Sunday and Monday

Sunday was a recovery day. I was pretty ill after the dinner, I'm not going to lie. I still had to get up early and take my son out to let the others rest. I still had to entertain three kids and clean the house and vacuum.

Why make it harder to get these things done?

Lots of water and ... I even got the lawn mowed.

In any case, I went on two hour long walks with the youngest to see about getting him tired. Those walks really help getting my sore body past Saturday's game.

Monday, I got this done for four rounds:

6 tire flips
20 two handed Kb Swings
10 kb snatches each side
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks

I did this one at the rugby club.

Wednesday - Saturday July 27th

Wednesday was a rest and recovery day - lots of stretching and getting my body back to not being sore. I also took a step towards eating a bit better, too.

Thursday was a training night - and the numbers are starting to show that people are not really into rugby in the fall. Shame, really. Best time of the year to play.

After the training session, saw a few guys I haven't seen in years. The Alumni-Niagara Old Boys game is on this weekend, and more than few are coming back to play in it. Fun times, man.

I still got this done for three rounds;

5x50m sprint
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks.

A good amount of rolling and stretching done after, too.

Friday was a wash out. Lots of family stuff going on. I did a five minute stretching session in the morning and made sure I drank water all day. Nice long walks trying to get the two year old tired.

Saturday is a rugby day. We won. I asked if I was going to be needed as a sub for the firsts and was turned down. So, I had a pint and a beer and left after the first team game.

That night was a fancy dinner for players, alumni and friends. I met Al Charron and left right after the speeches. Judging by some of the shirtless wonders on facebook that appeared after the dinner, I didn't miss much. I'm sure the alumni and their wives, as well as the rest of Rugby Canada and Rugby Ontario reps have a different attitude towards my rugby club now. Or not.

Tuesday July 23

Oh, I'm sore. And it's all my fault.

I woke up stupid early and instead of taking off and doing some kettlebells, but instead I went for a 3k run.

3K, you ask? Yeah, I just wanted to get things some back in gear. So... I got it done.

The day ... was interesting. I got my food intake done, lots of chicken and vegetables. Dinner was a bbq of meat and vegetables. Eating as clean as I can.

After training, you can guess that I got my sprints done for three rounds:

50m x 5 sprints
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks

Yeah, its boring, but I got it done. At least there were no idiots chirping me from the sidelines. They're all on vacation ... as it is in the middle of crunch time for the club. Just saying.

Sunday and Monday July 22

Sunday ... oh, man .... Sunday. Sunday was hard on a lot of levels. I learned htat we still have a chance to win this league.

I really want to win, but I'm not sure if we do that life will be any better if we win promotion to the league above us.

I felt really really sore and my family was annoyed as all get out with me. I looked around while driving back and I was one of the very few married players who made the trip. A lot of others chose not to. I'm wondering if I was a sucker. In any case, my burden to bear.

Sunday was also a recovery day. Lots of time watching my kids, getting them to help me in the garage and out of the house. I managed to fill my boxing bag with water, too. Lots of time spent on a mat, stretching and getting my neck, back and legs to just move. Just movement. Movement as therapy. And ice.

Monday was a little better, for one thing I wasn't as ill or sore. I did manage to get this workout done for three rounds before having to go be a dad:

30- 45 seconds punching the recently water filled punching bag
20 KB two handed swings
10 KB one handed snatches each side
15 feet up push ups
6 tire flips
15 hanging knee tucks

Yeah, a bit different being able to use the chin up bar. I pulled the bar out of the wall a bit, but not the 5 x 2's that were bolted into the wall, though. I think it's a simple fix.

Nice to get back into the gym and just train for a bit, not thinking about a lot of crap that needed to be done.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday July 20

Thursday was a rugby night. Lots of heat and we had to work on playing together. Still not making the First XV this weekend. Meh, kind of disappointed.

After training, I did my "usual" of three rounds of the following:
5 x 50m sprint
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks

After that, I was pretty sacked out. Went and paid for my ticket to the 40th Anniversary of the club and paying the sprint coach. I also paid for the bus up to Kincardine we're taking on Saturday.

'Cuz that drive is a three hour piece of crap I don't want to do sober.

Friday was a recovery day. Lots of stretching and getting things done around the house. Man, that Wednesday was a killer. I had people over and we lost power in the house and watched movies on the laptop. Kinda relaxing, kinda not. It was ok.

Saturday .... was a disappointment on many levels. One, we played two games away. We tied the game I was playing in ... I felt winded for a good part of the second half. It was hot, but not that hot. I should have been able to get my rear end around the pitch a bit more easily than I was. I'm thinking I'm not in the fitness level I need to be.

At least in the set piece we were devastating - we lost one scrum the whole day. That is to say every scrum we took the ball, except once. Line outs ... was the same.
So, when thinking about a game in which the pack dominates their section of the game in such a tilted manner ... what are you going to point to as the main issue? I'll give you a hint ... it ends with "acks" and rhymes with "Tacks" and starts with a "B".

However, win as a team, lose as a team. Penalties also killed us. As I said, we tied the game I played in, even though I scored a try. It was the nicest thing to happen to me that day.

Watching the first team get scored on a lot was disappointing to say the least. They did stage a sort of come back, but fell short with a knocked on ball near their ten metre line. The drive back was ... entertaining. I got home ... and was very glad it was the last away game for the regular season. My family was pissed.

Wed July 17

Well, I'm off this summer. I guess for the whole summer. And ... I'm not sure I like it. At all.

Meh, life will go on.
I started this Wednesday off by watching the State of Origin game three. I was impressed by the streaker int he last few minutes of the game. Nice sprint on the guy.
I had to get myself and the smallest one out of the house by 7:30am today - daycare was taking him for the day. When I got back, I was the only one conscious. So ... I took advantage of the day.




Yup, got this done. This is the before and after shot:

It was a long day in the 35+ degree heat. Seriously, I didn't pee for a while, even though I had a great deal of water. By the end of the day, I was pretty happy with what I got. Paint didn't take a long time to dry, probably because of the heat.

Did I mention it was hot?

I got to bed pretty early, man. Pretty early.

July 10 to 17th

I do apologise, humble readers ... I am trying to keep up with this blog, but being a family man ...eesh.

It's hard.

In any case ...

Wednesday July 11 was a rest and recover day ... stretching and the like.

Thursday was a training night, and so I got my regular sprints in.

Friday I needed my ball and my mats ... but I never got to them, as I was stuck packing for an away trip after the home rugby game... thought about booking a massage for myself ... but then actually looked at my day. In the end ... man, just ran around by my kids for the day.

Saturday ....  was a rugby day. I played in the second XV. When I left the pitch we were winning and we lost in a comeback victory. What was I thinking when I took myself off the pitch? Well, we were winning and there were a lot of pther people looking for some game time.

And so ... I subbed myself off. Ah, forgetaboutit.

After the game I was asked to "stand by" for the first XV, and so I did. To no avail. I was left on the sideline to think on my sins. I had a shower at the 78th minute and was home by 5pm. I packed the van and was in cottage country by 8pm. Beer in my hand was awesome, too.

Sunday and Monday were swimming and having fun days at a cottage. Lots of swimming, lots of ducking really large deer flies. And lots of boating, too. Not a lot of pics, though, I'm sorry to report. At least I made it home without being eaten alive. And the stars ... oh, the stars were awesome.

Tuesday was a rugby night ... and I have to come up with a better training plan.

Here's what happened...

After a training session in the 30+ heat, everyone goes in to the showers. Except me, of course. I do my sprints. I do my regular thing were I sprint from the goal line to the 50m line at least 15 times. And ... I get chirped. Some douche bag decides it's ok to shout shit off of the balcony with a pint in his hand at the guy trying to get fitter.

The funny thing is that last year the guy chirping from the balcony was the guy who's now coaching the club.

I'm on a train wreck. I just want to see how it all ends.

July 5 to 9

The last few days have been more than a bit disappointing.

Friday was the last of the moving stuff from my in law's house to my own day. I'm not sure who was more relieved, as I now have nothing else to do. I guess I can start relaxing and really get my house together.

Saturday I drove to Windsor Ontario and played in a really bad game of rugby. Saying that way reminds me that a really bad day at rugby is still a lot better than the best day ever at work. We lost a very close game, really we should have won. However a number of key people failed to come and play as it was a long drive. For example, I left my house at 10 am, returning at 10pm. Yeah, I had a long day, no doubt. But when both of you team captains and a number of the rather expereinced players don't show, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Sunday was a recovery day. Rolling and stretching were the orders of the day.

Monday I got up late and instead of kettlebells, I did about 90 minutes of gardening and moving boxes around in my house.

Same with Tuesday, but at least Tuesday is a rugby night, so I got my training in. Tire flips, lots of forward set piece work - which entails lifting and sprinting. And after all that, I did my usual for three rounds:

50m sprint x 5
20 seated knee tucks
20 push ups

I actually got chirped from the clubhouse about my push ups. What a douche.

June 25 to July 4

Well, that's vacation time for you.

Sorry to my loyal reader(s) - I've been away, just not lazy. The training continues.

Tuesday is rugby night and the last two Tuesdays I've made it to rugby training and did the usual for three rounds after:

50 m sprints x 5
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks

In addition, Wednesday was a training morning, too.

Thursday June 27 was a rugby night - we played a local club and lost by two points. We had a penalty kick available to us and we kicked for touch instead. Meh, whatever.

Friday to Sunday I was away at a cottage. Driving was a drag, but at least I snuck a few kettlebell and bodyweight sessions in while away. I posted pics on Facebook.

Monday and Tuesday I was up early. Monday I got a nice stretching session done, Tuesday I got this done for four rounds before I had to go move stuff for the day:

20 Kb two handed swings (30 lb bell used)
10 Kb clean and presses
10 kb snatches
20 feet up push ups
20 bw squats
40 m overhead kb carry
20 seated knee tucks


Tuesday was, of course a rugby night. We had the guy from Epic Training come and do a sprint training session with the team as a whole. I was sore the next day.

Wednesday I got up early to stretch, man ... I was so sore. I didn't train, but I'm still getting stuff from my In Law's house into my own. I'm trying to get these done early, as the mornings are cool at the moment, while the afternoons are just brutal with heat and humidity.

Thursday was another early morning session, this time in a local park, under a canopy of sorts. I got this done for three rounds before getting on with moving crap for the day:

20 kb swings (40 lb bell used)
10 kb clean and presses
10 kb snatches
20 seated knee tucks
20 feet up push ups
20 BW squats

Technical session at rugby - sort of. Lots of tire flipping and sprints, to be sure. I also earned my spot back on the first XV. But, I got my usual sprinting done for three rounds:

50m sprints x 5
20 feet up push ups
20 seated knee tucks

I'm also doing a lot of rolling and stretching of my legs and back. Moving and playing rugby is a lot of wear and tear on me at the moment.

One moment of clarity for me was seeing an old wrestling buddy when I walked into a place looking for a free standing chin up bar. He was just talking to his eldest about getting rid of his wrestling t-shirts he's had for 20 years. I told her that it just wasn't to be done.