On running

So guys, I've started running lately. I had kind of started in January (cuz after I volunteered at a half marathon...well let's say I was sort of inspired)
While I certainly haven't become an elite runner or anything, I have improved incredibly! I have run a mile straight through now and I'm gradually building up my endurance. My goal is to do this 5K in May that looks like soo much fun! I know I probably won't be able to run the whole thing straight through but at least I hope to run some of it. And even though most of you guys who read my blog don't need tips from me about running, I would like to share some things that have helped me!

1. FIRST AND FOREMOST: I have had amazing friends (two in particular) who have encouraged and motivated me SO much! Without them I know I would have stopped a long time ago.
2. Get good music to run to. ;) Part of what has helped me is getting Christian songs with lyrics about how God will give you strength, or how He's always with you. When I really want to stop, I think about the words and talk to God and it helps me keep going!
3. Warm-up walk.
4. Stretch afterwards. It'll help keep your muscles from cramping up.
5. Don't push it. All good things come with time and effort. It took me about three months to do a mile. If you overdo it then it'll hinder your progress.
6. When I'm running and my muscles are working so hard and I just think I can't, I remember that God made my body so that it CAN. Even if it's only a little bit longer/faster, that thought always encourages me to do better.
7. Cool-down walk.
8. Don't think about it. When you get that itch and you just wanna run, go put on your shoes right away and get outside before you can talk yourself out of it. Seriously.

And yeah! I'm hoping to stick with this for a long time yet! 

Wait for it...wait for it...wai - BAM!

We switched sports at PE again, and you all know what that means - BLOG POST!

This month we're playing kickball. 

I'll be completely honest and say that I think kickball is a juvenile sport.

...

So yeah, I love it.

Anyways, even though I am by no means a perfect kickballer, and really not even very good, here's some things that I have learned in my many years of playing kickball. (Don't laugh, I've been at it since I was nine.)

Just because you were the best kickballer in the 8-12 year old group does NOT mean you will be ANY good in the teenagers group. 

Sorry, this really can't be helped. I was pretty much a kickball legend at PE when I was younger. Turns out, it's easier to be a legend when you're at the top of your group than the bottom. When I first started playing in the teens group, it was a smack in the face. I was probably the worst kickballer there. Which, when you have such a big group, is saying something. Fortunately, over the...um...year, I have gotten better, and I'm not the worst anymore. Just wait - it'll probably all come out okay.

Harder is not always better.

Kickball might seem easy. You kick the ball when it rolls to you and you run.

But no. Kickball is actually a game of strategy, to some extent. (most games are) Oftentimes when you kick the ball as hard as you can, all it will do is fly up...and yes, it may go far, and yes, sometimes it will work out okay. But there's a good chance that you will be caught out. So look for a hole in the outfield's defense and aim for it.

Pay attention.

Please please please...no getting hit in the face, or tackled, or yelled at for missing a ball, or getting out cuz you forgot to run...please.

Catch the ball.

This is the best way to catch a kickball.

Don't try to grab the ball...your chances of getting the ball in your possession are greatly decreased with this attempt.

Also, remember that it's easier to run forward than backward. Back up maybe a little farther than is completely necessary, because you never know how someone will kick.

And play backup. Don't always be leaving your position, but if it's a particularly hard catch and you don't know the person will get it, run over behind them just to be sure. Better safe than sorry. :)

(Also, this is my 300th post! Yay! *streamers, confetti, lame party sounds* Okay, I'm done.)

Volleyball - a few words of wisdom

I don't like to admit that I have faults. (who does?)
However, when I'm playing volleyball, my weaknesses are so obvious that I figured...why not blog about them? Everybody already knows anyway!
So here are a few of the things I STINK at in the game of volleyball.

1. CONTROL - Yes, this is the first and most GLARING error. And sadly, this is the key to being a good volleyball player. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't control the ball. I found it surprising how little you actually have to swing to propel the ball upward. I've been doing my research, and it's positively delightful to find that the things that I've noticed from the times I've played volleyball are actually supported scientifically. And there are people who have written equations for it. I'm planning to check some of those out soon. I hate it when I can tell that there's something wrong with the physics of my play but I don't know how to fix it. Hopefully this will help me a little.

2. Being a ball hog - Here's my tip for you if you share this problem: DON'T DO IT. It will only frustrate you and others. Your team is there so you don't have to run around like a crazy person and get every ball, so trust them, okay? Okay.

I really thought the list would be longer. Ah well. 'Tis a fine problem to have.

Finding your inner hardcore

There are lots of things that can be done "hardcore". I'm going to talk a bit about one of my personal favorites...you all know how much I love it...Ultimate Frisbee...or anything Frisbee-related.

I like to be the best. But since I can't be the best at everything, I at least want to feel like I'm doing everything in my power to be the best I can possibly be. So for Ultimate Frisbee, I sorta kinda sometimes go hardcore. Unless the ground is a little muddy and slippery and I really don't want to make an idiot of myself by falling...in which case I will tone it down a lot.

My version of hardcore is different from yours, and yours is probably different from Little Joey's over here. (Little Joey isn't real...shh, don't tell him that!)

I do a lot of prep work to make sure that I can go hardcore when I play. I love to play Frisbee, so whenever I can, I like to grab my brother and go practice. Currently I'm trying to perfect the basic things - throwing, catching, general control. Control is key in Ultimate Frisbee, something I've learned only after screwing up thousands of times cuz of a wild throw. Sometimes it'll work if you're throwing to a guy who's super-fit and about 6' 10, but normally, I don't recommend it. A crazy, random throw is definitely a last resort. (Seriously, as many games of UF as I've played, it has worked twice. The odds are not in your favor.)

And all of my practice is paying off! I can actually catch the Frisbee now...which is generally a good thing. 

Yes?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I try.

Anyway...when playing any sport - or doing anything, really - you have to experiment to find what works for you and then when you find what works....wait for it....DO THAT THING! Yes! Do it! Do it again and again until it's practically perfect in every way!

If you've ever played UF with me or watched me play UF, you know that my specialty is playing long. Right after the throw-off, I get my little buns over to the end zone and wait. Sometimes it works and my teammates can get the Frisbee to me, sometimes it doesn't work out that way. That's part of the game. What's important is that I'm doing what works for me, and I hope I do it fairly well. I'm always pushing to do it better, though. 

Softball

Okay, so you know that I typically do a post whenever we switch to a new sport at PE, and this Thursday we're playing softball. Even though I'm not very good at softball (and I'm not lying this time), I do have a few tips that should help out a little.

When fielding:

• Don't be shy! Most of the people in our group don't hit the ball hard enough for it to hurt. Unless it's one of the athletic guys and you're not in the outfield, your chances are pretty low of actually getting hurt, so go for it!
• Make sure you call the ball. Last year a kid got hit in the face because of a mistake here. The ball got hit up, and one guy started backing up to get it while another guy started going forward to get it. Both of them were looking straight up at the ball, and they didn't see each other. They ran into each other and were startled, so they put their gloves down. The one guy moved, the other didn't, and the ball hit the guy in the face. If they had called it, one of them would have backed down and we would not have had an accident.
• If you're a baseman, pay attention! My team has missed so many easy outs because various basemen weren't paying attention. Of course, the pay attention rule applies anywhere, but still.
• If you have a question, talk to your team captain (if you have one) or one of the athletic guys on your team to see if they can help (they usually can). Connor and Jay are my go-to guys if I have a question/problem. They like to win, so they're willing to help teammates out.

When batting:

• Don't swing at every pitch! As you play more, you'll start to be able to recognize what kind of pitch you like. For example, I like mine high and a little outside, but somebody else likes them low and centered. It sounds hippie, but go with the flow and don't feel pressured to swing if you're not comfortable. Just don't take forever.
• Unless you know you can keep your swing smooth, don't swing as hard as you can. Swinging with as much power as you can tends to interrupt the flow of your swing. Try to do an even swing with good power, and as you learn to control it, increase the power. 
• Even if you know you're not that good, take control! If you walk up to the plate like, "Oh no, I stink at this game and I'm afraid of the ball and I really hope this bat doesn't hurt my face," then you're not going to intimidate the other team at all, and you're not going to motivate yourself to do well. You have to walk up there with confidence and do your thing! Who cares if you strike out - you struck out with finesse! I've pretty much got the intimidation thing down to a science. How do you think I got my nickname? I actually did get it playing softball at PE! I was batting, and I guess I made a mean face or something.

When doing anything on the softball field:

• Always be alert and listen to your teammates. It could save your head from a softball-shaped dent or give your team a point.
• Be a good sport. Team banter is fine (and fun!) but make sure that you're not being mean or hurting someone's feelings.
• Be supportive. My teammates are always complaining to me for cheering for the other team, but I see nothing wrong with that, only because I always cheer for my own team too. (a little louder than I do for the other team, but still!) If someone on the other team makes a great catch, tell them so! Being nice to people typically results in them being nice to you!

I hope these tips will help you out, even if you're scared to play softball. And when we get there on Thursday, I don't want anyone to be talking about how they're not very good. You walk onto that field with confidence and show them what you're made of!

Obsessed with being the best

I spent the whole afternoon yesterday playing Frisbee with Geoff. Why? Well, most of you know that I have a semi-unhealthy obsession with being the best, so when I play kind of bad the first week of  a new sport at PE, I spend the whole week following wholly devoted to improving my skills. At PE this week I did only passably well, partially because it was cold, and as my friend Ashley said, I was so congested I sounded like I was "hacking up a corn dog."
But it was also partially because I hadn't thrown a Frisbee since sometime last year. So yesterday, I practiced. And practiced. And practiced. I think I'm ready, even though there's not really any way to practice throwing a Frisbee when there's somebody all up in your face, trying to block your every move and about thirty-two different voices screaming at you to throw them the Frisbee.
When I'm in that position, I don't tend to handle it well. In fact, I seem to recall that when that happened to me on Thursday, I screamed, "TOO MANY VOICES!!! AAAAAH!!!!!!"
Maybe this week will be easier. And then we have to play with the boys, who play every sport like football to some extent. It's always interesting when the girls come in and all of the boys are all shy because they don't want to hurt them. Then they get comfortable and start dominating the field again.
So I figure, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! You will be DOMINATED, you BOYS!!!!!