Tuesday, June 27, 2017- 4:02 p.m.

it is with much sadness and disappointment that I inform everyone that I am unable to continue in my quest to get on the field, and play for the Glens Falls Greenjackets semi-professional football team. I've been trying for the past few months to rehabilitate this torn calf muscle I suffered a few months back, and, while it has healed to a degree, it isn't nearly as ready to go as I would've hoped. I don't want to risk re-injuring it or even worse, tearing my Achilles tendon, so I've decided to hang up my cleats.

To every student and family member who has ever read this blog, every person who has greeted me, asked about the experience, or in some way offered their support- thank you. Thank you for inspiring me on a journey that lead me to learn more about myself and the power of having a growth mindset not only in the classroom or football field, but in life. This whole thing was never about football- it was about hearing and learning about growth mindset, what it was, what it is, and most importantly, what it means to actually apply it. I hope in some way or another, it helped you, too.

While I'm sad to hang it up, I am very excited to let everyone know that having a growth mindset and learning about new things happens every day! It won't stop for me with football. Be on the lookout later this summer, for a "new" challenge in 2017-2018. And thank you all once again for the inspiration, love, and support- stay tuned for the next one!!

Mr. D

Saturday, March 25th- 3:46 p.m.

Well, after a pre-tryout warm up run with my daughter (where I discovered that my ailing calf is better, but far from healed), I headed to the try outs. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the "try-outs" were that of a conversation with Glens Falls Greenjackets Head Coach, Ray Swann. Coach Swann had mentioned that the bulk of players had tried out on February 25th, and that he understood I couldn't make it due to my injured calf. But most importantly, he said that the try outs had actually been going on the whole time I had been coming to the team practices, since back in January. Coach Swann and his staff had been evaluating everyone and looking at strengths and weaknesses all along the way, we just, as players, didn't realize it (at least I didn't, anyways). The whole conversation made me fully appreciate just how important the hard work, consistency in effort, and willingness to engage myself in a system and group of people I was totally unfamiliar with was, right from the onset of those team practices. As I look back now, I am really glad I took them seriously and was a full and active participant for as much as I could be (basically as long as my body held up), especially now knowing I was being watched for evaluative purposes all along.

As I think back to our students at Rosendale, and all of the amazing ways in which having a growth mindset has helped them in the classroom, at home, and in their personal lives, I can tell that they are getting the concept down to a deeper level of understanding, as I am, too. I'm beyond excited to continue teaching and modeling this concept even more knowing that the coaches of the Greenjackets basically use it to make personnel decisions!! As I reflect on things, I'm so glad I put my top effort into the whole training regiment back in November, because all of it mattered, even though the try out was months away- the preparation, process, and concluding piece are all inter-related. So, if you're a student reading this, know that the work you put into the classroom ahead of that test will absolutely matter long before you take the actual test- hopefully, this experience I'm sharing is proving that. Stay tuned for future posts, which will be a bit spread out over time, but they will continue. Oh, and you're probably wondering at this point what the results of the tryouts are......

I MADE THE TEAM!!!!!!

Friday, March 24th- 5:03 p.m.

Check these pix out:

Friday, March 24th- 4:45 p.m.

Wow. Just plain wow. The incredible staff and students that make up our Ravens Family put together one heck of a pep rally in support of Growth Mindset, and one final push to help me take on these tryouts. As you can probably tell if you've read this blog with any regularity, I tend to be a talker and have lots to say. Well, walking into that gym, seeing the videos, watching our kids, my family in attendance, I can say without hesitation- I was truly at a loss for words. Whether or not I find success at tomorrow's tryouts has never truly been the point of all this- today's pep rally and assembly is all I needed to prove that I've already made my team- Team Rosendale! To hear so many students share on video what they've learned, challenges they've taken on, goals they've tried to reach- that's the inspiration for me, and I couldn't be more proud of a group of children than I am of our kids. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, this process has helped me- get into shape, build perseverance, and above all else, model these things for those I care about, and that's every single child that makes up Rosendale.

I've included a couple of pictures from today, and tomorrow at 11 a.m. is the tryout. I will be posting tomorrow night what comes of it, but make the team or not, I've already won being a part of a school family like Rosendale.

Stay tuned......

Thursday, March 23rd- 11:07 p.m.

I know it has been about a month since I've updated the blog, so there's much to re-cap. I went to a doctor who took a look at my left calf, and he confirmed that it was a complete tear, and I would need a full 3-4 months for it to completely heal. He recommended I scale back on working out, particularly running, until it began to feel better. The doctor also said I had to stretch and really not push it too hard, for risk of tearing it again, and possibly doing some more permanent damage. I'm a guy who follows doctor's orders, so since the two months roughly it has been since I tore it, I have done some light biking, swimming, and weight work, but nothing too strenuous. I've missed the past three Greenjackets practices, but the coach has been terrific, and has been very supportive in making sure I heal up the right way. I haven't been updating the blog, honestly, because it has been kind of routine with the light workouts.

The first full tryout session was on Saturday, February 25th, which was the same day I was at the doctor's for my calf, so I missed it. The second one, however, is slated for this Saturday, March 25th. The decision I have to make right now is- do I take a chance and try out for the team on a leg that isn't fully healed? That's something I've really been wrestling with, but after talking with my family, and thinking on risks versus rewards, I am going to give it a try come Saturday. I've got so many amazing kids, families, staff, and a community behind me- it's worth it!!!

Friday, February 17th- 11:08 p.m.

February break is upon us! I wish all of you reading this blog a very relaxing and enjoyable break. A couple of things this week are going to prevent me from updating the blog from now through probably next Saturday or Sunday night- one- my daughter and son are really in some pain with their tonsils removed- this is one heck of a recovery process, so I need to make their healing my top priority, and two- this darn calf is still bugging me. I did a workout video with my wife (the 21-day fix is no joke!), and it's been numb and tingling ever since. Hurts a bit, too, so as much as I have prolonged this, I think I may actually have to see a doctor.

So, with that- enjoy the time off, and hopefully the next time I update this will be with healed kids and a working calf muscle!!!

Thursday, February 16th- 9:36 p.m.

Amongst the many trials and tribulations that have come with taking on this challenge, today was a wonderful reminder of why Is tarted this whole thing to begin with- our children. I had the opportunity to visit Mrs. Meyer's classroom today, and we shared stories of perseverance. It was amazing. It was inspiring. It was honest. And most importantly, it was a celebration of stories that had two common threads- hard work and persistence. I heard from students who struggled with multiplication at firs this year, but have kept working and getting better, stories of not liking writing but then eventually loving it, improving at being a soccer goalie....it all was just another reminder of what fantastic kids we have and how proud I am of them- because they try and work hard- that is the success. Mrs. Meyer has been using a key phrase to growth mindset with her class- one simple word- "yet." "I'm not good at fractions yet." "I haven't gotten the hang of finding the main idea yet." Hearing the kids use the word and mean it, well, it makes my whole day, month, and year!!

Wednesday, February 15th- 11:21 p.m.

My night has been filled with ice pops, slushies, ice cream, and medicine. Rinse. Repeat.

Tuesday, February 14th- 10:04 p.m.

A Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone!! The loving spirit was a bit dampened in my house as two of my three kids had their tonsils removed today, so I will be shutting down workouts for the next few nights to do my best attempt at being a nurse, and helping with my kids' recovery. I know I've faced some tough times during my whole ordeal to make this team, but nothing compares to the adversity of seeing your kids go into the hospital for an operation. Sometimes life really brings a hurt calf and tryout process back into perspective.....

Monday, February 13th- 9:03 p.m.

I actually tried a light jog tonight, for the first bit of running since I tore my calf. I wish I could say it went well, but the darn left calf hurts when I push off to run. Tough to deal with mentally, but I'm also feeling some fear in not wanting to push it too hard, so as not to be too seriously injured. So, I'm struggling with that...my response will be to stick with what I can do, so I switched off from running to push ups situps, some curl ups, and tricep pulldowns. I felt okay afterwards, but I am really bummed out about losing more and more of the cardio shape I've been in. Tomorrow is another day!!

Sunday, February 12th- 3:19 p.m.

I think the snow gods are testing me here!! We've got so much snow!! At this point, I have shoveled, and used my snowblower twice, and it isn't slowing down. My gym is closed and the roads are horrible, so I am using this snow to help me get creative with some type of workout. So far, aside from snow removal, it has involved a long walk through some deep snow (very pretty, but also kind of odd, as the roads and our neighborhood were eerily quiet) and some serious snow fort building. Amazing what multiple inches of snow can do for your cardio!!! Everyone travel safely if you're doing so, and if you get the chance to get outside, have some fun in the snow. I'm off to shovel again!! If I'm lucky enough to still have some gas in the tank, push ups and sits up tonight for me!!

Saturday, February 11th- 10:15 p.m.

So my original plan for today was to hit up the gym with my pals The Rickert boys (whom I have missed greatly since I got hurt, BTW), but prior to the workout time we had set up, I wanted to take advantage of the snow with my kids and some friends, and get some quality sledding in with some friends. If you're familiar with Schenectady at all and want to do sledding right, then you head over to Schenectady's Central Park, to "Devil's Hill." Well, let's just say the hill got the best of me. A fun time was had by all (LOTS of fun, to be precise), but the up and on down on the hill left my leg kinda killing me, so I backed out of the workout. I did however, get a pretty good workout in going up and down the hill, and the nice thing is that even though I've had to scale back how much I'm working out, my conditioning from the cardio work I've been doing hasn't left me totally, as I felt less winded then I typically would've going up and down the hill as many times as I did. I did manage to hit my 80 ounces of water goal for today, so that's a plus. For now, I am pretty beat, so it is off to bed for me!

Friday, February 10th- 10:02 p.m.

No workout for me tonight, as my night involved me participating in the Rosendale Drama Club's first ever performance of "The Reluctant Dragon," and I've never seen a group of kids better make the concept of growth mindset come to life than what I was so lucky to have witnessed twice today. Every student involved in these performances was incredible, from the work that went into memorizing scripts, to knowing when and where to enter and move on stage, to the commitment to practicing daily, often at night after the day was long over- it was simply inspirational for me. As I watched the plays, I couldn't help but recall the early days of the group, when the kids were nervous, unsure of what to do and how to do it, and some questioned whether they wanted to continue in the club at one point or another- and yet, they all persevered- they worked hard, applied themselves, and overcame adversity, to wind up with an excellent production, and they did it both as individuals and as one collective team and group. I could not be more proud of this group, and I just had to include a cast photo below!!

Thursday February 9th- 1:27 p.m.

Whoa....it's a SNOW DAY!! My workout today has consisted of shoveling, snow blowing, shoveling, and maybe some more shoveling. I have to say- my calf held up pretty good- there's some slight swelling still, but it seems to be lessening, and it wasn't as sore today as it was yesterday, and I was on my feet quite a bit today, moving around with all of the snow removal. So tonight will consist of some more push ups and sit ups, stretching, and then drinking a ton of water, because I haven't done so very much today at all as of yet. I hope everyone has a fun Snow Day, and if you're driving or traveling, take it easy, because the roads aren't great out there!!

Wednesday, February 8th- 10:21 p.m.

I wish I could figure out what is gong on with this cranky calf of mine, but it was sore today. I hadn't worked out the previous night, but had planned on it tonight- I'm just really hesitant to push forward with any thing, so I am holding off for another night. I did manage to get some push ups and sit ups in, and have increased the amount of water I am drinking- I am shooting for 80 ounces a day, today I got in 64. And I also stretched after I did push ups and sit ups tonight. I have to start making that stretching piece a regular component of my daily activities.

Monday, February 6th- 9:53 p.m.

I was able to get some quick curl ups, tricep pulldowns, and shoulder presses in at home tonight, along with some push ups and sit ups, but the pain in my calf was pretty intense again today. I am going to have to consult with Athletic Trainer/TA Mrs. Watson, and see what her best advisement is. Good news is, the deep bruising that was on my ankle has lessened greatly, and I am getting some good mobility back. As for now, I'm pretty beat, so it's an early night to bed for me!

Sunday, February 5th, 3:31 p.m.

There is no possible way I can do anything today but think, eat, and breath Super Bowl LI. The only push ups I will be doing today will be my hand pushing up the chips to my mouth. Cardio will involve excessive chewing. My prediction New England, 24, Atlanta, 13. I feel like Atlanta is the more talented team, particularly athletically, but nothing comes over experience, and New England simply has too much of that. Plus, I feel like Tom Brady will somehow find a way to win yet another Super Bowl MVP. And I'm not even a Patriots fan!! Enjoy the game everyone!!

Saturday, February 4th- 2:35 p.m.

I'm not sure of the reason exactly, because I truly haven't done any running or heavy lifting with my legs, but my torn calf is really achy and sore today. I did some push ups and sit ups, but I don't think I'm going to do more than that. This is frustrating....

Friday, February 3rd- 9:24 p.m.

I did some high amounts of stretching tonight, and some push ups and sit ups. While it feel s good to get back into some kind of regular workout, I do have to say I am missing the running/cardio piece more than I thought I would. It is so funny to me that something I dreaded doing 4 months ago has become something I kind of miss!!!

Thursday, February 2nd- 9:53 p.m.

The bruising on my ankle is getting darker and larger, but I think the swelling is finely starting to subside. I've started wrapping my ankle with an ace bandage, and am elevating it wherever possible. It's safe to say that I think I am suffering from a torn calf muscle. Regardless, I did manage to get some push ups and sit ups in, and a few light lifting exercises. Tomorrow, I think I'm going to start some stretching. One day at a time!!!

Wednesday, February 1st- 11:12 p.m.

Today, well, it was another busy one at school, and after a presentation to the Board of Education, I was glad to be home and off of my foot for a little while. I feel like this blog has suddenly turned from a description of my efforts to making a football team to a description of me dealing with injuries!! I will say though, one of the great things about having a growth mindset is that it applies to all walks of life. The same mentality I have used with getting back into exercising and working out I am applying to helping my body heal (although this healing piece has been a little harder, just because it keeps me from working out)- it's a pretty powerful concept!! I'm going to wrap up tonight's post with a pretty popular quote from one of the greatest soccer players ever- “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perserverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

Tuesday, January 31st- 11:02 p.m.

My calf was really swollen today, and I'm starting to develop some pretty deep bruising at the base of my ankle. I'm not limping, but the pain is still there, but no workout for me tonight. Add to the list the busy, busy day that today was at school, and I won't lie, it's easy for me to get down. I am missing my cardio/running, and being able to workout with regularity. But, I am trying to find positives in everything- two happened today- I had a meeting with a parent, who found out about my calf, and she came back a little later with a care package filled with foods and things to help me heal! I also had a first grade student tell me he was proud of me for not quitting even though I was hurt. It's these kind of gestures and pieces of my day that motivate me even more to get well, and back on the road to making this team!!!

Monday, January 30th- 10:31 p.m.

I wasn't able to get to any lifting tonight, and my calf is still pretty swollen. I walked pretty well today, but after ace athletic trainer Mrs. Watson took another look at it, she wisely encourage me to continue to take it easy. I'm still going back and forth in my mind that it's a pull or strain, and not a tear, but this pain in my calf isn't relenting at all. I did manage to sneak in a few push ups and sit ups....shhh, don't tell my wife!

Sunday, January 29th- 9:40 p.m.

Today was a better day, well, at least with my pain level. The swelling in my calf is still there, and it's still pretty painful to move, but I walked relatively limp free for most of the day. I haven't run in three days, I just can't get myself to put that kind of weight on it yet, but, I am determined to get back into some kind of workout mode. So, I did some light weightlifting tonight with curls, tricep pulldowns, shoulder presses, and some push ups and sit ups. I was pretty sore, and my calf is once again on fire, but it felt good to get back in the routine. One day at a time!!!

Saturday, January 28th- 9:14 p.m.

Today was another tough day as far as pain goes. The swelling was worse, and I continued to walk with a limp throughout the day. I know that as you engage in any challenging situation, and work towards a goal, there are going to be times where you're up, and times where you're down. Well, this is one of those down times for me. I'm feeling frustration, and the sense that every time I get close to making some real gains, I get hurt!! There's a little self-pity as well, not going to lie- but I'm not going to wallow in it for too long, because the last thing I'm going to do is quit, I guess I'm just letting this pain get to me a bit. Tomorrow is a fresh day, the sun will rise again, and I will get a new day to shape the work towards my goal.

Friday, January 27th- 10:41 p.m.

Tough day today, well as far as pain goes. I had a noticeable limp today, and my calf felt like it was on fire all day. Very swollen, and I think it's safe to say that this is the worst injury I've had to date. Ace athletic trainer and TA Mrs. Watson suggested lots of ice, rest, and elevation, so that's what I'm going to do.

Good news is, we closed the night with an epic Family Bingo Night at Rosendale, so even in spite of the pain in my calf, I was feeling great come the end of Bingo!! A big thanks to all of the staff, students and families who helped make it a success.

Thursday, January 26th- 11:18 p.m.

Well, it was an eventful evening to say the least. Lots of different things happening at school during the day, and a couple of meetings that ran late in the afternoon, caused my time at home before the 7 p.m. practice to be rushed, so it was like a big domino effect. I left later than I thought, had to pick up my pal Jay Johnson, who is a former Greenjacket player and coach pal from high school that is helping me through this, both on and off the field as a mentor, and then go to pick up my former high school football coach, Coach Rose, who had asked me earlier in the week to come and check out a practice. More on that in a future post. After all of that I didn't hit the road until 6:15 p.m., which caused us to be 15 minutes late, and arrive to practice at 7:15. This meant I missed stretching and warm ups, which I tried to do "on the fly," before jumping into drills with the wide receivers. For the first hour, I felt great, my calf, my hamstrings, everything was going good. I ran really good routes (like posts, outs, benches, and flags- many of which I wasn't totally familiar with but was figuring it out as I moved along), and actually *GASP* caught a few passes! Things were going really well, and the first hour flew by, there were almost twice as many guys there as last week. And then, well, remember that whole "rushing through the stretching" piece I had mentioned earlier? It came back to get me in the worst way.

I prepared to run a 7 yard out, and the QB rolls out and throws a pass to me while I am running parallel to him. Well, as soon as he hiked the ball, I pushed off of my left leg, and it immediately felt like someone threw a ball or rock at the back of my calf. I honestly actually thought that that was the case. I finished the route, and as soon as I stopped I felt an immediate and intense pain in my left calf, and I was looking around to see who threw what at me. And that's when I realized that no one threw anything at me, but that I had in fact, injured yet another muscle in my leg. I could not put weight on it or push off. Immediately, my frustration level shot way up. I had to tell the coaches that I was done for the night. But, in my attempt to send the message that I support the team whether I play or not, I stayed for the duration of the practice (and was in agony the whole time).

Since this blog is quickly turning into an assortment of stories of how frequently I can become injured, I'm going to let this frustration and anger I'm feeling right now settle in, and then pass. After that, I am going to change up my approach a little bit to my workouts and practice frequency. I have to make some changes, because I'm running out of muscles that work.

I'm going to take a brief hiatus from working out, I have to hope and pray that this injury isn't a severe tear or worse, because that could mean some serious damage to the work towards my goal. Stay tuned to tomorrow's update, and here's hoping I have the best night's sleep in the history of the world, and my leg is healed come the morning!

Wednesday, January 25th- 9:53 p.m.

After an incredible Winter Concert tonight at Niskayuna High School by our 4th and 5th Grade Ravens, (and a quick post-concert visit to TCBY) I only had enough time for some push ups and sit ups tonight. I'm pretty beat, so it's off to bed for me. I've got another team workout set for tomorrow night, so I will need my energy!!

Tuesday, January 24th- 8:43 p.m.

SNOW DAY! I hope everyone had a fun day off, and if you traveled, did so safely. For me, it was a round of snowblowing and shoveling, helping my sister out who lost power, and then a dive back into working out. My legs were still pretty sore, but with practice coming soon this Thursday, I had to get back on track. So, I ran a mile in 10:03, which I thought was good, considering I had three days in a row off, and did some of my typical lifts. The difference was, I added a few "hamstring-specific" exercises, like lunges and standing deadlifts, and wow, I could feel the pull bad on my legs. I did manage to finish it all though, as well as some jump ropes, and push ups and sit ups.

I know I've mentioned push ups and sits ups quite a bit in this blog, but I don't think I've ever mentioned the quantity. When I first started working out back in November, I could do 15 total pushups and 40 total sit-ups in about 4 minutes. I'm now up to 25 total push ups and 60 total sit-ups, and I try to do them every day. So, as I trust the process of steady effort and hard work, I am beginning to see some achievements!!

Monday, January 23rd- 9:02 p.m.

My legs are still killing me, but much of the soreness has subsided in my upper body. I skipped the workout for today. I did, however, have a great conversation with Fuller Black, Rosendale Dad and former NFL and Greenjacket player, who gave me some terrific tips on my form for the 40 yard dash. He spoke with me about the appropriate stance, and the best way to get my time down via improved technique. He also mentioned some isolated stretching to hit up my aching hamstrings, which I am about to do tonight. Keep an eye on the weather for tonight and into tomorrow, you never know, we may actually get some snow!!

Sunday, January 22nd- 6:25 p.m.

I actually feel even more sore today, if that's possible. I recall my old high school football Coach, Coach Rose, frequently pointing out that you're always the sorest not the day after, but two days after, and he couldn't be more right, based on how I feel right now. Some positives- I have the desire to workout, or do something physical, which I didn't yesterday- and my calves and quads feel much better. It's these old hamstrings of mine that are just on fire. My plan before I hit the sack will be to stretch, get some water in me, and stretch some more. I thought about running, but I fee like if I do, I might hurt it worse. It's a tough balance mentally- I go back and forth between wanting to push myself, but remembering my age and not going too hard.

Saturday, January 21st- 2:41 p.m.

I'm definitely NOT working out today- my whole body is sore, but most especially, my legs. As I felt after my last practice, everything aches, and my hamstrings are pretty much on fire right now. In an effort to find a positive, I will say that my joints and upper body aren't quite as sore as they were after the first practice, but it's just an overall ache that I'm definitely feeling. While my strained hamstring from a couple of weeks ago hurts, it doesn't feel as bad as it did a while back, but it's now my left one that is just killing me. I can't even bend over to stretch. I'm going to grab some ice, and then hopefully have enough flexibility left in me to take my wife out to dinner.

Friday, January 20th- 11:12 p.m.

Man, I am beat! We had a full two hour practice, and I have to say, I actually think I did kind of good, well, for an old guy! We only had about half of the guys we did at the last practice, 22 total to be precise, but it's a great group of guys. We immediately warmed up,did some stretching, jogging, and passing and catching Then, we were timed in our 40 yard dash and Pro Agility drill. Many, many moons ago, my 40 yard dash time was something I took great pride in- I actually was pretty quick and consistently ran between a 4.4 and 4.5 40 yard dash time. My, oh my, how they years have taken their toll on me! I ran it twice- 5.37 the first time, and 5.3 the second time. So, I've lost a step or three over the years- humbling, and it makes me appreciate on a different level the guys around me running sub 5.0 times- very impressive! I did a lot better in the Pro Agility drill (this is a drill that involves running side to side and touching a series of cones), and recorded 4.95 seconds, which pleasantly surprised me. Coach Guam, Head Coach Swann, and Coach Green were all great and helped me with technique suggestions, as did some of the other players.

We then broke up into positions and Coach Swann assigned me to the Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs group. I have never played the Wide Receiver position before (my brother did in high school, and he was all-league!), and let's just say me and catching the football don't exactly see eye to eye. So, running routes was a learning experience, but I did okay, and caught two passes! I did a little better at Defensive Back, but I dod struggle to keep up, we've got some really fast guys, and I just don't run like I used to. After we did some position drills, we moved to seven-on-seven, and, while it was tough, I primarily played Defensive Back, I really enjoyed myself. We ended the practice with some conditioning, and, even 22 years later, those drills still remain my least favorite part of football. Full length of the field sprints, then again backpedaling, and followed that with 4 laps around the field. I was pretty beat at the end, but the hard work I've been putting in outside of these practices I really think is paying off, because I'm still standing at the end. Granted, both of my hamstrings took some lumps tonight (I think I may have now strained the left one), but I played through it. I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

I'm loving the team atmosphere and the message the coaches and players are sending- team first, support each other, and one person's successes and failures are all of our successes and failures, and we always have each others' backs. And nothing beats a team huddle at the end, yelling out "JACKETS" on three and "FAMILY" on six!!

I'm going to post some team practice pictures in a few separate posts, and then it's off to bed for me- have a great weekend everyone!!

Thursday, January 19th- 9:02 p.m.

Tomorrow is my second practice, and, being truthful here, my nerves are amping up again! I'm not quite as anxious since I've been through one practice already, but I'm still feeling pretty antsy. I decided to do something entirely different tonight, in an effort to help my muscles be as ready as can be, and all I did for a half hour tonight was stretch. I did so many different kinds of stretches. Mrs. Watson has shown me a few, along with Mr. Smith, and I did nothing but stretches and loosened up my muscles as much as possible. While I didn't break much of a sweat tonight, it felt good to have my body nice and loose. And the good news is my hamstring felt pretty good.

Wednesday, January 18th- 8:44 p.m.

I decided to mix things up a bit, and did a little bit of the 21 Day Fix video with my wife. Specifically, we did the Cardio Workout, and it was quite the cardio workout indeed. I will say, I've noticed an improvement in my conditioning, as I recall not being able to make it through this video three months ago, so it felt great to not only finish it, but not be exhausted at the conclusion. I was winded and tired, but I could still function. I figure the cardio is good- I also stretched a great deal more afterwards, in trying to keep my muscles loose for Friday's team workout. And, oh by the way, I'm starting to get nervous again about the workout!!!

Tuesday, January 17th- 8:47 p.m.

I didn't get the chance to work out today, had some after school commitments that tied me up later than I thought, but I did come across a quote in reading earlier tonight, that really resonated with me. One of my biggest beliefs as a teacher, principal, and educator is that I am always a learner. No matter what I accomplish, what goals I set and reach, and new things I pick up a long the way, I can always learn more, so I tend to do lots of reading on a variety of items to help shape my own skill set as an educator and person. One book I'm currently reading is called Principal Voice: Listen, Learn, Lead, by Russell Quaglia, and it's all about giving students, staff, and families a voice in school, and how I can help shape these opportunities in my role as principal. Well, one of the biggest reactions I have noticed since the G2G has kicked off, has been the amount of students and their voices being heard by me in support of the challenge, asking about my well-being, and sharing ideas to help me. It's been incredible, and our kids are truly motivating me to persevere as this challenge gets harder and harder. There's this particular quote that resonates with me as I've seen our students react- "It is also important that you hear the voices of all students. You need to reach beyond the student council or the students on honor roll. Those students certainly have something to teach you, but it is crucial that you seek out students who have yet to have a voice at school. You may find they have plentiful opinions, but have not yet figured out how to best share them. Seek out students whom very little is known about, the students who do not make eye contact with you, the students who sit by themselves in the cafeteria, and the students who are in your office on the verge of getting suspended. Each one of those students has something to share. This is a more involved and time-consuming approach, but the best treasures are the ones that are hardest to find." Well, if anything, this G2G process has given me an unexpected but much loved accessibility to 353 treasures each and every day, and I'm loving every second of it.

Monday, January 16th- 7:43 p.m.

After getting in really late this morning, I was tired most of the day, but I made it a point to get into the gym, and it turned out to be a great workout. I ran the mile in 10:25, and felt really good doing it. The real test today was doing some leg exercises- I walked all over Manhattan and Brooklyn yesterday, and my legs were stiff going into the workout today- but I told myself I was going to get some leg exercises in, because I wanted to see how my injured hamstring held up Well, it did just fine. I got some really good hang cleans in, and doubled my jump roping, and my leg felt good. It tightened up a little after the third set of cleans, but hopefully, it will be feeling good tomorrow. I was sure to drink alot of water and do some extra stretching, so here's hoping it is good.

My goal for this week is to make it to my second team workout- it is slated for this Friday, and I am really going to try my hardest to get there and get there pain free!!!

Friday, January 13th- 10:42 p.m.

My leg felt the best it did today since a week ago. I elected not to attend the Greenjackets team workout, as I did not want to rush back into it and risk a great injury. I'm taking very small steps going forward. I also stayed away from a formal workout today, but instead, drank lots of water, did some stretching, and continued to resume my nightly push ups and sit ups.

On another note- congrats to the girls' Varsity basketball team on a very tough effort against Averill Park- the girls lost, but they played so tough, way to go Coach Neely and the team!!!

Thursday, January 12th- 11:02 p.m.

Today was another busy one at work, but I had two favorite parts of my day- one was waking up in the morning, stepping out of bed, and taking that first step- I was actually a little nervous- and I felt soreness, but nothing more or less than previously. If anything, it felt a little less intensely sore. My other favorite part was getting back to working out- I connected with the Rickert boys and met Mr. Rickert and his son Billy at the gym. I stayed away from leg work, but was able to run a mile in- get this- 10:46 seconds- and do some dumb bell flies, curl ups, tricep pulldowns, and got some jump roping in. I thought about the pool, but I shied away from it, as I started to tighten up in my legs after I finished jump roping. It was great to see the Rickert boys again, and it felt good to be back into a routine. Now I can only hope I can get up in the morning, because I'm tired!!

Wednesday, January 11th- 10:32 p.m.

After a pretty long, but great, day at work, I was tired when I got home a little after 8 p.m., but my hamstring was actually feeling good- the best it's felt since I pulled it on Friday, so I found some extra energy and went for a run. I started off very slowly, and did a ton of stretching before hand. I also tried to drink extra amounts of water throughout the day. I decided not to time myself, because I didn't want to force myself to push it too hard (my biggest fear is that if I go too fast, too soon, I will tear a muscle, and that's way tougher to heal from). The bad news is that every time I pushed off my right leg to run, it hurt, but the good news is I made it about 3/4 of a mile before stopping. The real test will be when I wake up in the morning and see how it feels- but I'm taking tonight as a positive sign!!!

Tuesday, January 10th- 9:12 p.m.

I actually was a little less sore today, but my hamstring still hurts, and everything is stiff. I was sure to consult with my athletic trainer resource at Rosendale today, and, while I know I have referenced her a great and many times throughout these blog postings, I don't think I've ever mentioned her by name- it's the one and only Mrs. Watson, fabulous Teaching Assistant here at Rosendale, and also an ace certified athletic trainer!! She gave me great advice and, much like when I strained my calf a while back, she encouraged me not to "baby" it, and walk through it. I didn't do any kind of athletic work at all this weekend or today, so I think she's probably right once again to start getting some physical activity going - it's on my docket for tomorrow. I haven't even done my nightly push ups and sit ups....tomorrow I will do so once again.

Speaking of my calf, In all of the agony I've been in the past couple of days, it has actually held up pretty well, which makes me feel good. Trying to find positives in even the darkest of times is tough, but I am pushing myself to find them wherever I can.

Monday, January 9th- 7:14 a.m.

Woke up at around 5:45 a.m., and I'm, if this is even possible, somehow more sore than I was yesterday. My hamstring is killing me (it feels really sore in one particular spot just above the back of my knee), but what's even more sore are my quads- the muscles above the front of my knees and upper thighs....they're like tender to the touch. My hips are stiff and it hurts to turn. I'm pretty frustrated, not going to lie at this moment. The last thing I think I can do is workout right now, I'm just hoping to survive through work.

In trying to find a positive, I do think this is a good sign, at least where I'm sore (aside from the pulled hammy)- as these are all the muscles that should be sore if I'm doing my workouts and team practice drills right. So, there's that. For now, it's a limp to the freezer for some ice, and possible sympathy from my wife. The ice is more likely.

Sunday, January 8th- 9:43 p.m.

My hamstring is still really sore. I'm not limping like I was yesterday, but I can't bend down, and when I stand for a while, my leg starts to throb. I'm not going to lie- I'm pretty frustrated still- but I keep telling myself that I will heal if I give my body time to do so- I just hate missing another workout!!!

I going to get some ice packs now. No workout again- hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do something!!

Saturday, January 7th- 8:20 a.m.

Everything hurts right now. My leg is killing me. It's definitely pulled. No workout for me today, I can barely move. I'm off to grab some ice.....lots of it.

Friday, January 6th- 10:19 p.m.

Wow. So much to say, so much to recap....first off, I don't think I've been as nervous since I proposed to my wife as I was walking into the Chase Sports Complex in Glens Falls for my first team work out. I was the oldest guy there by about 10 years. And there are some big,strong, and fast guys, all in good shape. I fought through all my nerves and jumped right into stretching with the team, and about ten minutes laters, started off with an hour's worth of drills. We ran groups of 5 guys, and did 4 different stations, they were the box drill, the ladder drill, the sprint with bag drill, and a pro agility drill. I worked my hardest, and really tried, and all I can say is boy am I glad I've been running! At the end of the drills, we got a water break, and I was pretty exhausted, but I finished the drills, and was still feeling pretty good, despite being tired. We then broke up into position drills, and I've decided to try out for Linebacker- weakside, preferably, because I think there's going to be some big dudes coming at me on the strong side. I went with the Linebackers, but we were broken up into basically two lines, and we alternated being Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs, with two Quarterbacks throwing passes to each side of the field. Now, I struggle with catching, but I lined up, ran routes, and did my best. While I didn't catch any passes, I did play some pretty good defense and ran decent routes. About a half hour into it, I made a pretty nice play as a defensive back, and broke up a pass, but as I did so, I felt a pull in the back of my leg- the next thing I know, I'm limping again- I pulled a hamstring!! I finished the drill, and we got a quick break, but my leg was hurting more and more. We wrapped things up with conditioning drills, but I couldn't make it through the last twenty minutes, because my leg was hurting more and more as each minute passed. So, I sat off to the side, partook in the post practice team huddle, and limped back to the car to head home. All in all, I was pretty proud of my first effort, but really frustrated because of my injury. Much like when I strained my calf, I am just bummed because I felt like I was turning a corner. However, I know my age, and if I push it now, I could really hurt myself. Thankfully, the Greenjackets coaching staff is terrific and understanding, and they fully supported me and recognized my injury. Our next practice is Thursday, but I am literally going to take it day by day.

Special thanks to Jay Johnson for driving up with me, and helping me feel welcomed and supported throughout the whole first practice!! I've got a ways to go, but it felt really good to get past that nervousness and get that first practice under my belt. Now, I just have to hope I'm able to walk tomorrow morning....

Thursday, January 5th- 9:22 p.m.

I was, in between dropping my daughter off and picking her up at her dance class, able to get in a great run tonight. It was pretty cold out, so I bundled up once again and went for a mile run. I don't know if it was because I wanted to get the heck out of the cold quickly, or if switching off of the treadmill made me seem faster, but I nailed my best time yet- 10:34. And believe it or not, I actually felt somewhat decent after I finished!

My biggest challenge right now is mentally- I really nervous about my first team workout with the Greenjackets tomorrow night. I'm just really uncertain of what to expect, and I'm wondering how I will fare against younger players, and people that have been playing more recently. There's a great deal of X's and O's and strategy involved in the game of football. Many years ago, I was pretty good with an understanding of that strategy, but I'm so out of practice and removed from any recent experience with it, that I'm afraid I will be lost. But one thing I won't do is quit or let these feelings keep from trying my best and working my hardest!!

Wednesday, January 4th- 11:02 p.m.

I had a pretty busy night tonight, with a few evening commitments for work that took me straight through to almost 9:30, so I wasn't abel to get a workout in. I did a few push ups and sit ups, and got some stretching in, but I just couldn't squeeze in a workout. Hopefully I have some better luck tomorrow!!

Tuesday, January 3rd- 10:31 p.m.

I skipped the workout tonight, well formally anyways, as I thought 4 straight days was a pretty good clip, I am old, and overworking my muscles painfully reminds me of my calf strain a while back, so I eased off the throttle a bit tonight. I did manage to get in a basketball game at my son's practice, as the teams needed a few extra players. I actually got a pretty good piece of cardio in, but, alas, my basketball skills remain not so hot....

The big news tonight came from my friend from high school and former SHS Patriot football teammate, and former Glens Falls Greenjacket defensive back and coach, Jason Johnson. He informed me that this Friday marks the first of a series of team workout sessions with the Greenjackets team. This Friday at 7:30 in South Glens Falls will be the practice- it's going to involve some running, drills, and 7 on 7 mini-squad scrimmages. I also spoke with the Defensive Coordinator ("Coach Guam"- seems like a very knowledgable coach and great guy) who let me know I should show up ready to work, and give it my best shot. So, I'm going to give it a try this Friday!!

Monday, January 2nd- 10:02 p.m.

Took the whole family this time around, and got another solid workout in. I actually ran my best mile time today at 10:49. I did some deadlifting, and topped 160, while also increasing how much I shoulder pressed. I didn't do any hang cleaning, and increased the amount of jump roping I did, just because I was feeling pretty beat as the workout moved along. No pool tonight, but now I've got to get to prepping for our return to school tomorrow. Can't wait to see all my Ravens!!!

Sunday, January 1st- 9:21 p.m.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVERYONE!! With the start of a new year, I figured what better way to start things off than with a workout. I hit the treadmill once again, and ran a mile in 10:51, and then followed up with hang cleans, shoulder presses, lat pull downs, and a bunch of push ups and sit ups. I closed with jump ropes, and Im noticing a couple of things that are distinctly different when it comes to my jump roping skills from a few months ago- one, I can do almost 50 without stopping, and two, I can do them at a much faster rate. I've also noticed my two sons improve at their own rates- all about working hard and appreciating the process!!! No swim tonight, but I plan on getting another workout in tomorrow!

Saturday, December 31st- 2:34 p.m.

Rob Bouchey wasn't kidding when he said my hamstrings would be sore from that exercise he showed me yesterday- wow! I was able to hit the gym again this morning, my mile was up a bit to 10:56, but I'm wondering if it's because of my soreness from yesterday's exercises. Regardless, I felt pretty good after the run, and me and my sons did some dumb bell flies, hang cleans, curls, and tricep pull downs. We closed with a quality round of jump roping, and then decided to hit the pool. I'm still stuck on two laps non-stop, then a break, and then a third lap, break, and fourth lap. By the end of today's go-round, I was pretty tired, but, it's New Year's Eve, so I have to rally to have enough energy to get some quality bowling in at Boulevard Bowl tonight!!! Hope everyone has a fun and safe night!!

Friday, December 30th-11:23 p.m.

Had another great workout today, I'm really starting to recover faster, I thought I would be sore all over after yesterday's swimming, but I actually felt pretty good.

Today I met Rosendale's own Ms. Bouchey, and her Springfield College-educated athletic trainer brother Rob in the gym, for a workout session, and it was great. Rob and I cleaned, and I was actually able to get the full form of the clean done, with 150 lbs, that's a first for me since I started this whole workout attempt. Rob also showed me a new form of the deadlift exercise, and I was able to do pretty well with that. I also ran a mile in 10:52 second- that's my fastest time yet. All in all, it was another great night of exercising!!

Thursday, December 29th- 10:02 p.m.

It has been a glorious five days off, I'm not going to lie. My workout regiment changed from pushups and swimming to cannolis, chocolate cream pie, and cappicola and prosciutto. I think the only numbers that went up were my cholesterol and weight. That all said, I actually missed the little routine I had established, and two months ago, I don't think I ever would've said that!

I got back into the workout world again today, and ran a mile in 11:01, which I honestly thought would be slower given what I ate and how little I did for the past five days, so I felt pretty good about that time. I also increased what Iw as curling from 70 pounds to 80, and it felt great. My jump roping is also going much smoother, and despite the layoff, my muscles seemed to respond okay. It was me and my boys, Will and Jake, today, and after the weights and running, we all took a dip in the pool. I still am struggling mightily in this area, but Iw as able to do two laps, non-stop, and then two more, taking a break in between the last two laps, because I was pretty beat at that point. I can't get over what a terrific workout swimming is!

Friday, December 23rd- 9:42 p.m.

No workout today, but a quick HAPPY HOLIDAYS to everyone!! I hope everyone has an enjoyable break- I will be taking a five-day hiatus from working out and updating this blog, but I will be back on the training regiment come Thursday, December 29!!

Tuesday, December 20th- 9:41 p.m.

Today was similar to yesterday with the busy, busy times, but I got crafty with my time today- I ad to take my youngest son to his hip hop class- while I was there, rather than just wait, I decided to go for a run. Growing up in Schenectady (where the class was today), I know the areas and neighborhoods pretty well, so I used that knowledge to help me figure out where I wanted to run. I actually did a mile and half! I;m sore right now, my darn calves especially, but I used this new app I have on my phone to track my mile time. Wouldn't you know, I broke 11 minutes, and finished at 10:48, and still managed to finish the whole mile and half without stopping. No weights or swimming today, but the run felt great!

Today's efforts bring me back to some great quotes from some texts I've been reading- not far off from the idea of having a growth mindset is that of mindfulness, and there's a great book I've been reading, called Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility, by Ellen Langer. In it, she writes, "There is always a step small enough from where we are to get us to where we want to be. If we take that small step, there’s always another we can take, and eventually a goal thought to be too far to reach becomes achievable." I felt like tonight, I took a small step towards my bigger goal by combining one task 9taking my son to his dance class) with another (running). Powerful stuff, but also, tiring- I'm off to get some sleep!!

Monday, December 19th- 4:45 p.m.

I had a ton of things happening today, between meetings after school, practices with my kids, and, the never-ending holiday shopping (not surprising to those of you who have been reading this blog with regularity- I'm a last minute shopper!), no update today, other than, I've got a lot to do.

Sunday, December 18th- 1:36 p.m.

I woke up today and was uber-focused on getting in a workout. Although I couldn't align my schedule with the Rickert boys, I did manage to get down to the gym, run an 11:04 mile on the treadmill, and set a new high for me since I started working out, with 150 pounds for three sets of 8 on the deadlift. I can feel my leg and hip strength starting to come back a bit. When I started jump roping a a month ago, I could do maybe ten without getting tangled up with the rope and having to start over- now I can do three sets of 30 without stopping. Growth is a slow and steady process, but I keep reminding myself that my mindset drives everything, and there's no quit in that by any means!!

I also want to thank Rosendale fourth grader Andrew Graziano for reading the G2G blog, noticing that I had mentioned my goggles strap breaking, and going out and purchasing a new set of goggles for my swimming adventures. I wore them for the first time, and managed to swim 2 laps, take a break, and then swim two more- they worked incredibly well- thanks Andrew!!

Now, it's off to more holiday things to do!!!

Saturday, December 17th- 11:14 p.m.

Yet another busy day- so many holiday events happening- it's a great thing, and I will never complain about spending time with family and friends, that's for sure. The only thing is it sure does put kink in my workout plans. I just never got the chance to fit it in to my schedule for today. Tomorrow, I am back at it!!

Friday, December 16th- 10:16 p.m.

It's been a busy Friday afternoon and evening for me, I had to bounce from work to a holiday gathering, and then back home, so by the time everyone was asleep, it was pretty late and I was tired. I didn't want to, because I was pretty comfortable at home, and kind of beat, but I forced myself anyways onto the treadmill. I ran a mile, and I honestly felt like I ran it faster than the 11:07 time indicated on the treadmill when I was done. I will say, running on the treadmill tonight did feel a little different than it does when I run on the track. Hard to describe, but something is just a little different- my legs and calf don't hurt as much, but I feel slower...can't quite describe it! I also managed to squeeze in a few sets of jump roping. Now, I am pretty wiped out, so it's off to sleepy town for me.

Thursday, December 15th- 10:32 p.m.

Wrapped up a great workout tonight with the Rickert boys. We didn't manage to get the workout in until later, so we were all a little tired, but I hang cleaned well, doing 3 sets of 150 pounds. I could also feel my form returning on my shoulder presses, and my calf held up fine during our jump rope session. I can very slowly feel my body start to get used to working out again and making gains in my strength levels. Loving this growth mindset and the gains from hard work!!!

Wednesday, December 14th- 10:47 p.m.

The times sure are busy with all of the holidays events and things happening at night. I'm going to have miss tonight for a workout- but I'm back to the gym with the Rickert boys tomorrow night!

Monday, December 12th- 9:32 p.m.

Despite the snowy conditions, I went for a quick mile run tonight. It's now the second full mile I've run where my calf hasn't tightened up- thank goodness!! I was thinking I night have torn something, but I think now that it has felt better, it was really just a strain.

Ran an 11:02 mile- not too bad- but I still have to get it down!! Push ups and sits ups before I hit the sack- I'm going to need all the sleep I can get to prep for tomorrow's big Community Run- can't wait!!

Saturday, December 10th- 11:08 p.m.

Busy, busy day today with lots of holiday preparation work, and then closed tonight out with our yearly holiday gathering at my folks, so working out was the last thing I could squeeze in today!

Friday, December 9th- 10:47 pm.

Well, it was a late one, but I managed to sneak in a quick (and chilly) mile run- and my calf actually held up!! My time was up a bit, but I'm thinking it's because I haven't run in a while-11:21 was the time. So, now, it's back to improving that time, and continuing to build my endurance!!

As we hit the weekend, don't forget about the G2G Community Run- set for this Tuesday, 12/13, at 3:15 p.m., at River Road Park!! I'm seeing some predictions of possible snow this weekend, but I plan on running on Tuesday come snow, rain, or sleet!! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Thursday, December 8th- 10:14 p.m.

Tonight I was slated to workout with the Rickert boys (it's been way too long), but my daughter had her chorus concert at Iroquois tonight- at which she did a wonderful job. Sometimes, being a proud Dad beats any good workout!!

Wednesday, December 7th- 9:45 p.m.

I decided to double the amount of push ups and sit ups I've been doing, because between today and tomorrow, I've got a lot of evening things happening, so it will be touch for me to hit the extended workouts I've been doing. So no major workout tonight, and probably not tomorrow either.

Tuesday, December 6th- 10:21 p.m.

I decided tonight to focus only on some calisthenics and stretching, so I ran a half mile (and my calf was a little cranky, but not feeling as bad as the last time I ran), and did some really good stretching. I keep reminding myself that if I don't properly take care of my muscles in between workouts, they won't work as well when it comes time to use them. I can't help but think about some great discussion our Rosendale staff had today at our monthly faculty meeting- we talked alot today about the 5 "stances" in the Mindset text that make up having a growth mindset- optimism, persistence, flexibility, resilience, and empathy- and in thinking about how I'm feeling now versus when I first started the workouts, my mind goes right to resilience- this quote from the text really sums up what I'm feeling right now- "Resilience is important in our day-to-day lives, but it is essential to learning. Resilience so what allows one to be persistent. It is the ability to stand up after a fall, try again after a mistake, and love again after heartbreak. It is the ability to come back into yourself and try again."

It's really what I'm feeling right about now!!

Monday, December 5th- 10:03 p.m.

Wow, today, I definitely felt a soreness all over, I'm guessing that's probably from the swimming, but I'm noticing that I am able to recover a bit quicker. No workout tonight, instead, celebrating my Dad's 64th birthday!

Sunday, December 4th- 9:15 p.m.

Got a chance to hit the gym, with the Rickert boys once again. Instead of a run, I rode for 10 miles in 30 minutes on the stationary bike, and then followed that up with some deadlifts, hammer curls, dumb bell flies, shoulder presses, and jump roping. I was slightly sore after finishing that workout, but I decided to give swimming a try afterwards. Wow. Two laps in and I was winded, big time, but I have to say, not being an avid swimmer at all, I did love the fact that I extended my workout and tried something relatively new at the same time. I'm sure I won't be saying those same sentiments tomorrow when I wake up all kinds of stiff, but my next goal will be to swim 3 laps. That, and get a good set of swim goggles.

I'me pretty beat, but one more reminder:

• G2G Community Run, set for Tuesday, December 13th, at 3:15 p.m. at River Road Park. Come one, come all, join Mr. D, Mrs. Maurantonio, Mrs. Grosso, and whomever else can make it for a run on the trails!

Saturday, December 3rd- 2:06 p.m.

Between tree shopping, putting up lights, and running back and forth between practices for my kids, it doesn't look like I will be getting much time to work out today. So, I'm going to hit up some push ups and sit ups tonight, and then shoot for a workout tomorrow.

The exciting news is that both Mrs. Maurantonio and Mrs. Grosso reached out to me with the idea of them going for a run with me at some point in the near future. Both shared that they weren't avid runners, but wanted to engage in the activity to do a couple of things for their kids (we've been doing some work as a staff with the Mindset text)- show empathy (one of the traits from the Mindset text that supports having a growth mindset) by supporting someone in their work to reach a goal, and model persistence (another trait from the text) by sticking with something even though it may be hard. I decided to take their request a step further and invite all staff, students and families to join me for a run. Let's go ahead and call it the G2G Community Run, set for Tuesday, December 13th, at 3:15 p.m. at River Road Park. Come one, come all, join Mr. D, Mrs. Maurantonio, Mrs. Grosso, and whomever else can make it for a run on the trails!

Friday, December 2nd- 9:44 p.m.

I'm going to hit up some push ups and sit ups before I call it a night, and then hopefully have some more energy to hit some type of workout tomorrow. The best news I had today is that my calf was only slightly sore!

Thursday, December 1st- 10:03 p.m.

Just finished a great workout, and amazingly, my calf isn't hurting. I decided to walk a half a mile, and then do some work on the stationary bike. I rode for a total of 7 miles in 25 minutes, and while I was winded, my leg didn't hurt. After some stretching, I did some lifting with the Rickert boys. I have been going pretty light at the hang clean, in an effort to work on my form, and today, I was able to hit 150 pounds for three sets of eight. My next goal will be to hit 160 within the next week or so.

I am planning to workout again Sunday, and since I liked how much my calf was feeling after riding the bike, I think I may actually consider doing some swimming!

Wednesday, November 30th- 9:47 p.m.

So, I've hit some more adversity in the work towards my goal- tonight I was a half mile into my run, and was feeling good, and then- boom- I felt that same right calf tighten up again. It didn't hurt as much as it did last Sunday, but enough to force me to walk for a bit. It feels like a constant cramp. I managed to plow through my last lap, but my time was 12:49, and my calf is hurting once again. My initial feeling was anger, and then disappointment, but now, as I've gotten home and had a chance to reflect, my attitude has turned more towards more finding a way to make this work- finding a solution and not quitting.

I'm definitely hitting the weights tomorrow, and I'm going to scale back my run, maybe drop it down to half a mile, and just work my way up there. I have some time until tryouts, so I can adjust how and what I'm doing in my workout approach, and work other areas of my body. It works out that I can still continue to prepare and give my leg the time it needs to heal.

I'm going to do some stretching, and hopefully feel a little better tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 29th- 9:17 p.m.

Wow, we had a nice little run of sickness through the whole house, so far, I'm the last man standing! As I continue to help my family heal, I've felt extremely lucky to have heard from so many friends, family members, and community folks on the article the Your Niskayuna ran recently on the G2G project. Amongst all of the messages and calls I received of support, there was one that stood out in particular that I thought I'd briefly share.

I heard from a friend I had gone to high school with, and played football with for the Schenectady Patriots. He was an undersized, but very tough, free safety and wide receiver, who had played sparingly during his years on the team, but always played hard, and didn't have an ounce of quit in him. Well, he reached out to me last night, and let me know that he stuck with football even after he graduated high school, and wound up playing for the GreenJackets- funny how life works out sometimes! His words to me were, "You inspired me to stick with the sport no matter what, and I wound up playing and coaching because of you. Now, I hopefully can do the same to help you make the Greenjackets." His words meant the world to me, and I thought it was just a really neat twist on this whole attempt I'm making. Sometimes in adverse situations, you find support where you least expect it.

Pending a healthy family, tomorrow night, I'm going to attempt a mile run for the first time since I pulled that calf muscle...I'm kind of nervous, not going to lie on this one. We shall see....

Sunday, November 27th- 2:43 p.m.

After spending most of the day Saturday tending to my sick daughter, and now watching the sickness spread to my boys, it's looking like the workouts will have to take a backseat for a bit while I play Dr. Dad. The more I think about it, the more it probably is a good thing, given my calf still bugging me a bit. Stay tuned!

Friday, November 25th- 12:01 p.m.

I'm in full shopping mode (and I'm not a huge fan of shopping, with the exception of this day), and I'm suddenly realizing growth mindset applies to line waiting- "I'm not at the register, yet...". Here's hoping there's a few TV deals left for me at Target!!

Thursday, November 24th- 1:35 p.m.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! The calf continues to heal up, and I think turkey, gravy, stuffing, and multiple desserts are exactly what the doctor ordered. I'm targeting Sunday as a return date to working out. Special recognition to my workout partners, John & Billy Rickert- both set personal bests in their times in the 5K at Central Park in Schenectady today, and Tim Rickert finished 12th overall- wow- hard work really does pay off!!!

The good news is that my calf does feel well enough for me to engage in some serious Black Friday shopping, starting tonight!!! Have a wonderful day everyone, may your day be filled with fun, family, and food!!

Wednesday, November 23rd- 10:43 a.m.

The calf continues to feel slightly better, so I just finished some light stretching and a few quick push ups and sit ups. It still bothers me to go upstairs, but I've stopped limping almost entirely. As much as it's killing me not to be working out (I was finally starting to feel the routine of exercising becoming habitual), it did give me some time to reflect on some readings related to growth mindset. I like to read about leadership and collaboration, and the belief that we are all leaders, and have that capability within our own skillset- it's just matter of unlocking those skills. One of the books I'm currently reading is called Coherence, by Michael Fullan, and much of the book is about strategies in leadership designed to build collaboration- based on directives, but more importantly, how to support this development through an organic, relationship-based process, and as I've gotten so much support since my injury from the structures within our school community, it reminded me of this quote from the text:

"When the organization values the talent and expertise of its people, it creates leadership development strategies that grow internal capacity. Its primary selection pool is drawn from within and augmented by external hires as needed. It creates a stream of successive development opportunities to grow leaders at all levels; selects them based on proven performances of authentic tasks; and provides ongoing coaching, mentoring and development. It intentionally builds collaboration and learning for formal and informal leaders at all levels. In other words, collaborative cultures develop the next generation of leaders (as well as do better in the immediate term)."

So, while I continue to heal up, it's nice to know folks around me are willing to step up and help my out. Now, it's off to assist my wife in making the variety of desserts we have been charged with for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow!!

Tuesday, November 22nd- 6:12 p.m.

I actually felt a little better today, the calf is still really sore, but I was able to walk without as much of a limp. It's still really hurting, especially when I attempt to get up on my toes or walk up stairs. I've been know as a quick healer, well, at least, I was 20 years ago, so I am really hoping I continue to feel better, because I don't like missing these workouts!!!

I'm going to try some push ups and sit ups tonight, maybe I can squeeze off a few "Rocky" style one-armed pushups....or, maybe not.

Monday, November 21st- 9:21 p.m.

Today has been a tough day- I woke up this morning and had some pretty severe pain in my lower right calf- to the point where I couldn't walk without a really noticeable limp. Once I got to school, the pain got worse- thankfully, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by so many folks who care for me and are supporting me through this. Between our staff that have some athletic and physical therapy background, along with our awesome nurse Mrs. Murphy, we were able to figure out that I didn't do major damage, but that the lower muscle in my calf was either slightly torn or strained. Lots of ice, and rest, and no working out on it for at least a few days. So, as much as it pains me to say, I'm going to have skip working out for a little bit, at least until it feels better- because right now, it hurts really bad. Just another reminder that I'm not as young as I used to be, sigghhhhhhh....... :)

Friday, November 16th- 5:02 p.m.

I've had some pretty good consecutive days of workouts, so I'm going to go ahead and give in to this urge I have to crush several slices of pizza and a few pounds of wings. Consider this the "bulking up" portion of the work outs! Hope everyone has a fun Friday night and weekend!

Tuesday, November 15th-9:15 p.m.

Went for a rainy run tonight, and forgot my cell phone, so I didn't time it, but the weather and lots of meetings today made me a little tired, but I pushed through it. I was a little gloomy thinking about my quality "couch time" at night that I've lost, but it reminded me of a quote from Carol Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success- "I don't mind losing, as long as I see improvement or I feel I've done as well as I possibly could." It made me appreciate that I'm trying my hardest, which makes me miss the down time I've lost a little less.

Monday, November 12th- 9:02 p.m.

I got back on the workout groove with a vengeance, and did a mile run- just under 11 minutes this time around, at 10:58. I'm feeling my legs slowly getting stronger, but man, has it been tough to keep this commitment up. As much I'm enjoying it, the late nights sometimes make it difficult to mentally get myself up and going, but once I start, I'm always glad I did. I've some more push ups and sit ups to do, and I am promising myself that this is the week I will start lifting weights.

Sunday, November 13th- 10:43 a.m.

Today my body is feeling the effects of the consecutive days of workouts plus the introduction to the "joys" of spinning, so I'm going to do some pushups and situps and leave it at that for today.

Saturday, November 12th- 9:15 a.m.

I decided to switch some things up today in my training, and try something new. My mother in law invited me to a spinning class, which I had never done before. While I was excited to try something new, I was also a little nervous because I had no idea what to expect. After going through a 45 minute session, I was pretty tired afterwards, but, wow, what a workout! Between the neat way the songs were matched up with the speed of the stationary bike I was on, to the fact that my legs never stopped moving for 45 straight minutes, I really wound up enjoying myself more than I thought. And did I mention I was tired afterwards?!?! Even now, an hour after I finished, my legs are still sore!!

Thursday, November 10th- 3:03 p.m.

I was so tired after last night's work out, I ran out of energy to update the blog, so I'm a little late on this post. It was rainy and cold last night, but I bundled up and went for a run anyways, my time was up a little bit to 11:02- I've got to work on getting that back down! The push ups and sit-ups are going pretty well, although I'm finding I'm pretty sore from them. There's been so many situations over these first three days where I could take the challenges I've faced and let them get me down, but I'm trying to tell myself to keep a positive attitude- it brings me back to a line from some of the reading I've been doing about having a growth mindset- it comes from Martin Seligman's Learned Optimism, and it states: "...the defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks in the world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its cause are confined to this one case. The optimists believe that defeat is not their fault: Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder. (page 5)" So, the soreness, cold weather, achy joints- I keep telling myself they are temporary and the only way to get through it is to continue to work hard and not let up. I'm also noticing myself becoming a little more embracing of the workout- not saying I love them just yet- but I'm not as adverse to them as I was a few days ago. I noticed that same kind of change watching a couple of our students embracing division during Math today- they were a little more comfortable because they'd been practicing at it- kind of a neat connection!!

I'm taking the night off tonight, and then it's back at it tomorrow morning! Big thanks to all of our veterans in advance of Veteran's Day- your service to our country is never unappreciated!!

Tuesday, November 8th- 9:01 p.m.

Just finished my second attempt at some stretching, push ups, sit ups, and another mile run- and my time improved- went from 11:51 for a mile, down to 10:49! My muscles are really hurting, especially me my shoulders. I can flat out say that I did NOT want to work out tonight, but I really had to push myself- I could literally hear all of the students at Rosendale pushing me to get out of my warm house and hit the track- and I'm really glad I did!!

I'm slowly building up to lifting weights next week, but my shoulders, especially, really aren't making it easy for me- hopefully this stretching and easy build up to working out with weights is the right move! Now, I'm off to see the election happen for our next President!

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Today marks the official kickoff of my blog entries in an effort to model the power of having a growth mindset for our students as they engage in learning, in school and all areas of life. I will be visiting classrooms between today and tomorrow and letting our Ravens know of what I will be attempting to do, and why. It's so exciting, and I'm actually feeling a bit nervous!

As I'm doing these visits, I'm reminded of this quote from the text (A Mindset for Learning: Teaching the Traits, by Mraz & Hertz) we are using with our Rosendale staff as professional development on developing growth mindset as professionals and educators-"What really helps children become energized and engaged learners? Active and empathic individuals? People who are joyful and resilient in the face of challenge? A combination of things, but only through carefully studying your students and making meaningful connections will you be able to create a lasting positive impact."

I'm hoping this is the first step to creating such an impact to help our kids learn to their fullest potential!!

Monday November 14th

Status Update:

Numbers Update: