8 March 2006
Two nights ago i decided it's finally warm enough to start going to the field a couple blocks from my dorm to kick the ball around and get some running in. I stayed out for 30 minutes the first night, 45 last night, and tonight i'm not sure how long i was out, but it had to be at least an hour but fewer than 90 minutes.
The field is currently converted to a baseball field and a softball field (on opposite corners of the pitch). Which means i have to deal with the dirt infields, but also means that i have overhanging batting cages (these are made of elastic netting rather than metal) to practise goals kicks and punts, and i can go around to the back and practise headers as well. Now, i know what you're thinking...headers?! Well, i need to practise football skills to get myself to actually do the running, or else i get bored. Tonight was a little more fitness-based anyway.
I decided i would try to do a long distance run. I've never done one before. I've played in football matches, i've officiated 3 and 4 matches in a row without feeling tired, but i've never done an endurance run. So i simulated the USSF fitness test for myself tonight. I measured the field to be 115 metres by 65 metres. So just to be safe, i called it 110 and 60. Once around the field is thus 340 metres. I figured eight times around the field would be a fair estimate of the USSF endurance run (8 x 340 = 2720 metres; the USSF requirement is 2200 metres for state referees, which i don't have to worry about until at least next year), and it would allow me to take some liberties and make safe, gradual turns rather than try to cut 90 degrees.
To estimate the 200m run, i ran from one end of the pitch to the other, turned around, and ran back. It's more than 200 metres, plus the fact that i had to stop to turn, but i figured it's better than underestimating and under-preparing.
To estimate the 50m run, i simply started counting out 50 metres. Then i remembered: the girls softball team uses a 200 foot distance for home runs. So i simply used the foul ball line and ran to home plate, which is actually more like 65 metres.
Well, i did the tests in that order (endurance run, then 200 metre run, then 50 metre run last), and i discovered two things that really i already knew:
1) I'm very fast. VERY fast.
2) I hate distance running!
I guess to establish street cred or whatever, i'll give you the results of my sprints first:
200 metre run: USSF requirement: 40 seconds. My time: 38 seconds.
Again, my run was more like 230 metres, and i had to turn 180 degrees half way. I was actually still tired from the damn endurance run, and ended up jogging the last 20 metres or so, but i still beat the USSF time by 2 seconds. This may look like bragging, but you haven't seen my endurance run yet
50 metre run: USSF requirement: 9 seconds. My time: 8 seconds.
Keep in mind this run was actually 200 feet, and it was still in 8 seconds.
Well, now that you have the good news, i'll talk about the endurance run. I am a terrible distance runner! I can easily do 4 full matches in a row, running the whole time, but ask me to just jog for 12 minutes, and i cry like a little girl (actually, i'm being harsh to little girls!).
Anyway, three laps in (remember, i need to run 8 laps, and the USSF requirement is 12 minutes), i am beyond winded, but i keep running because i'm actually still making decent pace. First lap was in just under 90 seconds, second lap was a little over 90 seconds. But this third lap killed me; my back was sore and i was breathing very heavily. I decided that i would keep running and finish the course no matter what, and even if i had to walk the last lap.
I've never tried running this far all at once before, so apparently that third lap would be known as "hitting a wall" or something like that. By lap 5, i actually felt quite good. My back soreness was gone, and my breathing was back to normal. I looked at my watch...over 9 minutes gone. Since i felt good, i figured i'd pick up the pace and give a respectable time. Unfortunately, the muscle near my right shin was having none of it, and let me know about it. It's still sore as i write this, 4 hours later. So rather than pick up the pace, i jogged to feel comfortable. I'm just glad i finished the 8 laps. My time: 18:36. Yeah, i know...
Anyway, i'm sure if i keep at it, i can get my endurance run time down. I'm just not used to running that far without a ball or a whistle or just generally something to distract me from thinking about the running. At least i have something to build upon...
Two nights ago i decided it's finally warm enough to start going to the field a couple blocks from my dorm to kick the ball around and get some running in. I stayed out for 30 minutes the first night, 45 last night, and tonight i'm not sure how long i was out, but it had to be at least an hour but fewer than 90 minutes.
The field is currently converted to a baseball field and a softball field (on opposite corners of the pitch). Which means i have to deal with the dirt infields, but also means that i have overhanging batting cages (these are made of elastic netting rather than metal) to practise goals kicks and punts, and i can go around to the back and practise headers as well. Now, i know what you're thinking...headers?! Well, i need to practise football skills to get myself to actually do the running, or else i get bored. Tonight was a little more fitness-based anyway.
I decided i would try to do a long distance run. I've never done one before. I've played in football matches, i've officiated 3 and 4 matches in a row without feeling tired, but i've never done an endurance run. So i simulated the USSF fitness test for myself tonight. I measured the field to be 115 metres by 65 metres. So just to be safe, i called it 110 and 60. Once around the field is thus 340 metres. I figured eight times around the field would be a fair estimate of the USSF endurance run (8 x 340 = 2720 metres; the USSF requirement is 2200 metres for state referees, which i don't have to worry about until at least next year), and it would allow me to take some liberties and make safe, gradual turns rather than try to cut 90 degrees.
To estimate the 200m run, i ran from one end of the pitch to the other, turned around, and ran back. It's more than 200 metres, plus the fact that i had to stop to turn, but i figured it's better than underestimating and under-preparing.
To estimate the 50m run, i simply started counting out 50 metres. Then i remembered: the girls softball team uses a 200 foot distance for home runs. So i simply used the foul ball line and ran to home plate, which is actually more like 65 metres.
Well, i did the tests in that order (endurance run, then 200 metre run, then 50 metre run last), and i discovered two things that really i already knew:
1) I'm very fast. VERY fast.
2) I hate distance running!
I guess to establish street cred or whatever, i'll give you the results of my sprints first:
200 metre run: USSF requirement: 40 seconds. My time: 38 seconds.
Again, my run was more like 230 metres, and i had to turn 180 degrees half way. I was actually still tired from the damn endurance run, and ended up jogging the last 20 metres or so, but i still beat the USSF time by 2 seconds. This may look like bragging, but you haven't seen my endurance run yet
50 metre run: USSF requirement: 9 seconds. My time: 8 seconds.
Keep in mind this run was actually 200 feet, and it was still in 8 seconds.
Well, now that you have the good news, i'll talk about the endurance run. I am a terrible distance runner! I can easily do 4 full matches in a row, running the whole time, but ask me to just jog for 12 minutes, and i cry like a little girl (actually, i'm being harsh to little girls!).
Anyway, three laps in (remember, i need to run 8 laps, and the USSF requirement is 12 minutes), i am beyond winded, but i keep running because i'm actually still making decent pace. First lap was in just under 90 seconds, second lap was a little over 90 seconds. But this third lap killed me; my back was sore and i was breathing very heavily. I decided that i would keep running and finish the course no matter what, and even if i had to walk the last lap.
I've never tried running this far all at once before, so apparently that third lap would be known as "hitting a wall" or something like that. By lap 5, i actually felt quite good. My back soreness was gone, and my breathing was back to normal. I looked at my watch...over 9 minutes gone. Since i felt good, i figured i'd pick up the pace and give a respectable time. Unfortunately, the muscle near my right shin was having none of it, and let me know about it. It's still sore as i write this, 4 hours later. So rather than pick up the pace, i jogged to feel comfortable. I'm just glad i finished the 8 laps. My time: 18:36. Yeah, i know...
Anyway, i'm sure if i keep at it, i can get my endurance run time down. I'm just not used to running that far without a ball or a whistle or just generally something to distract me from thinking about the running. At least i have something to build upon...
) Most of my cautions have been for dissent, or general behavioural problems, like timewasting. Also, most of my cautions were in that first season in the Men's league. I had never seen people yell at me so much for no reason, so i used the cards more instead of trying to reason with them. I have a much higher tolerance now, and only give a yellow card for dissent if the player won't leave me alone. Otherwise i let players vent their problems with me if they think i am wrong. I quickly explain why i think i'm right, and i explain that i will not change my decision, and usually that's enough to put an end to it.