So it looks like the UPA college finals will be run in conjunction with the collegiate national championships. This will allow the finals to be televised in conjunction with other CSTV events, and the theory is we'll get more exposure to college ultimate. Among other changes this will put the finals in Boulder, Colorado instead of Columbus, Ohio.
Pictured Above: A disc flies over both Goat and Johny Bravo players at our semi's game at UPA'07 Championships.I like these types of venue experiments, and I think this will, likely, be good for the college series.
My question is how are teams going to prepare for the change in climate. I saw UFC's All Access episode (best link I could find) for Wanderlei Silva. In that episode we saw Wanderlei workout with a nose plug and a snorkel. The theory (from what I understood) is that this made air intake harder during his cardio workouts and improved his oxygen uptake in normal conditions (though I wonder about the safeness). Will techniques like this or others be needed to prepare for college nationals to get that edge? Also, for those of us with experience traveling from the lowlands to the highlands for competition, what is it really like?
PJ
5 comments:
i would like to note that i was called for a foul, by beau, for the play in that picture. the observer overturned the call.
I can remember regionals my senior year ('05) was in Colorado Springs and I have never been so exhausted after a day of disc. It is amazing how a reduction in the air pressure can really reduce the amount of oxygen getting into your body.
Then again, I was fat as shit senior year, so maybe it was that.
In any event, the one thing teams have going for them is that nationals is not all that rigorous. You only have to play a maximum of 3 games in a day and you'll probably get some sort of a bye during that. Unless you are in pool D and end up having 2 games go to double game like CUT last year, teams should be ok. At least the lowered level of oxygen will balance out the low # of games on Friday.
match diesel
Another interesting aspect about playing ultimate at higher elevations is that the disc flies slightly differently in the thinner air. For instance, hucks travel a little farther and faster than at sea level. While playing at Colorado Cup, I noticed that it took a little getting used to.
Not just hucks, but regular passes fly flatter and quicker. High releases in particular are a lot easier and more reliable at altitude. Didn't Bravo have troubles with this for awhile because they got used to throwing them?
Also, you can run faster because of lower wind resistance.
The first time I played in Boulder was 1992. My first point, I sprinted long, had to sprint back long the other way, and found myself exhausted and out of breath for awhile.
I think Bravo's problem wasn't primarily high releases but Inside out throws. At altitude you could zip them without worry that the defender was going to get to it. Breaking around is harder because the disc doesn't sit out there for the receiver. So the team got used to throwing too many IOs and not enough around breaks. Those IOs get d'd up at sea level and the arounds are a necessary to have. It certainly took a while to adjust, but they have.
Post a Comment