3/27/2008 11:39:37 PM
Itch

One thing I've noticed is that the longer I play football, the later my itch shows up. I can remember it hitting shortly after the Grey Cup, I couldn't sit still and had to be doing something football related. Now my itch is full blown around late February/early March and in complete overload by the time April hits. Around this time of year, I usually fly out to somewhere warm (Florida or Arizona) and work with some defensive backs on technique, and start to turn up the speed work and route running. The itch for me comes from the visualization though I think. Pounding the track doing speed work and grinding through endless routes, I'm constantly yelling at would be defenders, barking out coverages, and envisioning other receivers to compete against. I picture guys like Simon, Copeland, Clermont and Stegall working out alongside me, and every time I get tired one of them shoots forward unfased. I sometimes wonder if I'm not OVERLY competitive…when you're imagining football stars out training you so that you can push through your own threshold, you've gotta wonder a little bit right?

The strength building phases and core development of my workout will conclude this week and now comes the muscular endurance and explosion phase, which is by FAR the most difficult. Although it's the most difficult, it's also the most welcome of all the training phases that I have simply because its arrival symbolizes the 8 week mark until training camp opens. Talking to some of my teammates it's good to know that I'm not the only one starting to go stir crazy over here. ©

KP8