ot some of my mojo backMegan Flood is a seven-time marathoner and half marathoner. Shot some of my mojo backMegan Flood is a seven-time marathoner and half marathoner. Sh | Forum
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Adidas NMD Canada From China . -- Peyton Manning called it Von Millers world celebrity tour, a five-month jet-setting junket of television and dance studios, A-list parties and B-roll appearances.Although the Broncos are being cautious with the Super Bowl MVP who skipped the offseason program in a contract clash, Miller clearly found time to keep in shape in between all those hours in the skies and on the air.He was so good in his first 9-on-7 action of training camp over the weekend -- blowing up three of four running plays -- that the coaches pulled him off the field so they could get some work done on offense.He looked like he wore a couple people out, I know that, coach Gary Kubiak said afterward. We put a tackle at tight end to try to make it an even match, but it still didnt work out. He looks good. He ought to be up to about full speed here in about three more days.Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips issued this update Monday:Hes ready to go.Miller said that despite his hanging out with talk show hosts and dancing with the stars, he never really got away from football, in the offseason, keeping up with his rigorous training regimen.As any football coach will tell you, being in physical shape and football shape are two different things. They wonder if guys did proper warm-ups and cool-downs, stretches and plyometrics or just lots of weightlifting and wind sprints when they were working out on their own.Miller clearly did all that.After showing cornerback Chris Harris Jr. some of his new dance moves Monday, Miller was jogging off the field with a strength and conditioning coach when he stepped in from of kicker Brandon McManus and attempted a 45-yard field goal on the side field.He hit it hard, but on a straight line and nowhere near the goal posts.Its about the only thing Miller has flubbed since his extraordinary playoff run that he capped with two sack-strips of Cam Newton in Denvers 24-10 win over Carolina in the Super Bowl.Those same teams kick off the new season Sept. 8, and Millers already excited.I mean, thats what everybody wants to see, right? he said, smiling. Its going to be a great matchup.With Mannings retirement, Miller is now the face of Denvers franchise, something that was only solidified when he signed his six-year, $114.5 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, making him the leagues highest-paid nonquarterback.The expectations, like his bank account, have only risen, something that needs no pointing out to Miller.He already knows that, Phillips said. Thats why he is the highest-paid guy because he plays like that. So, we expect him to maintain that. But his attitude is great.So is his conditioning, his form and even his play in his cameos so far.Miller said he has a different mind-set his year: For one, Im going to be here. I dont have to worry about that and its just football.Miller showed last year what he could do with a clear mind and slate.During training camp last season, the NFL gave Miller a way out of its drug program after he stayed clean for two years. Without the threat of a yearlong suspension looming over him should he slip up and even miss a drug test, Denvers loquacious linebacker was free to be himself again, haunting linemen, hammering quarterbacks and loosening the locker room with his cutup personality and childlike cheer.Unlike most of his fellow draftees in the talent-laden 2011 NFL draft, however, Miller didnt get an extension. Instead, the Broncos exercised their fifth-year option in a prove-it challenge to him.This year, his contract situation isnt hanging over him, so hes expecting even bigger things.Thats when you can be at your best, when its all football, when youre just thinking about your teammates and the play and your assignment, Miller said. And thats where it is for me right now, its just football, trying to be the best player I can be for my teammates, trying to be the best leader that I can be for this organization.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton Cheap NMD Shoes Canada . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Discount NMD Canada . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.nmdsalecanada.com/ . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. In this weeks post, Im supposed to tell you about cross training and other ways I prepare for a marathon besides running. Dont worry, Ill get to that. But first I need to tell you about my runs on Saturday and Sunday and how I feel like got my groove back -- or at least part of it.Saturday was easily the best run of this training cycle. It wasnt a particularly difficult run -- just 10 easy miles. But it felt easy, and I hit the runners high early on. Im not going to lie, my confidence was shaken when I injured my foot a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then Ive been skeptical of my ability to run the New York marathon the way I want.But just minutes before I went out on my run on Saturday, someone very close to me told me, I want you to have the confidence you had when I met you. I took that to heart. I returned 10 miles later, basically jumping with joy because I had found my mojo again. The next six weeks didnt seem as daunting as they previously did.Sunday was another easy 10-mile run, and it was perfect for a different reason. It was a brisk morning, it finally felt like fall and I could wear my favorite outfit: shorts and long sleeve shirt. The sun was shining, the leaves were starting to change and I was in my happy place again -- putting one foot in front of the other. I really felt my confidence coming back.Now, back to cross-training and stretching. Its thought that no pain, no gain gets you progress, but I dont really believe that message, especially after injuring my foot and hamstring this year. I do believe your body can do more than you think it can, especially if your mental capacity is strong. But thats no reason to push through an injury. Instead, there are things you can do to help your body be more well-rounded and better able to handle the pain of pounding pavement.The first is to make sure you have proper warm-up and cool-down. Theres a common misconception that one should do static stretching before any physical activity. But its is much better to do dynamic stretching before working out because it warms the muscles up. Static stretching benefits you after exercising, as the muscles are aalready warm and the goal is to cool them down. Wholesale Adidas Shoes Canada. ve found that doing a minimum of four dynamic stretches before a run helps me tremendously -- then I dont need to spend as much time warming up my muscles during the first mile. Examples of dynamic stretches I do include high knees and butt-kicks. As far as cooling down, I am huge fan of using a foam roller, a softball and elastic band to loosen back up. These tools really help me get a complete body stretch and build strength.And then theres cross-training. I do at least one day a week on the elliptical as a modification to my training because of my hamstring injury. But cross-training also includes lifting, core workouts and other sports and workout methods. This summer I picked up golf. Im trying to play at least once a week before the good weather runs out. Its a different pace than running, but I still use my legs and engage my core. I also like to practice yoga, which helps me do more stretching and meditate.Training for a marathon is not all about running. Cross training is an excellent way to have a well-rounded, strong body going into a race. And now I really feel like Ive gotten back on track. As the late Arnold Palmer said, Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated. So is running, but its also extremely gratifying. This weekend, running rewarded my efforts, and I couldnt feel more elated about where this journey is headed.Training Notebook:Longest run: 16 miles Hardest run: Four, 1.5-mile runs at 7:50-minute-per-mile pace (didnt hit pace each time, but the principle of the run made it difficult) Highest weekly mileage: 50.3 miles Biggest accomplishment: Completing every workout since writing the last blog and finally feeling like I got some of my mojo backMegan Flood is a seven-time marathoner and half marathoner. She is on a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon and hopes New York 2016 is her ticket to Boston. You can follow her progress every other week here on espnW.com and on Twitter @meganflood11. ' ' '