Much like with my actual skating, I have let my off ice exercise program decay over the past three weeks. The week I went on a Victorian road trip with the missus I did nothing off ice, though that was a matter of choice as we'd packed our equipment and gear just in case. Upon return, I continued with the 'rest' for another week, though this was more lazy inertia than it was a conscious choice (eg because I had better use for my time. I didn't.).
After my most recent game and Sunday Skate I left open the possibility that I would take advantage of the lengthening days by getting a short skate in after work if it was possible. Turns out, for the week it wasn't (mainly due that my hours have effectively jacked up over the past couple of months).
So, on Monday I forced myself to pull out the weights and put in the effort. To make it easy I did it while I was cooking dinner (added bonus, you get to eat immediately after the session). I limited myself to a single upper body circuit, with the only enhancement being that I did 15 reps of all sets except the overhead lifts (where I still did 10).
Tuesday and Wednesday, I repeated the dose. Poor discipline, I know, in that I didn't break it with core/lower body work. But, hey, I actually found myself wanting to do the upper body so I went with it on this occasion.
Thursday, took a day off of exercise in accord with good practice.
Friday, onset of current illness (had felt it coming on on Thursday), no exercise despite the glorious weather and having a day off sick.
Today, who knows?
Fridge
Saturday 30 August 2014
Friday 29 August 2014
Sunday Skate - river sprints
I've let my posting slip over the past week. Sorry about that.
Last Sunday evening I was a little sore in the core after the Wheelers game the night before. It was a lazy day and would have been very easy to just avoid the opportunity to go skating at some point in the afternoon. Luckily, I resisted my inertia and got on my skates.
Was initially going to go down to the school and get a bit of stick n puck practice in, but upon reflection decided that skating is the core skill in hockey and that was what should therefore get first priority in my very limited skating time at present.
The next issue, go down the school or the river? I didn't make up my mind until I was at the bottom of my own street. Feeling 'casual', I decided to go down the river. Also, feeling 'guilty' about my constant negotiation with my 'lazy gene', I decided to build in something in the way of training for more than mere balance and cardio vascular exercise. On the way, I decided, I would throw in a series of high intensity sprints. This is, after all, the particular skating technique that I wanted to develop over winter.
I was gone for about 25 minutes, covered the 2-3 km 'short' circuit I have. In that time I had about ten 'sprint sessions', where I just went flat out in a straight line for a limited distance. The distance varied between 10 and 50 metres, and about half of the sprints were up some degree of incline. On at least three occasions I got to the point where I felt the thigh muscles 'burning'. After each sprint I cruised/glided with minimum energy expenditure for at least the time I'd been sprinting. By the final uphill sprints I was finding that my body was recovering quicker from the exertions than it had during the first few.
A good use of a half hour of time on a beautiful evening.
Last Sunday evening I was a little sore in the core after the Wheelers game the night before. It was a lazy day and would have been very easy to just avoid the opportunity to go skating at some point in the afternoon. Luckily, I resisted my inertia and got on my skates.
Was initially going to go down to the school and get a bit of stick n puck practice in, but upon reflection decided that skating is the core skill in hockey and that was what should therefore get first priority in my very limited skating time at present.
The next issue, go down the school or the river? I didn't make up my mind until I was at the bottom of my own street. Feeling 'casual', I decided to go down the river. Also, feeling 'guilty' about my constant negotiation with my 'lazy gene', I decided to build in something in the way of training for more than mere balance and cardio vascular exercise. On the way, I decided, I would throw in a series of high intensity sprints. This is, after all, the particular skating technique that I wanted to develop over winter.
I was gone for about 25 minutes, covered the 2-3 km 'short' circuit I have. In that time I had about ten 'sprint sessions', where I just went flat out in a straight line for a limited distance. The distance varied between 10 and 50 metres, and about half of the sprints were up some degree of incline. On at least three occasions I got to the point where I felt the thigh muscles 'burning'. After each sprint I cruised/glided with minimum energy expenditure for at least the time I'd been sprinting. By the final uphill sprints I was finding that my body was recovering quicker from the exertions than it had during the first few.
A good use of a half hour of time on a beautiful evening.
Saturday 23 August 2014
Game Day - Wheelers (3) d Shufflers (1)
We finished the regular winter season with a nice win in the last game at Gawler tonight. For the first time this season we played with a full bench (six skaters plus a goalie), with our regular five skaters plus a 'reserve' of Nick (from the Bumpers). Matt the Goalie is still recovering from his knee injury, so again we had Dylan Powell as our goalie.
I was in the opening line again, which we kept to a short shift of just over a minute. It was a fairly high speed session, with each side threatening but not getting a shot in. The following seven minutes were like that with some noteable clashes around our goal area. At least once I crashed into my opposition Mark at almost a perpendicular angle near the back board at high speed when he wasn't expecting it, and unintentionally checked him on the boards again in the following shift when I spun to change direction on our end board, consequently blocking him from pushing through to the puck (used my body to hold him there a second or two until reinforcements arrived).
The scoring opened with a rush on goal by Alex and Nick, Alex's rebound collected by himself and passed to Nick who slotted it.
Five minutes later, Alex and I combined in a neat fashion where I passed the puck to him, he shot and collected the rebound on the board while I skated in closer, and then he passed it to me for a one timer (!) that went sweetly off my blade into the top corner of the net above the sprawled goalie. It was perhaps the nicest feeling goal I've yet scored in competition, there was no way it was going to be stopped once I'd connected. We went into half time 2-0 up and our bench was feeling pretty good.
The second half was marked more by a mass assault on our goal than anything else. We did get a nice third goal when Merrilyn and Matt the skater passed off between themselves and then onto Brenton near the goal mouth who pushed the puck home hard through a three inch gap that the goalie had left. Apart from this, though, they got about three times as many shots off as we did in the last half, so we owe a lot to Dylan the goalie and his decisive and sure keeping.
If one counted blocked shots, the disparity in shot attempts would have been even higher in the second half. I collected one full blooded shot from Mark on my right inside ankle (luckily, on the boot and not the bare skin and bone) - skating across the open half of the goal mouth to cover the approaching puck carrier after a cross goal pass, when he got the shot off and I got my foot in its way. It stung a bit, but probably will bruise. It would have been a goal if I hadn't kicked out to block the puck travelling about six inches above the floor. I noticed at least two other solidly blocked shots off of Wheelers legs or boots.
Craig, playing as a reserve in the Shufflers, got their only goal with an opportunist strike from just over the centre line. After he'd done this I noticed that there were maybe three or four more similar shots by his team mates, to no avail. I was on the floor for the final mad minute when again they charged the net and there was a tangle of bodies and extended goal keeper. In the dying seconds I charged at our net to pull the puck away from the goalie and out, taking a hit from the rushing Shuffler and her stick as she swung to hit the puck in before Dylan could fall on it. A very close run thing but I'd put it down as a save.
I was on the floor for about 15 or so minutes, only the one long shift. I think I lost all of the six or so faceoffs I took, but none resulted in significant advantage to them. I again had only the one (this time successful) shot on goal. I was pleased with my goal and some of my passes (particularly a couple long stretch pass to Matt that went tape to tape). They seemed to be either onto my team mate's stick or in front of them (including at least once where it went through their legs onto the forehand side where the stick was).
As a team we played a good balanced game, albeit with a bit too much dump and chase tactics in the last half which kept returning possession to the Shufflers. We had quite a bit of communication, though still not enough. Alex was starting to use his backhand and help out more on the backcheck (I think he was pretty happy with his game after the shock of not getting a goal (he had two assists)).
In two weeks, we play them again in the Prelim final.
GP 10 G 8 A 7 TP 15 +14 7/2/1
I was in the opening line again, which we kept to a short shift of just over a minute. It was a fairly high speed session, with each side threatening but not getting a shot in. The following seven minutes were like that with some noteable clashes around our goal area. At least once I crashed into my opposition Mark at almost a perpendicular angle near the back board at high speed when he wasn't expecting it, and unintentionally checked him on the boards again in the following shift when I spun to change direction on our end board, consequently blocking him from pushing through to the puck (used my body to hold him there a second or two until reinforcements arrived).
The scoring opened with a rush on goal by Alex and Nick, Alex's rebound collected by himself and passed to Nick who slotted it.
Five minutes later, Alex and I combined in a neat fashion where I passed the puck to him, he shot and collected the rebound on the board while I skated in closer, and then he passed it to me for a one timer (!) that went sweetly off my blade into the top corner of the net above the sprawled goalie. It was perhaps the nicest feeling goal I've yet scored in competition, there was no way it was going to be stopped once I'd connected. We went into half time 2-0 up and our bench was feeling pretty good.
The second half was marked more by a mass assault on our goal than anything else. We did get a nice third goal when Merrilyn and Matt the skater passed off between themselves and then onto Brenton near the goal mouth who pushed the puck home hard through a three inch gap that the goalie had left. Apart from this, though, they got about three times as many shots off as we did in the last half, so we owe a lot to Dylan the goalie and his decisive and sure keeping.
If one counted blocked shots, the disparity in shot attempts would have been even higher in the second half. I collected one full blooded shot from Mark on my right inside ankle (luckily, on the boot and not the bare skin and bone) - skating across the open half of the goal mouth to cover the approaching puck carrier after a cross goal pass, when he got the shot off and I got my foot in its way. It stung a bit, but probably will bruise. It would have been a goal if I hadn't kicked out to block the puck travelling about six inches above the floor. I noticed at least two other solidly blocked shots off of Wheelers legs or boots.
Craig, playing as a reserve in the Shufflers, got their only goal with an opportunist strike from just over the centre line. After he'd done this I noticed that there were maybe three or four more similar shots by his team mates, to no avail. I was on the floor for the final mad minute when again they charged the net and there was a tangle of bodies and extended goal keeper. In the dying seconds I charged at our net to pull the puck away from the goalie and out, taking a hit from the rushing Shuffler and her stick as she swung to hit the puck in before Dylan could fall on it. A very close run thing but I'd put it down as a save.
I was on the floor for about 15 or so minutes, only the one long shift. I think I lost all of the six or so faceoffs I took, but none resulted in significant advantage to them. I again had only the one (this time successful) shot on goal. I was pleased with my goal and some of my passes (particularly a couple long stretch pass to Matt that went tape to tape). They seemed to be either onto my team mate's stick or in front of them (including at least once where it went through their legs onto the forehand side where the stick was).
As a team we played a good balanced game, albeit with a bit too much dump and chase tactics in the last half which kept returning possession to the Shufflers. We had quite a bit of communication, though still not enough. Alex was starting to use his backhand and help out more on the backcheck (I think he was pretty happy with his game after the shock of not getting a goal (he had two assists)).
In two weeks, we play them again in the Prelim final.
GP 10 G 8 A 7 TP 15 +14 7/2/1
Saturday 16 August 2014
Game Day - Wheelers (6) d Rockers (0)
I had an enjoyable return to competitive hockey tonight, playing for the first time in about six weeks (and not a lot of skating in between). As the game approached I was a little nervous about how I'd go, lacking match conditioning and having had no skills practice for over a week were bound to have an effect. My strategy was to use my head, and take short shifts wherever possible.
The game got off with a blast as they tried to overwhelm us in the first minute. I seemed to be everywhere, crashing twice to the floor in that time. The first was a full frontal face cage to face cage clash over the puck which floored us both in front of our goal, the second was on the forecheck against the boards stopping them getting the breakout pass. About half a minute later I was playing high in the slot, delayed on a shot and instead passed it with full force to Matt the Skater as he hovered in front of the crease. His shot was more a deflection and went in sweetly. Our second goal of the first half was a gutsy peformance between Marilyn and Matt, picking up rebounds and passing and shooting about three times in the one sequence before sinking it. 2-0 at half time.
The second half saw more of the same, with Alex perhaps holding the puck more than I would have liked, but he featured in all the goals by either scoring or assisting, so who am I to say? Me, I played a much stronger defense role (having told our goalie, Dylan, to tell me what to do because I'd be listening). On several occasions I provided the safe reset option for an attack that bogged down, and certainly derailed several of their counterattacks.
Dylan in his second ever game as goalie didn't let any of their sixteen shots in, was very athletic and has a good eye for the puck. Which, when combined with his courage and decisiveness made for an entertaining performance. I nearly left him high and dry in the last minute with a totally failed pick up of the puck. I did however pick off the rebound and had my only technical shot on goal, from close to our own goal!
I used the boards a lot to chip it up the rink when clearing out of defence, and found my two main opponents were Craig in the first half (mainly played him 'indirectly', by shutting off his passing option and forcing him to try and pass around our forwards) and Rebecca in the second (several times made sure that I interfered with her stick enough with mine to prevent her getting a rhythm up with her skillful deking, allowing in turn for a contest on more even terms where my basic turning and skating ability could prevail). On several occasions I was limited to just tying them up for a few seconds to give our slower attackers time to get back and cover the options. All the time, I played conservative (ie avoided pinching forwards if I was in the defence role) and closed off options as much as possible to allow Dylan a better chance in goal.
I was very happy with my game and with the way the team functioned. I played about 13 minutes, in more shifts than usual (ie shorter and more frequent shifts). I didn't lose any of my six or so faceoffs. I was on the floor for two of our goals.
The Wheelers are now locked into second spot on the ladder for the regular season, of which there is one more game. This is good as it gives us a second chance should we lose the preliminary. Next week we play the Shufflers (top), a prelude to playing them again in the prelim final. If we play like we did tonight, I reckon we can take them down.
GP 9 G 7 A 7 Pts 14 +13 6/2/1
The game got off with a blast as they tried to overwhelm us in the first minute. I seemed to be everywhere, crashing twice to the floor in that time. The first was a full frontal face cage to face cage clash over the puck which floored us both in front of our goal, the second was on the forecheck against the boards stopping them getting the breakout pass. About half a minute later I was playing high in the slot, delayed on a shot and instead passed it with full force to Matt the Skater as he hovered in front of the crease. His shot was more a deflection and went in sweetly. Our second goal of the first half was a gutsy peformance between Marilyn and Matt, picking up rebounds and passing and shooting about three times in the one sequence before sinking it. 2-0 at half time.
The second half saw more of the same, with Alex perhaps holding the puck more than I would have liked, but he featured in all the goals by either scoring or assisting, so who am I to say? Me, I played a much stronger defense role (having told our goalie, Dylan, to tell me what to do because I'd be listening). On several occasions I provided the safe reset option for an attack that bogged down, and certainly derailed several of their counterattacks.
Dylan in his second ever game as goalie didn't let any of their sixteen shots in, was very athletic and has a good eye for the puck. Which, when combined with his courage and decisiveness made for an entertaining performance. I nearly left him high and dry in the last minute with a totally failed pick up of the puck. I did however pick off the rebound and had my only technical shot on goal, from close to our own goal!
I used the boards a lot to chip it up the rink when clearing out of defence, and found my two main opponents were Craig in the first half (mainly played him 'indirectly', by shutting off his passing option and forcing him to try and pass around our forwards) and Rebecca in the second (several times made sure that I interfered with her stick enough with mine to prevent her getting a rhythm up with her skillful deking, allowing in turn for a contest on more even terms where my basic turning and skating ability could prevail). On several occasions I was limited to just tying them up for a few seconds to give our slower attackers time to get back and cover the options. All the time, I played conservative (ie avoided pinching forwards if I was in the defence role) and closed off options as much as possible to allow Dylan a better chance in goal.
I was very happy with my game and with the way the team functioned. I played about 13 minutes, in more shifts than usual (ie shorter and more frequent shifts). I didn't lose any of my six or so faceoffs. I was on the floor for two of our goals.
The Wheelers are now locked into second spot on the ladder for the regular season, of which there is one more game. This is good as it gives us a second chance should we lose the preliminary. Next week we play the Shufflers (top), a prelude to playing them again in the prelim final. If we play like we did tonight, I reckon we can take them down.
GP 9 G 7 A 7 Pts 14 +13 6/2/1
Friday 15 August 2014
Game Day - Bumpers (4) d Wheelers (2)
Late on Saturday night I finally gathered the courage to log in from Geelong and check how my inline team, The Wheelers, had gone in their Round 10 game back in Gawler. Sadly, we lost. This was the second win in a row by the Bumpers, they'll be chuffed. It looks like Marilyn and Alex seem to be consistently in the thick of it, with Matt the skater chipping in for his usual goal. Besides myself, Matt the goalie and Brenton were absent, so half our team would have been fill ins. The Bumpers had a couple also. I remain in the top five for both assists (equal with two others with 6) and for points (4th, 13 points). We remain second on the ladder (the Rockers and Shufflers had a 2 all draw, which keeps us a half game ahead of the Rockers, and the Shufflers a game and a half clear of us) with two games to go before the finals.
I'm looking forward to returning to the roster on Saturday. I'll have to try and get an hour or two's skating in between now and then. Even so, I'll need to be careful to skate fairly short shifts, and make sure the rest of the team does also.
I'm looking forward to returning to the roster on Saturday. I'll have to try and get an hour or two's skating in between now and then. Even so, I'll need to be careful to skate fairly short shifts, and make sure the rest of the team does also.
Thursday 14 August 2014
Skating at Geelong
Posted upon getting back home from 2200km road trip.
Last Saturday morning I had the pleasure of skating (inline) with another part of the clan I've never been skating with before, this time around one of the new developments near Geelong. Three metre wide footpaths had lit my interest upon our arrival the night before, so my intentions had been clear. Sure enough, Banjo, River and Nick all came with as I left their home where we'd been staying for an hour or so trip up the street to the nearest swing park. While they'd delayed there, I did a circuit of the nearby lake, followed by a few simple transitioning figure eights on a flat bit of concrete before we all returned home. I didn't have a load of power in my legs, and even after about 3km wasn't on top of my breathing.
That evening I went out again, this time on my own. I set off in another direction, and explored the neighborhood as far as I could in each direction. Probably a total of 5km at higher speed than the morning and with less fatigue effects.
I got back near to sunset, to find that Banjo had put on his older brother's skates (who had grown out of them) and was waiting for me. So we spent about the next half hour on the path near their home, learning the basics of balance and stopping. He's pretty good at sport and had been skating a couple times before which, combined with his age meant that he was on top of the basics by the time we'd finished. I think he thought I was pretty good at it and only being polite when I said that if he kept it up he'd be better than me in a year. When I told him I'd been skating for eight months and he'd had a chance to figure it out, I think he realised that I was realistically complimenting him.
It will be interesting to see what he makes of it.
Sunday 10 August 2014
Small Ice Blues
Posted from Yackandandah, 1300 km from home.
Last Wednesday night I had knocked off work pretty well totally worn out after a final bid to finish off what needed doing before the final bus. I'd failed, but had at least worked out not much time would be required on the first day of my holiday to ensure that I could go away with something like a clean conscience. So, although tired out and not totally on holiday, I knew I soon would be, so I was at least of pretty good spirits. So when Nancy said to go skating it was the best idea I'd heard all day. It had been since almost two weeks before that I'd been on the ice.So, a bit of a shock to turn up and pay my money and get out on the rink to have one of the 'SOS' volunteers tell me that a new 'policy' was in play on the small ice, and that there would be NO backwards skating on it at ANY time. Even if it was the only ice open for public skating, and even if the majority of skaters are at least basically competent, and even if there is almost no one on the rink. Which sounded totally ridiculous to me.
So I tried to lodge a complaint with the enforcer, and ended up doing so with the duty manager, who ended up sending it up the chain (presumably to manager and on to the board) after considering my arguments for doing so. We ended up having quite a lengthy conversation about what had happened and why. I won't say I'll agree with what is happening, but I can see why. It is disappointing that it comes down to someone being allowed to screw up at the wrong time, and us all having to pay the price now. Bit of a shame, really.
Anyways, I got in 90 minutes of skating, probably did a hundred or so stops in that time. And I didn't skate backwards for more than a couple strides at a time (ie. arguably spins), which was pretty good I guess because I have developed a bad habit of skating backwards in the neutral zone - which isn't generally very wise at all when you think about it.
So maybe I need to do limit myself to skating forwards for an entire session, in similar fashion to what the new rule did on Wednesday night?!
Thursday 7 August 2014
Good luck Tyler!
One of my favourite hockey blogs for over a year now has been Mc79, a statistical analytical oiler fan blog. The guy that wrote all the posts and did all the number crunching was Tyler Dellow, a mad oilers fan living in Toronto. I learned a lot from his stats, more from his writing. I was lucky to be introduced to this aspect of the game by this guy. I think his site had the most readable content in the field, and thus the most accessable. The fact that he's an oilers fan just made it all the more relevant. And the fact that the content was pretty good? Well, that just made the whole exercise even more valuable.
The other night I went to check his blog. It wasn't up any more. It's been going for about ten years. There'd been no warning. This was weird. My first thought was 'oh no, something bad has happened to Tyler.' I nosed around a bit on a few news sites. I learned there that something else had happened.
Tyler has in fact been hired as an advisor to the Oilers' coach, Dallas Eakins! I presume part of the deal was he take down all the freely available analysis he's posted over the years. 'Great!' to the first, 'Bugga!' to the second. For him, personally, I am very happy. For me, and all the other readers of his site like me, I am sad. For us readers who are also Oilers fans, I guess it all cancels out and I'll wait and see how it pans out.
In the meantime, I just want to say a big THANKS to Tyler for introducing me to a whole 'deep' level of this game I've come to love, and say that I really hope it all works out for you!
The other night I went to check his blog. It wasn't up any more. It's been going for about ten years. There'd been no warning. This was weird. My first thought was 'oh no, something bad has happened to Tyler.' I nosed around a bit on a few news sites. I learned there that something else had happened.
Tyler has in fact been hired as an advisor to the Oilers' coach, Dallas Eakins! I presume part of the deal was he take down all the freely available analysis he's posted over the years. 'Great!' to the first, 'Bugga!' to the second. For him, personally, I am very happy. For me, and all the other readers of his site like me, I am sad. For us readers who are also Oilers fans, I guess it all cancels out and I'll wait and see how it pans out.
In the meantime, I just want to say a big THANKS to Tyler for introducing me to a whole 'deep' level of this game I've come to love, and say that I really hope it all works out for you!
Monday 4 August 2014
Mid season off season off ice evolution
Regular readers will know that I am about half way through a midseason offseason break from competitive hockey. I haven't played a regular season game for over three weeks, nor any shinnies, and tomorrow will mark the third week since any formal training. Even worse, it has been eight days since I donned a pair of skates! It's partly been due the weather, partly due family and excessive work commitments, mainly due choice (after all, there's always a means if there is enough desire).
The logic behind the situation is that, seeing as there was a break from training and games for two weeks, and then an ongoing break from match play for another almost four weeks with the prospect of the build up towards summer season ice hockey to follow, now would be about the only chance for a real break this side of christmas. So, I might as well take the opportunity to give myself a total break (or, close to) and come back refreshed (even if out of condition).
A twist was added to the situation when, in the last two competitive hockey games I played (a Vikings inline game and a Noarlunga ice shinny) I was beaten in play by strength and power (plus size). Also, in the last academy session of the term, I experienced where I could benefit in my skating from increased strength and stability through Sami's drilling. Conincidentally, I learned that the only time that pro hockey players really get to work on strength per se in their off ice training is in a window of five or so weeks in the summer 'break'. I thought I'd follow suit (in a stepped down amature program more suited to my own strength conditioning needs in low grade leagues and a middle aged body).
Core to this has been a program of workouts at home, average of about five days a week. Alternating between upper and lower body/core, concentration on muscle growth and absolute strength. There has been a concomitant change to my diet to take account of my body's needs. If I flag in my desire ever, I remind myself how I don't want to be pushed off the puck so easily. It's all part of the overall strategy to become a more dangerous player when summer season kicks off.
After this present phase, it will be a return to inline competition/training, and concentration on conditioning when on the ice (while I refind my ice legs). That should merge into summer season quite nicely...
The logic behind the situation is that, seeing as there was a break from training and games for two weeks, and then an ongoing break from match play for another almost four weeks with the prospect of the build up towards summer season ice hockey to follow, now would be about the only chance for a real break this side of christmas. So, I might as well take the opportunity to give myself a total break (or, close to) and come back refreshed (even if out of condition).
A twist was added to the situation when, in the last two competitive hockey games I played (a Vikings inline game and a Noarlunga ice shinny) I was beaten in play by strength and power (plus size). Also, in the last academy session of the term, I experienced where I could benefit in my skating from increased strength and stability through Sami's drilling. Conincidentally, I learned that the only time that pro hockey players really get to work on strength per se in their off ice training is in a window of five or so weeks in the summer 'break'. I thought I'd follow suit (in a stepped down amature program more suited to my own strength conditioning needs in low grade leagues and a middle aged body).
Core to this has been a program of workouts at home, average of about five days a week. Alternating between upper and lower body/core, concentration on muscle growth and absolute strength. There has been a concomitant change to my diet to take account of my body's needs. If I flag in my desire ever, I remind myself how I don't want to be pushed off the puck so easily. It's all part of the overall strategy to become a more dangerous player when summer season kicks off.
After this present phase, it will be a return to inline competition/training, and concentration on conditioning when on the ice (while I refind my ice legs). That should merge into summer season quite nicely...
*
Recently I acquired another dumb-bell, complete with selection of weights (Thanks Jess!). So I pared it back to the bar and 2x1 kg weights and used it and my original in an expanded upper body circuit last night. This has now expanded to the following (all with two dumb bells in use at same time, now that I have them):
15 x curls
15 x forward extensions
15 x sideways extension
10 x 'schwarzenager' curl/pec opening/upwards extensions
15 x upward extensions
10 x pushups
15 x seated buttefly crunches
15 x kneeling 'donkey kicks' (one side at a time)
1 x 45s planks
REPEAT
Tonight, despite my tiredness and general lethargy, I managed to get in an upperbody workout:
15 x squats
15 x ankle lifts (each ankle)
20 x lunges
1 x 45s plank
15 x pushups
REPEAT followed by 5 x 20s double leg ab presses
On Saturday, I also performed double sets of 10 x quadrapeds (an alternate to the 'superman plank'). I thought I'd give myself a break tonight, considering the hour (started at 10pm).
Well, that about does it for now. I hope to keep going the next two nights, give myself a break on Thursday when I drive to Victoria with Nancy for the start of a week's holiday. We'll be packing ourselves a 'gym bag' of equipment, mats, clothes, so we can keep up with our individual programs on the road. Who would have guessed this a year ago?!
All good.
Sunday 3 August 2014
Blast Off
Yesterday afternoon was B's first Ice Blast session for the current term. Ice Blast is a six week program (scattered across about 8 weeks due conflicting demands on the ice) for 6-12 year olds designed to introduce them to the basics of ice hockey. We had grabbed the last spot in the current round a couple months ago and have been eagerly awaiting its commencement. As expected it was a real blast!
Earlier in the afternoon I went and checked the gear I scored earlier this year in a package deal from Vince the Monaro Man. We'd already sorted out which of the shoulder pads and gloves and helmets fitted B, that the knee pads and elbow pads did, that the hockey pants didn't (I'd sorted this with the organisers, we'd use a pair of theirs), that all the various acroutments (boxer shorts with inbuilt protector, hockey socks, neck guard and hockey sweater) were suitable. B had his skates, stick and mouthguard. We had a big Bauer bag for it all. The only issue I still had to deal with was the missing chin strap on the helmet. I solved that by taking the strap off the spare and modifying very slightly so it would fit. Then, off to the Ice Arena to meet B and the crew.
As is fitting, the first experience the kids got was of a 'crowded' change room. Or at least, it appeared crowded to B (though I know from experience that a hockey change room can get a lot more crowded than what it was yesterday). There were about a dozen children ranging in age from 4 - 12, fairly evenly scattered in the age range. It took about half an hour to get B kitted up, including in his 'new' hockey pants we now have on loan (to be traded back when he outgrows them). He certainly looked the part when he went out to the entrance to the rink.
They had an hour of ice time. The first twenty or so minutes was 'free' to let the organisers work out who could skate and who couldn't and the kids to get used to whole situation. B and a couple of the older boys checked out their skating skills in their bulky gear, tried hitting around either the light blue plastic pucks used for junior training or the soccer balls that were floating around.
Then, the kids got split into two groups based on skating ability, the beginners down one end and the relatively skilled up the other. My view, B was probably the best skater of the kids (due his hard work and lessons over the past six months, no surprise there). The lesson was still generally free form, with Coach pulling them in and putting them through their paces at different moments with simple back and forth 'tests' across the ice. Again, primary purpose was assessment, but also was used to give the kids a few ideas on what they'll be learning and how to do it.
B came out of it at the end feeling more tired out than he thought he would, and certainly a lot more sweaty! I think he was a bit 'shell shocked' from the huge amount of sensory and conceptual inputs he'd experienced across the hour - made me think of how I felt after my first experiences with stick'n'puck. He had looked very very comfortable out there and I don't doubt that if he keeps going he'll be surpassing me by this time next year at the absolute latest.
We got home and found a safe place to store his gear while he awaits the next session. I'll miss it as am on holiday, but will get to as many as I can over the next couple of months.
What a blast!
Earlier in the afternoon I went and checked the gear I scored earlier this year in a package deal from Vince the Monaro Man. We'd already sorted out which of the shoulder pads and gloves and helmets fitted B, that the knee pads and elbow pads did, that the hockey pants didn't (I'd sorted this with the organisers, we'd use a pair of theirs), that all the various acroutments (boxer shorts with inbuilt protector, hockey socks, neck guard and hockey sweater) were suitable. B had his skates, stick and mouthguard. We had a big Bauer bag for it all. The only issue I still had to deal with was the missing chin strap on the helmet. I solved that by taking the strap off the spare and modifying very slightly so it would fit. Then, off to the Ice Arena to meet B and the crew.
As is fitting, the first experience the kids got was of a 'crowded' change room. Or at least, it appeared crowded to B (though I know from experience that a hockey change room can get a lot more crowded than what it was yesterday). There were about a dozen children ranging in age from 4 - 12, fairly evenly scattered in the age range. It took about half an hour to get B kitted up, including in his 'new' hockey pants we now have on loan (to be traded back when he outgrows them). He certainly looked the part when he went out to the entrance to the rink.
They had an hour of ice time. The first twenty or so minutes was 'free' to let the organisers work out who could skate and who couldn't and the kids to get used to whole situation. B and a couple of the older boys checked out their skating skills in their bulky gear, tried hitting around either the light blue plastic pucks used for junior training or the soccer balls that were floating around.
Then, the kids got split into two groups based on skating ability, the beginners down one end and the relatively skilled up the other. My view, B was probably the best skater of the kids (due his hard work and lessons over the past six months, no surprise there). The lesson was still generally free form, with Coach pulling them in and putting them through their paces at different moments with simple back and forth 'tests' across the ice. Again, primary purpose was assessment, but also was used to give the kids a few ideas on what they'll be learning and how to do it.
B came out of it at the end feeling more tired out than he thought he would, and certainly a lot more sweaty! I think he was a bit 'shell shocked' from the huge amount of sensory and conceptual inputs he'd experienced across the hour - made me think of how I felt after my first experiences with stick'n'puck. He had looked very very comfortable out there and I don't doubt that if he keeps going he'll be surpassing me by this time next year at the absolute latest.
We got home and found a safe place to store his gear while he awaits the next session. I'll miss it as am on holiday, but will get to as many as I can over the next couple of months.
What a blast!
*
Thursday and Friday had become 'rest days' due my inactivity, so yesterday morning I returned to the off ice ice training commitment I've made for my present midseason offseason, doing a twenty minute lower body workout before breakfast. I put together what I've been shown by Nancy, Jess, Shane and what I've read in a couple books I have to fine tune the basic circuit I've settled on. As I hadn't felt that I'd been pushing it in the lower body over past couple weeks I shortened the sets to ten reps each, and then repeated them. I was certainly feeling it after I'd stretched down. This morning, can feel the various muscles that were particularly worked, and they are actually the ones I wanted to!
So, all good.
Friday 1 August 2014
5 Hockey Movies
Over the past year I've managed to watch a few hockey movies. Probably a dozen or so. Which is a lot for me (who generally doesn't watch many movies of any description). Some were pretty good. Some were pretty bad. For what it's worth, and for those that like hearing about these sorts of things, here's my five favourites:
None of the sequels. It is, afterall, rare that a sequel is as good as the original. You can find them all online if you look hard enough.
Slapshot
Miracle
The Mighty Ducks
Mystery Alaska
Goon
None of the sequels. It is, afterall, rare that a sequel is as good as the original. You can find them all online if you look hard enough.
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