[MissLightyear]

Ended up doing a 9 mile bike ride today, felt great to be free from revision! It was pretty tough as the route has quite a few hills but it just made me feel like i'd achieved more when I finished

Did a bodyweight circuit too
3x (30 secs work, 10 secs rest)
Press ups
Lunges
Plank
Squats
Sit-up twists
Calf raises
Chin ups (struggled with these)
Side leg raises

Thinking of doing this again, i enjoyed it would probably increase work time though and maybe incorporate my wobble cushion (eg squats while standing on it) to train the proprioreceptors and condition my ankle a bit more.

Finished off with a nice stretch and some basic ankle strengthening exercises.

[MissLightyear]

No training again tonight unfortunately. Decided to treat it as a rest day and get back to work tomorrow with a few weights and possibly attempting tabata sprints

[MissLightyear]

Change of plan exercise wise for today, another bike ride is on the cards since the weather is so good And just broke up for Easter so more time to dedicate to exercise

Massive improvements speed wise. Had to hold back a little for my brother but to be fair to him he's younger, in the process of losing weight (I'm proud he's lost a lot) and his bike was a lot heavier. Love my new bike too, so much lighter.

[MissLightyear]

Great weather here, whipped out the shorts only to be embarrassed by my scrawny chicken legs
So more leg work is definitely on the cards!

Did a tabata workout today with boxing - 4 punches then squat to avoid swinging arm. Got to round 5 and my legs were burning so changed to just punches. Great workout though, and my brother enjoyed whacking me in the face when i couldnt duck anymore!

No game tomorrow and cant get to training (not at the usual place so cant use my bike) Going to watch my brother play football then convince him to do some kicking with me .

[MissLightyear]

Was supposed to be getting some boxing done today with my brother but he went fishing instead

Going to do a kettlebell workout instead and maybe fit in some boxing if he gets home early enough.

Also considering investing in some free weights since I cant afford the gym. May actually convince the brother to go halves with me then he's more likely to help me out

[MissLightyear]

Training was intense tonight! There were only 15 that turned up with it being easter holidays and that so we played sevens! In case youre lurking but dont have a clue - Thats 7-a-side, on a full size pitch!

Now this time last year I wouldnt have moaned, in fact I was in training for the national 7s., but seeing im only just regaining my fitness this was tough. Now your probably thinking it couldnt get any worse ... well, it could, and it did.
I was forced to be scrum half, the U15s have a habit of running sideways rather than forward ...
Lets just say I needed an oxygen mask after it! I do, however, appreciate my scrum half more

On the bright side, I have never played that well since my injury! Got my step back (I like to 'dance' past the other team .. a lot!) Actually think im starting to read the game better - seeing the gaps, knowing when to dummy etc.

So happy happy happy Just need to buy these weights now and stretch!

[pinkpenguin]

Thought I'd post in here for some encouragement! Female rugby player here too - moved this season to fly half after spending 6 years messing around at outside centre or full back!

Keep going. It's always tough back after an injury. I snapped my achilles when I was about 17 and wasn't anywhere near full fitness for about a year. Trying to find that pace and not being too tentative when you're taking the ball up is quite the challenge.

Keep us updated! I'm also trying to work on some stuff now the season is nearly over ready for next year (acceleration mainly, I'm quick when I get going, it just takes a while, hence why I like full back!).

Incidentally, the rugby league season starts soon. There will be, I guarantee it, a women's rugby league club near you now! Where abouts in the country are you? I play union for the regular season then with the local league team for the summer. They chuck me at full back and I get a great run out - playing both games is invaluable to your improvement I think. And if you started there you may miss it a little bit!!

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
Thought I'd post in here for some encouragement! Female rugby player here too - moved this season to fly half after spending 6 years messing around at outside centre or full back!

Keep going. It's always tough back after an injury. I snapped my achilles when I was about 17 and wasn't anywhere near full fitness for about a year. Trying to find that pace and not being too tentative when you're taking the ball up is quite the challenge.

Keep us updated! I'm also trying to work on some stuff now the season is nearly over ready for next year (acceleration mainly, I'm quick when I get going, it just takes a while, hence why I like full back!).

Incidentally, the rugby league season starts soon. There will be, I guarantee it, a women's rugby league club near you now! Where abouts in the country are you? I play union for the regular season then with the local league team for the summer. They chuck me at full back and I get a great run out - playing both games is invaluable to your improvement I think. And if you started there you may miss it a little bit!!

Thanks for the support, really appreciated
I know what you mean, still havent got my confidence to take players on back fully. Can I ask what youre doing to improve acceleration? Im the same, got the speed but takes me a while to get going.

Im in St Helens, up in the North West. I know there's a few womens league teams nearby now but its just the cost of travelling and that. We're curently in training for the North of England 10s which is late May and I think in June we're having regular interclub tag matches. I know its not the same as going doing contact but it will give me a chance to practice taking players on, and its a lot cheaper I will look into league though.

How did you find the move to fly half? Im quite tall and slim and most fly halfs I know are more of a forwards physique. Ive been told I'll need to get alot of strength because I'll be sort of mixing it with the forwards.

[angusrose]

Apologies for the short reply - have you got access to a kettlebell? Thoroughly recommend one as they are a great for strength building without throwing on masses of weight - ideal if like me you broke / sprained a lower limb joint and don't want to be carrying extra weight but still needing good strength for your sport.

Good luck on getting fit again

Angus

[MissLightyear]

I have got a few kettlebells yes Ive tried out a few different exercises with them, just trying to find a circuit I can do with them. Thanks for the advice.

[pinkpenguin]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
Thanks for the support, really appreciated
I know what you mean, still havent got my confidence to take players on back fully. Can I ask what youre doing to improve acceleration? Im the same, got the speed but takes me a while to get going.

Rolling speed drills mainly. Like continuous shuttles.

You set cones/markers out a few feet apart between the dead ball line and the 22. Start on the line and sprint to the first cone, turn and walk back. When you've walked back to the line, down on your belly then straight back up and to the second cone. etc. etc. etc. I tend to do them in pyramid format.

Im in St Helens, up in the North West. I know there's a few womens league teams nearby now but its just the cost of travelling and that. We're curently in training for the North of England 10s which is late May and I think in June we're having regular interclub tag matches. I know its not the same as going doing contact but it will give me a chance to practice taking players on, and its a lot cheaper I will look into league though.

Yeah fair enough. Summer touch leagues etc. are always great.

How did you find the move to fly half? Im quite tall and slim and most fly halfs I know are more of a forwards physique. Ive been told I'll need to get alot of strength because I'll be sort of mixing it with the forwards.

Quite hard actually! I was the person who cut the straight lines/out-to-in lines, whereas now I'm the one that has to set those lines up for others, which is quite tough.

Not sure about the forwards physique thing? A good fly half shouldn't be anywhere near the forwards. Perhaps the odd ruck, but if you're rucking every phase out then your centres and back row aren't doing their job. You're the playmaker, so need to be out of the rucks so you can receive the ball from the scrum half.

If you were fine in the centres, there should be no reason why you won't be able to deal with the physicality of fly half, it's actually a lot easier on that front.

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
Rolling speed drills mainly. Like continuous shuttles.

You set cones/markers out a few feet apart between the dead ball line and the 22. Start on the line and sprint to the first cone, turn and walk back. When you've walked back to the line, down on your belly then straight back up and to the second cone. etc. etc. etc. I tend to do them in pyramid format.

Ah okay, sounds simple enough, shall try this out

Quite hard actually! I was the person who cut the straight lines/out-to-in lines, whereas now I'm the one that has to set those lines up for others, which is quite tough.

Not sure about the forwards physique thing? A good fly half shouldn't be anywhere near the forwards. Perhaps the odd ruck, but if you're rucking every phase out then your centres and back row aren't doing their job. You're the playmaker, so need to be out of the rucks so you can receive the ball from the scrum half.

If you were fine in the centres, there should be no reason why you won't be able to deal with the physicality of fly half, it's actually a lot easier on that front.

Okay, so I should be fine. More emphasis on ball handling skills shouldnt be too bad, guess it will be weird not doing most of the running. So i should focus on my acceleration, passing and reading the game rather than a massive focus on strength? Thanks for the advice

[pinkpenguin]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
Okay, so I should be fine. More emphasis on ball handling skills shouldnt be too bad, guess it will be weird not doing most of the running. So i should focus on my acceleration, passing and reading the game rather than a massive focus on strength? Thanks for the advice

Yep that's exactly right. More about power than strength anyway, because part of your decision making could be deciding not to distribute to your centres because they're not running a good line/running a line at all/the defence is up in their face/there's a prop there, so you might have to take it in. You'll end up in a lot less space with a lot less time so if you decide to take it up you have to be able to make the gain line under pressure. It's a fair bit harder in this respect, but at least you'll have your forwards right there to help you out.

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
Yep that's exactly right. More about power than strength anyway, because part of your decision making could be deciding not to distribute to your centres because they're not running a good line/running a line at all/the defence is up in their face/there's a prop there, so you might have to take it in. You'll end up in a lot less space with a lot less time so if you decide to take it up you have to be able to make the gain line under pressure. It's a fair bit harder in this respect, but at least you'll have your forwards right there to help you out.

Okay, i'll bear that in mind Thank you very much.

[Barden]

(Original post by Khanage)
League needs a lot more fitness! But a tad less thinking. League is a lot more brutal!

Ah you're at UWIC... were you playing league last year? If you were I might have played against you... I'm at Bangor, you knocked us out of the BUCS shield/plate/cup/whatever it was

I had an awful game that day though


I agree with what you said about the differences between league and union - I find that there's fewer tackles but each one is much more physical. I played union for 13 years before switching to league when I went to Bangor in 2009, I think its really improved my tackling... really wanna play a game of union now though to see if it makes a difference.

[Barden]

(Original post by rugbyladosc)
League is pussy

You should actually play a few games before you say that... I played union my whole life until I went to uni, where I switched codes, so I'm speaking from experience here lol... but of course I used to say that myself

[Khanage]

(Original post by Barden)
Ah you're at UWIC... were you playing league last year? If you were I might have played against you... I'm at Bangor, you knocked us out of the BUCS shield/plate/cup/whatever it was

I had an awful game that day though


I agree with what you said about the differences between league and union - I find that there's fewer tackles but each one is much more physical. I played union for 13 years before switching to league when I went to Bangor in 2009, I think its really improved my tackling... really wanna play a game of union now though to see if it makes a difference.

Yeah I was! Yeah I played against bangor.. scored a couple of trys so your coach Gerard invited me to the pioneers, went to Kazakhstan last summer and going to Greece this summer!

Agree that league improves your defence and tackling.

[Barden]

(Original post by Khanage)
Yeah I was! Yeah I played against bangor.. scored a couple of trys so your coach Gerard invited me to the pioneers, went to Kazakhstan last summer and going to Greece this summer!

Oh right, well done then lol.

Yeah he's a really good coach, unfortunately we were without him for most of this season. (Though I couldn't play anyway cos I've buggered my knee up, but his absence is reflected in our results...)

Agree that league improves your defence and tackling.

I might try and play some union next season, I do miss it sometimes lol

[rugbyladosc]

(Original post by Barden)
You should actually play a few games before you say that... I played union my whole life until I went to uni, where I switched codes, so I'm speaking from experience here lol... but of course I used to say that myself

Yeah I should! We play it in training and I don't like it that much!

[Barden]

(Original post by rugbyladosc)
Yeah I should! We play it in training and I don't like it that much!

lol i used to hate it in training, always seemed a bit pointless

but when you're playing it as the actual sport, and therefore playing it properly, it makes sense

for instance when playing league during union training, one will try to apply union technique and strategy, which just doesn't work and leaves one wondering why the **** they aren't just doing a rucking drill instead of wasting their time playing a game where at least 20% of the rules are different