The season that should have been.

So, as the season winds to a close, I start thinking about all the things I could have done different, to make this a successful season, personally.  As a team, we didn't have a great season.  Personally, my season was an absolute disaster.  It started with me hurting my left hamstring during a company softball game.  As the left one started to heal, I hurt my right hamstring during a league softball game.  So, here I stand, training hard since October of 2011 to play semi-pro football, and I have 2 hamstring issues and haven't even played a game yet.  Needless to say it effected the first 5 games of the season.  I played sparsely in the first 3 game.  I could play a few plays, and would have to come out, stretch out, and go back in.  So I decided that i'd sit for  the 4th and 5th game, and be ready to play the second half of the season fully healthy.  By the 6th game, I felt good, not great, but I felt my hamstrings were good enough to play competitively.  I started at corner and slot against the Timberjacks. I thought I had played well through the first quarter. Even had a pass defended in the end zone, not only saving a touchdown, but getting us the ball back on offense. I did end up costing my team 2 touchdowns on mistakes at my position.  One was a running play, where I over pursued into the backfield, and the other was a pass play where I didn't realize I had the coverage on the tight end, until it was too late.  I ultimately got pulled on defense in favor of Alex.  They felt I was getting picked on, at the corner, though I disagreed with the decision, the coaches decision is final.  I came back for the 7th game, fired up, ready to play again.  This time they had me starting at strong safety.  I have to tell you, I really enjoyed playing that position.  I got to pretty much play linebacker, and corner at the same time.  I love run support, and I don't have a problem covering guys (though my coaches might have a different opinion). Either way, things were going well until late in the first quarter.  I crashed hard onto the tight end, at the line, to try and stop a running play coming my way.  As I connected with the TE, the Tackle came across and crashed hard on me.  I remember our helmets connecting, but I don't remember anything else until I got up.  I stood up, and saw stars, and then fell backwards.  Everything else is kind of sketchy after that. I remember being on the ground, and someone talking to me.  I thought at first it was my head coach, until I saw the stripes of the refs shirt.  I then remember people helping me up, and being walked off the field.  I don't remember what they were saying to me, or what I was saying to them.  One of my team mates said I called him "Sweetheart" as I got to the sideline, but I don't remember that.  So needless to say I got a concussion.  So, here I sit, miss the first five games, for the most part, because of a stupid hamstring issue, and then i'm going to miss at least the next 2 games, probably all 3, because of a concussion.
My biggest issue isn't the injuries, or about how much work I put in.  The biggest thing that hurts is that I didn't prove anything to myself, or my team mates.  I was a complete non-factor.  I didn't catch 1 pass, or really make any plays on defense.  I had all these visions of success, and none of them came to fruition.  There are a lot of things I should have done differently.  I should have stretched more, or paid more attention to my hamstrings in my training.
The positives from all of this is I now know what I need to focus on this off season in order to be the player I wanted to be, for next season.  The only issue is, I do not know, at this time, if there is going to be a next season.  This concussion has me worried about my future, family, and health.  I have a lot of things to weigh, and doctors to talk with before I make a final decision.  I am hopeful I can play, because I feel like I still have a lot more to give this team, and a lot more to prove to myself, before I hang it up for good.

New Blood

Since October, i've been weight training with Steve Hosfelt, preparing for my first season of semi-pro football. Steve and I both continue to progress.  I am down to 173lbs, and my body fat has dropped 4% since I started training (according to my Omnitron Body fat tester).  This week, we added a new training partner, Matt Erhard.  He has decided to work towards playing with the Outagamie Outlaws as well.  With Matt, he has the drive necessary to work hard, and achieve his goals.  He is starting fast, and has momentum, and hopefully we can keep that momentum going, even through the rough patches, because there will be rough patches.  Life gets in the way a lot, when it comes to training, and as long as you acknowledge, accept, and embrace those rough patches, you will be fine.
I've had plenty of ups and downs, but I wouldn't change anything.  I have enjoyed training, and really look forward to the next year, and beyond.  It really has been a lifestyle change for me, and hopefully it continues to enrich my life, and therefore influence those people who are part of my life.  There is no final destination to this lifestyle change, other than death.  For this to be a success, I have to be all in.

Post Flu, Crushed Iron, and a helmet

Friday I crashed and burned hard after a great Thursday night workout.  The flu hit me Friday morning, and by noon I was completely out of commission.  It really sucked, because Saturday morning was sprint training @ XLR8, and I didn't get to participate.  Brandon did though, and he absolutely killed it.  He was able to run 20mph again, and gave an attempt @ 21mph.  He only last 3 seconds, but it was a balance thing, and he will be able to give it another shot in the coming month.
Sunday, Steve and I hit the gym, and we hit it hard.  I hadn't walked out of the gym feeling like I sprinted for an hour and a half, ever, especially after only lifting weights.  But we really hit it hard.  We started with power cleans, and got up to 145, but it was limited rest in between, and it got us warmed up quickly.  Next, we moved on to squats.  We did them a little different this time, and honestly, we may stick with this method.  On minimal rest, this was our sequence.  135, 225, 275, 295, 315, 225, 185, 135.  At the end of that, we were absolutely done, but we still had upright rows, shrugs, and dead lifts to do.  Upright rows, and shrugs we do as super sets.  So we got through those relatively easy.  Dead lifts we decided to do a little different as well.  We stayed at 135, but we had to do 50 reps, with minimal rest.  I'd do as many as I could, then Steve would jump on, do his set, then i'd jump on immediately do my next set, and so on.  Needless to say, I was complete jello by the end of our workout.
This morning, Brandon and I went to run routes, it was my first session wearing my helmet.  I was very happy that the helmet did not impede my vision at all.  Also, the shield did not fog up at all, even though I was breathing pretty hard.  I was able to make the catches I would be expected to make.  The next step is to incorporate shoulder pads, and see how limited my range of motion is.