Life in the Minors with Mike Cisco, March 14

Our first week has come and gone. The first four days we threw bullpens. We were split up in groups (usually by which team you are estimated to be on) and threw two bullpens in the course of three days.

Mine went really well. My arm feels good and I feel good throwing all of my pitches.

The first week of camp is also filled with a lot of conditioning. We run circuits, which have three 10-minute stations. First, we perform an agility and band station, where we run through ladder drills and hurdles. Then we do different types of lunges and other motions for 10 straight minutes.

The third is the hardest. It's called the Phillie run. There are four cones set up in a square shape, each about 20 yards apart. You sprint to one cone, side-shuffle to the other while a coach is rolling you a ball, then backpedal and side-shuffle again. You go five minutes around one way and then five minutes the other, without stopping.

We also ran the two-mile run, which is a conditioning test that pitchers have to take to make sure everyone has come to camp in shape. The time limit is 15 minutes. If you don't make the time, you're invited to "Breakfast Club," where you come in at 6:30 a.m. in the morning and get some extra conditioning in before the day begins.

I ran a 13:10 two-mile, so no Breakfast Club for me.

A lot of people ask what a normal day is like for me, so here goes (it does vary some, depending on games):

On a normal day, I get to the clubhouse at 7 a.m. and eat breakfast. From then until 9:30 a.m. I go in the weight room and get some stuff done including arm exercises, cardio, bands, stretching and lifting, depending on my pitching schedule.

This past week, we've had a lot of meetings due to it being the first week.

At 9:30 a.m., we go on the field and go through an active warm-up that takes about 20 minutes.

That's followed by a long-toss program (long toss is done every day, no matter if you're pitching or not). After that, we go into a series of stations that include PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice), bunting and holding runners.

After that, we break for lunch at about 12:15 p.m. Then we go into live BP or games.

Friday was my first live BP (throwing to hitters off the mound, but behind an L-screen).

We will continue those through the weekend and games start Monday.

I had a chance to see a couple of really good friends this week. Former Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas and Dave Chappell were at the complex a couple of days ago. They had just come from visiting Baltimore's Matt Wieters and were on the way to watch Houston's Drew Meyer play.

I will keep you updated. If you have any questions that you would like for me to answer (it could be about stuff on or off the field), feel free to e-mail me at scmikecisco@aol.com.

I will try to answer as many as I can.

Carolina is always on my mind.