Pigskin > Running Eleventy-Umpteen Miles

Pigskin > Running Eleventy-Umpteen Miles

With the inaugural Southern Discomfort underway elsewhere in the gloom of South Charlotte, five PAX remembered that August 1 means football.  Here’s how we honored tradition.

Frehley’s Comet Q

Mosey from the launch point with a (bright orange, rather garish, Clemson) football.  Toss said gaudy football among the PAX, hot-potato-style.  If anyone drops the ball, stop for 10 merkins.  Due to the fact that at least one of us is a former lineman, many merkins were accomplished before the warm up.

Circle up.  Perform SSH, squats, and a few other exercises while still tossing the pigskin.  More merkins.  Finish with a round of merkins while holding one hand on the ball.  Frehley likes merkins.

Run down toward Loch Ness, stopping intermittently for whatever the heck Frehley dreams up as he goes.  We had a people’s chair, we ran a few pass routes, and we indulged in general spontaneity. Finish at the exercise trail for dips, supine, pull-ups, and “bunny hop.”

Loogie Q

Run up to the grassy bank of Loch Ness, where cones, blocking dummies, and a homemade chute were waiting.  Start with some traditional sprints, carioca, and backpedal.  Then some agility testing with a shuttle run.  Move on to a tackling form drill (invented by The Worm) where each PAX would charge a heavy bag, perform a proper lifting tackle, and carry the bag to the next PAX awaiting their turn. Finally, practice firing off the ball by lining up at the chute, firing off low and hard, and hitting a heavy bag held by a PAX on the other side.  #August1Tradition

Finish our football camp with a series of 1-on-1 passing drills. Try to get open by faking out your brother without overrunning the QB’s arm.  Did I mention that at least one of us was a lineman?  The tall, wet grass and gloom added to the challenge.

Return to the launch point for some around-the-horn Mary.

MOLESKIN

August 1 will forever be a Red Letter Date on YHC’s calendar.  We couldn’t let the occasion pass without playing some football.  However, with so many of our brethren running the streets in Southern Discomfort, we were a little short on bodies.  We made the most of it, though, and Frehley’s “I’ll think of something” planning technique was quite helpful today.  He’s really not that bad if you give him a chance.

The Commish was in his element in the form-tackle drill.  He’s spent weeks, months, and years training and then teaching Heads Up Football techniques.  It was nice to see proper form on display.

It turns out that Puppy Luv has some moves.  Now you don’t have to be a young Jerry Rice (or even a young Jerry van Dyk) to burn most of the rest of us, but you can tell he’s caught a few balls in his time.  I think he may still be laughing after saying “Loogie, throw it deep to me.”

There was only one rule put forth when we got to the chute.  That rule was “Don’t break Coach Loogie’s chute.”  We were not all successful with complying with that rule.  I’m looking at you, Vuvuzela.

YHC personally enjoyed hitting the bags.  We spend so much time running that it is nice to knock something down every now and then.  Thanks for indulging me, brothers.

No announcements, a nice take-out by Frehley.