys may more be leaning towards Open after a good showing at Nationals and Euros last year and Tour this year.
- Cambridge: With their Open squad having a down year, the guys may be leaning towards mixed after their 2nd place Tour finish, but will Punt, fresh off their first medal finish at Tour 3 (3rd place) and big wins over Leeds and SYC, be setting their sights on Womens?
- Black Eagles: With it looking likely that a Scottish team will only sneak into a top 16 tour placing (Glasgow) and another successful mixed season under Black Eagles' belts, will the Scots put it all on Mixed this year. It would seem very likely when we consider that Swift didn't even enter Tour 3.
This is probably what UKU were aiming for last year, but with nothing on the line in the Mixed division last year save the National title, most players still chose to play Open/Womens. Whilst it could be seen in the short term as diluting the Open/Womens divisions, the end result will most likely be a positive one for UK Ultimate. Will more dedicated mixed clubs spring up? That's something that could happen and would appear to make sense. It may allow for more restrictions on team counts at Open/Womens tournaments which appear to be growing unmanageably large. However, the unknown here is will players go back to their Open/Women's clubs in future years when there is nothing on the line again in the Mixed division? With the current yearly European Championships not having a Mixed division it would appear likely, but who's to say that won't change in the future as well.
Tuesday Gym
It was a tough weekend in the heat and I got knee'd in my right calf in the Devon game, this combined with train troubles and a busy work day meant that I didn't rush back into fitness and only cycled on Monday. Tuesday I felt a lot better, so did a reduced session in the gym.
Warm up:
1 * 15 Internal Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
1 * 15 External Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
2 * 15 Single leg raised Glute Bridge - per leg
1 * 12 Press up holds (3 seconds)
1 * 12 Body weight squats
Foam rolling
Main routine:
3 * 5 Dead lifts (64kg)
{3 * 8 Back Squats (80 kg)
3 * 8 Split squats (70 kg) - per leg}
{3 * 8 Seated row (68kg)
3 * 8 Lateral Step ups (15kg) - per leg}
{4 * 30s Dynamic Plank
3 * 8 Single Leg Swiss Ball Hamstring curls (55cm swiss ball)}
Warm down:
Hip abductor stretching
Hamstring stretching
Hip flexors stretching
Foam rolling
Felt tough and was SO tired at the end of the day, but feeling all good again today.
Will be doing a throwing session this evening, Yoga tomorrow and the Gym again on Friday before heading to Ka-Pow! training on Saturday.
Warm up:
1 * 15 Internal Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
1 * 15 External Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
2 * 15 Single leg raised Glute Bridge - per leg
1 * 12 Press up holds (3 seconds)
1 * 12 Body weight squats
Foam rolling
Main routine:
3 * 5 Dead lifts (64kg)
{3 * 8 Back Squats (80 kg)
3 * 8 Split squats (70 kg) - per leg}
{3 * 8 Seated row (68kg)
3 * 8 Lateral Step ups (15kg) - per leg}
{4 * 30s Dynamic Plank
3 * 8 Single Leg Swiss Ball Hamstring curls (55cm swiss ball)}
Warm down:
Hip abductor stretching
Hamstring stretching
Hip flexors stretching
Foam rolling
Felt tough and was SO tired at the end of the day, but feeling all good again today.
Will be doing a throwing session this evening, Yoga tomorrow and the Gym again on Friday before heading to Ka-Pow! training on Saturday.
Friday, 12 July 2013
UKUTour3 Preview
Ka-Pow! Preview
After our slip down the rankings at Tour 2, Ka-Pow! are scheduled to play against LeedsLeedsLeeds, Manchester Ultimate and Reading at Tour 3.
Our first game sees us play against Manchester with our only result against them this year being a tired legs loss at Fog Lane. Manchester will be pumped to try and prove that they belong in the A-Tour and to prove that their victory against us wasn't just the result us having 9 players for that game.
Our second game comes against newly promoted Reading. After finishing 26th at Tour 1, Reading rose through the ranks at tour 2 finishing 3rd in B-Tour (20th overall) and will get their first taste of A-Tour ultimate this season.
Our last game comes against Leeds who we have again played once this season at Fog Lane where we were able to notch a victory. With us coming in off a game against Reading and Leeds coming in straight off a grudge match against Manchester, we should be trying to seize momentum early.
A-Tour Preview:
- The newly promoted JR1 and Reading could end the weekend looking to finish outside the bottom spots, but after finishing 27th and 26th at Tour 1 before rising to A-Tour promotion at Tour 2, they may have their eyes on a few upsets and continued improvement.
- Fire 1 (and Ka-Pow!) have to be going into this weekend with that 5th place finish as the aim to build some momentum for the tough London Regionals and Nationals competitions ahead with Europeans being the season goal for both clubs.
- Can Devon 1 continue their assault on the top of the A-Tour after notching a big win against Fire 1 at Tour 2? They seemed full of confidence after their big win and made some ridiculous plays including a greatest for a score against Fire 1 and will want to build on their impressive performance.
- Will anyone upset the Top 4? Clapham have already won the Tour title, but there will be no complacency to be found as they build towards Chesapeake, Regionals, Nationals, Euros and next season. Chevron will be looking at this tour as the last chance to beat Clapham without a National title on the line. GB Under 23s will be looking to win this tournament as the ultimate final preparation before the World Championships and EMO will want to consolidate their already fantastic performance throughout the tour season so far.
- Is there more to Brighton City? After two finishes outside just outside the top 5 tour clubs, they must be looking at ways to take that final step and really challenge like they have in the past.
Saturday's games to watch:
09:00 - EMO1 vs Devon features two young and athletic teams with big goals for this tournament. Will the GB duo of Colonel and Rich Gale (are GB World Games players there?) be the deciding factor between these two teams?
10:35 - Chevron vs Emo could be electric with both teams propensities for making big plays on both sides of the disc.
12:10 - Leeds vs Manchester seems to have evolve into a grudge match this year with players leaving Leeds for Manchester after the end of last year. With both teams playing each other multiple times this season and finishing with similar results this could be a tight one.
13:45 - Chevron vs Devron. Devon is jokingly referred to as Chevvy's feeder club, but it's easy to see why with a huge sum of players over the years making the move. As such, Devon will come out guns blazing trying to prove themselves and will see this as a shot for another scalp after handling Fire1 at Tour 2.
15:20 - GB Under 23s vs Brighton. In years past this could have simply been billed as an athletic youngsters versus experienced veterans game, but with Brighton's influx of University stars this year that won't be the case. Will Brighton be able to take the next step in this game or will the GB squad use this to build momentum for their final game against...
16:55 - GB Under 23s vs Clapham. A win against Clapham at tour would be the ultimate confidence booster going into the World championships with some of their USA counterparts currently sparring against top USA clubs teams on the Nexgen bus. This Clapham team seems like they are in the type of season where a stumble is unlikely though.
After our slip down the rankings at Tour 2, Ka-Pow! are scheduled to play against LeedsLeedsLeeds, Manchester Ultimate and Reading at Tour 3.
Our first game sees us play against Manchester with our only result against them this year being a tired legs loss at Fog Lane. Manchester will be pumped to try and prove that they belong in the A-Tour and to prove that their victory against us wasn't just the result us having 9 players for that game.
Our second game comes against newly promoted Reading. After finishing 26th at Tour 1, Reading rose through the ranks at tour 2 finishing 3rd in B-Tour (20th overall) and will get their first taste of A-Tour ultimate this season.
Our last game comes against Leeds who we have again played once this season at Fog Lane where we were able to notch a victory. With us coming in off a game against Reading and Leeds coming in straight off a grudge match against Manchester, we should be trying to seize momentum early.
A-Tour Preview:
- The newly promoted JR1 and Reading could end the weekend looking to finish outside the bottom spots, but after finishing 27th and 26th at Tour 1 before rising to A-Tour promotion at Tour 2, they may have their eyes on a few upsets and continued improvement.
- Fire 1 (and Ka-Pow!) have to be going into this weekend with that 5th place finish as the aim to build some momentum for the tough London Regionals and Nationals competitions ahead with Europeans being the season goal for both clubs.
- Can Devon 1 continue their assault on the top of the A-Tour after notching a big win against Fire 1 at Tour 2? They seemed full of confidence after their big win and made some ridiculous plays including a greatest for a score against Fire 1 and will want to build on their impressive performance.
- Will anyone upset the Top 4? Clapham have already won the Tour title, but there will be no complacency to be found as they build towards Chesapeake, Regionals, Nationals, Euros and next season. Chevron will be looking at this tour as the last chance to beat Clapham without a National title on the line. GB Under 23s will be looking to win this tournament as the ultimate final preparation before the World Championships and EMO will want to consolidate their already fantastic performance throughout the tour season so far.
- Is there more to Brighton City? After two finishes outside just outside the top 5 tour clubs, they must be looking at ways to take that final step and really challenge like they have in the past.
Saturday's games to watch:
09:00 - EMO1 vs Devon features two young and athletic teams with big goals for this tournament. Will the GB duo of Colonel and Rich Gale (are GB World Games players there?) be the deciding factor between these two teams?
10:35 - Chevron vs Emo could be electric with both teams propensities for making big plays on both sides of the disc.
12:10 - Leeds vs Manchester seems to have evolve into a grudge match this year with players leaving Leeds for Manchester after the end of last year. With both teams playing each other multiple times this season and finishing with similar results this could be a tight one.
13:45 - Chevron vs Devron. Devon is jokingly referred to as Chevvy's feeder club, but it's easy to see why with a huge sum of players over the years making the move. As such, Devon will come out guns blazing trying to prove themselves and will see this as a shot for another scalp after handling Fire1 at Tour 2.
15:20 - GB Under 23s vs Brighton. In years past this could have simply been billed as an athletic youngsters versus experienced veterans game, but with Brighton's influx of University stars this year that won't be the case. Will Brighton be able to take the next step in this game or will the GB squad use this to build momentum for their final game against...
16:55 - GB Under 23s vs Clapham. A win against Clapham at tour would be the ultimate confidence booster going into the World championships with some of their USA counterparts currently sparring against top USA clubs teams on the Nexgen bus. This Clapham team seems like they are in the type of season where a stumble is unlikely though.
Thursday, 11 July 2013
Ka-Pow! weekend training
This weekend Ka-Pow! training saw almost the entire roster turnout to the full weekend in the glorious sunshine, with just the GB Under 23 lot missing.
The Saturday started with a brief chat. We know that qualification for Worlds based on our tour rankings thus far is mathematically impossible. We were all disappointed with the performance at Tour 2, not only due to the results, but also due to the emotions which were pretty down for most of the weekend (and also the weather). We agreed as a squad to move on from it and try to replicate the loose-ness and freedom from pressure which we felt in the game against Clapham, which was probably our best game of Tour 2, and this sentiment resulted in the best training weekend we've had in a while.
We also went over the core principals which can now be found on the Ka-Pow! website.
We had drills on both the Saturday and the Sunday which were focussing on different movements which allow us to alter the position of the disc in difficult situations, such as dumping, receiving a pull and getting the disc off the line. We also worked on core skills which are very important to offensive play such as breaking marks and hucking, and defensive play such as taking away the easy underneath options whilst playing close enough to stifle deep options.
We also played a game against Clapham on the Sunday. The terms of the game that were agreed upon were that they would start every point on defense and it would be first to reach 8 (half). They beat us (not sure of the final score) but the majority of our turnovers were self inflicted, with tired heads from a weekend in the baking heat leading to lazy throws or decisions. Occasionally we turned them over back and at times had some great looking offense, but Clapham were definitely better than us on that day.
Whilst this weekend is looking to be as hot as the one just gone, we know that it can't be an excuse for us, much like the extreme wind and rain at Tour 2. I am very much looking forward to Tour 3. We will be starting in the bottom 8 of A tour, but I really think we can still do well and I think excitement is pretty high amongst the team.
Additionally, my left hamstring was feeling a bit stiff/sore all weekend. Whilst it wasn't enough to stop me playing at the weekend, I made the decision to not do too much exercise this week so as to be at full strength for Tour 3. Monday I cycled to/from work and spent a lot of time in the evening foam rolling and stretching. Tuesday I had an interview so I didn't do any exercise and Wednesday was just cycling and foam rolling/stretching again. For today I feel like Yoga will help with loosening of muscles and I'll take it easy if some of the positions move to the advanced variants. I will not be exercising on Friday (other than cycling) so it's going to be a bit of a quiet week again for me.
I also bought a new pair of cleats this week which I am looking forward to debuting at Tour 3 this weekend, and I have been wearing them in during the week. They are AdiZeros which I have had before and were comfortable and ridiculously light, but didn't last an entire season. I think I may use these only for tournaments for the rest of this season and use my other pair at trainings and when it gets to the winter/offseason training and practices again to try and save this new pair to use again next year.
Tour 3 preview coming soon (most likely tomorrow if the schedule is released by then).
The Saturday started with a brief chat. We know that qualification for Worlds based on our tour rankings thus far is mathematically impossible. We were all disappointed with the performance at Tour 2, not only due to the results, but also due to the emotions which were pretty down for most of the weekend (and also the weather). We agreed as a squad to move on from it and try to replicate the loose-ness and freedom from pressure which we felt in the game against Clapham, which was probably our best game of Tour 2, and this sentiment resulted in the best training weekend we've had in a while.
We also went over the core principals which can now be found on the Ka-Pow! website.
We had drills on both the Saturday and the Sunday which were focussing on different movements which allow us to alter the position of the disc in difficult situations, such as dumping, receiving a pull and getting the disc off the line. We also worked on core skills which are very important to offensive play such as breaking marks and hucking, and defensive play such as taking away the easy underneath options whilst playing close enough to stifle deep options.
We also played a game against Clapham on the Sunday. The terms of the game that were agreed upon were that they would start every point on defense and it would be first to reach 8 (half). They beat us (not sure of the final score) but the majority of our turnovers were self inflicted, with tired heads from a weekend in the baking heat leading to lazy throws or decisions. Occasionally we turned them over back and at times had some great looking offense, but Clapham were definitely better than us on that day.
Whilst this weekend is looking to be as hot as the one just gone, we know that it can't be an excuse for us, much like the extreme wind and rain at Tour 2. I am very much looking forward to Tour 3. We will be starting in the bottom 8 of A tour, but I really think we can still do well and I think excitement is pretty high amongst the team.
Additionally, my left hamstring was feeling a bit stiff/sore all weekend. Whilst it wasn't enough to stop me playing at the weekend, I made the decision to not do too much exercise this week so as to be at full strength for Tour 3. Monday I cycled to/from work and spent a lot of time in the evening foam rolling and stretching. Tuesday I had an interview so I didn't do any exercise and Wednesday was just cycling and foam rolling/stretching again. For today I feel like Yoga will help with loosening of muscles and I'll take it easy if some of the positions move to the advanced variants. I will not be exercising on Friday (other than cycling) so it's going to be a bit of a quiet week again for me.
I also bought a new pair of cleats this week which I am looking forward to debuting at Tour 3 this weekend, and I have been wearing them in during the week. They are AdiZeros which I have had before and were comfortable and ridiculously light, but didn't last an entire season. I think I may use these only for tournaments for the rest of this season and use my other pair at trainings and when it gets to the winter/offseason training and practices again to try and save this new pair to use again next year.
Tour 3 preview coming soon (most likely tomorrow if the schedule is released by then).
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Wednesday Gym
Had to work through lunch on Monday and Tuesday, so today's been the first day this week I've done any exercise (except cycling).
Today's gym was an almost complete session and it definitely felt tough.
Will hopefully be able to either go to yoga tomorrow and/or the gym on Friday, but this work week looks to be quite busy.
Warm up:
1 * 15 Internal Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
1 * 15 External Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
2 * 15 Single leg raised Glute Bridge - per leg
1 * 12 Press up holds (3 seconds)
1 * 12 Body weight squats
Foam rolling
Main routine:
{1 * 8 Back Squats (50 kg)
1 * 8 Back Squats (60 kg)
1 * 8 Back Squats (70 kg)
3 * 8 Bulgarian Split squats (50 kg) - per leg
{3 * Max Pull ups (hands forward/wide grip) (10, 8, 7)
3 * 5 Dead lifts (64kg *increase*)}
{3 * 8 Seated row (68kg)
3 * 8 Standing Dumbell Push Press (2 x 15 kg)
3 * 8 Lateral Step ups (15kg) - per leg}
{4 * 10 weighted press ups (15kg)
4 * 30s Dynamic Plank
3 * 8 Single Leg Swiss Ball Hamstring curls (55cm swiss ball)}
Warm down:
Hip abductor stretching
Hamstring stretching
Hip flexors stretching
Foam rolling
Today's gym was an almost complete session and it definitely felt tough.
Will hopefully be able to either go to yoga tomorrow and/or the gym on Friday, but this work week looks to be quite busy.
Warm up:
1 * 15 Internal Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
1 * 15 External Shoulder rotations (7kg) - per arm
2 * 15 Single leg raised Glute Bridge - per leg
1 * 12 Press up holds (3 seconds)
1 * 12 Body weight squats
Foam rolling
Main routine:
{1 * 8 Back Squats (50 kg)
1 * 8 Back Squats (60 kg)
1 * 8 Back Squats (70 kg)
3 * 8 Bulgarian Split squats (50 kg) - per leg
{3 * Max Pull ups (hands forward/wide grip) (10, 8, 7)
3 * 5 Dead lifts (64kg *increase*)}
{3 * 8 Seated row (68kg)
3 * 8 Standing Dumbell Push Press (2 x 15 kg)
3 * 8 Lateral Step ups (15kg) - per leg}
{4 * 10 weighted press ups (15kg)
4 * 30s Dynamic Plank
3 * 8 Single Leg Swiss Ball Hamstring curls (55cm swiss ball)}
Warm down:
Hip abductor stretching
Hamstring stretching
Hip flexors stretching
Foam rolling
Monday, 1 July 2013
Saturday Training
Whilst missing a fairly sizeable contingent of Ka-Pow! players to ECBU2013 meant that the training wasn't going to be well attended, it was still a valuable training on Saturday.
The focuses were on a specific cutting pattern we use in our offense, off the sideline work, one on one endzone play and breaking the mark.
Weather was nice and was good to get out, but I'm looking forward to getting a bigger cohort to our full weekend training next week, prior to Tour 3 in two weekends time.
The focuses were on a specific cutting pattern we use in our offense, off the sideline work, one on one endzone play and breaking the mark.
Weather was nice and was good to get out, but I'm looking forward to getting a bigger cohort to our full weekend training next week, prior to Tour 3 in two weekends time.
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