OVERTIME GAMES: GEOCACHING (Sept. 4)

Well, it certainly did not take me long to come back to this challenge.  I have a few contacts that were not able to meet with me during the summer, so I have decided to do some OVERTIME GAMES in which I will be adding periodically.  Today, I took my boys GEOCACHING.  A friend from church instructed me on this new sport where you use a GPS system to find treasures.  Today, we ventured out to find two treasures in a local park.  If you have boys, then this is a perfect way to get them out on trails and hiking.  Just tell them you are looking for treasure!  And that we found, according to them.  At one location, we found a metal box with pencils and notepads.  At the next location, we found a can of toy cars and other dollar store items.  They thought that was cool!  In order to learn about this sport, I went to  www.geocaching.com and logged in as well as used a GPS system.  

FINISHED!!

Well I made it believe it or not!  This challenge in some ways was everything I thought it would be and in other ways, evolved into things that I never expected.  I want to thank many people who when I asked to "Play" said absolutely and welcomed me in.  First of all a huge thanks to Doug Little, who is a part of the SCOG's Lacrosse League.  He alone upped my game big time when he threw me into a real lacrosse game.  He was the first guy to really get behind this challenge and push me along.  

 Also a big THANKS to:

-Jason, who went along with me on several sports and supported me along the way

-Kyle and Scott, my neighbors

-The guys playing Ultimate

-Piper Glen Ballroom Dancing

-Rob at My Aloha Paddle Sports and Fitness

-Master Singh at Sangrock Black Belt World

-Adam at Carolina Kayak Polo

-Adam at Matthews Ruby Club

-Coach Vaught at the UNCC Carolinas Track and Field Club

-Everyone at Inner Peaks

-Moe and Brenda and Dennis at Extreme Ice Center

-The Whitewater Center

-My good friend Rob who always beats me in golf

-Geoff and Warren at the Charlotte International Cricket Club

-MY WIFE for putting up with this challenge!

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT ADVENTURE!!

EVENT # 30 1,000 ROPE JUMPS

Friday, I FINISHED MY CHALLENGE all alone in my little elementary gym where I teach.  I concluded this challenge with a sport that I actually have been coaching for the better part of 11 years:  Rope Jumping.  I have been the jump rope coach at my schools and have actually become a decent jumper myself over the years as I have learned different tricks and skills of my own.  Friday I took the challenge of attempting 1,000 jumps in a row.  My goal was to jump 100 single jumps at a time and then slow down to a double side swing jump for 10-15 jumps and then back to another set of 100 singles until I reached 1,000.  I only missed on about 12 occasions, from what I can count.  Not too bad and it definitely gave a great little 15 minute workout.  As I was approaching the 800 mark it began to hit me that I was about to end this challenge for the summer and I was taken back to that day in early June when I decided to do these events.  I started out kind of slow and have ended on a slower note but the the middle of my challenge was pretty sweet.  I am incredibly impressed with ALL of the people who have helped me make this journey a great one!  Thank you to everyone who was a part of this.  I am truly blessed to have been healthy enough to start and finish this challenge.  What a cool summer 2011!

EVENT # 29 RECESS!

Now that I am back to work teaching again, it has obviously been much harder to schedule any events, so I decided to include my students at my elementary school in my challenge.  This week I joined them during their recess outside to see what they like to play and of course SOCCER is very popular at our school.  I started to mix in with the forth and fifth graders on a small dirt field with trees and roots coming out of the ground.  It is not the most prestige soccer playing field but it works for these kids.  As I started to play, more and more students began to come and ask my famous question, "CAN I PLAY", in which I of course  replied "YES" until we eventually ended up with probably 35 or 40 kids chasing ONE ball around trees and roots.  At that point, I had to put aside any ambition to score and dominate and put my PE teacher hat on to make sure everyone was safe.  I did more refereeing than anything but eventually decided to break away and start my own game of KICKBALL.  Enough kids left the soccer field so that it became a little safer and we ventured over to the kickball field.  I quickly divided the teams up and began pitching the ball to my opponents.  As we took turns kicking, we all questioned what and where exactly is first, second, and third base.  We ended up making a few dirt spots and rocks as bases, which is exactly what kids need to do by being creative.  They don't need fancy sporting facilities.  They just need to PLAY!  After several minutes of playing, the teachers began to blow their whistles for students to go inside, so I never really got my opportunity to kick that home run that I was envisioning, but nonetheless, I was sweaty and my shirt had become a new color of dirt as I walked back into the school myself.  Hey kids, don't forget my motto:  WORK UP A SWEAT!!

EVENT # 28 CRICKET (August 24)

http://thecicc.org/

Cricket.  Do you know what it is? Is it similar to baseball?  Well lets just say that Cricket came before baseball.  In fact, it was one of the favorite sports played by George Washington.  And now we are beginning to try to teach this to our students in Charlotte in PE classes.   I got connected with some great guys from the Charlotte International Cricket Club on Wednesday night and was able to practice with them.  I practiced BOWLING, not bowling but bowling like pitching a ball in baseball.  You see the guy in the above picture bowling the ball to me with an overhand straight arm.  He was trying to hit the wicket behind me while I tried to protect it by striking the ball away with the bat, which is mostly flat on the striking side.  The ball is allowed to bounce off the ground before I hit it.  And by the way, I can hit is anywhere....forward, sideways, behind me but I have to be careful to protect the wicket.  I learned a lot of information about this game during the course of a two hour practice.  The CICC guys spent a lot of time coaching me and helping me get in position to strike the ball.  I practice  bowling on my own for a while and realized that I was a somewhat of an accurate bowler but did not have the speed behind it.  I hit a few wickets but did not get up the 80 or 90 mile an hour speed some of the bowler have.  Finally, we took field practice and worked on catching what you would call pop ups in baseball.  By the way, do you know what they use in Cricket to catch a ball which is as hard as a baseball?  NOTHING but the hands!  So I got a few stingers but I caught most of the hits.  This was a great night and I look forward to teaching this sport to my students as well as hopefully playing this again soon.  And there is a saying on their website that pretty much sums up my whole 30 sport challenge so far:

"We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old if we stop playing"

EVENT # 27 GOLF (August 16)

We had some beautiful summer weather tonight for 18 holes of golf.  I was back from a two year hiatus of golf.  I didn't start playing this sport until I was in college as you can tell.  So tonight I joined my good friend Rob and a few other guys for a five hour adventure on the golf course and I do mean adventure.  During the course of this game tonight, I decided to go on the scenic route.  I saw the woods, water, mud, sand pits and occasionally the green and the hole.  If you listen close enough, you can hear my golf ball bounce off the trees on my drive.   I'm sure I ended up with a double bogey or more on this shot.  I put together a few good holes tonight but for the most part I was hitting that ball all over the place.  I just kept telling myself that "golf is fun, golf is fun".  It WAS fun on that Par 3 when I hit the ball right at the green on my drive! 

EVENT # 26 BEACH VOLLEYBALL (August 14)

Today I joined a buddy of mine named Scott, who is a former professional beach volleyball player.  Scott took me through some of the background and rules of Beach Volleyball and then we threw the ball back and forth to get warmed up.  We then worked on some tosses and bumps back and forth to each other.  Then Scott introduced me to a great practice called Peppering, in which we basically rallied back and forth to each other in a bump, set and spike pattern.  This went on for a while, which turned out to be a great workout.  Since we didn't play a true game today, we focused on skill development such as getting set up for a spike over the 7 and half foot net and serving.  All of these I felt pretty good with until I compared my video to his.  As you can see, my serve hit the back of the court and stopped and his hit the back of the court and kept on going out into the parking lot.  That's a powerful serve!  It would help if I get a little air time under my serve after seeing his.  Our kids were swimming at the pool next to us and were yelling for us to come swim, so our session was over but I would love to get back out on the sand sometime to get some good competitive games going soon.  Thanks Scott for your time and coaching.

EVENT # 25 ICE SKATING AND HOCKEY LESSON (August 13)

http://www.xicenter.com/

Today I took on the sport of ice skating with a little hockey added in.  I knew going into this that it would most likely be my worst sport of the summer since I know many of my elementary students that I teach can skate circles around me.  I grew up here in Charlotte, so I'll blame the fact that ice skating and hockey were not very popular back in the day but thanks to places like the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, it is becoming much more popular.  I was first instructed by Brenda Saturday morning in the basics of ice skating and I do mean "basics".  This was the first time since I was in kindergarten that I had to have my shoes tied for me.  How embarrassing but now I know how to secure my skates.  We started out on the ice doing some marches and walking with the skates and the quickly leading into two feet forward gliding and backward "wiggles".  Halloween came early this year because I looked like Frankenstein walking around the ice.  I think I saw a few kids running away from me.  Anyway,  Brenda was very patient with me as I tried my hardest NOT to fall.  That was my problem.  I went slow enough that I didn't allow myself to fall which is really what I need to do a few times to get over the fear.  After my basic lesson, I met up with Dennis, Extreme's Hockey Instructor, who took a lot of time to work with me on the basics of Ice Hockey.  This is definitely a NEW thing for me.  Not only did I have to take what I learned from skating but I had to add in manipulating a hockey stick and controlling hockey pucks all at the same time.  VERY DIFFERENT from the floor hockey I play with the kids at school.  I can REALLY play that game!  Dennis worked with me in dribbling, passing, and shooting the pucks.  I stayed up on my skates the whole time but I tended to lean on my stick a little too much which is not the way to do it.  The best part of the day was combining everything I do in the video above by skating up while dribbling the puck and shooting at the goal.  In my mind, I was going pretty quick, but after watching this video........WOW I'm slow.  And as my wife pointed out to me, great job but where were the defenders!  THANK YOU EXTREME ICE for allowing me to get a little more comfortable on the ice and to do something really cool by shooting pucks!

EVENT # 24 (Adventure Courses at Whitewater Center) August 11

Today was a good day.  I was able to knock out TWO sports in one day.  Actually, when you purchase a day pass from the National Whitewater Center, you can knock out a bunch of sports like biking, hiking, and kayaking in one day.  They also have these really cool Adventure courses where you get strapped into a harness and are connected to a cable line.  Then you have to travel from tree to tree walking on only one cable and holding onto ropes.  GREAT CORE and STABILITY workout today.  I started up the basic adventure course and then climbed the biggest cargo net you can imagine.  Once I climbed up that, I had to get down by riding the zip line from about 50 feet up in the air.  That was cool!  I then preceded to the the next course called the Canyon Crossing.  I was not able to get video since it is not a good idea to hold a camera while you are climbing but I have included a video from the Whitewater Center that shows you what I did.  It will definitely test your fear of heights but very fun!

EVENT # 23 WHITEWATER RAFTING (August 11)

Today I visited the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.  This center has multiple options for sports but I focused on TWO that are very unique to this center, whitewater rafting and the adventure courses.  I started out the day hitting the class 3 and 4 rapids in the whitewater course.  My major goal today was to STAY IN THE BOAT and that I did.  Last time I visited, I fell out because I didn't have my foot secured in place in the boat.  I did however, kind of help the guy beside me fall in after we came through one of the class 4 rapids.  As we tipped to one side, I shifted almost on top of him and felt both of us being sucked out of the boat.  I stayed in somehow but he ended up going out, which from what I remember last time, is a shock at first and then is fun once you realize you are safe.  We picked him up and successfully made it through the second time.  I have never been on a real whitewater rafting trip but this apparently is very close and is a great place to start if you have never been rafting.  If you have been rafting, tell your raft guide that you want an adventure!

EVENT # 22 FIELD GOAL KICKING (Aug. 6)

So I was really hoping at some point in this challenge to do some real football drills but this is as close as I have come so far.  I took my family downtown to the Carolina Panthers Fan Fest, where they allow you to actually go ON the field and kick a 25 yard field goal before the players come out to practice.  I did this several years ago and with lots of practice the night before, I actually made the goal then.  This time I decided to go to this event at the last minute without any practice.  I was second in line and as they ushered me out to the field, I once again felt like a little kid walking out on the actual field where my beloved Panthers play on Sundays.  I watched the first guy go and then it was me.  "This would be the game winning kick.  If I make it, we go to the Super Bowl".  I measured my steps, moved back at an angle, looked up at the goal and made my approach.  As I kicked underneath the ball, it felt good.   I thought that I would do it again until "BOINK".  I HIT THE LEFT SIDE UPRIGHT!  ARRRGGGHHH!!  At least I didn't shank it off to the side.  You can see the guy behind me walking back after his kick.  Yes, it was long walk of shame after my kick but a fun time being on the same field that John Kasey used to win all those games for us.

EVENT # 21 ROCK CLIMBING (August 4)

http://innerpeaks.com/

This is where it got hard!

 Steady!

All right, I'm coming down.

Tonight I participated in the sport of rock climbing at Inner Peaks of Charlotte.  On a 98 degree day outside, this was a great indoor activity and a fantastic facility.  Upon walking in Inner Peaks, I witnessed people of ALL ages from what looked to be 3 years old and up climbing on all kinds of different climbing towers.  There is a wall for any ability level.  My good friend Jason joined me once again in his support of me getting through this challenge.  This is a two person activity where one climbs and the other "belays" the leader by feeding out enough rope to allow upward progression.   It is definitely a trust activity so THANK YOU JASON!  I have been to Inner Peaks once before to climb so I knew what I wanted to accomplish tonight.  This particular wall has a pretty nice grade where you have to get up and over that cliff.  I did accomplish this once on the side where I am climbing in the pictures but did not make it when I tried more towards the middle.  My hands and forearms were getting quite fatigued.  I did make it to the top on three other walls tonight.  All in all, a great night and a fun time at Inner Peaks for my event 21.

EVENT # 20 BEACH SPORTS (July 30)

Well it is REALLY hard to try to play a true sport when you are on a 5 day vacation to the beach!  Most people just want to relax and let the waves crash over their feet.   But with this challenge I have set before me, I had to get creative.  I had thought about a variety of options, none of which I felt were solid enough to include alone.  So I created a SPORTS COMBO DAY at the beach.  I started out Saturday morning doing something that is a little "different" and new for me.  It is called funcycling or recumbent biking on the beach.  It is kind of like a big wheel that you control with your body.  I biked several miles up and down the beach as loungers were soaking up the rays.  It's just as well since I would be sitting around burning and not tanning!  Upon returning, I got engaged in a quick game of paddleball with my wife and a good round of bocce ball with the kids.  Then after a fun afternoon of boogie boarding with the boys out in the water, we went in for some much needed rest and then back out in the evening for the classic beach sport of Putt-Putt.  I knocked in a few hole in ones as did my 5 and 8 year old.  Not the toughest competition of the summer but I think I made it work.  Now on to the last third of my challenge.

EVENT # 19 TRACK AND FIELD (July 25)

I was back on my feet today thankfully.  I was able to get connected with the Sprints and Hurdles coach, Coach Vaught, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where I teach part time.  He invited me to practice tonight with a group called the Carolinas Track and Field Club.  This club is designed for ages 30 and up and apparently there are some competitors in their 80's and 90's.  THAT IS MY GOAL!!  I was told for only $20 you can come out and join the team and participate in major events such as sprints, hurdling, relays, shot put, and all the other events involved with Track.  Tonight I began my training with an AWESOME dynamic warm up which included some jogging, skipping, squats, forward and backward walking lunges, and grapevines (sideway motion).  The coach then engaged us in three 50 meter sprints in which I finished.....well let's just say 8th place.  I was then trained individually by one of the members of the team with hurdles and was made aware very quickly that track runners do NOT wear basketball shorts or New Balance running shoes.  So I was not prepared completely but I began working on walking over hurdles, which then let to running over hurdles.  And as you can tell on the video, my hurdle was just a little bit shorter than the one next to it.  Yes it was the girls hurdle and also the above 60 age group hurdle.  I was just getting in shape for that.....in 23 years from now.  Anyway, I raised the hurdle up to mens level and thought it might just be easier to go UNDER but that is not allowed.  So THANK YOU COACH VAUGHT AND THE CAROLINAS TRACK CLUB for a great experience in my event # 19.

http://www.carolinastrackandfield.org/

EVENT # 18 ROLLERBLADING (July 24)

OK, here's the story.  I was about 13 years old and on a middle school church snow skiing retreat.  As my ski lift approached the top of the mountain, I attempted to get off and fell right in front of all the other lifts coming by.  I couldn't get up and the guy standing there just looked at me!  Then it took me about 2 hours to get down the mountain!  Needless to say, I DO NOT LIKE THINGS UNDER MY FEET!  I have never been good at skating, rollerskating, skiing, etc.  So tonight, I went out to my garage and dusted off an old pair of rollerblades that have been stored away for years and got completely padded up to face my fears.  I would absolutely LOVE to be able to skate freely and fast but as you can see, I look more like Frankenstein walking.  So after a few falls, I got back up and SLOWLY made it down the street.  I need some real coaching in this area.  Not one of my best events this summer but I tried and don't ever forget that lesson boys and girls.

EVENT # 17 RUGBY (July 21)

Today was the first day that I was feeling a little exhaustion from this challenge.  Maybe it was the heat.  My recovery time has been great though.  I thought I would be hurting after kayak polo the other night but I woke up feeling pretty good.  Things changed quickly tonight as I participated in Touch Rugby.  Let me put the emphasis on "touch", which is a good thing.  My energy came back to me tonight as I was once again thrown into a sport in which I have never played.  I was invited by a guy named Adam Angulo, who is also a parent at my school.  He runs the Matthews Rugby Club (for ages 6-18) in Matthews, NC.  Find him at:  www.matthewsrugbyclub.com.    He is located with his son on the picture.
My friend Jason accompanied me again for this adventure tonight.  He is the one in the blue and I'm the one with gray hair making a pass.  You may wonder why I'm passing backwards but that is the way rugby is played.  Tough concept to grasp but basically it is a non-stop running game in which players pass the ball  at an angle behind them to their teammates as they advance toward their goal.  I don't want to explain too much more because I was trying to grasp the whole concept myself.   I did have one pass bounce off my head because I was not in position and ready for it and I dropped a few along the way but overall it was a really great workout and fun!  THANKS TO ADAM AND RUGBY GUYS for not only allowing me to play but to participate in a safer and modified version of rugby so I can try to make it to event 18.
http://www.matthewsrugbyclub.com/

MY OPINION!

Someone asked me if I saw the women's soccer game the other day.  As much as I would support that, I haven't watched ANYTHING this summer!  I've been too busy playing and I 'm realizing now how much better that is than getting bogged down with all of this nonsense in Pro and College sports right now.  We have NFL lockouts, the NBA looking bleak for next season, and multiple colleges on probation.  Do you want something that is satisfying?
GET OUT AND PLAY!!!

EVENT # 16 KAYAK POLO (July 19)

So I decided to combine two of my favorite activities into one.  Kayak Polo is basically kayaking and basketball combined on the water.  Sounds easy?  This was by far one of the most physically draining and challenging sports so far.  And I was sitting the whole time!  The club's name is the Carolina Kayak Polo Club and they play at McDowell Nature Preserve.  Find them at:  http://www.carolinakayakpolo.org/.  I was invited by Adam, who is a parent at my school.  He has been playing for years now and took the time to introduce me to this incredible sport.  I started out just learning how to put on the equipment (helment, life jacket, and a skirt??)  You just have to experience it if you want to know what a skirt is.  Once I got locked into place, the paddling came naturally to me, until it was game time!  Then, just like in lacrosse, I was thrown into a real game and there were not enough people to sub in.  So I played four games at about 20 minutes each.  Beside the little bit of pain in my lower back and hamstrings, I was getting a heck of an upper body workout.  So basically, in a nutshell, Kayak Polo is kayaking back and forth from goal to goal trying to THROW a ball into your goal while being defended by the other team.  So you can imagine that things can get ugly and FUN!!  I describe it as intense bumper boats....at least that is what I did a lot of.  There is dribbling which is basically throwing the ball ahead of you and paddling up to it.  You can carry the ball under your arm while paddling and you can pass the ball in the air or give a lead pass to your teammates as you break for the goal.  Because I got totally immersed into this sport so quickly, I WAS able to attempt several shots, actually about 5 or so.  I did make 2 shots for my team.  The guys were going easy on me though but it was a blast!  Oh and by the way, I only flipped over twice which made for a nice refreshing dip in the water on a 95 degree night on the lake!  The guys came to my rescue and I was able to pull myself out quickly with only a little embarrassment.  THANK YOU POLO GUYS and thank you Adam for you time.  I will definitely try this one again!
http://www.carolinakayakpolo.org/

HALFTIME SPEECH: "PUT ME IN COACH.....I'M READY TO PLAY"

First of all, let me say how blessed I feel to have been healthy enough to participate in 15 events so far.  I really hope to finish this thing by Labor Day, which will put me at 30 sports in 90 days.  It as been as much fun to play these sports as it has to search for them.  It is kind of like finding a good deal.  So far, after 15 events now, I have only spent $50 and that was the birthday gift to my wife for ballroom dance lessons.  My goal is to spend as little as possible to prove that there are free and cheap things to do to stay active.  Most people think you have to pay hugh fees to play in a league.  It just takes some pre-planning and a simple question of asking "Can I Play?"

HOW DID I COME UP WITH THIS CHALLENGE?
Again, I was inspired by this video:  http://eas.com/unstoppabletour
I wanted to try this but modify it for the "average joe" who works and has a family and obligations.  So I picked a season of my life (summer) where I knew I could devote some energy into this and with the support of my wife....I think, I have been playing and blogging all summer.  I also have been mulling over this idea for a while now.  I wanted to try a workout that focused on cross-training, very similar to that show Shaq Vs.  Remember how he was trying to get into shape for the NBA and decided to cross train by competing against other athletes?  He was not afraid of failing.  He just enjoyed the art of competing and playing.  That is what I have focused on so far.

WHERE IS THIS GOING?

Hopefully to 30!  Maybe 31 since it has been noted that walking Disney was NOT a sport.  I agree.  I should have used a pedometer on those days to tally my steps.  Then it would have been interesting.  Anyway, I really hope to inspire my own two boys by doing this so that they will have a desire to get out and play as well as my 500 students at my elementary school.  I have quite a few things to tell them when we get back to school and ask that famous question, "What did you do this Summer?"

EVENT # 15 Disc Golf (July 17)

On this lazy Sunday afternoon, I took my boys to Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews, NC.  This is described as a heavily wooded course and I believe it by the way we were hitting trees.  The object of this sport it to throw discs, not plastic frisbees, toward a target in as few times as possible.  The scoring is similar to real golf.  My boys have enjoyed this before.  We usually take turns throwing the disc and it usually takes a lot of throws to get it there.  After I played with my boys, I decided to go again for nine holes running the course.  As I started, there were three other guys getting ready and they showed me their elaborate collection of discs.  There are driving discs, short range discs, and putting discs.  I only have ONE disc which is a all-purpose driver.  So I used that the whole time.  Maybe my game would have been better if I used other discs because I only shot bogeys and double bogeys the whole course.  But I did get my heart rate up and a good sweat going in the 12 minutes it took me to run this course.  My next challenge with this would be to try some of the more difficult courses in Charlotte such as Renaissance.  The distance for that course looks to be more than double what I played to day.

EVENT # 14 Taekwondo (July 15)

Friday night I participated in the sport of Taekwondo under the instruction of Master Abhai Singh.  He is the president of Sangrock Black Belt World which is located in South Charlotte, Matthews area.  I had Master Singh participate in my Field Day at my school this past year and the kids loved it.  So I had to try it out.  I called to schedule an appointment for my two sons and me but I didn't realize I would be the only "grown up" in the class.  I kind of felt like Billy Madison going back to school as an oversized kid.  With that said, Master Singh personally took the time to work with me, particularly with stretching out my lower back so that I would be ready for those kicks.  At one point, he had me stand back to back with him while he leaned forward and I went backwards.  He told me to relax but it's kind of hard when you are balancing on another guy's back upside down!  My two sons had a great time as well and are wanting to possibly take classes in the fall.  I can't say enough about how professional and kind Master Singh was throughout this class.  I really enjoyed stretching, running, jumping, kicking and punching my way though my event # 14.

EVENT # 13 LACROSSE (July 12)

(I'm the guy in the GREEN) Tuesday night, my challenge came to LIFE big time!!  This is what I envisioned when I began this whole experience.  It all started out last month when I heard about a new Major League Lacrosse team coming to Charlotte called the Charlotte Hounds.  So I thought what better way to learn about it than to actually email them directly and say "help me learn it".  I was quickly emailed back by the Director of Sales and Marketing, Wade Leaphart, who then connected me with a guy named Doug Little.  Doug is on the advisory council for the Hounds and is director of the South Charlotte Old Guys (SCOG) Lacrosse Club.  You can find them at:  www.scoglacrosse.com.  Doug not only invited me out to play with the SCOG's but personally found what I was doing interesting enough to give me and my friend Jason an hour long lesson to get ready.  This is the first event this summer that I was a little nervous but the nerves quickly went away along with every bit of sweat I had in my body since I chose to participate on the first 100 degree day this summer!  Doug drilled me in the fundamentals of holding and cradling the lacrosse stick as well as throwing, catching and scooping up the balls.  He also gave Jason and I a good education in offense and defense, which is similar to basketball.  I felt comfortable with what he was telling me until he asked if we have brought our protective cups!!  Then I got nervous again!  Then came the equipment.  I had to wear a protective helmet, elbow pads, gloves, and shoulder pads....all in this HEAT!!!  So I felt a little like a mascot walking around disoriented in a theme park.  Then came GAME TIME!  Doug encouraged me to start by watching on the sidelines and then line up to sub in whenever I was ready.  I'm not sure I was ever ready, but I stepped up and one of the guys from my team needed a sub and I was in!  I clearly started out looking like a chicken with my head cut off on that field.  I not only had to orient myself on the field but try to run with all this equipment on me.  However, with that said, the guys were nothing but helpful and coached me up while I was running in circles.  I had two passes to me in the first half and I missed them both which led to the ball on the ground and a mad scramble to scoop it up and a turnover for me.  I just wasn't aggressive enough to go after it.  I quickly subbed out of the game with my heart pounding out of my chest.  Thank goodness for subs!  I stood on the sidelines and watched my friend Jason, who used to teach with me, as he was learning the game for the first time as well.  He mixed in very well and was doing a great job completing catches and passing the ball around.  Doug started counting down the time toward the end of the half as I was dripping wet from sweat.  I took my helmet and gloves off and sat down to rest.  The second half was a different story for me.  Even though I still looked a little or a LOT out of place on the field, I began to breathe a little and take my time to think though things.  I slowed down enough to successfully catch both of the passes made to me and even had a clear shot at the goal in the final quarter.  I really had no business taking that shot but it was there and I was wide open and I did it.  No, I missed it wide but I had the opportunity.  The game came to an end.  I peeled my equipment off of my body and was completely in awe of this game and the guys who play it.    Thanks SCOG's and Hounds!

EVENT # 12 PADDLE BOARDING (July 9)

This was the COOLEST thing I've done all summer so far!  In fact, I think I have a new hobby.  I love to kayak, as you can tell from my earlier entry.  However, today I went to Lake Norman for some "real" kayaking.  As I was coming back in to dock my boat, I noticed a few people doing this thing called Paddle boarding.  Now I have known about this for a few years, but have never actually gotten the chance to try it.  That is the cool thing about this challenge this summer....sometimes I have to really seek something and sometimes it shows up right in front of me.  So long story short, I got connected with a guy named Rob with My Aloha Paddle Sport and Fitness in Lake Norman today.  His website is www.standuplkn.com.  Rob was very gracious to allow me to try paddle boarding today.  In my mind, this was something that I felt like I could really do but I figured it would be a different story once I got on.  Rob started me out on my knees paddling and then lifting one knee at a time, I was up and balancing and paddling standing up!  I NEVER once fell in the water.  Yes, I know that would make for a great story here, however, I am pumped about how cool this was and how much fun I was having on this board.  The great thing about this too is that when I am kayaking, I tend to get a lower back ache and a little pain through my hamstrings.  Here there is no pressure on your spinal cord from sitting too long.  It was smooth and very comfortable.  Thanks Rob for introducing me to a new sport!!

EVENT # 11 BALLROOM DANCING! (July 7 and 8)

OK, OK, OK.  I did NOT lose my man card here!!  If Hines Ward can do it, so can I.  This was my birthday present to my wife this year to take ballroom dancing lessons at Piper Glen Ballroom Dancing.  She loves to dance, especially zumba, but as for me, I'm not exactly John Travolta, maybe more like Elaine Benes.  As an elementary PE teacher, I do have to teach my students different dances like the chicken dance, hokey pokey, square dancing and even the electric slide, but this was quite different.  We were taught the rhumba, the swing, and the fox trot.  Trust me, we will not be on Dancing with the Stars anytime soon but it was fun to learn these dances with my wife.  I was WAY out of my comfort zone and she was the one cracking the jokes.  I like the Seinfeld reference she made when our teacher told us to face belly button to belly button......HEEELLLOOOO!...LA LA LA!!    Our teacher, Lucianne, was very good and gave us great cues to help me out with my awkwardness.  We have two more lessons coming up and I'll see where I'm at then.  This will probably not be my most successful sports this summer but will possibly be my most improved.

EVENT # 10: ULTIMATE FRISBEE (July 5)

I MADE IT TO # 10!!!!  I am a third of the way there.  However, I believe that it will only get tougher from here because I am really going to have to rely on other people and appointments to get this done.  No longer can I just go out and do something on my own.  So tonight, I remembered that some college kids usually play Ultimate Frisbee beside the school where I teach physical education.  Now I have been on this field for many years teaching my kids how to play games like this, but it has been since college since I've played a true game of ultimate.  I drove up only to find out that I would definitely be the only 37 year old going gray at this event.  They did, however, welcome me with handshakes and then came that dreaded moment that everyone hated back in high school......who will be shirts and skins!!!  And of course, I would be one of those skins.  Notice folks that there will be no pictures on this blog.  Let's just say that we did not need any of the overhead field lights on since I was there lighting the field.  Anyway, with that said, what a great workout and fun game!  This was definitely one of my more successful events so far.  I successfully caught every pass made to me and I'm pretty sure that I passed for a touchdown through several people.  They didn't really acknowledge it but I think I did.  Now I was passed up for the winning touchdown.  I was wide open and the guy gave me a look but chose to throw another way.  He caught it and we won!  It's nice to finally be in a true competitive contest where I was a part of a win!  That is something that will not happen very often in this challenge so I'll take it!  By the way, these guys had some very impressive throws.  Great lead passes as well as forehand and backhand passes.  I need to practice that more!

EVENT # 9 Hiking (July 3)

I've discovered another reason for doing this challenge.  To try to expose my two sons to a variety of different activities as well.  Which means that the intensity of some of these sports are not where I want them to be but I have to make it work for them as well.  So, as we were visiting our college friends this past weekend in the mountains of N.C., we were able to get in a 30 minute hike through the woods using our hiking sticks.  My boys have always enjoyed hiking since we live near trails and have even created one in our back yard.  I can't say my heart rate got up too much but good family time.

EVENT: ZUMBA - FAILED!!!!! EVENT # 8: TOTAL STRENGTH TRAINING at the YMCA (JUNE 29)

So what is your definition of a sport?  Does weight training count?  I have been supplementing my sports events with cardio workouts and resistance training on my off days but after my wife invited me to this class at the Y today, I am DEFINITELY counting this as an event!  Plus, the whole idea behind this challenge is to do different things and this was something beyond my normal 20 -30 minutes of lifting free weights and machines.  Today, my wife challenged me to join her in this total strength class at the Y.  It took a little convincing on her part because I knew it was a class of mostly women.  Guys don't typically take these classes but after today, I wonder why not.  I am sitting here at 8pm at night after participating in the class at 10 this morning and I am already sore and physically drained.  This has been my most demanding workout so far but it was not impossible.  The instructor has us doing over 100 air squats as well as adding in high repetitions of shoulder presses.  We did burpees with dumbbells and something where you had to start in a lying down position holding your weight straight out and then try to get to a kneeling position and finally to a standing position.  All of this multiple times.  I hung in there and probably did 75% of the instructors repetitions throughout the class.  Not too bad.  So thanks to my wife for introducing me to an event that will probably take me an hour to get out of bed in the morning!  And yes, my wife immediately asked me to stay for her Zumba Class afterwards.  I, of course, had to try it and folks, I was out of there in 30 seconds!  I just couldn't do it, even standing in the very back of the class because I know someone would have a video of that on you tube trying to shake my hips!

EVENT # 7 TENNIS (June 28)

So one of my rules is if someone calls me to play a game, I have to accept.  Kind of like the movie "Supersize Me" where the guy has to accept if McDonalds ask him to supersize the meal.  I was getting a little worried today because in order to complete this challenge by Labor Day, I have to participate in some type of sport at least every 3 days.  I had nothing lined up for today and was getting desperate until I got a call from my neighbor to play tennis at the park.  So of course, I accepted.  The game went well.  My neighbor seems to be a good match for me unless he was holding back.  I had not played a real game of tennis in years as indicated by the condition of my tennis racket in my garage.  The grip had melted to the point of staining my hand black when playing with it but it still worked.  My forehand was ok, my backhand was actually better, and my serves were not that great which is why I came up short in the two games we played.  We were told to leave the park after two games by the park ranger over his intercom in his car because of lightening.  I'm convinced I was just warming up and had a lot left in me.  We'll complete the set another time, but it counts as my number 7 event for the summer.

EVENT # 6 Kayaking (June 25)

Tonight I returned to one of my favorite hobbies, flatwater kayaking.  For those of you who don't know the differences, this is not the one where you are on rapids.  The risk for flipping over is low but one of my goals is to learn to whitewater kayak eventually.  The great thing about flatwater kayaking is the nature involved.  I again went to Col. Beatty Park in Charlotte and as I started out tonight, I noticed a small head sticking out of the water.  I have seen turtles before but this looked a little different.  It quickly dove under the water with a flip turn of sorts displaying a rather large back.  I slowed my kayak to a halt to wait for a return when I heard a "kurplunk" about 10 yards behind me.  My relaxed kayak trip was now getting my heart rate up.  I was imagining the Loc Ness Monster at this point.  It reappeared off to the right of me as I started paddling again poking it's head out of the water.  This time as it dove under the water, it decided to show off it's long tail and slapped the water as it went under.  Now, I was beginning to realize what this creature was under the water.  I looked it up when I arrived home and yes it was a lake otter having a little fun!

EVENT # 5 Stair Climbing (June 22)

So you say this is not a sport.  Check it out on you tube.  In fact, many cities are hosting stair climbing events in some of their tallest buildings.  Charlotte just recently hosted a Tower Climb back in March that I was not able to participate in where you would have to climb 42 flights of stairs.  So when I heard about this event, I started to train a few times at a local hotel that had 8 flights of stairs.  I have googled "tallest buildings" in charlotte and this is definitely not one of them but I am not allowed to train in one of the buildings downtown, for good reasons.  So this afternoon I ran 8 flights of stairs 8 times for a total of 1,093 steps.  Granted this was up and down each time but it definitely got my heart rate up in a short amount of time.  So next time you stay at a hotel.....TAKE THE STAIRS!!  The great thing about running at this particular hotel is that it is a very nice, upscale resort hotel and I always enjoy walking in with my running shorts and t-shirt on past all of the greeters at the front door who welcome me with smiles.  NO I'm not really staying here,  just working out.  Now can I have a glass of water?

EVENT # 4 Walking???? (June 21)

Ok, so I just got back from family vacation at Disney World.  Going down there I was playing around with the idea that walking could be considered a sport but I figured I wouldn't be walking that much!  I held on to this belief until day 5 when I finally decided that WALKING DISNEY WAS AN EVENT!!!  So I'm counting it as # 4 and moving on.  Yes I know this is probably cheating a little but have you walked Disney 5 straight days in 97 degree heat??  And, now that I think about it, I personally witnessed the Speed Walking event in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta so it IS an event........I'm just trying to convince myself now.

EVENT #3 Swimming (June14)

This event was yet another individual sport.  I'm getting worried that my opportunities to play in a team situation will be limited this summer.  That is one of my challenges ahead.  With this challenge, I returned to my high school sport of swimming.  My best stroke was the 50 free style.  I swam 1/2 mile warm up and then attempted the 50 meter as fast as I could.  Not quite the 27 seconds from high school but a great workout.  In fact this looks closer to 42 seconds which I am disappointed in.  I need to start from a dive and then I'll get closer to that goal.  Maybe it was because I was in the "slow lane" as you can see!  My oldest son decided to swim with me and my youngest is cheering along the side of the pool.

EVENT #2 Trail Biking (June 12)

Event 2 consisted of another individual sport, trail biking.  I also used the park and trails at Col. Beaty Park.    I used the green and blue trails which proved to be a great workout.  There were several occasions where my bike stopped and I continued going forward but for the most part, it was a blast!

EVENT #1 Basketball (June 6)

I started out on a bike ride up to the park a few weeks ago and ended up getting picked up to play basketball.  This was an appropriate start to my journey since this was the sport of choice for me growing up.  I was not necessarily great at it, just rec ball mostly but I loved playing hard when it came to hoops.  My team was the Charlotte Hornets growing up so .......BRING BACK THE HORNETS!!

                                                               

My inspiration for this challenge this summer.

  I am a 37 year old physical education teacher.  On my summers off, I usually come up with some kind of focus for my workouts.  In the past, they have typically been just training for a 5k or mini triathlon at the YMCA.  This year I have set a huge challenge for myself after watching this video.  My goal so far is to:
1-Get great cardio workouts
2-Expose myself to sports and activities that I have never done

The challenge will not only be to participate in these sports but to actually FIND 30 different sports in the Charlotte area when most people are just focused on football and basketball.  Let's see what happens!



http://eas.com/unstoppabletour