Training camp

05/08/2008 By Justin

What’s up ladies and gentleman? 

 I know it has been a while since I have written so I figured you were all getting worried about the ol' dog...well good news, I am NOT cut!  In fact I cannot see how this could be going any better.  It is truly amazing what being in great shape has done for my game, and not just facing off.  Doing the power hour class and the training regiment that SOFletes sent me, I have actually turned into quite a decent defensive middie. . .I know, I know, you are all thinking I have taken some peodi (spelling???) or something, but it is true.  Since am in better shape, and my footwork is highly improved, I am actually playing good defense, which inevitably will be the part of my game that gets me on the field.  As I see it no matter how great at face-offs you are, in this league you will lose face-offs. . .it is a fact of life, every face-off man is good. . .the best ones however can win 50-55% of the draws and play defense for just long enough to keep the other team from scoring when they are on the field.  Therefore I knew that I had to get my butt into good shape and learn how to play defense!  And I did.

OK let’s talk about the team, and training camp.  I truly like the guys on the team, many of them I played with or against at some point in my lacrosse career, so the transition has been easy.  We are trying to change the way we play as a team this year, by getting up and down the field more and pushing transition.  Although many of you have probably heard that Hughes, Harrison and Hubbard all went to L.A. and Doneger Mollet and Haugen all retired, we are still optimistic.  we have a solid core and a ridiculous draft coming our way. . .5 of the first 12 picks and 9 overall, in a very deep draft (including the number 2 and 3 draft picks, I am hoping for Rabil and Peyser. . .note, Peyser is the best two way middie in the nation, and should be on the tawaaraton finalist list)...anyway defensively we have a real solid core in McClay, Peyser, Davis and Glatzel, our attack will likely be Urick, Unterstein, and Ford and Middie is wide open, but as I see it Rewkowski, Bolin, Yevoli, and  Peyser will be holding down the middie front, with guys like Chemotte filling in the gaps. 

The team has taken on a new train of thought and winning mentality.  I cannot wait for our first game in Boston, I will be squaring off against an old rival in Dave Jenkins and an old teammate and friend in Ben DeFelice. . .should be fun.

Anyway, I’m keeping this one short (mostly because I am at work!), this is the last week of training camp and then we head to Boston. . .wish me luck!

JB

aka "DONTSLEEPONMYDEFENSE"

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"You'll get cut"

04/18/2008 By Justin

Just taking a moment to thank Mr. "Hard".  I am not sure I have ever worked as hard as I did last evening and this morning.  I just kept hearing the same quote over and over. "You'll get cut".  Now regardless of who you are, I am certain of this; you are either a complete moron, or a brilliant strategist.  either way I win, because of "Hard", and other babling idiots (mostly friends) I am more focused than I have been throughout this whole process.  And the best part of it all is that no matter what happens I can honestly say I gave it my best.  If this does not work out at least I will have gotten back into shape, and lost over 20lbs.  Im pushin 30 so taking off weight, and training is not as easy as it used to be (esspecially since I have not trained seriously since college, not even when I played for L.A.).

Now for the last couple of months I have not paid any attention to weight increases(on max outs), in fact I have been so busy trying to make my weight training another form of aerobic workout I have completely forgotten to test those things.  A couple of days ago I was able to jump on the bench and the squat and test those two movements, and boy was I suprised.  When I started I could only get 275lbs up once if I was really feeling good.  On this day I was able to get 315lbs up four times, and it was after a power hour session (who knows how many times I can actually get that up if I am not so drained!)...squats were also much improved, from 350lbs 6 times to 450lbs 6 times, and I feel pretty good about both of these increases (since they came in a 2 and 1/2 month period).

In the meantime I will continue to work my ass off and I will be thinking of you Mr. "Hard", in fact I will be putting the face of every person I want to beat down in my head as I hear the words "You'll get cut"!  Make sure to introduce yourself someday, I cant wait to meet you.

I am probably not going to post a blog for the next week, so I can clear my thoughts and focus on lacrosse.  But I want to thank everyone who contributed to my blog and to this website.  The men who started it have a great idea here and I hope it continues to grow.  I will return with more posts as training camp continues. Wish me luck, unless of course you are "hard", in his case just keep running your mouth, it is the only thing you do well (yeah,  I know who you are, and you should be focusing on your job right now, not this website).

Thanks again


JB

                                                             
                                                                   TRAMPLE THE WEAK
                                                                              and

                                                                    HURDLE THE DEAD

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crunch time

04/13/2008 By Justin

 Whats up folks?

Two more weeks and Im getting a bit nervous...after all of this training and talking about training I want it more than ever. Im finally down to about 220 and intend on coninuing to lose weight through the first couple of weeks of training camp.  I saw steve berger of the long island lizards last eveing and he is already talking trash about picking up all of my GB's. . .I asked him to wait until I made the team to bring the garbage.  Either way I have some serious butterflies growing here, which is a good thing.  Over the years I can remember that in the games I was most nervous I played the best, in those I was relaxed I usually had a sub par day.  I suppose the nerves keep me grounded.

I am still doing power hour and I have been running in the evenings on those days....Then on Tuesday and Thursdays I am doing interval training on the treadmill, urg and bike, followed by a weight circuit with mike (my trainer) essentially we do the workout that SOFletes sent me only with some variations from week to week.  I usually follow that workout up with some live draws and face off drills with the WAC "clampers".  It is good because by the time I get out there I can generally NOT feel my upper or lower body from the circuit and intervals.  In fact it is humbling because the average weight and height of the WAC face off men is like 150 and 5'7, and when I am in this condition even they can muscle me if I dont get off the X quick.  It has really kept me on my toes. 

I have been trying to keep myself busy with some fun activities on the weekends to keep my mind off of all this.  this last weekend I went to Towson, and spoke at a alumni dinner, then went to the TU/Drexel game.  I have to say, Drexel is BIG.  They had some real horses on that squad, and they have come so far since I graduated.  Unfortunately the tigers lost but it was a real nail biter, it came down to the last 20 seconds, but the "gers" could not punch one in to tie it up.  Either way it was a great weekend, and watching them play got me even more fired up to suit up for another season. 

I am still interested in hearing what you all might have to say about gearing up for a season of battle on the field.  what gets you fired up?  

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05/08/2008
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