Not So Fast

I returned to the court today, much more Festus than Willis Reed. I dragged my sore leg around to a 1-2, to finish the year at 38-46. The sore leg was all consuming and demanded my complete focus, although I wasn't distracted enough to make, rather than miss, lay-ups. I was unable to defend, or move at all really.

Although when I stopped playing, and apologized to all for my horseshit play, the reaction was something like, "looked like your regular game."

A couple of positive notes, however:

1. There is always next year, which starts, in this case, tomorrow (although I won't try to play again until next week, at the earliest).

2. I am much better off than Arun Sandhukha.

No More Excuses

Time to get back on the court. My leg is much better, and I've had a number of quality indoor rowing session. Last night I tested it (my sore right leg) with a full body kettlebell session. Full body includes squats and lunges, and the leg feels good this morning. It is, after all, a leg injury, not a ripped scrotum, like this poor bastard, or a busted testicle.


Time to get after it! Just need a little testicular fortitude.

Keeping the Doctor Away

10K a day keeps the doctor away. Maybe. With my leg on the mend I've turned to my old friend the Concept II rowing machine for non-weight bearing exercise. I've "rowed" 10K each of the past two days, 2 X 5K yesterday, and a straight 10K today.

This regime will keep me fit. The problem is that I've started to think about competing: grueling 2K races that require nasty interval training. I need to talk myself out of this idea before I talk myself into it.

A Setback

Minor, I hope: during the game Saturday (2-1, now 37-44) the side of my knee collided with the knee-cap of a geezer moving at full speed. Instant debilitating pain. It still hurts and limits my mobility (it is Monday morning). The good news is that I was able to row this morning so I can maintain fitness until I can get back on the court. I'll try a kettlebell workout tomorrow, and I haven't completely written off this coming Saturday's game, although I'll need a lot of improvement (like being able to walk normally) before I'll attempt it. I thought I was much better by yesterday evening but upon furthher review I now think my temporary feeling of wellbeing was related to the 6-pack of Torpedo Extra IPA I drank while watching the football game.

I am feeling much better than Kim Jong Il, who passed during the night. The fashion world will suffer but there should be no impact to basketball.

Improving Fitness

A shortage of geezers yesterday (Thursday) morning resulted in me jumping in the fullcourt game. After two trips up the court I was stunned by just how long the court is. I started daydreaming about golf, the sport 56 year old fat dudes are supposed to be playing (check out the photo of pro golfer John Daly working out). It went okay, though, after the initial shock. I was 2-1, and I was somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of my ability to contribute to my team.

I'm going to pencil in the Thursday morning fullcourt run as a regular weekly event. It will help improve my overall fitness level, and it is fun. I assume that my body will adjust to the additional running (versus the halfcourt game) if I make it a regular thing. My feet should recover just in time for the Saturday morning game, and the rest of my body is fine.

I'm on a 12 day in a row workout streak, with this morning's full body kettlebell workout (with push-ups and pull-ups) in the bank. I need to keep it going. Next day off is Christmas day!

I'm enjoying the workout variety: basketball; kettlebell; and the rowing machine are all in the mix.

Desperate Measures

In an effort to satisfy my body and my soul, in my pursuit of basketball mediocrity, I got my Canadian beer fix by reaching for, then quaffing, the end of the world (La Fin du Monde), if my bad french comprehension is correct.

And to fix my constantly ailing feet, a recent meal included chicken feet. Upon reflection, sore feet aren't such a bad thing, given the remedy.

The Canadian beer, by contrast, was delicious. A Belgian style tripel that is bitter and sweet, spicy and just right.

And best of all, the world was still here when I woke up this morning.

Jonesing

Canadian beer, eh. Tomorrow night (I'm on my monday hiatus). Or at least before the end of the world.

Tweaking Things Up

Reflecting on this-and-that over a Big A IPA (Smuttynose) at the Great Lost Bear, it occurred to me that by timing my shooting practice and sandwiching shooting between challenging exercises, I'm practicing missing shots--and I therefore miss a lot of shots during the games. So I'm going to slow down, turn the timer off, take the heart rate monitor off, drop the push-up (and other nasty bits) and just shoot--practice making shots--during my practice for a couple of weeks. Maybe that'll help me shoot better in games.

Anyway, I was 2-2 Saturday, continuing the .500 trend. But I can do better.

A good thing is that I'm getting in really pretty good shape. This lets me drop the fitness component in my basketball practice, provided I continue to hit all my other workouts. Right now I'm fit and fat. A 2012 goal will be to be just fit. And to play more than 200 basketball games and finish over .500.

Gaining Momentum?

After going 3-1 yesterday, quick fact checking indicates that I've been playing .500 ball since taking the unusual step of practicing regularly. So I'll stick with it, although I'm going to tweak it up a bit and emphasize skill improvement rather than fitness improvement.

I'm getting my fitness in elsewhere and am having a good week. Today is a bonus "no booze" day, so I'll have 3 alcohol-free days this week rather than the normal 2. And I'll be rested and raring to go for the geezer game tomorrow morning.

I need to focus on moving without the ball, on offense, and not taking any time off, on defense, tomorrow.

Okay, so much for the basketball-related naval gazing. The big question is, where will I have my first beer tomorrow? I haven't been to the GLB in a long time.

This and That

I have a hard and fast rule that I don't drink any alcoholic beverages on Mondays and Thursdays. To give you an idea about just how strict this rule is--I haven't broken it (the rule) since Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.

But if I did drink on Monday, I'd go to the East Ender, on Middle Street, in the old Norm's East End space. They have a terrific draft beer selection, and all their beers are $3 on Monday. In addition, they have great food items at a "buy one, get one free" deal.

Because I'm a bit of a masochist, I re-did the Nutripper again this morning. I shaved 19 seconds off my previous time. I loved the DOMS effect that had my entire posterior chain pleasantly sore as hell after the last workout, so I have that to look forward to. During the workout, it's the quads that seem to be under the most stress, however, if I had to narrow it down to one muscle group.

6:00 AM geezer hoops tomorrow morning! We'll see how that goes.

The Nutripper

My combined kettlebell and indoor rowing workout was, specifically, as follows:

I set the little pink prick (Gymboss) for 2:00 on/:30 off, and the Concept II rower at 5,000 meters. I rowed first, and when the pink jackass beeped, I moved to the kettlebell (20kg/44 lb), and when it beeped again (after 30 seconds) I swung (is that the right grammar? I did 2 minutes of kettlebell swings) for 2:00. For 9 rounds. On the tenth round I had 375 or so meters left on the rower. All in all, almost 1200 reps. Each 2:00 of rowing was 56 strokes (reps), each 2:00 of swings was 70 reps. Any swing (2-handed, right, left, hand-to-hand) is okay. It's a nutripper under any circumstances.

5K The Hard Way

The gym was closed today, hijacked by a damn craft fair. This is the second closure since we moved indoors, which means gym closure rates are greater than rain out rates. Anyway, it sucks on many levels. The Saturday morning game is both my best and my funnest workout of the week. And I had two good practice sessions this week and was feeling good about my game going into the weekly tilt. So I was really disappointed with the closure.

I replaced the workout with a session that almost killed me. It was no fun at all. Some background: one of my midweek workouts is 5K on the Concept II indoor rowing machine--20 minutes of mid-to-high end aerobic work that also works almost every muscle in the body. Bizarrely, the rowing motion is very similar, physiologically, to a kettlebell swing. So I combined the two. The result was a 46:20 nutripper of a workout.

I rewarded myself afterwards with an early Christmas Present: First the now mandatory pickle juice recovery, followed by a Double Old Thumper; then an early Christmas present and a real treat--the Double Bastard. The pickle juice was wrong--kosher dill is right. The Double Thumper is also too sweet. The Double Bastard is everything a beer should be. Flavorful, fullbodied, complex, malty, and kick ass.

After the reward, a nap ensued.

Balance

Balance, like moderation, is one of those things that is really important in life. And like moderation, I suck at it. But when a friend offered an opportunity for me to stray from my normal hops heavy beer, I jumped at the chance. And I was rewarded: this home-brewed wheat beer is complex and delicious, earthy and malty, full-bodied, with a hint of a Belgian sour at the finish. It is the cat's meow!

Survive and Move On

The holidays can be challenging to a fitness routine, and this year's Thanksgiving week was no exception. In addition to the normal overindulgence, we added what I fear is a new tradition this year: the pickleback. In this case, a shot of Jim Beam followed immediately by a shot of kosher dill pickle juice. It was, against the odds, really good! The pickle juice has that nice, elusive umami taste.

Anyway, despite the lack of workouts (only 3 all week), the weight gain (a few pounds), and my new holiday pickleback habit, I went 3-2 on Saturday, bringing my 2011 record to 28-39. In addition to the "despites" above, I won games despite wretched shooting on my part. Had I made lay-ups I would've been 5-0. Back to practice this week!

The Best Happy Hour in Portland for Beer Geeks

At Mama's Crowbar all draft beers are $3 every day between 4 and 6. And I'm not talking about a Shipyard Export or a Coors Light--Mama's got Allagash Black and Thing 1 and Oxbow's FPA and Maine Brewing Company's Zoe!

So how does this tie into basketball? Well, it doesn't really, except that it's important to be focused and go all in. If you are playing basketball, even if you are old and more of a never-was than a has-been, it's still important to give it your all. And if you are a beer bar serve great beer, and cater to folks who like great beer by offering it at a really good price. And don't trick it out with distractions like food and televisions and trivia contests and credit card machines. Keep the background music in the background--conversation counts. And keep the magnetic poetry unsophisticated enough so even beer geeks get it.

Conventional Wisdom

Despite the clear, irrefutable evidence supporting beer as the perfect recovery beverage, I tend to follow conventional wisdom, which dictates holding off on beer until lunch time. So my Saturday morning post-basketball routine includes a sauna (this is probably a mistake, since I've already sweat a lot, but it feels good), which is included in the $5 gym entry fee, followed by a bagel and lox. These are very simple pleasures that add to the basketball experience.

Improvement

I was 2-2 today, which brings me to 25-37 for 2011. I felt good about the results given that I started in an 0-2 hole. My energy level was reasonably high throughout.

I can't decide if my new ball (pictured here) played a role in the outcome. Probably not, but I like it.

Too Much Head

Actually, too much of everything. My weight is creeping up (wrong direction!). My theory is that food and beverage intake is a factor. There is some science behind this radical hypothosis, evidently.

It's Maine Beer Week, and I paired a magnificent burger with a bottle of Maine Brewing Company's Peeper Ale. Simple elegance!

Two-A-Days

My plan is two workouts a day Monday-Thursday (inclusive). The general pattern is a 30 minute workout in the morning, and a 10 minute "fitness blast" in the early evening on Monday and Wednesday, with my basketball skill workout at noon(ish) on Tuesday and Thursday. Friday morning is a 30 minute workout, and Saturday is gameday. Sunday is an easy day but generally includes a long (more than an hour) walk/bike ride/cross country ski/snowshoe, depending on time of year and weather conditions.

So my MWF morning workout is a warm-up, then 8 X 2 minute on/30 seconds off of bodyweight and Kettlebell work, targeting the whole body but including push-ups and pull-ups.

My Tuesday and Thursday morning workout is a warm-up followed by 5K on the indoor rower (steady state aerobic pace). I stretch my back thoroughly after the rowing sessions.

The warm-ups are 5-10 minutes, and include Jumping-Jacks, hamstring and quad stretches, and some yoga sun salutations.

The 10 minute fitness blast is intense but excuse free (it's always possible to find 10 minutes). It includes Jumping-Jacks, Burpees (you know this one, but there's a picture here--the jump at the end makes them particularly tough), the Turkish Get-Up (picture above right), Dead Cleans, Get-Up Sit-Ups (picture, above, of the 2 dudes finishing this move), and the Snatch (picture labelled in Greek or maybe that's Russian).

I've added a warm-up to my basketball skill workout that includes 20 drop-steps. And a cooldown that includes 3-point shots.

Result, Analysis, and Recovery

Game day was a success by the most crucial measures: it was a terrific workout; it was fun; and I came away uninjured. I was 1-2, however, which brought my 2011 record to 23-35. Ouch!

I had a pretty good first game and then tailed off as fatigue set in. I need to lengthen the duration of my workouts, I think, to build in more endurance on game day. I'll focus on that this week.

The rest of the day was a tribute to the kind of post-workout recovery possible only here in the great state of Maine. A drive up the coast to the Oxbow Brewery, for tastes of the FPA, the Freestyle #2 (a chocolate stout), and the Oxtoberfest. Had a terrific pulled pork sandwich, catered by the Newcastle Publick House, while there and came away with a growler of FPA. Stopped at the Lion's Pride (Brunswick) for a glass of Hugh Malone on the way home.

Game Day

It's Saturday morning which means it's game time! The best--but only if I push myself constantly--and riskiest workout of the week. Actually, it's the only workout where I feel that there's a chance of an injury, although I suppose I could tweak something in any of my other workouts, or climbing out of bed in the morning, for that matter.

It's also the most fun of any of my workouts. And although I should've grown out of this long ago, I have to confess it's more fun to win than to lose.

I Use This

That's right: a gymboss. It's a programmable timer that beeps to begin and end workout intervals. It can be really mean and tough and can make a minute last a long time. But it's very effective.

Important Rules

Senior Basketball games are 3-on-3 halfcourt, an adaptation that is appropriate and just. Also, in pick-up games, we don't go "skins", for reasons which would be obvious if we did. The protocol is to bring both a light colored shirt and a dark colored shirt to the game, so you can go both ways, in a sense, even if you only go to your right, or left.

Another very important rule is that senior players (geezers) are asked to purge their closets of all of their 70s era short shorts. This rule is also obvious, just glance at the unfortunate photo shown here--from the 90s--for proof.

Lederhosen

No, I'm not suggesting that strapping on leather panties will somehow help your game resemble Dirk Nowitski's. But when in New York City (as I was this weekend) a stop at Lederhosen for the Schnitzel and the seasonal beer (Octoberfest in my case) will upgrade your mental frame of mind in such a way that you will perform better the next time you step on the court. In addition, the combination of carbs and protein makes for the perfect recovery meal.

I also found the Lagunitas IPA poured at Wilfie & Nell to be appropriate sustenance. The game at the West 4th Street "Cage" was a little disappointing, though. Not the inspiration I was looking for.

Unfortunate Timing

Although I've found the perfect recovery beverage it remains important to continue to source alternate recovery drinks, given the potential for shortages and drought and what-not. Be that as it may, I will miss a tremendous opportunity to scout geezer hoop fuel because I'll be out of town this weekend and therefore unable to attend the Maine Brewer's Fest.

The good news is that I'll be in New York City, where they are reputed to have ample amounts of the fuel that makes geezers go. So I'll scout there, and report back in with the results.

Some Explanations Necessary

Ok, some explanations are in order. The Mary Katherine is an explosive lunge named for the SNL charachter.

The Sumo Squat Leap is a leg exercise.

I trick out the Mary Katherines and the Sumo Squat by holding a basketball in my hands, although I'm not sure that does anything.

The Mikan Drill is terrific, and actually challenging cardiovascularly. I do 3 variations. The first is straight on (a conventional lay-up), then the reverse mikan, from underneath the basket, then one that introduces a baby hook shot. I should make every one of these shots, but I don't. George Mikan was the first great big man in the NBA, he played for the Lakers when they were in Minneapolis, and therefore when their name made sense.

The Catch-and-Shoot drill I use is similar to the link here, except that my shots are in and around the paint, and they don't go in as often.

Practice!

That's right, I'm talking about practice.

Fitness improvement means playing at a higher level, and it's injury preventative medicine. Practice means basketball skill improvement, which facilitates playing at a higher level. I've developed a practice routine that I can do by myself that incorporates both skill development and fitness improvement. This is it:

1:00 Mikan drill/:30 push-ups
1:00 Reverse Mikan drill/:30 plank
1:00 Mikan baby hook drill/:30 Sumo Squat Jump
1:00 Catch-and-shoot/:30 Mary Katherines
1:00 Catch-and-shoot/:30 jump rope
2:30 10 free throw attemps

That's Round One. I do 3 rounds. I try to minimize the rest time between rounds. The last time I did this, I averaged 52 baskets made (excluding the free throws). I made 20 of my 30 free throws, and completed the 3 rounds in 34:37. My heart rate bangs into anaerobic threshold range and averages mid-aerobic range throughout the workout, despite falling during the free throw sessions.

My hope is that, over time, I'll be a better player with help from this workout

Job One

The most important thing, and perhaps the most challenging thing, in my basketball pursuit is to stay uninjured. Uninjured is a relative term--I'll never feel 100%, but I need to be healthy enough to play regularly.

So my strategy is to play, regularly. 3 times per week is the target. By that I mean to play twice and practice once, or practice twice and play once. And work on my fitness most of the other days of the week. And, of course, to recover appropriately after playing.

My current favorite recovery beverage is an Oxbow Farmhouse Pale Ale, brewed by my friend Tim Adams, in Newcastle. Maine. It's unfiltered, light golden in color,and hoppy, with citrus notes. Refreshing, as a Saison should be, but fullbodied and very smooth despite the sophisticated blend of flavors. At 6% or so ABV, it's a bit much for my recovery beverage of choice after the Saturday morning game but it's perfect after Wednesday night hoops.

Against The Odds

In a pursuit that started outdoors--on the court pictured here--and has now moved indoors, I am fighting the odds by playing basetball again, at age 56, after a 15 year lay-off. And the evidence is in, I stink. How bad? Well I'm 21-33 after today's 1-3. Other factors that make this a challenge: I'm about 20 pounds overweight and have a long history of foot and leg issues. But somehow I keep thinking I'll get better.

And now I have a goal: to represent Maine in the 2012 Maine Senior Games. I do have one significant factor that helps my against-the-odds pursuit. In the 2011 Maine Senior Games there were no men's teams from Maine (there were 11 teams from out of state). So I think it's as easy as rounding up some other geezers and signing up.