Watch the Games Online!

I got an email from one of the guys organizing the trip saying that B2 networks will be broadcasting a few of the games live online. I've posted the info so that if anyone's interested in watching us take on Canada, Australia and the USA, have a look.

Monday Update

So, finally got the pics up from J's White-Yellow belt testing, the Prague trip, and even St. Paddy's day! (I'm a little behind at the moment). I'll try and get some captions onto the albums today so they make a bit more sense. ;-)

Friday had a 'Deadlift Max' day, starting at 60kg and working up to 122.5kg (270lb) max. Tried to hit 125 a few times, but just couldn't nail it. Ah well, I'm pretty happy with the max as it's more than double my body weight. :-) Finished up with 40 slow situps with a 15kg DB on my chest.

One heck of a wo, and I ended up on the floor again for a while. My shoulders felt like the arms were going to fall off.. Felt great afterward though, especially as it was friday!

Had two intense box training sessions this weekend. My body feels like a used punching bag this morning. I think I may have pulled my right bicep a bit as it was getting very painful to use towards the end of Sunday's practice. A bit of heat and cold last night got the swelling down though and it's not too bad today. Raises a point though that I shouldn't push it too hard as I'll be leaving for Canada in 7 days and I best be well rested and ready for some hard work at the week-long training camp.

I'm going to modify this week's WO plan to focus primarily of flexibility and endurance, upping the cardio with a couple of spinning classes and low-weight, high-rep work. Today though I'm completely wrecked, and as I haven't taken a rest day since last Tuesday, I'm taking one today.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who's emailed their support and donations!! I honestly wouldn't be going anywhere next week without your support! I'll be getting back to each of you today.

10 Years!

Can you believe it? Today is Chris and I's 10th Wedding Anniversary.

Has it really been 10 whole years? It's all flown by so fast. Chris, I'm so lucky to have found you and been able to share these years with you. You bring out the best in me and keep me strong.

I love you so very much. Happy Anniversary!!

Rest Smest

Alright, took Tuesday off as I was just too wrecked and wasn't feeling well at all (coughing and chesty flem). Still wasn't feeling too great last night, but forced myself to head down to the gym before they closed for 'Fran'.

21-15-9 for time:
45kg Thrusters
Pull-Ups
Time: 19min 20sec

Sheesh, Fran is just so mean. Was feeling pretty weak during the WO, with some light headed-ness there at the end. Pushed through though and finished up strong, though I switched to kipping pull-ups about half way through. Still, pull-ups have come a long long way, with a visible improvement in my lats. The WO really killed me, but it was worth it. After some rest on the floor (again the weird looks from folks...) headed home with a much clearer head than I came in with.

This morning's WO:

1000m Row
Bench Press: 12 reps @ 60kg
500m Row
Bench Press: 9 reps @ 60kg
250m Row
Bench Press: 6 reps @ 60kg

Felt good this morning, but was running a bit late, so pushed through the WO pretty hard. Intensity was excellent, and I was surprised at how few breaks I needed to push out all reps (only 1 break 1st round, 2 breaks 2nd and 3rd), as just a couple of months ago I was barely able to press out 4 with less weight. And, as 60kg is about my current body weight, I'm pretty happy with it.

Grindin'

Hi all,

Back home last night late and into the office grind today. There's a mountain of email and work to sift through, so will post up later tonight or tomorrow when I get some time.

Was going to do "Fran" today, but not feeling well at all and just plain wrecked from the weekend. Reset the WO plan one day ahead and will get back on on it Wed.

Prague Update #4

We finished up with our final game this morning, another early start at 8:40 vs. Vienna. We did pretty well on Offense, but were really disorganized and never gelled together. We're really going to have to cut out the hero driving the cage routine if we're to be taken seriously in Halifax. In the end though, we won 6-2, though it sure wasn't pretty. Surprisingly, I made it through the game without any penalties :-) This put us in 10th place overall, up two slots from the dismal 12th we placed last year. Pretty disappointed overall as I thought we'd all be taking it pretty seriously, and the fact that we really should have won the first game.

There were some very good match ups in the semi-finals, with a big upset coming from Malisece over the home team Radotin (in a shootout!) and a pounding by the Green Gaels over Mlisece in the final secured their claim to the trophy. It was amazing to watch and play with some of these guys. I for one have learned a ton this year, and will be using the experience to better my own game.

The head and neck weren't too bad until last night when my neck stiffened up something fierce. I brought my last bit of anti-inflammatory prescriptions and have been using them to try and loosen things up a bit. Unfortunately, the side affects cause major stomach pains. The ringing in my left ear is still there as well, so will need to get it looked at when I get back home.

Staying the night with a couple of the lads in the same hotel we've been in for the weekend. My flights at 8pm tomorrow, so I'm going to take the train into Prague to check out the city a bit and get some pictures to bring home. I'll post an update tomorrow if I find an internet point, otherwise, see you all Tuesday!

Prague Update #3

Another bright and sunny day here in Prague. Up at first light for an 8am game, where we came out really intense. Everyone played really well, with strong rotations on transition. I pulled another penalty taking out a guy trying to slam Paddy into the boards. Felt pretty good on offense, moving the ball well. Finally pulled a win out, 6-4.

We had a long break between games, so a couple of us headed off for a stroll around Radotin to explorer the local area. We came across a bike path by the river here and following it down to this little shop where I can say for certainty they make the strongest cup of coffee anywhere. Bam!

Back for a second game of the day with SC Maesto, where things started off well, with everyone playing a very strong, physical game. Unfortunately by the second half (2 x 15min) things were falling apart. I won't go into it at the moment as I'm still way too frustrated to discuss without yelling. I will say that the D really gave it their all as they have all weekend, and the young guns did a great job on attack. Loss 5-2.

Some bright news of the day though. Our goalie Burnsie (who has been playing out of his head this weekend!) and our D captain Eric Timmerick have both been selected to play in the All-Stars match tonight against the Czech National box team! Both these guys have been playing really well all weekend and their selection is well deserved.

We'll be finishing up our round of games early tomorrow (8:45am) against the Vienna Cherokees. Should be pretty fun as these guys are friends of ours (a couple of them have played with us before). After that I may head into Prague to finally be able to see the city and take some pictures for Chris and J.

Prague Update #2

Just finished up a bit ago with our game with the Green Gaels. Turns out these guys are a collection of some of the best box players from all over Canada. We watched them play against Plzen, where they won 15-1, basically toying with them the whole time.

We came out intense and much more focused this game, and while we were outmatched and outnumbered, I think we did pretty well to make them work for the win. I'll post up the official score later though as I can't remember at the moment. We still made mistake on our transition, with guys subbing off while on defense, leaving the D side outnumbered. I think they had only a couple of settled goals, with the majority of them being in transition.

I was getting a bit frustrated last game, as we kept turning the ball over, so I dropped back on a few of the transitions to help out on D. These guys are working their butts off. We definitely should have won the first game. The second we were outclassed, but I think we stood up when and gained some respect. For myself, I think I've done alright, making clean passes and playing hard. Maybe a bit too hard as I pulled a major (3:00) during the second game for boarding...

There was a kids clinic hosted by the Boston Megamen before our game. Really wish J could have been here, as all the kids were his age and I think he would have had a really great time.

We've drawn the 8am game tomorrow morning, which will be interesting considering the weak turnout we had with an 11am game today. Off to get some grub and some rest for the morning.

Prague Update #1

Alright, first day here and first update. Flight was pretty uneventful, although the airline lost luggage for two of our players. We were able to scavenge a few bits of gear from some of the other teams this morning for one of them.

This morning we played against Plzen. We were short a couple of players who stayed out a tad too late last night, and we could feel it. We didn't really play our game though, driving too much on attack and losing on ground balls. This put our defensive players on the back foot (who where short anyway), which ended up allowing a few backdoor goals. We rallied back a bit in the second half (two 15 min halves), but it wasn't enough to close the gap, losing 6-2.

Our tone throughout was a bit crazy, not settling down until too late in the game. Hopefully we'll be back at full strength tonight against the Green Gaels, where we'll need to play much more focused and controlled lacrosse.

At least the weather has been great. It's well over 20C the Keilbasa's are tasty, and not a cloud in the sky...

Let's Roll

Today's WO

CF Warmup
5km Run

Was supposed to do the run tomorrow, but as Chris will be driving me I won't be getting into the office until 9:30, so no time for the gym. My boss (have I mentioned how awesome he is?) gave me the afternoon off tomorrow so that I'll have time to get the bus up to the airport in time for the afternoon flight. So, decided to work the run today to clear the lungs, clear the head.

Let's Rock! Ales Hrebesky Memorial Tournament Video

Back in Action

So, took a couple of days off to recuperate and clear my head (literally), and back at it on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was supposed to turn nasty, but rather it cleared up and got into the low 20's at UCD during our practices! Good turn-out of guys, going for 3-4 hours each day. Had a pretty good smack to the back of the head on Saturday that stung more than anything, but took it easy on some of the drills just in case.

Worked on the Astra on Saturday afternoon to keep moving and enjoy the sun. Scrubbed it down, rotated tyres, topped up fluids, etc. Made a list of little things that will need to be fixed before the NCT next month and got some quotes from the breakers. Mainly the seat belt clip and right front fender need replacing.

Jaidon came out to practice with me on Sunday, so he could wear his new helmet and all his gear. :-) Of course, after being good and wearing it most of the time he took it off and a stray ball bounced off the wall and knocked his ear. No big tears though, and he wears his helmet when he's in the cage now. Chris, J and I also headed up to Gibby's for a small BBQ with Sean, Ollie, and Mike. Beautifully cooked steaks and good friends. Gotta love it..

Jaidon's back in school from Monday, and has still been attending his karate classes, which they've split up to reduce the class size. This seems to help a good bit as J is a lot less distracted. :-)

So, yesterday's WO:

CF Warmup
Back squats (5x5) 95kg
Push-Press (5x3) 55kg

Went into the gym in the evening around 9 and it was packed! Started with Push-presses because both squat cages were being used. I honestly didn't think I'd make the third set, but dug as deep as I could and slammed them out. Squats were excellent! the fifth rep of each I was screaming, but still managed to keep form and keep them deep. Head and neck felt totally fine afterward, and the pump what awesome. :-)

Today:

CF Warmup (minus the pullups)
5 Rounds for time:
10 Pullups
10 Burpees
10 Situps
Time: 13.25

Wow, talk about getting some. I was wrecked after that. Felt pretty good about my pullups though. I'm still not as strong there as I want to be, but I can definitely see an improvement. The burpees were mental after yesterday's session. I caught a glimpse of Pukie hiding out in the stairwell, so I just spent some time on the floor, relaxing....

I'm bummed I missed out on most of last week's workouts, and I've only got two days left until I'm off to Prague. Stopped the meds the doc gave me today and focusing on getting my head right for the trip. The cut is scabbing up pretty good, but I still have a buzz in my left ear that's really annoying. Hopefully it'll pass in the next couple of days. If it's still there by the time I get back I'll got see the doc again.

Apologies and Thanks

Let me apologize for the above Google ads. I normally hate the darn things, but paying for the World Games hasn't been cheap. I'm only going to keep the AdSense stuff up there for a month or so to see if they can help with funding.

I've also updated the blog a bit, as you may notice on the left. As you can see, the total estimated cost for this trip is about €2000 ($2700), and while my first name may be the same, I'm still no Trump. :-) Chris and I are also working on putting together some items (bracelet, necklaces, etc) to be offered for donations, and will hopefully have more details posted this weekend.

Feel like making a donation and sending me to Canada? Please give the AdSense banner a click, or check out the direct PayPal donation link to the left.

THANK YOU to all of the friends and family which have already contributed to this once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm working very hard to make you all proud!

Head Case

Alright, apologies for the technical difficulties there. I've been a bit out of it the last couple of days...

So, to catch up, last Thursday's WO was (CF warmup first) 5km Row on the C2: Level 6, no straps, 30 rpm average. Total time: 28m24sec. Not too shabby I think (previous time on 3/16 was 29m50sec). Seriously tough to keep the good form going for a full 5k without foot straps. Intensity was through the roof! Small turnout for Box practice that night, so mostly working on shooting and 1:1 dodging drills.

Rest Day Friday as I was supposed to have practice Saturday, but we weren't able to find a pitch, and as I had to work all day Sunday, didn't really get much in. Spent a couple hours over the two days in the backyard though, focusing on my left side.

Which brings us to Monday, which is where the fun begins...

WO:
CF Warmup
800m Row / 21 Push-ups / 21 Sit-ups
600m Row / 15 Push-ups / 15 Sit-ups
400m Row / 9 Push-ups / 9 Sit-ups
Total Time: 14min 03sec

Felt great! No rest stops for anything, keeping intensity levels really high. Had to lay there on the floor for a bit when done. Headed over to see how Chris was doing on the treadmill (Chris and J came to the gym with me, as it was a bank holiday). As she wasn't done yet, I hung out and messed around a bit on one of the recline bike things, playing with the buttons. Found one called 'Power Test', so gave it a go. 180 second warmup, and then 30 sec full effort. Rocked the full effort, with a max of 750+ watts, and an average of 530+ watts.

Now, normally I would head into the shower and relax a bit, warm-down and such. But, instead I headed downstairs to wait for Chris to get her gear from the locker room, as I figured I would grab a shower when we got home. By the time I got downstairs, Pukie had snuck up on me and I headed outside for some fresh air and some bushes. ;-)

I was leaning against the wall feeling like I was about to puke, and the next thing I remember I'm laying on the ground with my head in major pain. Reach back feel my head and my hand is covered in blood. Got up and headed back to the gym entrance, asked the people emptying trash to call someone and had a seat. Next thing I know there's a lady from the Gym out there and Chris, and they say I've got blood all down by neck and back. Wonderful..

So, they cleaned me up a bit and I wobbled to the car and Chris drove me to the A&E. Balance was totally shot and dizzy as hell. They took some X-Rays of my head and neck (as I had pins and needle feeling all over my upper body), but luckily there was no fractures or breaks. Really weird feeling though, as I've never fainted or passed out before in my life...

Went to see my GP on Tuesday and everything looks alright. Looks like I fell straight back, slamming my right shoulder (the screwed up one) and gave myself a bit of whiplash. She loaded me up with some anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers and told me to take it easy for a few days. Luckily, I should be back in action in time for the Prague trip. I'm bummed I missed the last couple of days at the gym though. I've got two Box practice days this weekend (Sat & Sun), that I'll attend but will take it a bit easy and should be able to be back in the gym come Monday morning. It takes a whole lot more than a little fall on the pavement to crack a Preston skull!

So, the moral of the story? Always warm-down, and watch out for Pukie's little cousin. He's a sneaky bastard and will knock you out cold you if you're not careful...

Got some? Yeah.. Going again? Hell Yeah.

Back Breakin'

Yech, so after a break due to coming down with a nice cold/chest infection (Chris, J and I all are just getting over it today) I'm finally getting back into the groove. Missed last Thursday and Friday's workouts as I had some personal things to take care of and had absolutely zero time for the gym.

Thankfully the sun came out this weekend and we had an excellent practice session on Saturday. 3 full hours of drills, plays, and general hard work. Jaidon came along this time as well and had a great time again. The kid's a natural athlete I tell ya!

Took J to the gym after practice so he could play in the FitZone area. I hit WOD:

1/2 CF warmup
4 rounds:
20 Squats
10 Push-ups
5 Pull-ups

Unfortunately, I can't remember the time for the wo, and my watch has been reset, so that's lost. Ah well, felt pretty wrecked afterward, especially my legs and shoulders.

Monday I continued the squat/press route:

Back Squat: (5x5) 90kg
Push-Press: (5x3) 5okg

I tried to go up 5kg on the Push-Press, but just could not get it done without completely losing form, so I dropped back to 50kg. I must have leaned off at some point on the Back Squats though as I got a spasm in my lower back during the 5th set that stiffened me up real bad. After some ice, heat and keeping it loose, the pains nearly gone this morning. Took Tuesday as a rest day as Chris had a doc appt in the morning and Tuesday's are my long work days.

Today's WO:
CF Warm-up
Dead-lift (8x3) 90kg
Max Sit-ups in 1 Min = 49

Have I ever mentioned that I love dead-lifts? I think they're my favorite exercise. Wonder what that says about me... ;-) The CF Warm-Up is getting easier as well. Pullups are still my weak point, but they're steadily improving. Also did a set of 10 Dead-lifts at 50kg to get in the groove before hitting 90.

Was a bit short on time today as I was on my lunch break, so didn't take much time between sets. Towards the end, started getting pretty light-headed and nauseous. Gotta love it! Improved my sit-ups from last time (2 weeks ago) by 5. Was hoping for more, but so long as I can measure improvement every week I'm happy.