University of Connecticut Athletics
Ray Allen Reaches New Heights While Conditioning
4/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 5, 2009
Ray Allen Reaches New Heights While Conditioning
BOSTON - There was no time for a break. Less than 24 hours after hitting a game-winning three in double overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats, Ray Allen was back in the gym. Early.
"He's a professional really," said Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "Days off, he's in the gym. Yesterday before practice, he was there an hour early."
This season Allen's conditioning has been tested. With Kevin Garnett and a handful of others injured, he has had no choice but to play extra minutes. Hitting the gym early keeps him fresh during the season. But draining game-winners after hustling for 46 minutes would not be possible without his hard work during the offseason.
Even with his dedicated training, there are times late in games where fatigue catches up to one of the best-conditioned players in the NBA. Before knocking down the game-winner over the Bobcats, Allen's legs felt flat as he tossed up an airball.
"I can't say I wasn't surprised. I think that's just a natural occurrence," Allen said. "As the game goes on, you've got to keep building into your legs and the fatigue that settles in. Sometimes if I'm too casual in my shot, I won't jump as much because sometimes if I'm wide open, then I've got to just focus on getting that complete energy going into my shot."
Every summer Allen, 33, tackles a giant to stay in shape - Sleeping Giant Mountain in Hamden, Connecticut. Sleeping Giant is 1,500 acres of rocky terrain that overlooks Quinnipiac University, where Allen's longtime friend Scott Burrell is the men's basketball assistant coach. The two met when Allen, then a high school senior, was paired with Burrell, a senior on the University of Connecticut basketball team, for a campus visit.
Nearly 15 years later, Burrell offered Allen a tour of another campus. Rather than training at UConn he suggested they work out at Quinnipiac, which is conveniently closer to their homes. Together they weight train, play golf and tennis and, of course, shoot. When Burrell mentioned they would also be running the nearly two miles up the mountain, Allen was up for the challenge.
"He was like, 'Let's go,'" Burrell recalled in a phone interview. "He just took off and I was like, 'Damn. I'll catch him.' Then I figured he'd stop and walk a little bit. But he ran all the way to the top of the mountain without a problem and I was running, walking, running, walking ... It's tough to walk that mountain. There are a lot of rocks that slide, that move under your foot."
Allen ran the distance without hesitation. After pulling a dose of inspiration from Burrell - "I was thinking, 'I'm in better shape than Scott so it can't be that bad," Allen joked - he carefully navigated the unpredictable land, never pausing to catch his breath. It was only when he reached the peak that he stopped to look down.
"It was one of those things that just always tests your fortitude and your dedication to just push on," Allen said. "I was saying to myself, 'Where does this thing end?' For anybody who walks it or runs it the first time, it is very, very daunting because you don't have an idea. Like it's one thing to see the finish line and you know where you're running, but I couldn't, I didn't."
Reaching the observation tower (commonly referred to as "the castle") at the top of the mountain was an accomplishment for Allen. More importantly, it was a stamina-building exercise. While Allen enjoys the sight-seeing aspect of running on the street, scaling this trail was a rewarding test.
"I think running that was somewhat [more difficult] because the interval training, it was different levels," he said. "Some flattened out, some went a little downhill, and then some were definitely uphill. So that in its essence is a little better than just running in the street because of the intervals. You push yourself on different levels. And there are other people that are running up it so it wasn't like you were isolated."
There is a reason why Allen ranks second on the Celtics and sixth among all NBA guards in total minutes played. In addition to building muscle, this trail offers another benefit that helps Allen sustain himself on the court.
"It's almost like you're running at a higher altitude," he said. "Once you come back down, you're breathing a lot better, you're breathing a lot easier. So just expanding those lungs, especially getting up to the top of that, and getting some thinner air, when you get back down to the bottom you just feel a little bit freer."
Whether it is scaling mountains or sacrificing water breaks, Burrell is not surprised by Allen's conditioning. He points out that Allen maintains a healthy diet and does not drink alcohol.
"He just takes care of his body so well, and that's why he's kept his longevity and kept his game at the highest level," Burrell said. "You think about it, Ray probably wears the same waist in the pants since he was 10 years old probably. Seriously, he hasn't put a pound on. He might have lost weight every year. He hasn't put any weight on so he keeps himself in great shape. And that's basically half the battle of being healthy and being a great player."
This month Allen has a new giant to tackle - the NBA playoffs. His stamina and conditioning will be critical in the Celtics' quest to defend their world championship title.
"He knows his body as well as any player I've coached and he knows exactly how to keep it going," Rivers said. "That probably comes from years in the league as well, but it absolutely comes from his professionalism."
