Home

Home is not warmth

Home is not happiness, or tears, or excitement

It's not the smell of chocolate chip cookies

Or fresh cut grass

It's not the owls hooting or the sound of traffic

Home is not warm summer breeze cutting through the living room

Home is not fresh cut watermelon

It's not where you read by hallway light way after bedtime

Home is not music 

Home is not a bike ride around the neighborhood

And it's not necessarily where your heart is

Home is not early mornings or late nights

Home is not the stars that illuminate the night sky

It's not mac and cheese with hot dogs and it's not your first filet minon

Home is not a flurry of snow or the crash of thunder

Home is not a flickering light or a patch of roses

It's not poker nights, sleepovers or movies

Home is not the books you alphabetize or the clothes you sort in the closet

Home is not the nooks and crannies you explored as a child

Home is a word

It's just a word

It doesn't mean anything unless you let it

A New Trip, A New Blog

This summer I'll be heading to New York City! Woohoo!

For updates including planning as well as crazy exploits from the trip, follow my new blog: Maya in New York.

Expect lots of trip updates there (I even promise pictures!), as well as a more frequent update of this bad boy. I'm sure skipping around a crazy city is going to spawn lots of genius thoughts.

On Owning Cool Things

First, the circumstances in which these thoughts came about: my 6 year old Toshiba laptop mostly runs like a charm. Sure, the right clicker didn't work, and it occasionally froze, but overall all was good. Then I got a virus. This one. Ugh! I was locked out of my computer, frustrated and out of patience. I'd been thinking for a while about getting a new laptop for law school, and decided it was finally time to pick up a Mac - specifically, the MacBook Air (13 in., 256 GB, oh yeah).

Woohoo!

Note: I also recently bought a Google Nexus 4, so I've got some sweet new tech stacking up.

My boyfriend made a comment this morning (the morning after I bought computer): "It's so cool that you have this stuff," in reference to my new phone and new computer.

I paused to think for a second, then responded with a comment about how that sort of bothered me. I felt like his comment had unintentionally defined me by the things I own. That bothers me for a few reasons.

This may or may not be me. Just saying.

1. In the case of being a Mac or Google person - I think those labels are dumb. I wouldn't have bought a MacBook Air if I didn't believe it were the best product for my needs. I don't like buying things for their label, be it a purse or a computer. I did the research, I feel confident in my purchase regardless of the store I bought it from (Slight tangent - you can actually get student discounts in person at the Apple Store, not just online. I'm glad I found that out!).

2. I have joked about "going to the dark side," or being one of those Mac hipsters. Now that I own a Mac, I realize how much I hate that concept. I hereby vow to not judge books by their covers in this regard, and try to not make assumptions about people just because they use a certain brand of technology. I know I definitely do not identify with the hipster counter-culture stereotype that comes with storing your MacBook Air in your Etsy-sold bag, while walking around in skinny jeans and sporting round, thick-rimmed glasses. Because those are the things I do, and I think it's awesome.

3. I've said in the past I thought it was cool that we have certain items for the gym in our garage, like rubber plates, and two barbells. What I really meant was I think it's cool that my boyfriend made the decision to invest his money in those things, thus improving my experience in a place I spend a decent amount of time. Anyone could have spent the same amount of money to get those items, but he actually did it.

Thesis: Regardless of what you actually purchase, it's just money that is now tied up in an item. It's not the item that makes you cool - it's the decision to get it. 

Get Ready for Random

For a long time, I've been under the impression that a blog should have some consistent theme. If you have good enough ideas to post online for others to view, it's likely you will appeal to a certain audience. For example, someone blogging about fashion is likely to gain the following of a specific demographic. That following is likely different than the average person reading a weightlifting blog.

For a while, I have written with a certain audience in mind: my peers. Average 20-something-year-olds who are in to sports and could probably be considered average "young professionals." With every post, I have pictured a person like this reading it, and tried to use a certain style to cater to this imaginary reader. I consider what would make them smile, gasp in shock, etc. This is a skill worth practicing in any public writing, and one I have found carried over well to when I was writing at Skyd.

But I digress - my real point is I no longer care about who is reading this. How I define my audience has shifted, though it's possible the actual readers who fall within that definition stay the same. From now on, my target audience is those who care about what I think. 

I have so many random thoughts that pop in my head on a daily basis. So many of those would make good blog posts, but I haven't really considered this blog an outlet for most of those thoughts. The other day I decided that was dumb. I have good thoughts that I believe are worth sharing, and so from now on, I intend to do so. Some posts may be provocative, controversial or downright boring to you. If you have a problem with that, too bad, it's my blog.

Get ready for random, loyal readers. That's about all you can expect.

On Getting to "The Zone"

Heart pounding. Sweat dripping. Breath is heavy, or non-existent. Focus is stuck on that one little point of light in front of you. A moment of stillness...

An explosion! Movement at the speed of light. Force applied so hard you feel like your body might break, but it doesn't.

And then it's over. Awareness of things that surround you starts to seep in. The cleansing, oh-so-good breath returns, invigorating your body with fresh oxygen.

But for that moment, be it a second or an hour-long moment, you are on a different level. I'm talking about being in the zone. I find it when I run repeated sprints. I find it near the second round of a Crossfit WOD. I find it when my lifts near my body weight, or when I am setting a new PR. Lately, I've been so glad to realize I have found it in yoga.

I recently purchased a LivingSocial deal at a hot yoga studio. Anyone who has researched the price of a yoga membership will know that $35 for a month of unlimited classes is a really good deal. I was in the mood for something new, and had heard yoga provided good balance to a heavy lifting schedule. And I was trying hot yoga, so at the very least I was guaranteed an hour of sweating. I thought to myself, "Why not? It's just a month. I'll go a couple times a week between my lifting days."

Om

Now, I can't get enough. Since last week I have gone to a class every day I have been in San Diego. I have tried Hatha and Vinyasa and the intro class. I have gone at 7 PM, 8:30 PM and 6 AM. I have been so pleasantly surprised that no matter what type of class or time I go, I find myself getting to my "zone" almost immediately. From the first relaxing child's pose to the last down dog, I am focused on myself, my breath, my intention. I love the idea of sharing my practice with my classmates. I love the help the instructor gives, reminding me of the power of superfriends. I love that it is not only acceptable but also praise-worthy to be at any stage of practice that one is capable of. It truly is non-competitive. With the sweat dripping I feel detoxified, powerful, serene. I feel like I can tackle anything. I walk out of every class with a huge smile on my face. Time passes so quickly in the zone, an hour of effort feels like a few minutes.

I'm sure at some point I will return to the heavy lifting, but for now, I am so content to ride the wave of yoga happiness. I feel pride that my strength training allows me to try different poses and to properly hold the chaturanga dandasana. I highly recommend giving it a try. You might be surprised at what you discover about yourself. I hope to see you in the studio, until then, Namaste.

On Decisions

Some decisions are easy. Yes, I would like to try skydiving. No, I don't want to wear that prom dress to the club. Of course I'd like seconds on your delicious homemade pie.

Some decisions are hard. Should I go heavy on the eye makeup or sport some red lipstick? What do I wear to the gym? Thin Mints or Trefoils?

But the hardest decisions to make are the ones you know are right, but will have incredibly painful consequences. These past couple weeks I have been faced with such a decision. I know the right answer, but I feel great sadness when I think of what it means.

This August, I will likely be attending law school somewhere. In hearing some circulating rumors of club tryouts and whatnot, I realized I needed to decide if I was going to play ultimate this summer. Immediately I knew what was going to happen. I'm moving to the Bay Area, after all, land of the amazing ultimate opportunities. I don't know if I could make a team that would go to Nationals but I could definitely make one that was more competitive than the past two I have played on in San Diego. I would enjoy meeting new people and making friends through the sport I spend the majority of my free time playing, writing about or thinking about.

And yet, I will not be playing this summer. I can't in good conscience pay a ton of money to law school and then commit my weekends and some weekday evenings to a team. It's not fair to the team I would play on for me to be distracted by school and it's no way to guarantee I get the most out of my education. I know that's the right thing for me to do. Ultimate isn't going anywhere. If anything, the opportunities to play competitively are becoming more available. But 2013 isn't my summer. I won't be playing. I won't be writing. I won't be travelling to amazing tournaments.

I know there's great leagues in San Francisco, and I can always play in the coming years. I just can't help feeling a painful loss when I read on Facebook about the excitement building for the Triple Crown Tour, or hear my friends talking about the tournaments they can't wait to attend. There's a real fear that if I don't play for a summer I'll be "out of the loop" or will find it difficult to return. That fear might be completely baseless, but it's there.

The choice to not play this summer has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. And there's nothing much more to say about it than it totally sucks.

The Strategic Throw

In light of the fact that my upcoming Regionals tournament will follow this format, I consider this an appropriate time to write out some thoughts that have been brewing for a while.

We talk so much about in-game strategy, and equal play time, and the best way to win games to make it to Nationals. But what happens when you find yourself in a situation as we may, facing a team we know we are 90+% likely to lose to, only to drop into the second "game-to-go" bracket and face a team coming high off a win. I can name many instances where trying your ass off in that first game only leads to a team burning out and losing both games-to-go in a row, knocking them out of Nationals completely.

In this case, the best way to maximize your chances of going to Nationals is to throw the 1/2 game. Literally put two people on the line, and turf the first throw (because a forfeit in the Series is auto-DQ). Let the other team score. This will rest your team, effectively giving you a bye before your next game. You'll even have the opportunity to put in your top 7-12 in a high-level game situation before the game ends to get them warmed up. You then go on to play a team who is coming off a probably close win; they are elated, but they are tired. You run them into the ground, and take off with the second bid.

Now, is this generally considered a bad idea? Will people dislike that you intentionally lose? Is this against the spirit of the game? I know I haven't ever heard of this happening (though I don't doubt that it has, just saying I haven't heard about it personally), and honestly, the answers to those three questions are very different. First, is it generally considered a bad idea? Probably. Does that mean it is objectively against your team's interest to throw a game? Definitely not. Second, will people hate you and get upset? Probably. Does that mean your team shouldn't do it? Definitely not - people get upset in ultimate games all the time. At the end of the day, the only people who could really complain are the ones you're going to be up against in the second game-to-go, and you know what? They could have done the same thing if they had won earlier games. Third, is this against the spirit of the game? In my opinion, this question is the most relevant, and really, the only important one. Part of why I love playing ultimate is, well, the playing. Is it against SOTG to let the obvious champs run away with the win? In my mind, there are two aspects to spirit: there's on-field spirit, and general spirit of the community. On-field involves calling appropriate fouls, not spiking, not cheating in other ways that the rules really leave room to do. Off the field involves having a respect for your community, being generally supportive, and developing a strategy that will challenge your opponents and result in the best possible ultimate being played. Because of these, albeit slightly vague, personal definitions, I believe that throwing a game is completely spirited, assuming, like I said before, your team is very likely to lose. You will only tire yourself out, making the next game harder for you, and less competitive. Additionally, if you made it to the 1/2 game, the assumption is that you are the first or second best team. Another team gets a second chance to beat you because we want to confirm that this is true. If the third place beats second place (loser of the 1/2) then we chalk it up to some game error. But really, in a region with 2 bids, the first and second place team should advance to Nationals.

Throwing a game to ensure that is thus not only spirited but smart, and more fun. I hope I get to be part of a team that pioneers this strategy.

Regionals Preview: Northwest, Central, Mid-Atlantic

I wanted to post my notes about the other regions that I didn't cover in Skyd here so they don't get lost in the mix. They're not so developed but are just my thoughts on what could happen. Check out another great review of the Central region by 808 here.

Northwest

The stacked Northwest is going to be crazy this year. Polar Bears: returning champs. Bigfoot: the best of the best from Seattle. Mischief: historically top ranked, with a solid season promising the same. Blackbird: in it to win it. Team Fisher Price: a low seed going into regionals – can they pull out some big wins to snag a spot? American BBQ: they’ve got an uphill climb, but it could happen. With three bids, it’ll probably be Polar Bears, Bigfoot, and Mischief. Now who is Wolverines? Well, they won Oregon sectionals by 1 (15-14) to Dogfight. That’s not too impressive, but with Mental Toss Flycoons, the only real challengers in their pool, having a low-win season, they’ll probably win the pool, then not make it past quarters. So while everyone else is moving around the pools a bit, but I think our semis will be Polar Bears, Bigfoot, Mischief, and Blackbird, with the last spot to Sarasota between Blackbird and Bigfoot. One more to mention: Eats, Throws, and Leaves has kept under the radar this season, but in my opinion, is most likely to have an upset. It would be fun to see them in Sarasota.

Mid-Atlantic

It’s a little hard to give a prediction for this region, due to the lack of high-level matchups with teams in other regions. They sure played each other a lot, though, and from that, a few top dogs emerged. Last year, none of the Mid-Atlantic teams made it past quarters at nationals, finishing 11 (AMP) and 12 (wHagonwheel), respectively. With few significant regular season wins, it’s hard to say how 2011 will end up. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if wHagonwheel doesn’t even make it – they’ve lost every matchup this season to Cahoots. AMP does have that win against Drag’n Thrust to indicate some real strength, but it was early in the season at Philly Invite; that same tournament, they lost to Ambiguously Grey, one of the few teams to play against other top-ranked teams from other regions. With significant wins over Drag’n Thrust and Gun Totin’ Teddy Bears, I expect them to make it to Sarasota with AMP as a second. After that, it’s likely that we’ll see National Championship results similar to 2010.

Central

This region’s gonna see some beat-downs. They’ve got 3 bids, and four teams of interest. Yep, it’ll probably end up being a fight between the top four seeds for those tickets to Florida. In case you don’t know CLX and Drag’n Thrust already, they’re pretty much stomping all over everyone they play, and are sure to make it to Nationals. But the team I’m really interested in is Steamboat. Without them, it would be no question if Overhaul would make it to Natties. But with a 12-14 loss to Steamboat at sectionals, who knows? We've heard that win was a fluke, that it indicated Overhaul’s coasting into third place was over, and that Steamboat was gonna take down the two other big dogs. Basically, everyone’s saying something else, which means we really have no idea, but I think Overhaul will show up and snag that spot. They’re too determined to go to Sarasota to lose again, and they’re primed and ready to revenge their sectionals loss.

On Injuries or Why Lifting is So Important for Ultimate Players

This weekend was many things. It was fun. It was epic. It was an adventure.

It was also incredibly brutal on my body.

Game 1 vs. Polar Bears. On the mark, the thrower tries to break me around, steps out, knees me in the side of my knee. Hard. I collapse, leg at an odd angle, scared that I have re-injured my old ligament strain. By now, I'm sure we all know the fright that comes with knee injuries. I ice, the trainer sees me, he says if I can jog and feel stable, do some squats and sprints with no pain, I can play. I stay out the rest of the Polar Bears game, but warm up and get right back to it in a game vs. KillJoy.

A few points into that game, I'm guarding my girl really tight as she cuts towards the sideline about 10 yards from the thrower. The throw goes up. I'm in perfect position to get the D. As I reach out I see out of the corner of my eye that the dump had cut up the line. The dump cutter is a tall, strong, guy. I throw up my arm as he slams into me, I feel the hit, and then I land on my back on the ground. Instantly I'm trying to scream from the shock but I just had the wind knocked out of me so it's coming out in high pitched gasps. I do a quick mental evaluation: no broken bones, no sharp pain, my previously injured knee is alright, my head feels okay. I start to laugh - of course I'd just come back from an injury to get laid out by a dude. I stumble off the field, sit down somewhere, catch my breath, and get back in the game. And yes, he caught the disc.

As if that wasn't enough, Sunday rolls around. Of course, the first game (vs. Bi-Winning), my neck and back are incredibly sore. Warming up is pretty painful, but I'm determined to fight through it so I'm able to play. The first game goes great; during the first point I even get a handblock on our endzone resulting in an easy score. We win that game. All is good.

Our next game is against a team called BigFoot. Tough looking girls, really nice people, and I recognize a friend on the team. We know they're better than us, and as a team we're determined to make this game fun, and learn a lot. Well, we're pretty much trading points for a bit, and we all get really pumped up. The next point I go on, I'm determined to leave it all on the field, and as my girl jukes to the open side front corner of the endzone, I try to dive and knock the disc out of her hands. Okay, maybe it's because I've never really done that before, but I aimed really poorly, and her cleat ended up catching my knee (the other one), ripping my underarmor leggings (do you know how expensive those are??), and causing me to let out a few curses and limp off the field. Today, that knee still hurts much more than the one with the potentially strained ligaments.

On to my point. Ask anyone on my team, these weren't light hits. In fact each one pretty much took me out of the game for at least a point or two. You know what let me recover so quickly? Strong quads, and hamstrings, and calfs. You know how I could land flat on my back and be okay? Squats, deadlifts, pushups, pullups, core work. In general, what keeps a body stable? What keeps joints from blowing out upon impact? Support from the surrounding tissues, the muscles. I can guarantee if I hadn't been lifting in the past, I would have been in serious pain after this weekend. I can also guarantee that if I had been lifting all season, I would have been in even less pain than I was. Do you want to get hit by people bigger than you, get up, and walk away? Lift. Lift, lift, lift. With weight is the best, but if you're not at least adding some strength work (situps, air squats, and pushups don't require a gym membership!) into your ultimate training, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Little Girl's First Famous Tournament

Do you remember the first time you participated in a big tournament? You know, one of those tournaments you hear about, dream about getting a bid to, know all the big players are going to come out full force?

I do. Or rather, after this weekend, I will. At least for my club experience, I haven't had the chance to play in any well known tournaments (this year my team has gone to GRUB in CO, and hosted our own 72 and Sunny here in San Diego).

This weekend, On the Rocks is travelling up to San Francisco to play in Labor Day 2011. I've been hearing about this tournament for years. Literally. I know it attracts high level teams. In fact, we're seeded only 14 (and looking forward to breaking upwards). I don't even know what I've heard about this tournament other than that, but there's something to being able to say, "Yeah, I was at Labor Day. No big deal."

Sure, it's not natties. It's not one of those epic tournaments like Kaimana or Poultry Days.

It doesn't matter.

I'm stoked. My team is stoked. The best part? The second I step on that field I know it's just the first of many such fields that I'll see in my ultimate career, and I can't wait.

On Commencement

From Dictionary.com. Commencement (kuh-mens-muhnt): noun. an act or instance of commencing; beginning

Intriguing, considering we call our graduation ceremony Commencement. Beginning? I thought this was a celebration of these past four years. The bad times, the good, the late nights studying, the late nights partying. Beginning? I thought this was a time to glad-hand the upper echelon of the educated, to celebrate with friends I may not see ever again, to rejoice in the fact that (at least until grad school) I never have to take another final. Beginning?

Yes. Beginning. Beginning of the next chapter of life. A celebration of the completion of my higher education, receiving a degree that will be a ticket to a job, which will allow me to make money, to start a family, to eventually settle down and achieve whatever successes I desire. A beginning of a new outlook, new worries, new joys. Who knows what the future will bring? The world is my oyster and I intend to extract every darn pearl I can.

Commencement. Beginning. Congrats to UCLA's class of 2011 - we did it!

On Social Media

I joined Twitter this week. I guess I like it. However, the first thought that crossed my mind was "now I have too many things I need to update when something happens to me." I never signed up for Twitter before because I tend to update my Facebook page like one would a Twitter. Theoretically, I could update a Twitter more often, but no one reads it anyway, so why does it matter.

This got me thinking: "Do we use social media just to have another excuse to hear ourselves talk?"

Sure, Facebook can be used to keep in touch with people. Old classmates, distant relatives, long lost friends... I wonder how many people use Facebook solely for this purpose. I pretty much use it to get feedback on what is happening in my life, and to give feedback to others. "Liking" someone's post has replaced calling them up and congratulating them on getting a new job. To some, relationships don't mean anything anymore until you've told the Facebook world they exist. By looking at the pictures a "friend" is tagged in, judgments are made, possibly before people even meet. And if you're only going to use Facebook to add the people you truly know, then why bother? You probably speak to them regularly anyway.

Already, after a few days, I have 14 followers. These are 14 people that have agreed to see everything I "tweet" about. Recent tweets include announcing my participation in a tournament, commentary about the USAU College Nationals, and shouting out to friends (that I speak to daily). Why bother? I'm not really sure. I don't know why I made an account, but I did. I look forward to exploring the potential that Twitter has to actually impact my life. I know Twitter can be a good source of news, for those too lazy to scan the nets (really, it's a good source, and is really quick and easy). It also can be a good place for businesses or celebrities to tell the world about their lives. Beyond that, I'm unsure. If I want to start a real discussion with someone, I'll call them. Maybe I'll email them. Maybe I'll set up a time to grab coffee and have a face to face chat.

I am in no denial that I personally joined Twitter to fuel my own ego. Seeing friends post congrats for getting a new job or responding to questions posted is fantastic. And the best part is I can view it all from my comfy chair in my room. I hope that one day I find a real use for it, but for now, follow me: @EhmZiv

Just realized another use for Twitter: quickly sharing my blog posts.

On Things

I have come to the conclusion that I seriously dislike how dependent on objects I have become. We joke about checking our email all the time on our smartphones, but I'm not sure we can comfortably go without them. We are so dependent on watching our sports games on our TVs while recording that show with the TiVo box. Buying something new makes us feel better.

Last week, my car wouldn't start. I admit it, I freaked out. I was so overwhelmed by the thought of not being able to drive that the worries turned into a mini life crisis. I thought to myself, "Lucky me, I was going to drive up north with my boyfriend, and my coworkers can give me a ride to work. I also walk to campus, so I can still attend class." Now I can say that I wasn't lucky. There really are just ways to function without a car. My roommate takes the bus to work every day. Sure, he doesn't need to. He definitely has enough money to buy himself a car and pay for gas. But he doesn't have to. And he gets along just fine.

This whole experience just makes me want to truly disconnect. Note, I say want to. I don't think I actually will, but just because I'm not sure what the overall benefit will be, other than proving a point. I think the closest I will get will be to not have phone or internet access during my upcoming trip to Israel (but I will have a phone on me in case of emergencies, so maybe that's not truly disconnecting). Here's my thought: During that 10 day trip, what is REALLY going to happen that requires my immediate attention? Probably nothing. If something even does go wrong, I'm sure it will get worked out or can wait until I return.

I just feel sad that I think more people would rather plug into their iPods than listen to the birds chirp in the morning. They're so used to the convenience of driving that instead of walking that mile to the post office, movie theater, nearby restaurant, they will get in a car. That instead of meeting up with a friend for coffee they will just Skype. That entertainment revolves around video games and television instead of just going to a park with some friends.

Unfortunately, I have no solutions. I hope that one day we will all decide to disconnect and encourage our friends to do the same, but until then, I'm going to enjoy playing solitaire on my Droid during boring lectures. And celebrate my new battery (yes, that's all it took) by taking a trip to San Diego this weekend. Hooray!

MetCons or A Life Changing Exercise Mentality

First, go here.

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the concepts of Metabolic Conditioning earlier this year. At first, the routines seem simple. Some situps, some squats, whatever, right? WRONG. What I have found is that these workouts are all about pushing yourself. High intensity. Getting your heart rate up. Pushing yourself. Finding that breaking point and pushing yourself past it. Each workout can be modified, changed, invented anew, to suit your needs.

For example, today I took a normal routine I enjoy (5 pushups, 10 squats, 15 crunches) and changed the crunches to v-situps. Makes it a million times harder. Lucky for me, my roommate came in close to my failing point with those situps. Even luckier: she hears me say "fuck it, I'll just do situps," turns around in her chair, and screams at me, "NO! Let's go! Give me five more!" She counted me all the way up through that last set of 15.

Which bring me to the next awesome part of this type of workout - the ability to make it into a partner exercise. I was especially surprised to find that I really enjoyed this changeup, being so incredibly independent when it comes to working out. Maybe it stems from insecurities, but I especially dislike working out with guys. Why would I want to watch someone obviously stronger than me just kick my ass? Perhaps that is also partly my competitive nature, but I enjoy "racing" myself, not someone else who will obviously beat me. Where's the motivation there? Anyway, last weekend I tried a workout of this nature with my (very) athletic boyfriend. Wow, not only did I work out with a guy, but with someone who, though I am in a fantastic relationship with, still try so hard to impress? YUP! We decided to modify a workout ("Mexican Standoff" - I tried to find a link to explain it, but couldn't, then realized it doesn't really matter) we had previously heard about to the following: 150 pushups for time. Only one person does pushups at a time, while the other person hangs (in whatever way they want) from a pullup bar. When either person needs to switch, you stop, and do 10 squats before switching. I think we did it in 10:27 or something. But that doesn't really matter to me. What matters to me is that it was fun! I was surprisingly motivated to work hard with another person there. Just getting one more pushup in each set meant he had to do less overall, just hanging for one more second, helping him count down, motivated him to do the same for me. And laying on the ground for a good few minutes afterwards feels so amazing.

I couldn't stop giggling after; the rush of endorphins was exhilarating. So get to it! Make up a workout! What is your favorite exercise? Situps? Pushups? Overhead Squats? Put them together and do 'em quickly. It's 15, 10, even 5 minutes of your life you won't regret.

Club, Life After College

So far I have really enjoyed the tryout experience. I try to go into every tryout like I have nothing to lose, and I recently got invited back past the first round of cuts to a co-ed team that I've had a great time playing with. I love playing with everyone on that team, and have come out of the two tryouts feeling amazing.

I can't wait to be just a player, again. I'm already starting to remember why I love ultimate so much. Playing for a good, competitive, and personally close team is what I always wanted. What I train for. What motivates me to throw on those cleats and get to running.

Even if I don't make this team, these few experiences tell me that I'm not done with ultimate. My college career may be over, but my ultimate career is just beginning. There's only getting better from here! However weird that seems to read, until this year, I considered ultimate something I do for fun and physical activity in college. It feels really good to come to the conclusion that it's something I want to do for a very long time after graduation, that it's a passion not tied to my university or an academic schedule.

On Transition

Sometimes I can't believe where I am in life. For just a moment, I am jarred out of whatever current issue I'm dealing with, and take a step back. See the forest through the trees, or whatever other metaphor is applicable here. Meeting all the people I have known in my life, having all these different experiences, growing from petulant child to rebellious teen to overworked adult; these are the things that shape who I am.

As I sit here I realize that every aspect of my life feels predetermined. I believe at one point I was a blank slate, but now there is rarely a decision I make that is unaffected by past experiences. As I pose to graduate from college and move on into the "real world," I question if my slate is really full. Am I truly prepared to face the hardships of unemployment, lost friendships, the pains that can come with loving someone?

The music I listen to, the activities I spend my free time doing, the books I read... Sometimes it all seems so contrived. How much of what I think is me, and how much is my ex-boyfriend? My sister? My best friends? To give a specific example that has lately been on my mind, this past year I have had four men that have seriously affected my life, and each has filled a different role that will forever be imprinted on me. It amazes me that four different people can affect me to such a degree that I will never forget them. Well, one that I count is my father, so perhaps that isn't the best example. I think my point is that as one goes through significant transitions, the first thing that seems to shift is our relationships. I have no idea if I'll see my roommates anytime soon, but I know I want to be around my boyfriend. Already I don't speak to someone who used to be like a brother to me. And who knows how much I'll keep in contact with a person who I grew up with, whom with I shared my teen years, who has affected my thought process so deeply that he will be forever ingrained in my personality.

Even the fact that I am currently listening to "How's it Gonna Be" by Third Eye Blind as I write this is a product of a relationship.

However, I don't think this is a bad trend. At the end of the day, I'd rather have had all of these memories and people in my life than have tried to create a masterpiece from that blank canvas all on my own.

On Productivity

So obviously, I'm not the best blogger ever. I'd like to say my lack of updates stems from me living life to the fullest and having all these amazing experiences, but it's probably more due to my constant high stress level and having way too much on my plate.

However, the past few days I have found I am incredibly productive. This got me thinking: what has changed this week as opposed to others? First, Midas just had their last tournament of the quarter, so the pressure of planning all that goes into a tournament weekend is lifted. Second, I decided I wasn't going to practice this week. I have a huge presentation on Monday and will be gone this weekend, and genuinely feel like I can't keep giving up schoolwork for ultimate. As much as I miss running around, it's nice to not have something to do EVERY NIGHT. Third, I'm going to Trouble in Vegas with PlanEx this weekend, a trip I am very much looking forward to.

Yes, I still have a lot to be concerned with. I have a lot of schoolwork and this looming presentation is pretty overwhelming. I have a strained ligament in my hand. I am shirking my obligations to my team. I am dealing with our Club Sports office regarding a possible club sanction and $1200 fine. I haven't thought about my Conference Coordinating work in about a week. I have no money, and no job prospects for after graduation.

So many things could be considered wrong with my current situation, yet I am happy. And I believe that is the point: in Maya-land, happiness leads to productivity, and I'm gonna ride this train as long as it's chugging on.

LeiOut 2011 Recap

Overall a completely amazing weekend. While my team didn't do super hot (1-5), we still, as Busty says, won the awesome competition. With super cool jerseys and delicious sideline beverages, what could possibly be wrong? The weather was absolutely amazing, everyone was having a good time, and the best part was we really were playing hard. There were bids everywhere! Even the rookies stepped up, learned some new tricks, and even helped score a few. We had a first timer on our team as well, and she definitely held her own.

Ten things I learned this weekend:

1. Sand isn't grass. It kills your calfs and feet. Meaning playing on grass is going to be that much easier, right?
2. Beach ultimate is a lot of putting up throws and letting your better players/that really tall guy get it.
3. Laying out on sand doesn't hurt. I MUST find some way to translate this to getting over my inability to lay out on grass.
4. Laying out in a prom dress is possibly one of the most fun ultimate experiences ever.
5. Playing in a skirt is ridiculously comfortable - props to UCSB Burning Skirts for figuring this out and rocking it.
6. Beach ultimate can be really intense, too! The finals game was crazy!
7. The learning curve at tournaments, even "fun" ones, is huge. We had rookies going from scared to get on the sand at all to throwing forehand assists.
8. Good cuts aren't that hard to set up. While it's extra emphasized on sand (really, a hard step in one direction is all you need), the same concept can be translated to grass. Move convincingly in one direction, drop your weight, go the other way. Done.
9. Heckling can cause amazing things, like dropped pulls. I watched it happen.
10. Doing anything, even losing, is okay, as long as you're wearing a Team Planet Express Ship jersey.

Random highlight, I had my first layout D EVER, and it felt amazing. I definitely look forward to next year. There is nothing like spending a weekend on the beach playing ultimate with your best friends.

How to Teach a New Dump Set

In the past few years, Midas has had a very specific dump routine. You set up on the break side whenever possible. The thrower looks to you on stall 5, fully turning their body and squaring up against the mark. This is the dump's cue to make a cut back (generally you only need about 5 hard steps). If the thrower cannot get this throw off fast enough or if the dump D is just on their toes, the thrower will fake, and the dump will cut up the line. If, again, the D is great, the mark shifts over, or for some other reason the throw cannot get off, the person at the front of the stack, the "fill," will run straight down to where the dump had originally set up for a fast break throw. By now, if none of these throws occur, it will probably be a high stall count and the thrower will be forced to jack it as far as possible. When forced to set up on the open side, do the exact same routine, except since the up-the-line cut is no longer viable, so we have to rely on the dump either getting it back, the fill getting open, or a cross-field swing to an open cutter.

Experienced players will read over this and be able to point out how flawed this routine sounds.
1. It is literally a routine. This is what we did, EVERY TIME.
2. Teaching to wait until stall 5 is incredibly limiting, especially when running a vert stack, an offense that easily lends to handler domination.
3. It requires that all players involved be very aware of what is happening and the skill level of each thrower. Unfortunately, this is probably not 100% realistic on a women's B team.
4. Settling for jacking it at stall 9 is not okay. In my opinion, the disc should never get over stall 6. I think it is wiser to assume that every turnover will result in a point.
5. What is with the crap designed for the open side?? This was actually a serious issue of confusion on the team last year, to the point where a teammate and I decided to adopt a completely different dump set than told.

So this year, I decided to switch to what I recently discovered seems to be a more common vert stack dump set, THE OPEN SIDE! The dump will set up on the open side whenever possible, at about a 45 degree angle and 5 yards back from the thrower. The first cut is horizontal, straight behind the thrower, and past them. This allows for the thrower to turn their back to the dump and give a simple dish to the cutter. If the disc is received back here, the "fill" can quickly swing and the defense is successfully broken. Let's say the dump is super agro and commits or lays out, or somehow that throw becomes unviable. The dump then changes direction, cutting at a 45 degree angle back the way they came, aiming to be on the same plane as the thrower. Because we are on the open side, this allows for a lefty backhand or slightly more complicated but also possible IO flick. The cutter is now in a power position on the open side. Such an offense also allows for the "fill" to be a third option when the initial dump doesn't get the disc, and is undoubtedly an easier throw since the thrower just has to float it out to their side and let the "fill" run on to it. Finally, if the dump is forced to set up on the break side, the previously stated dump set can work just fine, it just should not be the first choice.

Cool, now I've got my new dump set. Here's the challenge: how do I teach this to girls who have been running the same routine for at least a year? The new players probably haven't seen this much, so they will just take what they are taught. But we all know how amazing it feels to cut up that line and use all that momentum to huck the crap out of a disc; this is the sentiment I need to break in the more experienced handlers. Stop relying on the up-the-line cut and work the disc a few more times, and the options will come i.e. STOP BEING LAZY! As a handler, we have the power to dictate what happens on the field. If I want to break a mark and swing it, I can do that. I choose what cutters to throw to, I choose when to throw deep or to reward that awesome in cut, I choose what plays we run, etc. While this isn't literally true at all times (I would love if I only had to touch the disc once and the flow was so amazing I never touched it again during the point), this mentality has helped me gain confidence to take over a stagnant moment on the field, to create plays, to motivate my cutters through my actions.

But enough about why handlers are so great (haha). What do I plan to do to teach my teammates this new technique? We are planning on running a practice in the coming week that is solely offense focused, which will involve splitting the group into cutters and handlers and working on specific skills. Yes, another post will come about my opinions of such a teaching method, why splitting people might be more detrimental than helpful, etc. Be it "good" or "bad" it has worked for Midas in the past so we will follow the same trend this year. We start off with a team warmup. Then we split into handlers and cutters for a half hour of role specific drilling. I will be doing the following with the handlers.
1. Start off with a short (5 min) game of keep away (4 v 4 in a 20 x 20 ft box, start on stall 4, 5 completed throws is a point). This forces people to get used to moving the disc quickly, being creative with throws, and short and hard cuts.
2. Take a minute to discuss the game. What worked (give and gos, hammers, etc)? What didn't (standing still, holding on to the disc for more than 3 seconds, etc)?
3. Break out the whiteboard and diagram the new dump set.
4. Physically display the new dumpset lifesize! With players! On the field!
5. Take questions.
6. Break up into groups of 5 (thrower, mark, dump, dump D, fill) and run it until everyone can complete 80% of throws. At this time I'd walk around giving tips and answering questions.
7. Reconvene and teach the breakside dump set, but on whiteboard and lifesize. Emphasize this is a second choice.
8. Break up into groups and run the breakside dump set until everyone can complete 80% of throws.
9. Conclude with the following points: the breakside is a second choice, moving the disc before stall 5 is not only okay, it is encouraged, do not be afraid to completely ignore the cutters and gain as much yardage between handlers as possible, eye contact is key to any completion, and should be held at any point where a throw might go off, and respond to any final questions.

The next drill back all together is one that puts together what the cutters and handlers learned separately: the dump, swing, continue drill! This will allow the handlers to get a feel for anything new the cutters intend on implementing, and the cutters to learn how to work off the new dump set. We then break up into teams to scrimmage and continue learning from each other. In this way, the teammates teach each other through their actions and it's not just the captains holding their hands throughout the whole process. We may decide to also end practice with taking feedback from players about the other group's new techniques: what worked for them, what didn't, how can we work better together to produce effective flow, and whatever else comes up.

The idea of splitting up handlers and cutters and doing focused workshops is one that we might repeat bi-weekly, or never again. There are obviously more skills to be taught, but I think the key is to make sure that those skills are quickly implemented with the team as a whole, and to get everyone confident in working together to score.

Opinions? Got any great drills for handlers? Totally hate how I intend to teach things? Feel free to let me know! This girl's learning process is definitely a long and hard one, and any feedback is always appreciated.

From Dreams to Reality

The other night, I dreamed that Midas won the PresDay Qualifier. My feelings when waking up were of pure determination: I want to get my team to win that tournament! This got me to think, then, about how we'll get there. In my humble opinion, at the moment, Midas is probably going to place around 5th, solely based on what I know about the teams attending and how we have played them in the past. The first thing I did upon firing up my computer was research last year's team records for the teams I had no idea about (Okay, so maybe we CAN beat ASU and Chico!).

San Diego State kicked our asses at Stanford Open because we just didn't expect such a high level of physicality from them. But how do you teach a team of girls to want to fight for the disc more? That I am still unsure of. Unfortunately people tend to misconstrue Midas as a team for girls who don't care as much about the sport, and such a mentality becomes increasingly polarizing i.e. the people who care get upset that others don't, and the people who don't feel bolstered by the fact that others share in their mentality. So we'll see. But if short little me can run through D a girl on that team, anyone can.

We lost by one to Pomona at Sectionals. I remember this game was so incredibly frustrating because this was our last game of Saturday, meaning everyone was tired. In short, I recall blaming our loss on our lack of maintaining what is, in my opinion, one of the most important skills on the field, holding the mark. As a whole, Midas loves to throw our zone defense. We're pretty damn good at it when we have the energy, but as soon as our cup starts to get broken, we tend to get very worn out both mentally and physically. Not to say Pomona didn't deserve it, they've got a killer in Mich! But at the same time, they did do worse against other teams than we did, and they had about half the players we did so were probably much more tired than we were. So how will we beat them? Track workouts and better subbing! While it's okay to be tired after a few hard games, it sucks when your top players have been playing so much that they can't hold out to win one more point. I say throw the game against Santa Barbara, and Long Beach, once you see you're going to lose really badly, and save up for the games you should win.

Which brings me to Long Beach. I think these girls will be our biggest challenge. They have become such a dominant team in the past few years. Igloo is pretty much unstoppable, and the other girls have grown to become an amazing support system to let her rip through defenses. I remember when it was enough just to shut her down, and play tough D to force the others to make mistakes. Except now they don't make mistakes. They pretty much dominated our one-day tournament in the fall, and that was without Igloo. I also think those girls are some of the sweetest, most dedicated ones in college ultimate out there; in the end, I think it will be an intense game, but however it ends, the two teams will be hanging out and laughing after. I am still incredibly unsure about how to beat them. I think it'll just depend on how the day goes and what strengths Midas can rely on at the moment. Or maybe we'll get lucky and not have to play them at all.

SLO Motion is also attending this tournament. Having stated my previous feelings about this team, I think Midas' biggest challenge will be to not let them get in our heads. To play out of respect for their skills by shutting them down at every turn. To not get frustrated when they break through our defense, but instead adjust so it doesn't happen again. I'm not sure how many girls still burn after that game at sectionals last year, but I know I do, and hopefully that will help with our desire to win. On that note, I also haven't really seen them play this year so I have no idea what girls are still left on that team or who they picked up. I just really hope we get a chance to play them, but at the same time, I sort of hope we don't have to. I'm not sure Midas is ready to see Angry Ozone so early in the season.

Claremont will probably also be a challenge. Those girls have been incredibly dominant in the past, but simply cursed by the fact that they are in one of the most talented regions in the country. Midas has never really beaten the Greenshirts, but we have definitely had some close games. I am not sure what girls still play on that team though, so don't know what to expect. That means scouting! Actually it means I hope we get to play them early in the season (ideally at SB Invite, but I'm not sure who is going to that), and can use a game like that to figure out how to beat them later.

The last team I think will be a close game will be Humboldt. They came out incredibly fired up this year. They beat BLU split/mixed at Sean Ryan in the fall, so I'm not sure how Midas can hold up. To our credit, they have a small team, so if we play them, I hope it's towards the end of the day, preferably after they lose a really close game (is that bad spirited to say?). I think this will come down to the level of mental fortitude - if we are determined to beat them, we probably have a chance. Otherwise... This is just another game I hope we don't have to actually play.

So how do we get all of these things accomplished? Thank goodness I have friends determined to help me through this season. One of them sent me a blog post of one coach's plan for a semester. Considering Midas really has no coach, Maddox and I are sort of learning as we go. For a team that dreams of dominance, there is no room for mistakes, even early on. So getting any advice from more experienced coaches is always helpful. This entry was amazing, if only because it coincides with what I believe is a good strategy for teaching new topics. Each week introduces a new concept, with emphasis on throwing (for us it will be outside of practice) and scrimmaging frequently. I believe that there is no learning like playing a simulated game. The challenge with scrimmaging is to get people to practice as they would play a real game, but hopefully we'll get there.

You might also notice that I did not discuss any B teams in this post, because I still have full faith that Midas is the best B team in the country and we should destroy any B team that comes across our path. I do want to note, though, that those games can sometimes be the most fun, and I look forward to each and every match, if only for the great halftime games.

Have any advice on practice plans? Know some secrets about these teams that you want to share to help Midas dominate? Here's one of those posts where feedback would be awesome. Help this little girl realize her dreams!