Playoffs

'Bout a year ago, My long time favorite team, the Philadelphia Flyers, tortured me by not only leaving their playoff hopes riding on the last game of the season - they got their victory in a shoot out (I. DETEST. the shoot out).  This year, they were coasting into the last month of the season with an awesome record.  All they really needed to do was play a respectable final month, and they would in fact practically be assured home ice advantage through and possibly IN the finals, should they go that far.

Instead, they crapped all over the place, losing games they should have won (I consider a shoot out loss, a LOSS, not a tie, as it's recorded in the standings - just one of the many reasons I DETEST the shootout) and generally looking like a bunch of people who just wanted the season to be over.  A sentiment in which, frankly, I joined them, because trying to watch them play was downright nauseating.  So now they're in the playoffs and are only guaranteed home ice for two rounds, should they wake the fuck up and make it that far, and I'm in a surly mood.  I guess it shows that I care - if I didn't, I'd be indifferent rather than agitated - but that's not much consolation.  Still, it was good to get that off my chest.

Today was another run of 9+ miles; fortunately it seems to have gone better than last week's.  That leaves me pretty optimistic about Mt. Penn, but that'll be a test in and of itself; we'll see how the hip likes all that crazy terrain.  At least I'll have real trail shoes this time out, so hopefully no bloody ripped off calluses at the end due to excessive shoe movement.   In other exciting news, I finish up the first phase of NROL/Abs this week, and plan to do the workouts on a M - F schedule, subbing in a run on Wednesday instead of the lifting, mostly just because I can.  Heh.  The following week will be a short lifting week, too, as I'll probably make Friday (day before the race) a total rest day.  I've enjoyed Phase I, but as usual am looking forward to moving on to the next phase.

Speaking of which, Phase 2 comes in two sizes: regular and extra strength.  Right now, I'm being optimistic about my running prospects (meaning that post-15K, I'll start looking at a trail half) and am just planning to do the regular option.  This is subject to reevaluation post-race, of course.  I frankly am liking this program well enough that I can see myself doing it again, and at that point I may be in a situation that favors the extra strength option (which really just amounts to four extra sets of a heavy strength move, but it's probably a good extra 8 - 10 minutes per workout, and taxing minutes, at that - great if it fits your overall plan, not necessarily great if it doesn't).

We had a grand opening party at the dojo last night.  We've actually been in the new location since December, but it's spring, more people are out and about, and it seemed like a good idea to have a party.  The place has really taken off, which I knew it would, given its location.  We now have some sort of classes every day of the week, with more stuff coming.  We have a pretty cool guy coming in to offer bootcamp classes.  I talked to him at length last night.  He has a BS in ex. science and is now a CSCS, and has some very interesting sub specialities.  He's going to take the RKC course soon, so obviously we talked kettlebells for a while.  His classes don't fit my schedule at all, but it's cool to have him around.  I definitely plan to pick his brain whenever I can!