While this blog is mostly to be about running and my road to the burning man 50k, rugby is really my favorite sports past time. This year my team the Portland lumberjacks is going to Denver for the Rockie Mountain Ruckus . While in the past I have run as a loose forward specifically playing flanker at both 6 and 7 man, this tournament due to injuries and schedules I will be propping. I have never played a game as a number 3 or part of the tight 5.
Part of my desire to get back in shape is to get back out of the pack, I am just not big enough to be member of the tight 5 at 215 and just shy of 6 foot. Thankfully years of running have given me hamstrings made of iron so I push like a mountain goat. Guess we will get to gauge just how hard I push weekend after next. I love rugby for that very reason I am always challenging the very limits of my body. I use it to uncover week points and then I research how to train them. This year it has been my knee, which decided a couple times to pop out of socket while getting tackled. After much healing and some experimentation with soft braces I finally think I have a system that will let me beat this injury and get back to full steam ahead.
(o hey thats my muddy mug on the far left! that game was the muddiest I have ever played)
Tonight practice was a usual pre-game practice, no hard hits, more running and conditioning. Somehow I still managed to get my left hand stood on while rucking and have a nice fat bruise on the knuckle. I look like I got in a fist fight. I love the lower physical practices because I can keep my fit bit on. Today I logged 2.5 miles at practice and and average heart rate of 91bpm for 2 hours. NOT BAD!
It felt good to get some me time in, be with the boys and sweat, at least when I go run that ultra I will know how to fight through the mental part of the game.
More tomorrow, maybe finally an actual run?
PS: if you into altruisim or you love rugby please think about supporting our rugby clubs denver bid, we all work really hard to keep our 2 year old club running and it is FAR from cheap to pull this all together!