The Bad News:
After almost four weeks of physical therapy I am still experiencing some tightness/soreness/pain in my left hamstring.
The Good News:
I have made progress. Recently some strengthening work on my hamstring and hips has changed how things feel. On Sunday I was convinced for a period of five hours that the injury had disappeared. Those chunks of time have since been happening more frequently. It is becoming more difficult to find the spot that hurts, however when isolated it is still pretty sharp. My PT person says that the spot is likely getting smaller and that my leg is getting stronger. That is all great stuff. Once I feel like this thing is under control I will start running again. The time off has been good, but I am ready to get back at it. This phantom hamstring spot is on the run and soon I will be too.
AU plays Villanova on Thursday night in the NCAA tournament, for one day in 2009 I will be attending a sports school. Time to get pumped!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
No pain means a gain for this guy
Today was a good day.
No pain during my run (3 miles) and for most of the day. My leg was a little sore early in the day, but feels great post run and stretching. I have been to physical therapy and hope to continue for the next few weeks.
My priority is to run one week without any pain before even thinking about setting any goals. This was the request of my new training-adviser/coach Matt Centrowitz. I'll write more about coach Centrowitz in another post.
So therapy, stretching, icing, and short runs are the name of the game right now. I'm just glad today was a good day.
No pain during my run (3 miles) and for most of the day. My leg was a little sore early in the day, but feels great post run and stretching. I have been to physical therapy and hope to continue for the next few weeks.
My priority is to run one week without any pain before even thinking about setting any goals. This was the request of my new training-adviser/coach Matt Centrowitz. I'll write more about coach Centrowitz in another post.
So therapy, stretching, icing, and short runs are the name of the game right now. I'm just glad today was a good day.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Hold on tight to your dreams
I turned the final corner towards the finish line, only 600m to go. My legs were sore and my body was tired. With close to 13 miles of running completed I wanted to be done. I was disappointed and hurt. The streets of Houston seemed quiet, but there were people all over. I exited the shadows of downtown to feel the sun on my face. I squinted and wiped the sweat from eyes. With 400m to go I could feel someone catching me, but I didn’t care. I glanced at my watch one last time, a mistake. With 300m to go I could clearly hear an announcer saying people’s names as they crossed the line. Would he say mine? Would it matter? People lined both sides of the finishing straight-away. They were cheering, but not for me. At 200m I could see a large monitor at the finish; the camera was following the lead woman. At 100m I could hear music, and as I got closer to the finish line it became clearer. It was the Electric Light Orchestra, “hold on tight to your dreams, hold on tight to your dreams.” After blocking out sounds most of the race, I heard every word of that song’s beginning. One more runner passed by me before I crossed the line, I gave no response. 1:10:18 for the 2009 Houston Half Marathon. My disillusionment turned to anger, frustration, and more disappointment as I was ushered indoors by USATF and race volunteers. I had seen this movie before, but it didn’t feel any better this time. Before the race I held out hope that it would be the end of my journey, but as it turns out, it was only the beginning.
Hold on tight to your dreams indeed; hold on tight to your dreams.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot has changed since November, December, and even early January. Without getting too philosophical and deep I will say that life is moving fast, and frankly, at times I am struggling to keep up. Sure, it's a cheesy metaphor, one often overused in the world of (apparent) narcissistic bloggers like myself. Unfortunately it's all too true. At some point we all have to move forward in various areas of our lives, and for me, it seems that everything is coinciding at once. I don't mean to be melodramatic, but it sucks. How many cross-roads can one come to in a day, week, month, or even a year? I don't know, but I feel like I am finding out.
Here is a short recap of everything since November. If you want more details you'll have to e-mail me.
I got in nasty shape. I got engaged. I finished my third semester at AU. I went home for Christmas. I felt like garbage on my runs. I got my first massage. I had a fantastic New Year's eve. I PR'd for 3k (8:31). I returned to DC. I got sick. I finished a short film project. I got sort of hurt. I raced terribly in Houston. I got sick again. I continued to be sort of injured. I shot video at the USATF XC Champsionships. I realized that my sort of injury is a real hamstring problem.
Welcome to today. All I could do was take a hot shower and stretch for 25 minutes, then ice for 15. Tomorrow I am setting up a doctor's appointment, thus signaling the beginning of the end for this injury. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I remember everything I was feeling that last 1/2 mile of Houston. I can close my eyes and see the finish. After two weeks of a weird running schedule following it, I visited my fiancee Emily in Baltimore. While there I went out for a run to this private school in full winter gear (pants, under armour top, hat gloves), as the temperature was hovering between 15-20 degrees. It is about 2.5 miles out to the school and as I got to the football field I stopped. I instinctively went over to the bleachers and sat down. The campus was so quiet and the air so crisp. The sun was shining bright, but at 4:00 in the afternoon it was beginning to set. I hung my head trying to make some sense of everything. I felt uncomfortable with the silence around me. I started whispering/singing to myself. "Hold on tight to your dreams, hold on tight to your dreams." For some reason I just couldn't shake that song from my head. With it I kept reliving the finish, the emotions still hitting me hard. It still hurt. After about five minutes I got up and finished the run. I felt defeated and that feeling wasn't going away.
I know that in reality finish-line DJ's have a playlist of songs for big races. The list probably includes tracks like "Don't Stop Believing", "Living on a Prayer", "Break My Stride", and other such hits. It's an 80's pop-fan's dream, and a cliche festival for those finishing a big event. However, I see the moment I crossed that line in Houston as a sign, and I refuse to let go of it. Any song could have been playing. It could have been Bon Jovi, it could have been Whitney Houston, hell, it could have been Kenny G. Instead it was, "Hold on tight to your dreams." It doesn't get any clearer than that.
So, I will hold on tight to my dreams, and better yet, I won't give up on them either.
Hold on tight to your dreams indeed; hold on tight to your dreams.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot has changed since November, December, and even early January. Without getting too philosophical and deep I will say that life is moving fast, and frankly, at times I am struggling to keep up. Sure, it's a cheesy metaphor, one often overused in the world of (apparent) narcissistic bloggers like myself. Unfortunately it's all too true. At some point we all have to move forward in various areas of our lives, and for me, it seems that everything is coinciding at once. I don't mean to be melodramatic, but it sucks. How many cross-roads can one come to in a day, week, month, or even a year? I don't know, but I feel like I am finding out.
Here is a short recap of everything since November. If you want more details you'll have to e-mail me.
I got in nasty shape. I got engaged. I finished my third semester at AU. I went home for Christmas. I felt like garbage on my runs. I got my first massage. I had a fantastic New Year's eve. I PR'd for 3k (8:31). I returned to DC. I got sick. I finished a short film project. I got sort of hurt. I raced terribly in Houston. I got sick again. I continued to be sort of injured. I shot video at the USATF XC Champsionships. I realized that my sort of injury is a real hamstring problem.
Welcome to today. All I could do was take a hot shower and stretch for 25 minutes, then ice for 15. Tomorrow I am setting up a doctor's appointment, thus signaling the beginning of the end for this injury. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I remember everything I was feeling that last 1/2 mile of Houston. I can close my eyes and see the finish. After two weeks of a weird running schedule following it, I visited my fiancee Emily in Baltimore. While there I went out for a run to this private school in full winter gear (pants, under armour top, hat gloves), as the temperature was hovering between 15-20 degrees. It is about 2.5 miles out to the school and as I got to the football field I stopped. I instinctively went over to the bleachers and sat down. The campus was so quiet and the air so crisp. The sun was shining bright, but at 4:00 in the afternoon it was beginning to set. I hung my head trying to make some sense of everything. I felt uncomfortable with the silence around me. I started whispering/singing to myself. "Hold on tight to your dreams, hold on tight to your dreams." For some reason I just couldn't shake that song from my head. With it I kept reliving the finish, the emotions still hitting me hard. It still hurt. After about five minutes I got up and finished the run. I felt defeated and that feeling wasn't going away.
I know that in reality finish-line DJ's have a playlist of songs for big races. The list probably includes tracks like "Don't Stop Believing", "Living on a Prayer", "Break My Stride", and other such hits. It's an 80's pop-fan's dream, and a cliche festival for those finishing a big event. However, I see the moment I crossed that line in Houston as a sign, and I refuse to let go of it. Any song could have been playing. It could have been Bon Jovi, it could have been Whitney Houston, hell, it could have been Kenny G. Instead it was, "Hold on tight to your dreams." It doesn't get any clearer than that.
So, I will hold on tight to my dreams, and better yet, I won't give up on them either.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
1-3
Yeah, it was ugly.
Honestly, I am embarrassed by my performance last weekend. I never expected for my predicted champion to be out this early. Now what to I do? Well, I guess I could pick the games for this weekend.
First, let me make a few comments about last weekend's debacle of a playoff lineup.
-Miami sucks. So for all of the Baltimore bandwagon fans getting really pumped about their victory over the Dolphins, chill out.
-On that note, Baltimore is pretty good. Their defense is peaking at the right time and the offense is good enough to win on most days. However, I still like the Pats over them any day.
-If Atlanta had stopped Arizona from picking up that freak first down on 3rd and 16, then Matty Ice would have led the winning drive. It almost came true. Maybe next year.
-Arizona is not good. Trust me.
-The Colts had that game but insisted on giving it to the Chargers. It's too bad, because the Colts were actually pretty good.
-San Diego can win it all, but probably won't.
-Go Eagles.
Here are the "NEW" predictions.
-Eagles 21 Giants 15
-Steelers 34 Chargers 14
-Panthers 28 Cardinals 24
-Ravens 24 Titans 17
Honestly, I am embarrassed by my performance last weekend. I never expected for my predicted champion to be out this early. Now what to I do? Well, I guess I could pick the games for this weekend.
First, let me make a few comments about last weekend's debacle of a playoff lineup.
-Miami sucks. So for all of the Baltimore bandwagon fans getting really pumped about their victory over the Dolphins, chill out.
-On that note, Baltimore is pretty good. Their defense is peaking at the right time and the offense is good enough to win on most days. However, I still like the Pats over them any day.
-If Atlanta had stopped Arizona from picking up that freak first down on 3rd and 16, then Matty Ice would have led the winning drive. It almost came true. Maybe next year.
-Arizona is not good. Trust me.
-The Colts had that game but insisted on giving it to the Chargers. It's too bad, because the Colts were actually pretty good.
-San Diego can win it all, but probably won't.
-Go Eagles.
Here are the "NEW" predictions.
-Eagles 21 Giants 15
-Steelers 34 Chargers 14
-Panthers 28 Cardinals 24
-Ravens 24 Titans 17
Friday, January 2, 2009
Playoff Predictions 2008-2009
Oh hello. I'll just be a second. I have to get a glass of water. The taste of vomit is still in my mouth after watching Brett Favre throw the game away against the Dolphins. That second pick really threw me over the edge.
(pause)
Ahhh, that feels better. Wait, wait, the Chargers came back from a three game deficit and made the playoffs at 8-8? Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that the second most talented team in the league (behind the Cowboys), took half the season off, then decided to care when they realized that their division was a joke? Oh no, throwing up again. Hold on…..
Ok, ok, ok, I think I have it under control now.
That was the 2008 NFL season? Holy crap, it went by fast. It seems like just yesterday we were six minutes into the first game and Tom Brady was upright. Matt Cassel was a backup, Matt Ryan was a doomed rookie, and the Miami Dolphins were hoping to win more than one game. Surprise, the NFL is crazy! It turns out you can't predict anything in this league. Anyone who had the Falcons and Ravens making the playoffs was probably drunk when they came up with that idea.
So, as I do every year, I’ll remind readers of my history. I have been writing a playoff predictions “column” since the 2001-2002 NFL season. In the last seven years I have predicted four Super Bowl champions. If not for a few freak things (like last year’s ridiculous helmet catch by David Tyree of the Giants and Reche Caldwell dropping a sure touchdown against the Colts two years ago) I would have six correct predictions in that span. Out of the last seven years I have predicted the Patriots six times and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once. I might be a hometown-team-guy, but my hometown-team is pretty good. You do the math.
Like in 2002-2003, I am in a tough spot. The Patriots finished with the best record in their division, but thanks to Brett Favre (again), they are on the outside looking in. However, this year’s Pats won 11 games (instead of nine) and the Dolphins took home the division title (instead of the Jets, ridiculous). (FYI: The Dolphins won only one game last year. Not two, not three, one.) The natural question at this point is: Who’s it going to be? Good question. The last time this happened I went with Tampa over Oakland, and I was right. Maybe this will be my finest hour once again.
Over the years it’s been easy for me to pick the Pats. It’s funny, because even though I don’t think they are the best team this year, I still would have picked them to win it all. I refuse to bet against Bill Belichick at this point. (If you think that the video tape thing was his magical formula, guess what…….you’re an idiot. He proved this year that he can take anybody and turn them in to a top 10 QB in this league. Bill has done it twice now, so maybe, just maybe, he is decent football coach.) Consistency wins playoff games in the NFL, and Belichick is as consistent as they come. However, this year he’s at home on January 2nd, so he isn’t perfect.
Ok, let’s get on with the show. Not much has changed in the league this year. Things looked a little weird at the beginning of the season, as the NFC appeared to have closed the talent/coaching gap. However, a 16 game season has a way of working those things out. Although the NFC has made a few a strides and has produced a higher quality playoff field than last year, the AFC is still better from top to bottom. The Chargers did make the playoffs at 8-8, but they are by far the most talented 8-8 team in league history. (Little Known Chargers FACT #1: they are bunch of babies). I look at the five and six seeds for both conferences and I feel this tells you everything you need to know. In the AFC the Colts and Ravens were 12-4 and 11-5 respectively. In the NFC the Falcons and Eagles (both birds) were 11-5 and 9-6-1 respectively. Records don’t tell the whole story though, it comes down to consistency. I’ll give Falcons credit, they are going to be a force for the next few years and they are a legitimate threat. The thing to remember is that while everyone in the AFC was fighting for their playoff lives (except Brett and the Jets), half of the NFC was imploding. The Bucs tanked, the Bears fell asleep, and I can’t begin to explain what the Cowboys did (although the Redskins might be my favorite disaster of the season). The Colts (on a down year) and Ravens did not sneak in, they fought in. Yeah, the AFC west is terrible, but still better than the NFC west. It’s like off-setting penalties; they cancel each other out. (Little Known Chargers FACT #2: they took half of the season off)
Before I finally predict the this thing like I’m Miss Cleo circa 1999, let me hand out a couple of awards.
Life Time Achievement Award: Eric Mangini, (former) New York Jets Head Coach. Great job Eric, you had a team at 8-3 and successfully finished 9-7. Must be a New York thing, blowing big leads that is.
Best Player You Have Never Heard Of: Brett Favre, New York Jets QB
Wow! Where did this guy come from? Before this year I had never heard of the guy. Apparently he played in Green Bay for a few seasons. He was by far the best player for the Dolphins at the end of this season. (I really hope you are picking up what I am putting down)
Slam Dunk of the Year: The Firing of Rod Marinelli, Detroit Lions Head Coach. I mean, the team went 0-16. I love how ESPN didn’t even talk about him with like six weeks to go. I can imagine someone sitting in a conference room saying, “hey do you think we should lead with a story about Marinelli on the coaching hot seat?” Then someone responds, “yeah, right after we announce that dinosaurs are extinct.”
Trade of the Year: Cowboys trade three draft picks (including a 1st rounder) to Detroit for Roy Williams (WR). Detroit is awful, 98% of the time they make the wrong decision, but somehow they opened a Wonka Bar with the last Golden Ticket. Two things that definitely happened while this trade went down were: 1) Jerry Jones panicked, drank a ton, and then had one of his grandkids come up with this deal using “Franchise Mode” in Madden 09. 2) The Detroit Front office, in complete disarray and surprised that they are offered a trade, had a couple of interns test the deal out using “Franchise Mode” in Madden 09. When the league office approved the deal, it was at that moment, they knew it was legit. You have to love EA Sports, they make everything so easy. I can’t wait till Wall Street 09 comes out, the stock market comes to life with EA Sports, it’s in the game!
Best Former USC Quarterback in 2008: Matt Cassel, New England Patriots. So here is the competition: Carson Palmer, injured. Matt Leinart, soft. John David Booty, an idiot rookie. When you consider that Cassel never started a game in college and two of the aforementioned guys were Heisman Trophy winners, this is a pretty big goof on Peter Carroll’s part. In August Cassel could not make an “NFL throw”, now he’s about to get a fat contract. Well done Matt, you deserve it; we wish you could stick around. Good luck in Detroit.
Best Gag-Job in 2008: The Tennessee Titans on Vince Young. Think about it for a second, then remember the Rose Bowl where he beat the USC Trojans, ok now think about the suicide rumors, ok you should have it figured out now. Vince Young is probably locked in a closet somewhere.
Biggest Joke of 2008: The San Diego Chargers. Ron Burgundy told me all about San Diego once. True Story.
Biggest Loser of 2008: Tom Brady, New England Patriots. He’s not a “loser”, but he definitely lost the most this year. Yeah, he put a ring on Gisele’s finger, but football-wise things have changed. Once viewed as the savior, the best QB in the league, clutch, and a first ballot hall of fame guy, he is now expendable. Today on WEEI in Boston people were calling in and talking about how the Pats should ship Brady off to first bidder. One caller referred to his knee “as Mickey Mouse.” (whatever that means?) Cassel, winner of 11 games and a mirror image of Tom Terrific is the new hotness. I love Cassel, and he is apparently an above-average QB, but don’t forget folks, Tom is money. Time to get sidetracked for a second. Here is what Cassel brings to the table that Brady doesn’t: the ability to run, more meat on his bones, and two non-surgically repaired knees. Tom brings the following: playoff pressure-experience, the ability to throw the deep ball accurately (this takes years to develop, Matt doesn’t have it down yet), the ability to sense the location of the pass-rush (Cassell’s biggest flaw), and three Super Bowl rings (not gonna happen for Cassel, sorry band-wagoners). In the end the Pats will make the best decision for the football team, and that decision will be Tom Brady and his Mickey Mouse knee.
Ok, I’ll make quick work on this now.
NFC
Wild Card Round:
Philadelphia Eagles (6) over Minnesota Vikings (3) 28-13. The fact that Minnesota can’t sell out a playoff game should tell you something. Eagles are lucky to be in the playoffs, but are riding the high of last week’s blowout. Wait till Tavaris Jackson meets Jim Johnson’s defense. I just think experience wins this game and these guys don’t have it.
Atlanta Falcons (5) over Arizona Cardinals (4) 24-21. Arizona too can’t sell out their home playoff game. I think Matty Ice leads the Falcons down the field in the fourth quarter for a miracle road victory.
Divisional Round:
Philadelphia Eagles (6) over NY Giants (1) 20-7. Call me crazy, but I think the Giants lay an egg in this game. I think they are a good team, but I like Eli to make a few good mistakes to make up for last year. Donovan holds on to his lunch just long enough.
Carolina Panthers (2) over Atlanta Falcons (5) 31-24. Love the Falcons, but not two weeks in a row with a rookie QB. Big Game Jake has been waiting for this since losing the Super Bowl to the Pats. Carolina is legit.
NFC Championship:
Carolina Panthers (2) over Philadelphia Eagles (6) 21-0. The dream ends here for Philly. It would have been awesome to see a rematch with the Giants, but this will have to do. Carolina’s clear advantage in the running game makes the difference. Philly can’t do anything right this week.
AFC
Wildcard Round
Miami Dolphins (3) over Baltimore Ravens (6) 17-13. It’s tempting to pick the Ravens, but I think the Dolphins can grind it out. The Ravens play great defense, but it won’t be enough in the face of the wildcat formation. Interestingly enough the Dolphins only win last year came over the Ravens.
Indianapolis Colts (5) over San Diego Chargers (4) 35-17. If the Chargers win this game they are going to win the Super Bowl. I just don’t think they will. Peyton makes it easy for me and takes care of business. LT cries on the sidelines.
Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers (2) over Miami Dolphins (3) 28-10. The Steelers are probably the best team in the league. The Dolphins are a worthy feast.
Indianapolis Colts (5) over Tennessee Titans (1) 24-21. The old guard rises up! I think the Colts are better and have been since week seven. Vince Young breaks out of the closet.
AFC Championship
Indianapolis Colts (5) over Pittsburgh Steelers (2) 27-21 [OT]. Miracle touchdown run in overtime shocks the Steelers at home. Revenge for the Colts is sweet, even though they didn’t have to use their golden footed kicker.
Superbowl XLIII
Indianapolis Colts (AFC) over Carolina Panthers (NFC) 28-24. Peyton Manning MVP.
So there you have it folks. This is the only circumstance I have the Colts winning another Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era of NFL football, so enjoy it Peyton.
(pause)
Ahhh, that feels better. Wait, wait, the Chargers came back from a three game deficit and made the playoffs at 8-8? Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that the second most talented team in the league (behind the Cowboys), took half the season off, then decided to care when they realized that their division was a joke? Oh no, throwing up again. Hold on…..
Ok, ok, ok, I think I have it under control now.
That was the 2008 NFL season? Holy crap, it went by fast. It seems like just yesterday we were six minutes into the first game and Tom Brady was upright. Matt Cassel was a backup, Matt Ryan was a doomed rookie, and the Miami Dolphins were hoping to win more than one game. Surprise, the NFL is crazy! It turns out you can't predict anything in this league. Anyone who had the Falcons and Ravens making the playoffs was probably drunk when they came up with that idea.
So, as I do every year, I’ll remind readers of my history. I have been writing a playoff predictions “column” since the 2001-2002 NFL season. In the last seven years I have predicted four Super Bowl champions. If not for a few freak things (like last year’s ridiculous helmet catch by David Tyree of the Giants and Reche Caldwell dropping a sure touchdown against the Colts two years ago) I would have six correct predictions in that span. Out of the last seven years I have predicted the Patriots six times and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once. I might be a hometown-team-guy, but my hometown-team is pretty good. You do the math.
Like in 2002-2003, I am in a tough spot. The Patriots finished with the best record in their division, but thanks to Brett Favre (again), they are on the outside looking in. However, this year’s Pats won 11 games (instead of nine) and the Dolphins took home the division title (instead of the Jets, ridiculous). (FYI: The Dolphins won only one game last year. Not two, not three, one.) The natural question at this point is: Who’s it going to be? Good question. The last time this happened I went with Tampa over Oakland, and I was right. Maybe this will be my finest hour once again.
Over the years it’s been easy for me to pick the Pats. It’s funny, because even though I don’t think they are the best team this year, I still would have picked them to win it all. I refuse to bet against Bill Belichick at this point. (If you think that the video tape thing was his magical formula, guess what…….you’re an idiot. He proved this year that he can take anybody and turn them in to a top 10 QB in this league. Bill has done it twice now, so maybe, just maybe, he is decent football coach.) Consistency wins playoff games in the NFL, and Belichick is as consistent as they come. However, this year he’s at home on January 2nd, so he isn’t perfect.
Ok, let’s get on with the show. Not much has changed in the league this year. Things looked a little weird at the beginning of the season, as the NFC appeared to have closed the talent/coaching gap. However, a 16 game season has a way of working those things out. Although the NFC has made a few a strides and has produced a higher quality playoff field than last year, the AFC is still better from top to bottom. The Chargers did make the playoffs at 8-8, but they are by far the most talented 8-8 team in league history. (Little Known Chargers FACT #1: they are bunch of babies). I look at the five and six seeds for both conferences and I feel this tells you everything you need to know. In the AFC the Colts and Ravens were 12-4 and 11-5 respectively. In the NFC the Falcons and Eagles (both birds) were 11-5 and 9-6-1 respectively. Records don’t tell the whole story though, it comes down to consistency. I’ll give Falcons credit, they are going to be a force for the next few years and they are a legitimate threat. The thing to remember is that while everyone in the AFC was fighting for their playoff lives (except Brett and the Jets), half of the NFC was imploding. The Bucs tanked, the Bears fell asleep, and I can’t begin to explain what the Cowboys did (although the Redskins might be my favorite disaster of the season). The Colts (on a down year) and Ravens did not sneak in, they fought in. Yeah, the AFC west is terrible, but still better than the NFC west. It’s like off-setting penalties; they cancel each other out. (Little Known Chargers FACT #2: they took half of the season off)
Before I finally predict the this thing like I’m Miss Cleo circa 1999, let me hand out a couple of awards.
Life Time Achievement Award: Eric Mangini, (former) New York Jets Head Coach. Great job Eric, you had a team at 8-3 and successfully finished 9-7. Must be a New York thing, blowing big leads that is.
Best Player You Have Never Heard Of: Brett Favre, New York Jets QB
Wow! Where did this guy come from? Before this year I had never heard of the guy. Apparently he played in Green Bay for a few seasons. He was by far the best player for the Dolphins at the end of this season. (I really hope you are picking up what I am putting down)
Slam Dunk of the Year: The Firing of Rod Marinelli, Detroit Lions Head Coach. I mean, the team went 0-16. I love how ESPN didn’t even talk about him with like six weeks to go. I can imagine someone sitting in a conference room saying, “hey do you think we should lead with a story about Marinelli on the coaching hot seat?” Then someone responds, “yeah, right after we announce that dinosaurs are extinct.”
Trade of the Year: Cowboys trade three draft picks (including a 1st rounder) to Detroit for Roy Williams (WR). Detroit is awful, 98% of the time they make the wrong decision, but somehow they opened a Wonka Bar with the last Golden Ticket. Two things that definitely happened while this trade went down were: 1) Jerry Jones panicked, drank a ton, and then had one of his grandkids come up with this deal using “Franchise Mode” in Madden 09. 2) The Detroit Front office, in complete disarray and surprised that they are offered a trade, had a couple of interns test the deal out using “Franchise Mode” in Madden 09. When the league office approved the deal, it was at that moment, they knew it was legit. You have to love EA Sports, they make everything so easy. I can’t wait till Wall Street 09 comes out, the stock market comes to life with EA Sports, it’s in the game!
Best Former USC Quarterback in 2008: Matt Cassel, New England Patriots. So here is the competition: Carson Palmer, injured. Matt Leinart, soft. John David Booty, an idiot rookie. When you consider that Cassel never started a game in college and two of the aforementioned guys were Heisman Trophy winners, this is a pretty big goof on Peter Carroll’s part. In August Cassel could not make an “NFL throw”, now he’s about to get a fat contract. Well done Matt, you deserve it; we wish you could stick around. Good luck in Detroit.
Best Gag-Job in 2008: The Tennessee Titans on Vince Young. Think about it for a second, then remember the Rose Bowl where he beat the USC Trojans, ok now think about the suicide rumors, ok you should have it figured out now. Vince Young is probably locked in a closet somewhere.
Biggest Joke of 2008: The San Diego Chargers. Ron Burgundy told me all about San Diego once. True Story.
Biggest Loser of 2008: Tom Brady, New England Patriots. He’s not a “loser”, but he definitely lost the most this year. Yeah, he put a ring on Gisele’s finger, but football-wise things have changed. Once viewed as the savior, the best QB in the league, clutch, and a first ballot hall of fame guy, he is now expendable. Today on WEEI in Boston people were calling in and talking about how the Pats should ship Brady off to first bidder. One caller referred to his knee “as Mickey Mouse.” (whatever that means?) Cassel, winner of 11 games and a mirror image of Tom Terrific is the new hotness. I love Cassel, and he is apparently an above-average QB, but don’t forget folks, Tom is money. Time to get sidetracked for a second. Here is what Cassel brings to the table that Brady doesn’t: the ability to run, more meat on his bones, and two non-surgically repaired knees. Tom brings the following: playoff pressure-experience, the ability to throw the deep ball accurately (this takes years to develop, Matt doesn’t have it down yet), the ability to sense the location of the pass-rush (Cassell’s biggest flaw), and three Super Bowl rings (not gonna happen for Cassel, sorry band-wagoners). In the end the Pats will make the best decision for the football team, and that decision will be Tom Brady and his Mickey Mouse knee.
Ok, I’ll make quick work on this now.
NFC
Wild Card Round:
Philadelphia Eagles (6) over Minnesota Vikings (3) 28-13. The fact that Minnesota can’t sell out a playoff game should tell you something. Eagles are lucky to be in the playoffs, but are riding the high of last week’s blowout. Wait till Tavaris Jackson meets Jim Johnson’s defense. I just think experience wins this game and these guys don’t have it.
Atlanta Falcons (5) over Arizona Cardinals (4) 24-21. Arizona too can’t sell out their home playoff game. I think Matty Ice leads the Falcons down the field in the fourth quarter for a miracle road victory.
Divisional Round:
Philadelphia Eagles (6) over NY Giants (1) 20-7. Call me crazy, but I think the Giants lay an egg in this game. I think they are a good team, but I like Eli to make a few good mistakes to make up for last year. Donovan holds on to his lunch just long enough.
Carolina Panthers (2) over Atlanta Falcons (5) 31-24. Love the Falcons, but not two weeks in a row with a rookie QB. Big Game Jake has been waiting for this since losing the Super Bowl to the Pats. Carolina is legit.
NFC Championship:
Carolina Panthers (2) over Philadelphia Eagles (6) 21-0. The dream ends here for Philly. It would have been awesome to see a rematch with the Giants, but this will have to do. Carolina’s clear advantage in the running game makes the difference. Philly can’t do anything right this week.
AFC
Wildcard Round
Miami Dolphins (3) over Baltimore Ravens (6) 17-13. It’s tempting to pick the Ravens, but I think the Dolphins can grind it out. The Ravens play great defense, but it won’t be enough in the face of the wildcat formation. Interestingly enough the Dolphins only win last year came over the Ravens.
Indianapolis Colts (5) over San Diego Chargers (4) 35-17. If the Chargers win this game they are going to win the Super Bowl. I just don’t think they will. Peyton makes it easy for me and takes care of business. LT cries on the sidelines.
Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers (2) over Miami Dolphins (3) 28-10. The Steelers are probably the best team in the league. The Dolphins are a worthy feast.
Indianapolis Colts (5) over Tennessee Titans (1) 24-21. The old guard rises up! I think the Colts are better and have been since week seven. Vince Young breaks out of the closet.
AFC Championship
Indianapolis Colts (5) over Pittsburgh Steelers (2) 27-21 [OT]. Miracle touchdown run in overtime shocks the Steelers at home. Revenge for the Colts is sweet, even though they didn’t have to use their golden footed kicker.
Superbowl XLIII
Indianapolis Colts (AFC) over Carolina Panthers (NFC) 28-24. Peyton Manning MVP.
So there you have it folks. This is the only circumstance I have the Colts winning another Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era of NFL football, so enjoy it Peyton.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Veteran's Day 10k
In four years at Tufts I was all-NESCAC each year. However, I never made the first team. I was 11th as a freshman, 12th as a sophomore, 8th as a junior, and then finally 9th as a senior. As a freshman I was happy with my performance, the other three years I left my conference championship disappointed. Perhaps the most disappointing of the four was my senior year when I went from being in 3rd place with 1k to go (and moving well) to 9th place at the finish line. To make a long story short as poorly as I ended up running over the last 1000m of the race I still had a great shot at getting my first first-team all-NESCAC. With approximately 300m remaining I was dry-heaving and wobbling towards the line. As a few dudes started to ghost me like Patrick Swayze (including my own teammate Matthew Lacey) I was holding on to 7th place (the last spot). As I willed my failing body (the only time in my entire life this has happened) closer to the finish I could taste first-team. Then I heaved one last time and out of the corner of my eye I watched two of my teammates fly by me right before the line. Josh Kennedy who had finished 7th the year before and Brian McNamara (my roommate for 3 years) shattered my dream of first-team success. Granted, our team ended up winning the meet as we had four guys in the top nine, but I was a little down about it. Yet afterwards, Kennedy and Mac were laughing it up having realized the situation during the final stretch. They knew, yet they did it anyway. No hard feelings though, they did what they had to do.
So, I tell this story because this was pretty much my race today at the Veteran's Day 10k. Will Viviani and I led a great pack of two other Pacer teammates (Bert Rodriguez and Steve Mance) through about 5k, and then all three ended up out classing me in the final 1000m of the race. (However, to his credit Bert ran a pretty gutsy race as he got a few seconds on Will and I at about 4-4.5 miles. Also Mance died in the fifth mile and then came back to life in the sixth which was also pretty awesome.) So this race was basically a team time trial, as we passed only one guy the entire way. Needless to say, the four man pack was a dominating force.
I got off the line really smooth and strong as we supposedly went through the mile in about 4:48. I say supposedly because we also supposedly went through the second mile in 5:12. Something tells me the marker was a little off. Ahead of our pack was a group of foreign friends and our other teammate Steve Crane. They were on pace to break 15 through the 5k so we let them go early. Other than that we were chasing Wilson Komen from Georgetown Running Company (who fell off the aforementioned lead pack) and we never quite closed the gap. So I maintained the lead of our tight pack until just after 5k. Then Bert started getting in on the lead action. From that point until about 4.5-5 there was a lot of lead changing in the group. I think we all grabbed the lead for at least a few strides.
Finally Bert got a few seconds on Will and I, and Mance started to fade a little during the fifth mile. The worst thing about running with these guys late is that they are all faster over the shorter distances than yours truly. So, I knew that even if I got a stride or two on either of them I was screwed. Regardless, I continued to trade mini-moves with Will as we sat about five seconds behind Bert for most of the fifth and sixth miles. As we neared the six mile mark Bert got a few more seconds, Will passed me for good and got a few strides on me, and then back from the dead comes Steve Mance. The photo below shows exactly how it went down. I am the guy presumably in third.
So, four guys from my team got me (the three in the picture plus Steve Crane), which is actually pretty awesome. I ended up 7th overall in a time of 31:33 after a few foreign friends dropped out and two were disqaulified. Don't ask me what happened because I have no idea.
Overall this was a solid effort after my biggest two weeks in over five years. I felt strong today but by no means fresh. I had a little bounce at the beginning but got sluggish towards the end. I am confident that I can run faster with a little rest, and that come January I will run two faster back-t0-back.
So, I tell this story because this was pretty much my race today at the Veteran's Day 10k. Will Viviani and I led a great pack of two other Pacer teammates (Bert Rodriguez and Steve Mance) through about 5k, and then all three ended up out classing me in the final 1000m of the race. (However, to his credit Bert ran a pretty gutsy race as he got a few seconds on Will and I at about 4-4.5 miles. Also Mance died in the fifth mile and then came back to life in the sixth which was also pretty awesome.) So this race was basically a team time trial, as we passed only one guy the entire way. Needless to say, the four man pack was a dominating force.
I got off the line really smooth and strong as we supposedly went through the mile in about 4:48. I say supposedly because we also supposedly went through the second mile in 5:12. Something tells me the marker was a little off. Ahead of our pack was a group of foreign friends and our other teammate Steve Crane. They were on pace to break 15 through the 5k so we let them go early. Other than that we were chasing Wilson Komen from Georgetown Running Company (who fell off the aforementioned lead pack) and we never quite closed the gap. So I maintained the lead of our tight pack until just after 5k. Then Bert started getting in on the lead action. From that point until about 4.5-5 there was a lot of lead changing in the group. I think we all grabbed the lead for at least a few strides.
Finally Bert got a few seconds on Will and I, and Mance started to fade a little during the fifth mile. The worst thing about running with these guys late is that they are all faster over the shorter distances than yours truly. So, I knew that even if I got a stride or two on either of them I was screwed. Regardless, I continued to trade mini-moves with Will as we sat about five seconds behind Bert for most of the fifth and sixth miles. As we neared the six mile mark Bert got a few more seconds, Will passed me for good and got a few strides on me, and then back from the dead comes Steve Mance. The photo below shows exactly how it went down. I am the guy presumably in third.
So, four guys from my team got me (the three in the picture plus Steve Crane), which is actually pretty awesome. I ended up 7th overall in a time of 31:33 after a few foreign friends dropped out and two were disqaulified. Don't ask me what happened because I have no idea.Overall this was a solid effort after my biggest two weeks in over five years. I felt strong today but by no means fresh. I had a little bounce at the beginning but got sluggish towards the end. I am confident that I can run faster with a little rest, and that come January I will run two faster back-t0-back.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
94
It's been five years since I have written a 94 in my log. It has also been five years since anything in the 90's followed anything in the 90's in consecutive weeks. So, things are going well right now. Below are my last six weeks of training. I apologize to anyone that is a loyal reader of the blog (if there are such people???), my lack of posts is pretty lame. I like to put a lot of time in to posting, but I haven't really felt like I have had the time. So here are a few bullet points to catch people up:
* Army was an OK race. I went out pretty quick (25:15 @ 5 miles) and actually felt ok, but then at around 6.5-7 I started to feel crappy. I limped home to finish in 51:25. For those of you doing the math at home, that means my last 5 were in 26:10. There is no question in my mind that I peaked at Philly (which is fine with me) and that my five weeks of tapering started to have an impact. I was literally doing nothing and your body needs something in order to sustain a high level of performance.
* I have been stretching everyday. Some days are better than others, but overall this has made a huge difference in how I feel. I also use The Stick a lot. Long term this will help prevent injuries as I raise the bar on my mileage totals.
* I have been taking Endurox for about a month now to help with recovery. I have been feeling great out there, so it is definitely doing something. I usually use about a scoop or so after each of my runs. My flavor of choice is chocolate.
* Steve Crane and I have recieved invitations to run at the Houston Half Marathon, site of the 2009 USATF Half Marathon Championships. This is the race where Ryan Hall broke an hour for the half a couple years back. I am hoping to break 1:06 and inch closer to the trials qualifier (1:05:00), should be a great place to give it a go.
* I am running in two races around DC in the near future. Tomorrow (November 9th) I will run in the Veterans Day 10k down at the Tidal Basin. Next Saturday (November 15th) I will run an 8k Cross Country race at the site of the 2009 USATF National Championships held in February.
* My cousin Sam Brigham of Montpelier High School in Vermont recently finished with the 25th best time at the Vermont State Championships. With this he qualified for the New England Championships held at Derryfield Park in my home state of New Hampshire. At New Englands he ran his best race of the season on a tough course and finished 135th with a time of 17:22. I am pumped for him as this was his first season of XC, mad props to the Brigham crew in Montpelier.
* I am working on some crazy projects right now (literally at this moment), three to be exact. More on those in the future, but they are taking up a lot of my time as well.
* I think the Pats are still a scary team. Once the training wheels come off Matt Cassel things will get interesting I promise. The team played extremely well in that loss to Indianapolis.
That's all I've got right now, I'll write a race recap after the Veteran's Day race. Train hard.
* Army was an OK race. I went out pretty quick (25:15 @ 5 miles) and actually felt ok, but then at around 6.5-7 I started to feel crappy. I limped home to finish in 51:25. For those of you doing the math at home, that means my last 5 were in 26:10. There is no question in my mind that I peaked at Philly (which is fine with me) and that my five weeks of tapering started to have an impact. I was literally doing nothing and your body needs something in order to sustain a high level of performance.
* I have been stretching everyday. Some days are better than others, but overall this has made a huge difference in how I feel. I also use The Stick a lot. Long term this will help prevent injuries as I raise the bar on my mileage totals.
* I have been taking Endurox for about a month now to help with recovery. I have been feeling great out there, so it is definitely doing something. I usually use about a scoop or so after each of my runs. My flavor of choice is chocolate.
* Steve Crane and I have recieved invitations to run at the Houston Half Marathon, site of the 2009 USATF Half Marathon Championships. This is the race where Ryan Hall broke an hour for the half a couple years back. I am hoping to break 1:06 and inch closer to the trials qualifier (1:05:00), should be a great place to give it a go.
* I am running in two races around DC in the near future. Tomorrow (November 9th) I will run in the Veterans Day 10k down at the Tidal Basin. Next Saturday (November 15th) I will run an 8k Cross Country race at the site of the 2009 USATF National Championships held in February.
* My cousin Sam Brigham of Montpelier High School in Vermont recently finished with the 25th best time at the Vermont State Championships. With this he qualified for the New England Championships held at Derryfield Park in my home state of New Hampshire. At New Englands he ran his best race of the season on a tough course and finished 135th with a time of 17:22. I am pumped for him as this was his first season of XC, mad props to the Brigham crew in Montpelier.
* I am working on some crazy projects right now (literally at this moment), three to be exact. More on those in the future, but they are taking up a lot of my time as well.
* I think the Pats are still a scary team. Once the training wheels come off Matt Cassel things will get interesting I promise. The team played extremely well in that loss to Indianapolis.
That's all I've got right now, I'll write a race recap after the Veteran's Day race. Train hard.
| Week: 9, 11/01 - 11/07 Week Miles: 94.01, November miles: 104.51 | 94.01 | |
| Saturday | easy 10.5 over in Arlington, Custis trail and some balance on the track, did a few striders and felt ok out there, great week and a 2008 mileage pr | 10.5 |
| Friday | easy run out there today, felt good for most of the way, Roosevelt Island | 10.5 |
| Thursday | good run in the morning with Jeff Caron (UMaine Alum), out along the toe path in Georgetown, felt good today, pretty smooth after last night's terrible evening run, did a GU pack at 46 minutes again and think it helped | 13 |
| Wednesday | AM - Morning workout, got an extremely early start today, 6:30 AM warm-up, 3 miles easy on the warmup and felt sluggish, snapped out of it to run 20x400 in 69-70 w/ 35 sec rest, felt solid, 4.5 on the cool down PM - Easy 6 miles, stretched and sticked afterwards, felt like crap on this run, was pretty tired and yawning and had the hiccups, I was a mess | 18.51 |
| Tuesday | felt ok today, not great, sluggish towards the beginning, Roosevelt Island again | 10.5 |
| Monday | 11 miles in Baltimore, did a 9 loop and added on grass loops in the middle, felt ok out there even though I did the 20 yesterday | 11 |
| Sunday | really solid long run, out on the NCR trail north of Baltimore, did GU packets at around 6.5 and 13 miles out there, was a little tired towards the end but overall had great rythym out there | 20 |
| Week: 8, 10/26 - 11/01 Week Miles: 90.51, October miles: 310.01 Top | 90.51 | |
| Saturday | finishing the week off, Roosevelt Island again, probably a loop PR, had everything working today, didn't push too hard but took advantage of the good vibes, what a great week of training, feel great | 10.5 |
| Friday | easy run, out to Roosevelt Island, felt ok out there but not great, still time was pretty good out there | 10.5 |
| Thursday | second long run, felt good out there today, took a GU at 1/2 way, out on the capital crescent trail along the canal | 13 |
| Wednesday | AM - Workout morning, 12 miles total, 3 up, 4 mile tempo run in 20:20 (5:00, 10:00, 15:04), 2 min rest, 1 mile in 5:05, 4 mile cool down, felt pretty crappy after 2.5 in 12:31, over a pretty dead feeling PM - 6 mile easy run, left ankle is a little sore but worked up over the course of the run | 18.01 |
| Tuesday | easy run out to Roosevelt Island, felt pretty sluggish but got through it, time was respectable though | 10.5 |
| Monday | easy 10 miler out to Lincoln via McArthur Blvd, felt pretty good but took it really easy | 10 |
| Sunday | evening long run, after a long morning of shooting at the Marine Corps Marathon, ran at a good clip and legs were sore towards the end, out in Silver Spring, good tough run | 18 |
| Week: 7, 10/19 - 10/25 Week Miles: 82, October miles: 310.01 Top | 82 | |
| Saturday | easy 10, felt good today, legs and body were fresh this morning | 10 |
| Friday | easy 10 in the morning, felt tired but got through it ok, out into DC and back through Arlington | 10 |
| Thursday | easy 12 out to Roosevelt Island, felt decent until the last few or so | 12 |
| Wednesday | workout day, 3 miles warm up, 7x800 in 2:20 (6-2:22ish, 7-2:25ish) w/ decreasing rest from 60 sec (5 sec off each interval), after the tough 7th one I took a full 3 minutes and did an 8th in 2:21, felt better out there but had lost my fastball, cooled down 4 miles, overall a decent workout but I know that I can feel better out there | 11 |
| Tuesday | another day out to Roosevelt Island, about the same time, 1:10:38, felt a little tighter and more sluggish this time around | 10.5 |
| Monday | Roosevelt Island, two laps, felt pretty good today, tried to take it easy but was in quite a good rhythm out there,a beautiful fall day | 10.5 |
| Sunday | back to real business with a great long run today, absolutely hammering the Shirlington loop, Orange GU around 1:08:44, really chilly as I wore a hat and gloves | 18 |
| Week: 6, 10/12 - 10/18 Week Miles: 81, October miles: 310.01 Top | 81 | |
| Saturday | easy 10 in the morning in Annapolis, woke up @ 5am and was throwing up, tried to rally, successful, 10 was off, but I made it through | 10 |
| Friday | easy 10 in the morning, out from Iwo Jima down to the point where Cherry Blossom runs, 1:11ish on the total time | 10 |
| Thursday | easy 12 mile day, felt pretty good, three laps and little more on the Roosevelt Island, 2nd lap was my strongest | 12 |
| Wednesday | workout day, 3200 in 9:59, 3 min rest, 400 in 69, 3 min rest, 3200 in 9:51, 3 min, 400 in 67, 3 miles warm up, 4 miles on the cool down | 11.5 |
| Tuesday | 2 laps around Roosevelt Island, decent effort out there, felt ok | 10.5 |
| Monday | easy 10, McArthur loop out to Lincoln, tired but not too bad out there, | 10 |
| Sunday | long run, Shirlington loop, pretty solid run, pace was pretty good the whole way | 17 |
| Week: 5, 10/05 - 10/11 Week Miles: 50, October miles: 310.01 Top | 50 | |
| Saturday | solid 10 in Baltimore during Em's marathon, up hill, down hill, all over the place for about 68 minutes, felt ok but wasn't enjoying the downhills | 10 |
| Friday | easy 8 out there today, felt ok | 8 |
| Thursday | easy 8 on the standard loop, felt ok but not great, gave new shoes a go, still too big | 8 |
| Wednesday | back to work, easy morning run, 8 miles on the canal | 8 |
| Tuesday | staying retired | 0 |
| Monday | day off after race | 0 |
| Sunday | 3 up, 3 down and a 10 mile race in between, Army 10 miler, splits were (5:03, 9:58 [4:54], 15:06 [5:08], 20:08 [5:01], 25:15 [5:07], 30:26 [5:10], 35:39 [5:12], 40:55 [5:16], 46:32 [5;37], 51:28 [4:56], official time gave me 51:25 which was nice, did pretty well early on but moved too early on 2, should have chilled a little longer, last couple were a definite struggle | 16 |
| Week: 4, 09/28 - 10/04 Week Miles: 39.5, September miles: 233.5 Top | 39.5 | |
| Saturday | another day off, because why not? | 0 |
| Friday | easy 6 loop, felt good out there | 6 |
| Thursday | back was really messed up, but hey, no problem, take a day off | 0 |
| Wednesday | 6x200 in 33, 200m jog rest, 1xmile 4:43, 2 min rest, 6x200 in 33, 200m jog rest, 3 miles on both sides | 11 |
| Tuesday | easy run the day before working out | 6 |
| Monday | easy run today, lower left back/butt hurting a little from stretching the previous day, not sure what happened but it worked itself out during the day | 6 |
| Sunday | solid run after a weird weekend, did the two laps around Roosevelt Island, felt strong towards the end but apparently ran really slow out there | 10.5 |
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