Wednesday and Thursday and Friday May 29

Wednesday was a long day. Legs were sore and I woke up with the sharpest pain in my knee. Unreal.

I got through work, albeit with a fair amount of shuffling and sitting.

At the end of the day, my wife asked that I go with her for a 2k walk. What else you going to do? I went with her.

Thursday was all doctor appointments and therapy sessions. I woke up and rolled and stretched. I got moving and spoke to a doctor about my knee. Nothing is broken, no xrays needed. Suggested an MRI might find something if the pain continues, or if something goes totally out of whack.

Iced it and went off to my AT to see what they would say. Same thing. Except don't ice something before going to see them.

Went to rugby and got this done for four rounds:

15 double clean and presses with 12 kilo bells
30 m farmers walks
15 bicep curls

Then, instead of messing with my knee, went and did a session on line out throws by myself and the posts. Yeah, it's weird. Got into my ice bath, too.

Friday was sort of pain free, but not really. Hard to complain about sore knees when I spent the day sitting and getting my job done.

Rested and stretched after work. Had to take care of my kids as my dear wife went to Emergency Care at the local hospital to get her foot looked at. It looked ugly.

Monday and Tuesday May 26

Monday was a recovery day. I rolled and stretched in the morning, and that saved me a lot of pain during the day. Did a 2k walk at the end of the day.

Tuesday was as long as it needed to be. I had to skip the afternoon session, so I did a bit more at the afternoon. I did roll and stretch in the early morning ... my son woke me up at about 4am ... yeah, he's lucky he's cute ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol2Xu6O7CuI

In any case, I did get to my physio appointment. Stretching stretching and more stretching ... abd then went to rugby training. An hour of sprinting and ball handling. We did a ladder of sprints during the session ... 60m, 70m, 80m 90m, 80m, 70m, 60m sprints ... which is pretty basic when you look at it. Hard, but basic.

After, I got this done for four rounds:

15 double clean and presses with 12 kilo bells
30 m farmers walk with the same bells
15 rope assisted arm curls see Ryanmunsey.com

I took a few minutes to roll and stretch at the end of that session.

After that I got onto the pitch and did two rounds of:

40m sprint x 4

After, in the ice bath ... I screamed like I was an eight year old. Oh, I got the ice bath cooooooold.

Saturday and Sunday May 24

This was so me after Saturday's game.

Saturday was the first league game for my club, against a team that was basically told to be in our league and to shut up.

Yeah, we won. It was a good win, but lots of rust to get off my skills, to be frank.

Scrums, lineouts were ok ... my open play and hitting of rucks ... meh. At least I caught the balls that headed in my direction and I went through like three of their props during the scrums.

I was pretty sore and exausted by the end of the game, but still felt as though I was still good to go.

I rolled and stretched at the end of the game in the bright sunshine. I was so grateful and felt so blessed to be in that moment. The smell of the grass, the sweat on my brow, the tightness of my muscles made me feel alive. Of course the fact of the matter is I was just outside a beer garden, too. I finished up and had a chance to relax.

Me on Sunday

Sunday was a long day, one in which I should have played rugby again. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. I did end up taking Advil, something I really don't like admitting. I have this whole "No drugs" thing that I try to keep to. I did an awful lot of icing and stretching and rolling Sunday. I also got a 1.6k walk in, too.

Wednesday and Thursday and Friday May 22

Wednesday was a recovery day. I got some rolling and stretching done as I got out of bed, finishing off the day with a nice 1.5 k walk with my wife. I am truly enjoying these sessions, even if she has been on strike and walking all day.

Thursday was a rugby night. I got about a 90 minute session on kick offs, lineouts and scrums in and finishing off with some sprints. Of course after, I got this done for four rounds:

20 kb two handed swings
15 kb rope bicep culrs with the 50 lb bell
30 feet farmers walk
10 med ball slams

than, after that got two rounds of this done:

4x 40 meter sprints
20 knee tucks

After that, got an ice bath in while I listened to the clubhouse explode with laughter while the Rookies at my club were sold off.

Friday was a nice recovery day ... the ice really does help. I rolled and stretched in the morning, getting to finish off the day with a massage and then a 1.5k walk with my wife. It was a pretty cool day.

Monday and Tuesday May 19

Monday was awful on so many ways. It was the end of a nice long weekend. As I am a family man, we had to leave late and got stuck driving south past Barrie Ontario. Now, I personally have no issues with Barrie ... except on long weekends when I'm trying to drive past it. Yeah, it was a long drive.

When I got home I found out that life is trying to kick my groin repeatedly. Hard and fast and repeatedly. I got a stretch in at the end of the day, as well as a 1.5k walk in at the end of the day.

Tuesday was a step up, but that isn't saying much. I got this done through the day:

1 k walk

then got this done for four founds:

90 seconds of double kb clean and presses
60 seconds of one side snatch each side
30 seconds of rest.

I was pretty sweaty at the end.

After that, I got a physio appointment in and ... napped again.

After napping, I got to rugby and did an hour and a bit session of running and technical stuff.

After that, I got this done four rounds

20 kb two handed swings - got some air on the catch and releases with the 50 lb bell
30 m farmers walks
10 med ball slams

then ... lots of stretching and rolling before an ice bath session.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 17

Happy Long weekend!

Friday was a work and travel day. I woke up feeling slightly less crappy, but I stretched and rolled. I got up north after work. Meh, traffic wasn't too bad, but the bugs were. No walk, but lots of stretching.

Saturday was a work day, lots of up and down a hill at the cottage; lots of lifting, putting the dock in, walking and none of it was recorded. I did not go swimming, as it was just a little too cold for me. Bugs were after me, so no walk.

Sunday was still a lot of work to be done in the afternoon. Lifting wood, chasing my youngest and trying to not hurt any of my relatives. Still got a lot of bug bites, too.

Wednesday and Thursday May 13

It's a pylon ... 

Wednesday was a recovery day, lots of stretching and just trying to get myself through the day.

Thursday was a nightmare. Sick as a dog through the day. HR.

In any case, I lightened up at training, no sprints, no contact. Basically I was a pylon.

I got this done after:

10 med ball slams
20 kb swings -50 lb bell used
30m farmers walks

Then, did some line out throws with the posts

Ugh, didn't feel good after, but what ever.

Tuesday May 12

Yeah,this wasn't a normal day. Not really.

My laptop is acting up again, as are a number of other elements in my life. At least Tim Horton's is always there for me.

In any case, I literally rolled out of bed this morning and started rolling. I worked so quickly that I also got a bath in before work, too.I had a tough day at work, but I did manage to squeak this in

2k walk/run
5 rounds of this
15 double kb clean and jerks
2 minutes rolling my legs and ITB bands.

I was actually pretty sweaty by the end, although I honestly think I was the only one.

Later on I had a quick nap, then dinner with my family. They are being so awesome during this rather difficult time.

I had a rugby training session tonight. It was some xontact and going into tackles, then some fitness.

I got this done while other people were in the bar:

15 swings with a 50 lb bell
30 m famers walk with the bell in one hand
10 med ball smals
15 bi cept curls of the KB.

Sunday and Monday May 11

Sunday was mother's day here in Canada. I hosted my mom and dad at a bbq and things went well. Before they arrived, I got a chance to plant the lilac bushes and get them watered. They were looking rough in the morning, but much better by night fall.

I did get two walks done today. The first was right on the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Man, that was pretty cool. The evening walk was also nice - the new headphones I got from AirMiles are just incredible. The walk was 2k as well. I highly recommend that people try really stupid expensive headphones at least once in their lives. All I can say is man, cool headphones. I like them.

Monday was another stressful day. I got home and just collapsed. Collapsed. I did get a walk in later on in the day. I have to change the pattern I've got going for myself. Yes, I am getting eight hours of sleep,they are just not in a row. I'm staying up late to get things for work done, things for my family done, but ... I'm also getting up early for the same things.

Sleep is suffering.

Friday and Saturday May 9

Friday was another crazy day around here. I felt pretty good for the morning - I also got my rolling and stretching done in the early am and another round of it later on in the day.

I didn't get a lifting session in that I want to this week. I will have to set that as a goal for next week, adding lifting to a pretty good set up that I've got so far.

Friday night I got a 2k walk done. Something easy,as tomorrow was rugby.

Saturday was a rugby day. It was also a "hurry up and finish at rugby so you can drive for an hour, wander around in a forest and dig up trees day", too. They were small lilac bushes, intended for my backyard that I dug up.

I just didn't stop sweating for most of the day. After I got home and had a chance to lie down and do a bit of recovery, I got a 15 minute walk in with my wife.

Wed and Thursday May 7

A few awesome things, and a few things crappy happening these days.

Wednesday I had a long freakingly silly day. I got a chance to walk with my wife after everyone got to bed and it was just what we needed today.

At the end of the day, I got a 1.5k walk in with my wife.

I did get a chance to help my wife while she was on strike and walk a bit on a picket line today. I'm hoping that will be the only time I ever have to do that. I have fifteen years left in my current position, but I never hope that I have to walk as my wife has been walking these days.

Thursday was another rugby night.

I got thisdone after a set piece session with scrums and line outs worked on:

Four rounds of:

20 kb swings with a 50 lb bell
30m farmers walk with the same bells
15 slam balls with a 10 lb ball

then got4 x 40m sprints  done twice.

I got some rolling done and some stretching. I also did an ice bath tonight.

Monday and Tuesday May 5

May the Fourth be with you. Yeah, I know, I know.

I'm a geek at heart some times.

I did have a lot to do today and was still in full recovery mode. I did get some stretching and rolling done for myself both before the day started and at the end of the day. I also got a short 1k walk in, just to say I got a short 1k walk in.

Tuesday was a killer day.

Tuesday was an afternoon 2k run at Goodlife to finish off a day of work. That was cool. It was nice to see as many rugby players as I saw there. At least two other Burlington players, and a few Oakville ones, too. After the run I got this done for four rounds:

15 double kettlebell clean and presses (25 lb kbs used)
20 kb snatches each side

Yeah, not a bad sweat.

I went to my physio appointment and got my legs stretched out. Very beneficial.

Then I went home to be a dad. I love being a dad.

After that, it was rugby. I can't say I did very well on the technical side of it. I missed a few tackles and did not play in the open very well. I'm fit, but I need to work on the actual rugby playing side of playing rugby.

In any case, I did also work on my fitness after rugby, too

That cold, yo

five rounds of:

20 Kb two handed swings (50 lb bell used)
30 m farmer walks - same kb used at various levels)
15 med ball slams.

After that I got two rounds of 4x 40m sprints done.

Yeah, that was sore. In an effort to help with recovery, I got into the ice bucket afterwards. It's seems to me to be helping, and that's enough for me at this time.

Saturday and Sunday May 3

Saturday was a rugby day. It was kind of difficult to get up for this game, as it was my club's annual inter club game. Basically, I was playing for my position on the first team. With most of the first team's tight five away, it was a rather cool game for me, even if it was on hot turf.

Not a difficult day in the scrum, to be frank. But the running around the pitch was a heated ball of drag. I'm glad it was an inner squad game, as I was really dragged down by the heat, I'm glad to write. My knees were also suitably unimpressed with the decision to make us play today on turf. Someday I'll be in charge of the universe ... and another first thing I'll do is let my rugby club play on grass at any time.

In any case, I had a limited time to recover, as I had to go home and be a dad as quickly as possible. I got home to a child who was not terribly interested in anything but trying to beat me up. I did get him to calm down when we went into the garage and saw some of the plants he worked with actually growing. I had to play with some  of the soil on top of the plant material, but everything is looking up for the thyme being ... a ha ha ha ha ha haaaa ... a gardening joke .... gotta love 'em.

Saturday night I had to go and watch the big super boxing match. Yeah, it was stupid and boring and dumb. I'm so glad that boxing as a sport is dead, really. Watching the fight I tried to be nice and recall that this was a super fight. But, it is too little to late. Leaving the victor to a referee's decision after such an uninspired fight was a shame. As a group, we talked about the Griffin and Bonnar fight and the difference between the spirit it created as a result. Yeah, this superfight wasn't the boxing match I wanted to see.

Meh, whatever. A lot of money was made from people other than me, so ... it's all good.

Sunday was another "Oh, my goodness, I really can't move" day. I tried to get myself going in the morning, but it wasn't happening. I need to do a lot more recovery work in the minutes and hours after a Saturday game. Hello, Captain Obvious.

I did get moving enough to get around Sheldon Creek, the natural area near my rugby club. I took my wife and two of my kids to go and see the woods and to walk around for a 1.51 k walk. I did see the beaver making a home there, as well as got a chance to listen to the birdsong of a number of birds there. My four year old boy was .. well, like a four year old boy in a forest. Adventure and running and falling a crying and laughing and just absorbing it all in while being outside in the sun. He went to sleep rather easily later on.

Later on in the day, I got  a chance to plant some of the more well rooted plants, and go for a 3.5k walk. It felt good, man. Now, I have to do the rolling on my legs I've been promising myself.

Thursday and Friday May 1

Thursday was crazy. Cray Zee. Before it started, I did get some rolling and stretching done. Then, later in the day I got this done:

First workout was a 2k run to start. Then on to this for four rounds:

15 double clean and presses - 20 lb bells used
10 kb snatches

I then had to go and be an adult.

After that I got to rugby training. 90 minutes of lifting, throwing and sprinting. It was pretty cool to be on grass again.

Training outside! Woooo!

After the session was done, I got back to my good habits of fitness. I got this done:

Five rounds of

15 double kettlebell clean and press - 12 kilo bells used throughout.
10 kb snatches each hand
30 m farmers walk
10 med ball slams
20 kettlebell swings with a 50 lb bell.

after that, I did two rounds of  4 x 40 m sprints

After that:

Nothing in this pic is edible

Friday, I was ok, despite the amount of training I'd done. I'd like to credit the rolling and stretching I did, but I also think the ice bath had a lot to do with it. In any case, I did get a 2k walk in with my wife at the end of the day. It worked out rather nicely, except for the sprint we did to get away from an armed skunk.