#10 Rock Football Advances with Saturday win!

Yesterday Rock Football arrived at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium to play Virginia Union University for what could have been their last game this season (first round NCAA Division II playoff game). This was the first home playoff game for the Rock since 1999, so it was a big deal. The pressure was on, but the Rock stayed calm and confident throughout the game to seal the deal with a victory and a final score of 41-20; this was Rock Football's first playoff victory since 1998 when they reached the National Semi-Finals. It was a steady game, and the Rock had the lead the entire time. I was on the field for the game, working as a ball boy on Slippery Rock's sideline. It was an amazing experience being in that playoff do-or-die atmosphere, and getting the win made it that much more significant. The Rock is the number 2 seeded team (Super Region One) and their season record is now improved to 11-1. The Rock will now move on to play the number 3 seed Assumption at home in the second round of the playoffs next Saturday (November 28th) at 12 noon. A win this Saturday will mean a trip to the NCAA Quarter-Finals for The Rock! However, one game at a time, Rock. Assumption poses a great challenge for the Rock as they knocked number 6 Bowie State off on Saturday with a 51-29 win at home; however, this game is in Slippery Rock, PA! The challenge will be a great one for the Rock, but accepted with excitement. The Rock is 6-0 at home this season and have won 16 straight home games, an impressive feat! So, let's go Rock!

Effects of Physical Activity/Exercise on Your Energy & Endurance

Just today my sister Stephanie and I were walking up the hill from the Bailey Library on campus to the Student Center to grab lunch at Rocky's; mind you, my sister is a relatively healthy individual, but she does not exercise vigorously on a regular basis.  As we were taking the short haul up the hill, she mentioned to me "man, this hike is killing me! I'm tired already!" this sparked my knowledge in physical activity and health, and gave me a chance to educate her on how engaging in vigorous exercise can help increase your blood flow, increase the amount of oxygen in your blood, boost your energy level, relieve stress, and much more!  This scenario also gave me an idea to blog. So, what exactly does physical activity and exercise do for you? Well, exercise is actually it's own prevention and treatment medicine. Exercise has been proven to help prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain forms of cancer, joint/bone pain, and more; it has also been shown to help treat these certain illnesses and hindrances so you can live a more full, pain-free life. Exercise has also been scientifically proven to provide you with more energy during your day, help you pay better attention in class (leading to better understanding of content, better test scores, and better grades), and help you to get better sleep at night. The reason my sister was so tired from walking up the hill was that as she is not used to regular activity, her cardiovascular endurance is low, causing her heart to pump more blood with less activity, making her short of breath, and causing her to be more easily tired. Convinced yet? If not, how about exercise as a stress management technique? Not only is physical activity great for your blood flow, your heart, your immune system, the prevention and treatment of illnesses and diseases, but it is also a great mechanism for helping to deal with the stress that we encounter in our everyday lives. So, now you want to exercise? You're probably asking yourself how much, or what is the dose of this magical medicine. Well, it's simple. Engage yourself in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week (activities such as walking, light hiking, jogging, etc.); in other words, activities that do not meet your target heart rate zone, but increase your level of movement, exercise, and slightly elevate your heart rate. This can be as easy as parking your car farther away from your destination so you walk more, mowing the lawn, or cutting down on the TV/sitting around time. As for vigorous activity, engage yourself in at least 75 minutes of aerobic physical activity/exercise each week. These are activities that get you into your target heart rate zone, such as running, biking, hiking, swimming, etc. But don't just take my word for it, these are the FITT guidelines for aerobic activity and recommendations from the CDC! So, are you willing to spend just a few more minutes each day doing something that will help you live a longer, happier, healthier, more enjoyable life? Steph is!

Excited for exercise!

How far and for how long should you run?


I like to base my running mileage on a weekly basis, but also like to maintain a certain mileage with each workout.  For example, your mileage goals may be to run 20 miles each week, but run at least 5 miles each time; this means that you may only run 4 days a week, but each run is 5 miles, totaling 20 miles in a week.  Or, you may set out to run 20 miles in a week, but make sure that you are running at least 2 miles per run; this means that you may run 7 days a week, but you may only run 2-3 miles each run.  I base my mileage goals off of what I am training for. If I am training for the Pittsburgh Turkey Trot (5k) on Thanksgiving, then my running goals would only be about 15-20 miles per week, but being sure to run 3.2 miles each run.  3.2 miles is a 5k, so if I am training for a 5k then I want to consistently run 5k's to improve my time and endurance. If I am training for the annual Pittsburgh Great Race (10k) then my running goals are usually about 20-25 miles per week, making sure I run at least 3-4 miles each workout, and once my endurance is built I would focus on running sprints and incorporating a 6.4 mile (10k) run in at least once per week to fully prepare for the race ahead. However, if I am training for the Pittsburgh half-marathon or full marathon, then my running goals each week are to run about 30-40 miles per week, eventually adding more and more miles, and maintaining at least a 5-7 mile run each workout. It is important to understand your own personal fitness level, your own target heart rate, and to be realistic with your abilities; but anyone can train and run in a race, it just takes motivation, dedication, perseverance, and hard work! If you have any questions, comments, or want any tips, recommendations, or simply just think you want to run in a race but are new to distance running, comment on this post, I will be happy to help any way I can! I love running, it is my favorite form of physical activity, and my favorite way to get a workout in. I run I  the Pittsburgh Great Race each year and try to run a few 5k's each year.

ROCK FOOTBALL WIN'S PSAC!

Everyone's favorite PSAC football team won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship game for the second year in a row this past Saturday!  Not only was The Rock ranked 9th, they are the first team to become PSAC champions back to back years since 2008 (when the title game was brought back to the PSAC).  The Rock beat the West Chester University of Pennsylvania Golden Rams (near Philadelphia) of the Eastern section of the PSAC 61-12 at West Chester to bring the trophy back!  This win brings The Rock football team to 10-1 overall on the season and helped to earn a home game this Saturday against Virginia Union University at 12 noon to start off the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Rock has the #1 rated offense in the league, and was expecting a challenging game against West Chester's top rated defense, but upset the defense greatly early on.  Saturday's game also marked a huge landmark in Rock football history, as it was the 1,000th game recorded in the program!  This also marked the 11th PSAC title for the Rock, and the 2nd under head coach George Mihalik!  The Rock is on fire right now and I am excited for the upcoming game on Saturday to kick off the NCAA Division II playoffs!  I will be working the game on the sideline as a ball boy, so be sure to watch out for me on Rock's sideline in the yellow vest.

This is me (left) along with the rest of the Pittsburgh Citiparks Lifeguards this September (2015) after the Pittsburgh Annual Great Race.