Just about 3 in a half months post surgery

Today I finished my workout on a cold sunny Chicago morning and while I was doing my cool down and stretching it hit me; it feels good feeling like a pro again!  When I was playing injury free I would get this great feeling after training of just being so excited that this is what I do for a living, “I play soccer”.  That is one those moments when I realize my hard work is paying off and I am living my dream!  It felt good today to feel that.

I am still dealing with a bit of soreness, but overall my body feels great.  I am getting stronger in the gym and faster on the field.  This week my running routine has been a 15 minute run at about 75-80 percent. Then I rest for 3 minutes before I start interval fitness training.  To get my heart rate up and work on my recovery time I do 2, 5 minute sprinting runs.  So the first set is run hard, 85-90 percent, for 30 seconds then jog for 15 seconds.  I repeat it until 5 minutes is up.  The second set is run hard, 85-90 percent, for 1 minute and then jog for 30 seconds, I repeat it until 5 minutes is up.  After my fitness work I get my mini ball out and work on my skills for about 15 minutes and then the normal size ball for 20 minutes.  I get my sprinting and cutting in during the ball work. 

This Friday I am training with an U-23 team in the greater Chicago area called the Chicago Kickers.  Their coach, David Adkisson, was nice enough to invite me out to get a session in with them.  I am very excited as this will the first time since October 2007 I have trained with a team and it will be the first time since August 2006 that I have trained with a team injury free!!!  Wish me luck!  

 

When I am training there are a lot of things that motivate me to keep working hard and fighting to make my dreams come true.  One thing that really pumps me up are the stories I hear from the players I coach at my soccer camps.  Seeing them work hard and improve at camp so they can reach their dreams really motivates me.  One of my players I am very proud of is Luke Logan!  His team just one the Hattiesburg, Mississippi city championship!!  

This kid is a good player with a great future to succeed if he continues to develop his game.  He is a talented player, but he has the characteristics of a great professional because he is always trying to get better and improve his game. 

With that kind of attitude he’s got a great shot of reaching his dreams.  

Keep it up Luke, thanks for the motivation, and congrats on the Championship!!!

 

 

Keep Livin the Dream! JM

MLS Cup is coming up this Sunday November 23rd, 2008 and it will be live on ABC at 3:30pm eastern time.  Be sure and check your local listing just in case it is different for you.  The final is Columbus Crew, the team of the year, versus the surprise New York Red Bulls.  I will be pulling for the Crew because I know a few of the guys on the team and my college coach use to get the hammy down training gear from them so I wore their gear in college all the time.  Most of the socks had holes in them, but I am not bitter; it just builds character I think!!  Plus one of the players for the Crew, Jason Garey, is from Baton Rogue, LA and you know I got to support my fellow bayou brothas!!  What are your thoughts on the game?  Who do you think will win?  Feel free to post a comment below and answer the poll.

[polldaddy poll=1129232]

On a cool bloging note when I first started this blog the night before my hip/groin surgery on August 12, 2008 I got my first comment on it like 2 days later!  It was a big blog moment for me!  It was a Canadian guy named Tabz.  He was interested in me and my story because he is a soccer fan and he has the same injury I did.  Since then we have

Hanging out with EPL legends; go on Tabz!

become friends and communicated via facebook, emails, and on the phone.  We talk about soccer and about our injuries.  Tabz is in Vail, CO right now and is having the same surgery I did on Monday.  I just wanted to wish him luck from me and my readers so he will soon be healthy again, playing soccer, getting back to his active lifestyle, and be able to keep up with his new baby that is on the way!  So all the best Tabz and keep believing in it; you will get there soon!!!

 

The picture is of Tabz, guy to the left, and Mikel Arteta of Everton in the English Premier League.  He ran into the player one night when he was out on the town.  The soccer world is small one.  

If you want to wish Tabz good luck please do so in the comments section or send me an email and I can forward it to him.

Keep Livin the Dream! JM

 

Will plays for Real Salt Lake and Canada

A good friend of mine and my old team mate at the Chicago Fire, Will Johnson, won the MLS Goal of the year award last week.  This guy is one of the most dedicated pros I know and he is only 21 years old!  He signed professional at 17 and has been doing excellent since.  When he signed he wasn’t that much older then most of the kids I coach.  Think about that, work hard and that could be you!

Watch the video below and you will see his goal.  Post a comment and let me know what you think. It is a world class goal and definitely deserves the title of Goal of the year!  If you are a player watching notice how smooth his technique is.  He is patient, lets the ball drop below his knee and then strikes it with his ankle locked and toe down.  This guy works everyday on his technique and it paid off for him with this goal.  Congrats Will!

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Keep livin the dream! JM

Tonight I am testing out the webcam feature on my computer so this is my first VLOG!  A vlog is like a video form of a blog.  I am just always trying to keep things exciting for you!!  Be sure and post a comment or send me an email at montzjc@aol.com and let me know what you think.  

I forgot to mention my friend’s name who started the T-shirt non profit company called Filleo in the VLOG. His name is Jed Zayner and he plays for the Columbus Crew.  You can check out his shirts at www.filleo.com.  It is a cool thing he has got going on and I really dig his shirts.  Thankfully it is cold in Chicago these days and I am not sweating too much because I have worn mine 4 days in a row!!  They are so soft and comfy!!

Have a great week and keep living the dream!! JM

2 days shy of 3 month post surgery anniversary

Today I passed my 3 month sport test that has cleared me medically to play soccer!!  I am in Vail, Colorado writing you on a cold snowy night and I am very excited to say that my hard work the past 3 months has helped me reach a huge milestone on my comeback to professional soccer.  I am not done yet, but this is an important step in the ladder back to the top.  The test was very hard and I just went into the zone when I was doing it and reminded myself this is what I want and this test is nothing compared to not playing.

The first part was singled leg squats on my affected leg, left, for 3 minutes straight coming down to a 60 degree angle and then popping up without locking my knee out while holding on to a thick resistance cord.  My thigh was burning, glute was tightening, breath was short from the altitude, and I just stayed focused on the task at hand until it was finally over after 3 minutes.  I threw the cord down, walked around to keep my legs from shaking, and had a big glass of water.  That was the toughest part of the test and the team at Howard Head and Dr. Philippon’s office were happy and impressed that I passed it because not everyone passes at 3 months!

It was motivating to be in there and see new patients that had just come out of surgery and think that was me 3 months ago and know look at me; wow time went by fast, but I guess that happens when you just buckle down and get into the zone.  One patient I spoke to was Stephen Reid.  He plays for Blackburn in the English Premier League and his old coach’s son use to play soccer with me at Lynn University.  The guy just had knee surgery and will be out for 9 months.  Before that he had been playing for 6 months straight after being out for 15 months.  I apologize for not getting a picture, I don’t know what I was thinking.  Seeing other professionals comeback from long term injuries reminds me that I am not the only one who has to do it; so it is not impossible!

I will be back and I am looking forward to making my life dream of becoming a professional soccer player a reality again.  The feeling was amazing when it happened the first time and I think it will be even better this time around!

Keep livin the dream and believing in it!  JM

On a side note when I was back in Louisiana last week I got to do my next favorite thing from playing soccer; coaching soccer!  I did a group training session with Alex and Stephen Schlottman’s team.  Those two have been to my camps a few times and are great little players.  The session went great and their friends and them had a blast; and so did I!!  Alex is 6 and he is the one wearing the Manchester United shirt.  He had a game this fall and he scored like 10 goals and his coach (his Dad) moved him to defense to help out there.  At the end of the game he told his Dad he didn’t appreciate moving him to defense because he had scored 10 goals and if he could have gotten 2 more he could have made the Olympic Team!!  I love it!  With that kinda of dreaming ability he will make the Olympic team one day!!

The Saturday before I left town a friend of mine, Brian Strong, was in town from Jackson, Mississippi with his son’s 3v3 team, Celtic, to play at a tournament.  He is the coach so I stopped by and talked with him and his kids for a bit, gave out some stickers, and watched them play a game.  3v3 looks tough, non stop action, and I wish they had it back in my day because it seems like a lot of fun!  Keep up the good work Celtic!!

Week 13 Post Surgery

Dusted the cleats off on Monday and gave them a test drive to make sure they still work!  It felt a little weird but I loved it.  After running a hard 20 minutes straight I did some ball work for about 35 minutes. During the ball work I challenged myself and did some sprint exercises so I can start to develop my quickness over short distances.  I am sore today from it, but hopefully that will pass and get better the more I do it.  If my history of this rehab period repeats itself than that will surely be the case.

This week I am back in my hometown of Mandeville, Louisiana for a lot of business and a little pleasure trip.  Between working out, meetings, work, coaching, and appearances there only leaves little time for me to enjoy one of my favorite things in Louisiana; SHRIMP PO-BOYS!!  Every time I come home I have to eat one daily for at least a week to get my fill! 

I am only in town a few days before I go to Vail for my follow up post surgery appointment with my doctor. Getting excited because I am coming down the stretch for my rehab and it looks like I am going to finally return back to playing soccer professionally at 100% after over 2 long years of being injured.  I can’t wait!!!!

Keep livin the Dream!! JM