Marshall Ramsey

Six stations. A version of duck duck goose (except I don’t remember doing push-ups in the middle of duck duck goose) that almost turned into a cluster duck (thankfully we caught on quickly.) We called it Next Next Level and Larry (retired Spiderman) seemed to always get called.  We then ran up and down the football bleachers (the full gauntlet). We also did close to 20 50-yard sprints while wearing a parachute (because I apparently have problems stopping), ladder drills, T-drills (while bear crawling!), gassers (across the football field four times and then core work). Did I mention we did six stations today?

It’s almost Independence Day. I am appreciative for my freedom from obesity and exhaustion.  I appreciate being able to have the energy and knowledge to make better life choices.  That’s the next level.  I wish all my line-mates a great Fourth (and everyone else who reads this blog).  I am in a great line with fantastic people who push me hard every morning.  That’s how you get better.  That’s how I was able to have a strong morning this morning.  I am very appreciative of my 5 o’clock friends.

Oh, and before I go, here are a few safety tips (sponsored by the Madison Police Department.)

1. Don’t drink and drive

2. Be careful handling fireworks (we want you to have all your digits).

3. Obey speed limits.

4. Don’t text and drive.

5. Practice grill safety (co-sponsored by the Madison Fire Department)

6. And of course, properly stop at stop signs.

Have a great fourth.

1..2..3.. Next Level.

I wonder if when the little black rubber pellets from the artificial turf get in your shoes, the irritation makes a pearl?

If so, I’d have enough pearls for a pearl necklace.

My wife asked me one day what the heck they were. I told my her they were rat turds. She wasn’t amused. (She normally isn’t.) I bring home a lot of rat turds everyday. They’re on my clothes, in my hair, in my shoes, in my ears, up my nose — everywhere. Today was no exception. And add to it, I brought home enough sand to make a beach.  Why? We did exercises in the cat box sand pit today.  Really, with all the cutting around we did in three of the drills, our ankles got a good workout today.

Hit it!

Umph.

Sorry. That was one of our drills, too. The Coach’s Drill. Felt like I was a defensive end again at Sprayberry High School.

Hit it!

Umph.

Except I’m now much older and more brittle.

Low point of today? Planks. Pulled muscle in my back still is killing me. Ibuprofen masks it until planks. I felt like I was being jammed with a screw driver. It’s right where my melanoma scar is. Few things will break me. That one comes close.

The high point? The “two-mile” run.  I ran strong. Even with my shoe untied.  My speed is picking up.

I didn’t sleep much last night. I felt it out on the field today. But I got my butt out of bed and did the work.

Hit it!

Umph.

I don’t know much about success, but that has to be one of the secrets right there.

Now to make my pearl necklace.  I need to string some rat turds together.

Running above the clouds.

You might notice a skip in days — that’s because my wife and I went to Robbinsville, NC (Snowbird Lodge to be exact) to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.  And as much as I enjoyed the relaxation and the good food, part of my brain worried I’d fall out of shape. That’s what Paul Lacoste does to your brain.  So what did I do about it? I ran up and down a mountain for three days.  On Friday, I ran the my longest run — 7.2 miles up a 9% grade.  I went from 2,800 ft to 4,000 ft in 3.6 miles on the Cherohalaskyway. The air was thin and my lungs burned. So did my legs. But I got it done. And I had the bonus of running above the clouds. I also added 50 sit-ups and push-ups into the mix.  And we kayaked two of the days and hiked the third.

I ate like a pig, too. But I think I compensated.

So this morning wasn’t bad as I thought it would be. The only trouble I had was with planks. I pulled my back lifting the kayak back onto the trailer on Friday. Planks felt like someone was sticking a screwdriver into my back.

But that’s about it on the negative. We ran and bear crawled a lot.  Line four started with the weight room and finished on the track.  We did Chaz’s new cone drill (which included bear crawls) and Wayne’s cone drills (which also included more bear crawls.).  I had been hiking at 5,600 ft. worried about seeing a bear.  Now I was acting like one.

I kept up ok. The bear crawls winded me a little bit — but they always do. I spend the whole time on the track catching up to the leaders of my line. But I did at the end.  I ran off the field today with my head held high.  It was good to be back in the saddle again.

But I do miss the Snowbird Lodge — even running up a mountain.