3/16
AM Parisi Mobility Work
PM Yoga
3/17 Denver Barbarians vs San Francisco Golden Gate
The GOOD: Won the game 24-22, hit all my throws but one, had a couple decent runs, didnt miss any tackles.
The BAD: Scrummaging was a little hit or miss, I didnt get around as well as I should have, We let the foot off in the second half and played a little defensively.
The UGLY: Wrecked my left ankle twice; once I got clipped by a guy in the side of a maul and everted my ankle (rolled it OUT as opposed to IN like 99% of the usual ankle sprains). The second time, which looks horrible on film, came when the ref tripped over his own feet and fell into my left leg, rolling it again. The thing is big as a goddamn softball and green and blue. Had to come off with about 10 minutes left because I was useless around the field. Lots of ice and ibuprofen the last few days and getting xrays tomorrow to make sure it isn’t broken. Docs say maybe 1-2 weeks, but i’m gonna try and grind through it even if i’m only splitting halves or something.
Sledge,
Do you have any advice on lineout thowing, either technique or training? I’ve just moved to hooker and you seem like a knowledgable person. I’ve found I keep over thowing the jumper in the first pod.
Without seeing you throw into the line, i’m not sure that I can help too much. There are a few different ways to throw; feet parallel, one foot in front of other, ball cocked behind head, ball overhead, etc. One drill that worked for me is to throw from your knees with someone. It takes the lower body out and that can solve some problems. Throwing with a weighted ball outside of training is a good one for developing length to your throw, which is always key.
Just don’t do that during a training session, as it can screw up your throwing form trying to go from a weighted ball to non-weighted right away. I like to use it after lifting or running sessions where there is no rugby skills work being done. Just think of it as specific skills training. One thing: Most teams don’t bother to contest at the back, so a good accurate throw to the tail can be key.
One thing I can say is try to follow through wih throws. If you watch those Super 14 and Six Nations guys, their hands finish in front of them. I always think of pointing into the line when I finished.
3/20
NA4 Squads named a few days ago. I wasn’t expcting to be in the squads and I was right. I’ve got to get rid of this nasty habit of reading the articles and clippings and just stay in my own world.
X Rays this afternoon and a ME Upper lift afterwards. Training this evening; there is a 0% chance that I will be training tonite…hopefully Thursday…although we are scheduled to lose 7 of our starting 15 for NA4 assembly in the next two weeks, so perhaps I miss the Belmont game and be good to go while the NA4 boys are away. We will be missing our starting loosehead, lock, blindside, #8, scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback. Thats a tall order; luckily, we’re quite deep this year. Off to see the good doctor…
Sorry to hear about the ankle.
Xrays negative. No break but a moderate /severe sprain. I’m in a walking boot and getting treatment all day every day for the next few days to try and heal this f’n thing up and give it a go Saturday. Think i’m gonna have to take this one game at a time and see what happens…all I know is, its gonna HURT…
ME Upper
Rotator Cuff Work
Close Grip Bench 95x10 135x5 165x5 185x3 205x2 225x1 240x1 250x1
Feel like I had one more but I was tired and beat up so I cashed it in…
1.5 hrs of Stim on my ankle in the morning
3/21 Assistance Upper
Rotator Cuff Work
Iso DB Shoulder Press 35x15 40x15x4 superset with:
Lat Pulldown 5x15 (no idea on the weights since I used the machine in my apartment gym)
Stability Ball Iso Bench 35x15 40x15 45x15x3
Miniband Pull Apart 3x20
Since this is a blog/training log, I need to rant for a second. I just had to listen/watch The Hills because my neighbor just had to watch it while she walked on the treadmill. She walked for a couple of my sets and then she just sat down on a bench and cranked the volume up! There’s no easy way to say this…she was super fat too…and, although i’ve never met her before, I’m wearing a protective boot on my left leg and the first thing she says to me is “In here to do some running?”…I’m sure she meant well but COME ON…
I suppose its my own fault since I decided to use this apt gym for my assistance work rather than driving to the real gym. And WHAT do people see in those MTV shows like The Hills and Laguna Beach? I just don’t see the point to sitting on the couch watching spoiled brats do stupid stuff…maybe i’m missing something…although people probably say the same thing about me watching endless Seinfeld and Simpsons reruns so I suppose I don’t have room to talk…
3/22
1 hr of ice/stim
Off and on ice bath for ankle
Team Training
Walk Through
Units
Team Opposed Work
My ankle is still uber jacked but i’m manning up and starting on the weekend. I plan on spending all day Sunday with m foot buried in ice…
I hope your ankle comes through, I know what it’s like playing on an injury, not good but gotta be done. Keep on the anti-inflamatries an pain killers.
What’s your thoughts on supplements? Protein aside which is vital, do you know of any major gains there is going with the expensive cyclone, cell-tech etc? On the off/pre season, I’m looking at a creatine, glutamine mix, I’m just not sure if it’s worth the extra cost on the pre mixed versions. Good luck for the game.
Ankle isn’t totally right but what else can I do but grind it out, right? I’m taping the ankle and then taping my boot to my foot as well. With any luck, it’ll hold for 80 minutes.
Regarding supplementation, i’ve never been any super expert on them. Regarding the pre-mixed stuff, it sure seems like an expensive waste. With the pre-mixed, there isn’t any guarantee that there is really X grams of creatine per serving, so your dosage can be jacked up. I know its probably a little obsessive, but I like the straight creatine with Surge. It’s way better than that cell-tech shit, personally speaking. Some coaches swear by glutamine (in big doses, like 20-30g), some could give a shit. I didnt think it was a big help, but that doesnt mean it doesnt work.
If you are gonna hit glutamine, as with the creatine, I would buy the straight stuff and mix it yourself. The supplementation area has some awesome threads on supplementation.
Off to rest, need some sleep, big day tomorrow…just saw 300, good watch before a match…but I sure as fuck don’t plan on ending up with arrows sticking in and out of me at the end of tomorrow…
3/24 Belmont Pre-Match
Its pissing rain and cold. Not sure if thats a good thing or bad, but considering Belmost comes from Los Angeles, they probably haven’t played much in 45 degrees F and rain/snow, so it can’t hurt…
3/24 Belmont L 36-25
Tough loss to take, as we jumped out 10-0 early. Questionable reffing on both sides (isnt there always?) and some missed opportunities on our end. Ankle came through relatively well, not great but i’m not exactly a speed merchant anyways…
As much as I would like to dwell on it and be pissed, can’t do it…taking an epsom salt bath and some serious foam roller work to get some kinks out…
Not to hijack or anything,
It’s great to see ruggers doing their damnedest to get back on the pitch. I play for a collegiate team and it is sickening to see the number of “ruggers” that get a few bumps and bruises in a game and disappear for three weeks. There is a difference between being hurt and being injured and it pisses me off to see people insult their teammates by not showing up to practices because they don’t know how to take a hit and come back stronger next week.
missinglink
3/25
TONS of Massage, Foam Roller, Stretching
Been averaging about one stinger a match right now im my right arm. Trying to work the kinks out. Ankle is shit but no worse, so I suppose thats good. Got to buy new boots tomorrow too, as I had a blowout in my left boot on the weekend.
Regarding getting back fit: If I were smart, I think i’d probably pull myself out for a couple weeks. But damn stubborn pride keeps me from sitting if I think I can play. But there is a fine line between hurt and injured; some people know the difference and some don’t…on either side…I mean sometime people play when they shouldn’t and don’t play when they should, it goes both ways…
3/26-3/27
Treatment for my bum wheel…awelling has come down a ton but its getting weaker and feels awkward…I’d like to let this thing heal but my ego sure is getting bruised by the staff and other players taking the piss out of me about it…
3/30 Training
Training in 30 F and snow is not my idea of a good time. Unit Work and then live opposed team runs
HATE breaking in new boots…not sure if its the boots or what, but my left big toenail is black as hell. Debating lancing it cuz it fucking hurts. The right boot fits PERFECTLY and the left one is really good, but my big toe bumps against the hard front.
Think I may need to start wrapping my big toe or something. Can anything else go wrong with my left foot? In related news, there isn’t any more of that strange fluid dripping out of the hole where my penis and testicles USED TO BE…
Match Saturday vs St Louis and I passed my fitness test so i’m starting…
[quote]sledge2 wrote:
3/30 Training
Training in 30 F and snow is not my idea of a good time. Unit Work and then live opposed team runs
HATE breaking in new boots…not sure if its the boots or what, but my left big toenail is black as hell. Debating lancing it cuz it fucking hurts. The right boot fits PERFECTLY and the left one is really good, but my big toe bumps against the hard front.
Think I may need to start wrapping my big toe or something. Can anything else go wrong with my left foot? In related news, there isn’t any more of that strange fluid dripping out of the hole where my penis and testicles USED TO BE…
Match Saturday vs St Louis and I passed my fitness test so i’m starting…[/quote]
The big toe issue is probably excess fluid from the swelling in the ankle above it. Good luck with that in your match, I somehow seem to get my toes stomped on at least every other breakdown.
Question for ya, or any other front rowers. What do you do for neck work for scrummaging? I play mostly tighthead and trying to drive my head through the opposing hooker and loosehead does a number on my neck, it could really use some more strength. Any suggestions?
Jay
I used to do the same thing when I propped and all it got my was a small herniation in my neck. THis may be a little tough to explain but i’ll give it a shot:
I prefer to take the engage on the shoulders rather than the neck. Just a matter of engaging lower than the opposing front row so the engage catches you on the traps, not the neck. You do it correctly and you’re already underneath your opposite; in your case, you have already split the loosehead/hooker and you have the leverage advantage.
I really do think the toe comes from the new boots. I heated up a steak knife on the stove this morning and speared my left big toe. NOT a good feeling, or smell, when a hot knife melts through your big toenail. BUT, the pressure is relieved and the soreness is relatively gone, but man did that fucker drain a ton of blood and fluid…