Got new cleats and friction gloves for Christmas. Winter league returns in nine days. Gonna have sore toes.

Classic new years resolution post coming soon, maybe.

Late night update

The biggest hurdle I have to overcome to be a good handler defender is getting good at stopping the upline. Enough already.

On a wholly unrelated note, I am still really good at calligraphy. Anyone need some nice lettering done?

Ice Turf Shuffle

Got some throwing in on my "lunch" break today. 6pm on the turf, good deal. Still stressing the quick shuffle. Throws were mostly good, doing well in the wind lately. Lacking power though, I feel like I'm throwing at about 90% power at best. Maybe I am focusing on form TOO much, but that seems to be what I need right now. When I get my form up to par it will be easier to put the power back. Forehand is finally taking a good shape, so it seems to be paying off.

I think I need to become a handler defender? Let's face it, I'm not great at stopping in cuts and also I have a pretty good mark. If I can become quick, then handler defense probably makes the most sense. I can frustrate shorter throwers with my size and larger ones with speed (don't laugh, I'm working on it). Never had a specific defensive role, that's a mistake. It is smart to have a defensive speciality, especially on a team with as diverse and large a roster as ours. Gonna practice handler defense primarily and see what happens.

Back to throwing, really getting to like a slight outside in curve on midrange throws. You can do a lot with oi breakmark throws and out shots. Still gotta be able to wind up a big oi if you want to really huck it, though based on last season, breaking the mark is where I can really excel in club. Big hucks are good, but more often than not out shots will be 40 to 60 yards and its not like we have a dearth of players who can throw those. I do want to get to the point where I have monster hucks again, though. Working on that. Throwing as much as possible, throwing as much as possible, throwing as much as possible, etc.

Hopefully throwing again tomorrow. We'll see. No winter league for a couple weeks, need to keep the lungs strong in the meantime.

16 Chocolates

Winter league was squashed into one giant pickup game due to half of the park being covered with snow. In retrospect, it is pretty cool how many people showed up, given the temperature, and how many stayed for the pickup game (everyone?). Not much to say, really. I played alright. Throwing was tough all around due to the cold. It was so cold that it negatively impacted my field vision, which has never happened - probably because I didn't used to have field vision.

Learning to use quick feet on defense. Like a crab, a fast crap. Side to side. I practiced in the bathroom today. If winter league gets any colder than this, My hands might fall off. Guess its time to invest in some friction gloves. Grip the disc harder. That's usually the answer. It does not play to use the conditions as an excuse. It plays to push the extra amount needed to throw and catch properly. Generally threw pretty well, had one forehand huck that was an overthrow and one weird giant OI one that was just the worst. Nearly threw my shoulder out, but that's not why it was bad. It was the reverse. I threw such a bad flick that I almost popped my shoulder. A prime example of how important focusing on form becomes when conditions are bad. Especially in the cold, but that applies to rain or even extreme heat. Anytime you have to push harder to go through the proper motions. First point had a great 35 yard shot for a goal, so one for three on out looks, not the worst.

I think I'm finally learning to play defense like a real boy. PWE.

Sister Winter

First BFF game was really fun. Despite pre game nerves, I played pretty well. Being able to operate in the cold helps a lot. Here's some nuts and bolts.

I need to learn to clear behind when I'm on the sideline and the disc is also close to the sideline. Trying to do anything else, unless the force allows for an upline cut, is going to mess up the offensive flow, etc etc. About 40% of the time (rough estimate) I just get in the way. It was even worse last club season.

I cautiously declare the return of my forehand huck. It is looking pretty good again. Using a slight outside in curve, I can hit seperation or play for the jump ball, either way. My only backhand huck was just brutally point blocked - there was a ridiculously poached receiver and I just didn't pivot at all. That's what happens. Throwing is nice right now, other than that (pivot).

Other than the blocked backhand, my only throwing problems came when trying to hit cutters at wide angles. I'm really starting to see the benefits of the outside in curve in those kinds of situations - I overthrew, very slightly, several endzone cutters (male and female) with flat throws. When throwing at say a 30 degree angle, the disc spins away from your cutter and since that kind of catch is difficult anyway, the margin for error is very small. With even a slight outside in curve, you can make the same throw, but have it rotate toward the cutter. Even a little bit makes it an easier catch. I did that with breakmark throws all season, it only makes sense to do it with wide angle upfield shots as well.

In general, just really excited to play ultimate all winter. I've been running about five days a week, and that has helped my confidence level a lot. Trying to play the long game, eye on the prize. The Stonefish prize, that is. In attempt to get off on the right foot (hot?) I've already designed a kit for next year incorporating some of the maverick Albany dudes' ideas about caverns and whatnot. After the holidays, you all will see that. In the meantime, I'ma keep throwing. No reason to not be great next season.

Dah, comrade.

4,000

At about this time in 2008 2007, I was struggling to finish a sketchbook as part of my drawing foundations final. So again, I am now. The differences between then and now are staggering in a "wow what a trip" kind of way. My drawing skills have improved a lot, and I am far more comfortable with what I do. I can be happy and proud of that kind of work. This current sketchbook is bigger, and I am using both sides of the paper. I've had it going for a year, not just one semester. 

Lots of differences, but the one that matters most is that then I was filling the book for a class, and now I am doing it for myself. Arbitrary goals in both cases, but the self imposition is key. My goal for the year, my first year with no college classes, has been to fill 20 sketchbooks. I did 24 last year, between my thesis grind and a fevered struggle to keep up that pace after graduation. 20, I thought, would be a very reasonable follow up, especially important in a year where it has been consistently difficult to paint. 

Until last week, I had made peace with falling short of that goal of 20. It was okay I reasoned, because I've still drawn a lot. I've improved to the point where I feel ready to finally to push my art out of the nest and into the wider world. So what did the arbitrary goal matter? Last week, I realized why - if I am going to reach my professional and personal goals, I need all the practice I can get at meeting my own arbitrary standards. I have to learn to be my own boss, and that's difficult, so any practice is good. And so I am struggling to fill a behemoth of a sketchbook, the first I've done since childhood that I've kept going for so long without filling. The first I have ever approached with the intention of it standing as an art object all on its own, with far more time given to each drawing that my usual frantic sketches. 

I started it at the beginning of this year of the Snake with those goals, and they have sort of come full circle: I've learned this year to slow down my process sometimes, and give more attention to each drawing. My books have improved because of it, and its been a slow but rewarding process upgrade. It is also a physical example of everything that I need to achieve not only professionally, but also in ultimate. In both endeavors I've always lacked follow through, and practice is needed to attain it. It is crucial that I keep setting arbitrarily high standards for myself, and little by little, working to uphold them. Even if its slow and mind numbingly frustrating at times. 

Even if I occasionally hate myself for falling short. Even if I get distracted, hurt or held down by the elements of life beyond my control. That's the game, folks, as I see it. Everything comes down to making yourself keep on and keep on hacking away at goals, and you have to set those goals for yourself, because most of the ones imposed by outside forces are insufficient or irrelevant to what you want to get out of life. 

Time for work. Have a good one, blagosphere.

Starr

I am often frustrated by how hard it is for me to turn on my "go getter" switch. It comes but mainly goes. Somehow today I was able to hit that perfect headspace that allows for a lot of positive action. Having let myself down many times in the past by talking big about my ideas and not following through, I am not going to elaborate at this time. I put some pieces in motion that will become power moves in the near future, with the proper work. If you're actually reading this, chances are we don't speak very much, but I'd love to tell you about what I'm up to, and hear about ya'll as well. Get at me. We should probably talk more often. 

Much love to the blagosphere. $$$

First winter league game cancelled. Lights not fixed or something. LOLparks. Made it to McCarren for some pickup, good enough turnout thanks to the cancelled game and the weirdly warm December weather. Not much to say, it was some fun pickup. I suck at cutting, my forehand is finally starting to look reasonable, etc etc. Fitness is much better since I have been running every day.

I need to step up my workout game in a strategic way. Need to get fit without burning out. Thinking something along the lines of emphasis on slow twitch cardio and upper body until March or April, and then work on sprinting and agility from then on, working on throwing and squats throughout. Something like that.

I walked with a dude from the game for quite some time before it became apparent that we were both following the other to the train stop. We were not quite on the right track.