Well, that was just about as weird as I thought it would be. It was strange enough being on the other end of the ice from my teammates, but when play started and I had to yell "man on", etc., to the team I was playing for, I felt like a traitor. This team, however, was made up of all 20-something girls fresh out of college, with absolutely boundless energy and amazing skill. As a result, I didn't have to do too much. I think I had 5 or 6 shots. Which was absolutely fine with me, except for the fact that it meant that Bacardi was getting absolutely hammered (haha no pun intended) at the other end. The final score was 11-0, and it could have been much, much worse if the Wunderkinds hadn't backed off and focused on passing instead of making it a shooting gallery.
The strangest thing for me was seeing our team from a perspective I never see them; that of the other goalie. I am very glad I don't have to face #66, our very strong power forward, with a foaming-at-the-mouth tenacity for puck possession and a wicked shot. Seeing her come flying in on the forecheck was pretty intimidating! And our diminutive but speedy center known as "Pirate" was just as annoying around the net as she is in practice. No one ever seems to notice her buzzing around on the back door. So, in that regard it was pretty cool, seeing our forwards in action from a perspective other than hustling down on a backcheck or executing a breakout. Still, that is something I will never do again. Ever. It was just too weird. I had to stop thinking of them as the individual people they are and think of them as just some team in white. I have to say I am glad I got the shutout, if only because a goal on 5 shots would have made for a terrible save percentage going on the books.
We have another game today. By "we" I mean QC Red. (This multi-team thing is so confusing). It's a home game, early on a Sunday evening, so we'll have a bench full beyond bursting. I think all 17 of our players will be there, and so we'll probably doing some kind of team picture- I just hope it's before the game and not after. I'm going to be a very busy goalie today, this team we're facing is quite good. Two players who usually play on our tournament team are on this team, and it's always a fun challenge to face them.
Speaking of challenges, I have my work cut out for me. I've long known that I'm horribly un-flexible, in goalie terms, and today I had it unilaterally confirmed. Super awesome goalie fitness and training guru Maria Mountain posted a 9-point goalie assessment on her site a few days ago. Today I finally got around to taking it. I wasn't surprised by the results. In the area of mobility, I flunked big time. The only test I passed in that area was the one that was part of the butterfly flare widening program of hers that I did a while back. Hmmm... coincidence? Doubtful. Lesson learned: stretching DOES make a difference. Fortunately in stability and strength I passed with flying colors. But as she points out, what good are those if you don't have a strong foundation of mobility? Time to get to work on some serious stretching. I'd started planning out a fitness program that works with my schedule, and interestingly enough, I made stretching a big part of it, with injury prevention in mind. Hey, I'm 38, and I have had a few small reminders in the past week or so that my body is not as young as it used to be. But now I know exactly which areas to focus on. So I guess I'll spend a little less time on the stationary bike and a little more time stretching. My plan is to do the assessment again in 3 months and see if there is any improvement.
Oh yeah, and the lockout is over. Almost forgot about that. I'm of two minds about it. There's the "meh, whatever, I'm totally disgusted" part of me, but then there's the "ZOMG HOCKEY'S BACK!!!!!!!! THERE WILL BE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS! YEEEAHHHHHH!!!!" part. The latter part is winning out, but you can be sure I won't be buying any tickets or merchandise for quite a while. Will it matter much in the long run? Probably not. And if we all did that, the owners would cry even more poverty and there we go again... but at least it makes me feel like I'm not TOTALLY drinking the Kool-Aid. I just want to watch some hockey, dammit. The WJC was awesome and now that it's over I want more. Oh I get to watch Tuukka again? Yeah, I'm not that mad/disgusted. Give me the remote.
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Long Road Ahead
"Next game is Wednesday night and it's a big one. I told Senator as long as nothing's broken/torn in my knee I'm playing."
I really, honestly thought I did nothing more than badly bruise my knee, maybe at the worst, strain something. But Dr. K sent me for an x-ray, and because of the time of day, I had to wait until Monday to get that done. By Monday I was sure I had done something dreadful to my MCL and knew an x-ray wasn't going to reveal anything in that regard, but I had to start there, so I went.
When I saw Dr. K later that afternoon for the results, he walked out of the reception area with a fax in his hand and said "Is broken". I figured he was kidding. "No, really. Is broken." I just stood there saying "Oh my god" and he made me sit down. I guess he didn't want me passing out and breaking anything else. He took me to his office and explained what would happen next; I would pick up my x-rays and bring them to an orthopedist, who would immobilize my leg and give me more information. Oh dear lord. I AM A GOALIE I CAN'T HAVE A FRACTURED KNEECAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was a little dumbfounded so for some reason the next thing I asked him was if I would be able to drive. It's my left knee, but I drive a stick shift. "Ohhh, you have to be fancy! You have to drive clutch!", and launched into a monologue about how the last time he'd driven a stick shift was 30 years ago in Europe... As distraught as I was, I got a kick out of his rambling story-telling, so I asked him where he was from. "Ukraine!" he said proudly. And proceeded to tell me for the next 15 minutes all about being a doctor in the Ukraine, and his personal philosophy on patient care. I almost forgot how upset I was. I could sit and listen to this guy's stories for hours. In fact I think I'll write a separate post about them later. Freakin' gold.
Off to the orthopedist I went. I'm thanking every God and all my lucky stars that a) my kneecap didn't actually break all the way through, which would have required surgery (and much longer recovery) to repair, and b) that they didn't put me in a damn plaster cast. I'm now sporting an incredibly fashionable black-with-scads-of-velcro brace that goes from just above my ankle to my upper thigh. And it's not the kind that bends. My leg has to stay completely straight for four weeks (minimum) to let the bone heal. I am only allowed to take the brace off to shower, or if I want to ice my knee- as long as my leg stays straight. No cheating.
You bet your ass I'm not going to cheat. I'm going to follow his instructions to the letter, because I want to be back on the ice as soon as is safe. I am absolutely devastated that I'll be off the ice for 4 weeks, but what's even worse than that is not knowing how long the rehab process is going to be. Clearly, after not using the muscles in my leg for 4 weeks, they're going to be weak and atrophied and I'm going to need physiotherapy. I swear on everything that's holy, if I have to get on a stationary bike every single day that is what I will do. I will do whatever it takes to build that muscle back up and get back on the ice.
This has seriously rocked my world right now. I know it could be worse, much much worse, and I'm sure in a few days I will be feeling much better. But today, I was absolutely miserable. And it's not just missing hockey I'm having a hard time with. I am a very active person. Hockey, yoga, training off the ice. I've put a good 10 weeks into Maria's Ultimate Goalie Training program and it is absolutely killing me that all that work is going to go to waste and I'm going to have to start all over again, not even from square one, but from an even weaker point than where I was when I started. The thought of losing all this muscle and all this work is driving me nuts. And I am a bendy flexy person. When I sit, I usually have a foot under me, or am even cross-legged (yes, even in a chair). None of that now. I'm going to lose not only all the strength I've gained, but all the flexibility I've worked so hard to achieve with this program.
My only solace is that it's "only" four weeks, and hopefully I won't lose THAT much muscle in that period of time. All I can picture is GoalieHusband's leg after his knee surgery and months in a brace; it was like the leg of a totally different person. Obviously it won't be that bad, because I won't be in the brace as long, but that's what haunts me. Also, since I am in pretty good shape, hopefully I'll bounce back quickly once I start rehabbing.
For now though, it's going to be lots of bench observation. I suppose I might even learn something. But I will be at every single Hawks and QCat game. As much as it will kill me to see someone else in "my net", I need to be around my teams. I'm even going to the drunken brouhaha known as the "Goat Rodeo On Ice" on Friday. I might not be able to play, but I can still have a good time with my buddies. And if I'm around all the time they can't forget whose net that really is out there. Hopefully.
I really, honestly thought I did nothing more than badly bruise my knee, maybe at the worst, strain something. But Dr. K sent me for an x-ray, and because of the time of day, I had to wait until Monday to get that done. By Monday I was sure I had done something dreadful to my MCL and knew an x-ray wasn't going to reveal anything in that regard, but I had to start there, so I went.
When I saw Dr. K later that afternoon for the results, he walked out of the reception area with a fax in his hand and said "Is broken". I figured he was kidding. "No, really. Is broken." I just stood there saying "Oh my god" and he made me sit down. I guess he didn't want me passing out and breaking anything else. He took me to his office and explained what would happen next; I would pick up my x-rays and bring them to an orthopedist, who would immobilize my leg and give me more information. Oh dear lord. I AM A GOALIE I CAN'T HAVE A FRACTURED KNEECAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was a little dumbfounded so for some reason the next thing I asked him was if I would be able to drive. It's my left knee, but I drive a stick shift. "Ohhh, you have to be fancy! You have to drive clutch!", and launched into a monologue about how the last time he'd driven a stick shift was 30 years ago in Europe... As distraught as I was, I got a kick out of his rambling story-telling, so I asked him where he was from. "Ukraine!" he said proudly. And proceeded to tell me for the next 15 minutes all about being a doctor in the Ukraine, and his personal philosophy on patient care. I almost forgot how upset I was. I could sit and listen to this guy's stories for hours. In fact I think I'll write a separate post about them later. Freakin' gold.
Off to the orthopedist I went. I'm thanking every God and all my lucky stars that a) my kneecap didn't actually break all the way through, which would have required surgery (and much longer recovery) to repair, and b) that they didn't put me in a damn plaster cast. I'm now sporting an incredibly fashionable black-with-scads-of-velcro brace that goes from just above my ankle to my upper thigh. And it's not the kind that bends. My leg has to stay completely straight for four weeks (minimum) to let the bone heal. I am only allowed to take the brace off to shower, or if I want to ice my knee- as long as my leg stays straight. No cheating.
You bet your ass I'm not going to cheat. I'm going to follow his instructions to the letter, because I want to be back on the ice as soon as is safe. I am absolutely devastated that I'll be off the ice for 4 weeks, but what's even worse than that is not knowing how long the rehab process is going to be. Clearly, after not using the muscles in my leg for 4 weeks, they're going to be weak and atrophied and I'm going to need physiotherapy. I swear on everything that's holy, if I have to get on a stationary bike every single day that is what I will do. I will do whatever it takes to build that muscle back up and get back on the ice.
This has seriously rocked my world right now. I know it could be worse, much much worse, and I'm sure in a few days I will be feeling much better. But today, I was absolutely miserable. And it's not just missing hockey I'm having a hard time with. I am a very active person. Hockey, yoga, training off the ice. I've put a good 10 weeks into Maria's Ultimate Goalie Training program and it is absolutely killing me that all that work is going to go to waste and I'm going to have to start all over again, not even from square one, but from an even weaker point than where I was when I started. The thought of losing all this muscle and all this work is driving me nuts. And I am a bendy flexy person. When I sit, I usually have a foot under me, or am even cross-legged (yes, even in a chair). None of that now. I'm going to lose not only all the strength I've gained, but all the flexibility I've worked so hard to achieve with this program.
My only solace is that it's "only" four weeks, and hopefully I won't lose THAT much muscle in that period of time. All I can picture is GoalieHusband's leg after his knee surgery and months in a brace; it was like the leg of a totally different person. Obviously it won't be that bad, because I won't be in the brace as long, but that's what haunts me. Also, since I am in pretty good shape, hopefully I'll bounce back quickly once I start rehabbing.
For now though, it's going to be lots of bench observation. I suppose I might even learn something. But I will be at every single Hawks and QCat game. As much as it will kill me to see someone else in "my net", I need to be around my teams. I'm even going to the drunken brouhaha known as the "Goat Rodeo On Ice" on Friday. I might not be able to play, but I can still have a good time with my buddies. And if I'm around all the time they can't forget whose net that really is out there. Hopefully.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Just had to share...
When I first watched all the videos for the Ultimate Goalie Training, I remember giggling when Maria described all the muscle groups one particular exercise would work and then said "...so I think you'll really like- well, you won't like it. But it'll be good for you." Now at Week 7 in the training program, I've come to the workout with this exercise in it, and I watched the video to refresh my memory before starting out. I laughed again when she said that but knew I was going to really be in for it. And man, was I. You're supposed to do 3 sets of 10 reps of this puppy, and I eked out 4 reps before my body said "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Determined to try again, I did another set of 2 reps, and one final set of 2 reps after which I fell off the stability ball and crumbled to the floor. So no, Maria, I don't like it. In fact I hate it. But I'm now also determined to kick it's butt.
Yeah. Talk to me again in three weeks and see how much of it's butt I kicked. If I can do 3 sets of 4 reps it'll be a miracle.
One thing I can say about really difficult workouts is this: when you're done and you eat a giant bowl of yogurt, strawberries and granola? It tastes REALLY good. I might even have more.
Tomorrow night it's double-header time again: QCats in Westchester and then Hawks at 11. Maybe I should start napping now.
Yeah. Talk to me again in three weeks and see how much of it's butt I kicked. If I can do 3 sets of 4 reps it'll be a miracle.
One thing I can say about really difficult workouts is this: when you're done and you eat a giant bowl of yogurt, strawberries and granola? It tastes REALLY good. I might even have more.
Tomorrow night it's double-header time again: QCats in Westchester and then Hawks at 11. Maybe I should start napping now.
Friday, November 12, 2010
*THUD*
I have officially hit the wall. I was doing so well, except for the 2 days I was sick, right up until yesterday. And then I careened into the wall and came to a dead stop. I have been really digging the Ultimate Goalie Training but I'm not gonna lie- it's hard. The workouts themselves are tough, and being disciplined enough to get up really early and spend an hour or more on them isn't any easier. But I love the way I feel when I'm done and I love the improvements I'm already seeing, so I push onwards.
But man oh man, something has to change. I'm not sure if I need to slightly reduce the number of sets on certain things or maybe start eating a little more to replace the energy. Wednesday night I had a late practice, so I didn't get up early to work out on Thursday morning. By the time I got home from work I was so wiped out that I almost didn't make it through the Ranger game- I went straight to bed as soon as I saw the stick salute. And I had no intention whatsoever of getting up early today to either go play open hockey, or work out. I slept like the dead straight through to 6:30.
Here's how it's been going, on average:
Monday- usually have a very late Sunday game, so Monday morning is out.
Tuesday - up at 5, do one of the longer workouts
Wednesday - up at 5, medium length workout. 10pm, hockey practice
Thursday - nothing is happening on Thursday morning other than me sleeping as late as possible
Friday - up at 5 to work out, or to go play 2 hours of hockey
Saturday - up by 7, work out
Sunday - light workout, usually a hockey game at night
But this week I just couldn't do it. This morning I just could not drag myself out of bed and do it. And I really needed that sleep. So, what do I do? Cut out a rep here or there? Or start having some protein-rich snacks throughout the day? I think I'll try that first. I haven't been consuming any more calories since I started this than I was before. And since the goal isn't to lose weight, that's probably a factor in the wiped out feeling. If that doesn't work, I'll have to do a little less, but I hate the thought of doing that, because I'm already not keeping to the schedule as it is, with such late games/practices.
Oh yeah, and I really need to drink lots of water. I do great for a few days and then slack back off and barely drink any. Any fitness gurus out there with any input, please feel free to post a comment. But I'm thinking maybe a higher calorie intake (of the right stuff, obviously) might help.
Right now, though, I'm intaking calories in the form of fermented grapes and sugar. And about to watch Marty's return and (hopefully!) Khabibulin. Man, I love watching goalies.
But man oh man, something has to change. I'm not sure if I need to slightly reduce the number of sets on certain things or maybe start eating a little more to replace the energy. Wednesday night I had a late practice, so I didn't get up early to work out on Thursday morning. By the time I got home from work I was so wiped out that I almost didn't make it through the Ranger game- I went straight to bed as soon as I saw the stick salute. And I had no intention whatsoever of getting up early today to either go play open hockey, or work out. I slept like the dead straight through to 6:30.
Here's how it's been going, on average:
Monday- usually have a very late Sunday game, so Monday morning is out.
Tuesday - up at 5, do one of the longer workouts
Wednesday - up at 5, medium length workout. 10pm, hockey practice
Thursday - nothing is happening on Thursday morning other than me sleeping as late as possible
Friday - up at 5 to work out, or to go play 2 hours of hockey
Saturday - up by 7, work out
Sunday - light workout, usually a hockey game at night
But this week I just couldn't do it. This morning I just could not drag myself out of bed and do it. And I really needed that sleep. So, what do I do? Cut out a rep here or there? Or start having some protein-rich snacks throughout the day? I think I'll try that first. I haven't been consuming any more calories since I started this than I was before. And since the goal isn't to lose weight, that's probably a factor in the wiped out feeling. If that doesn't work, I'll have to do a little less, but I hate the thought of doing that, because I'm already not keeping to the schedule as it is, with such late games/practices.
Oh yeah, and I really need to drink lots of water. I do great for a few days and then slack back off and barely drink any. Any fitness gurus out there with any input, please feel free to post a comment. But I'm thinking maybe a higher calorie intake (of the right stuff, obviously) might help.
Right now, though, I'm intaking calories in the form of fermented grapes and sugar. And about to watch Marty's return and (hopefully!) Khabibulin. Man, I love watching goalies.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sleep deprivation and Twitter induced crankiness ahead
Either it's my crappy computer or Twitter is fubar'd. I've been trying to tweet and it keeps telling me "oops! we did something wrong!" Ok, so fix it. I might have a meltdown if I can't ask the incredibly important question that came to me while watching a Caps game and I didn't have my phone nearby to tweet from.
So in the mean time, I'll blog. There's really not a whole heck of a lot to say but that might be because my brain is completely fried. Our 11:10 pm game ended up being an 11:30 game last night because they cut they ice late (and very slowly- yet somehow there were still deep cuts in it). Another "L" on the board for the Hawks. I'm aggravated because I don't feel I played that great a game. But what else is new. We lost 7-6. I continue to believe a win is just around the corner for us... somewhere.
I'll just blame it on the ref. Before the game started, he came over and checked my net ('cause you know I just might be hiding pucks in there. 'cause goalies love having a puck hanging out in the back of their net for no reason), nodded, looked at me and said "Good luck tonight. Have fun." and clapped me on the shoulder before skating away. My first thought was "Wtf?! Thanks a lot, ass!". Then the normal part of my brain told the goalie part to unbunch her panties, that not everyone who says "good luck" to a goalie really actually means "eff you". I'm still a tad paranoid about it but I'll just pretend he was just being nice.
I'm also less than thrilled to report that after 6 weeks of stretching (almost) every day, I only gained 5.5" in the width of my butterfly flare. (Now there is a sentence that makes NO sense whatsoever to anyone but a goalie. And even then it sounds strangely dirty.) The challenge over at Goalie's Crease ended today and I know for sure that a few folks ended up with more progress than I did. That's ok though, 5.5 more inches is still 5.5 more inches right? (Really, really, really behaving myself here....)
And lastly, the jersey number decision has been made for me. I finally settled on 37, but I am a giant momo, because I completely forgot that number is retired in the entire Quarry Cat organization, in memory of Michelle Polis. In the locker room after practice I asked the captain if I could have 37 and everyone stopped talking and stared at me. Yeah, hi, I'm the idiot in the corner over here. There's only a big 37 in a giant heart behind the net on both rinks. (In my defense.... when am I ever behind the net???) Her jersey is only framed and hanging in a box in the lobby too. And I only just played a tournament in her honor a few months ago. No reason why I should remember 37 is sacred ground at that rink.
Dumbass.
So, 39 it is. It's a good goalie number. It's not over-used, but it's not a number that makes you go "huh???" either.
Yeah I think it's time to take my rambly ass off to bed now. Maybe by now Twitter will let me post my incredibly important burning question.
So in the mean time, I'll blog. There's really not a whole heck of a lot to say but that might be because my brain is completely fried. Our 11:10 pm game ended up being an 11:30 game last night because they cut they ice late (and very slowly- yet somehow there were still deep cuts in it). Another "L" on the board for the Hawks. I'm aggravated because I don't feel I played that great a game. But what else is new. We lost 7-6. I continue to believe a win is just around the corner for us... somewhere.
I'll just blame it on the ref. Before the game started, he came over and checked my net ('cause you know I just might be hiding pucks in there. 'cause goalies love having a puck hanging out in the back of their net for no reason), nodded, looked at me and said "Good luck tonight. Have fun." and clapped me on the shoulder before skating away. My first thought was "Wtf?! Thanks a lot, ass!". Then the normal part of my brain told the goalie part to unbunch her panties, that not everyone who says "good luck" to a goalie really actually means "eff you". I'm still a tad paranoid about it but I'll just pretend he was just being nice.
I'm also less than thrilled to report that after 6 weeks of stretching (almost) every day, I only gained 5.5" in the width of my butterfly flare. (Now there is a sentence that makes NO sense whatsoever to anyone but a goalie. And even then it sounds strangely dirty.) The challenge over at Goalie's Crease ended today and I know for sure that a few folks ended up with more progress than I did. That's ok though, 5.5 more inches is still 5.5 more inches right? (Really, really, really behaving myself here....)
And lastly, the jersey number decision has been made for me. I finally settled on 37, but I am a giant momo, because I completely forgot that number is retired in the entire Quarry Cat organization, in memory of Michelle Polis. In the locker room after practice I asked the captain if I could have 37 and everyone stopped talking and stared at me. Yeah, hi, I'm the idiot in the corner over here. There's only a big 37 in a giant heart behind the net on both rinks. (In my defense.... when am I ever behind the net???) Her jersey is only framed and hanging in a box in the lobby too. And I only just played a tournament in her honor a few months ago. No reason why I should remember 37 is sacred ground at that rink.
Dumbass.
So, 39 it is. It's a good goalie number. It's not over-used, but it's not a number that makes you go "huh???" either.
Yeah I think it's time to take my rambly ass off to bed now. Maybe by now Twitter will let me post my incredibly important burning question.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why I Hate Running, and... Oyster-Glove!
It's funny how things work out. Yesterday I was going to come here and bitch about my first morning of working out at home and how much of a complete goat rodeo it was. But I'm working on the budget for two offices at work (which I really should be doing right now, shhh), so I didn't have any time. Which is good for you guys, because now at least I have some happy stuff to write about as well.
I'm still going to bitch about running though. I played field hockey in high school, and one of the things I had to do all summer to be prepared for the start of the season was run. And run some more. And keep running. I absolutely HATED it. (I wasn't too keen on field hockey itself either but that's another story). With that albeit distant memory in mind, I figured I could walk at a really fast clip to get my cardio in. I don't mind walking. I left my house at 5:45 a.m. with a planned route in mind. Unfortunately I didn't take into consideration that whole "it's dark at 5:45 a.m. now" issue. Fortunately half of my route had streetlights, so I did that half first, and by the time I was done with that it was light enough to do the rest. The problem is, halfway through I got frustrated because I wasn't getting my heart rate up enough, so I decided to throw in the towel and try running. It wasn't too bad actually. Until my hip tightened up on me (not sure what that's all about). And I got an enormous blister on the bottom of my heel. Still, wasn't awful. What I slowly became aware of throughout the day though, is just how brutal running is on your body. Knees, back, everything hurt. And today I'm walking aroudn like an old lady because my calves and shins are so sore. So... I don't think I'll be running again. Walking with a flashlight maybe. Because I definitely don't mind the dark as long as I can see where I'm going (and if someone's going to jump out and steal me).
But all that pain went away later in the day when I realized that not only is the Quarry Cats season starting (first practice was last night), but there will be a Hawks season after all!!! I can't express how elated I am about this. I LOVE THIS TEAM. It's going to be interesting because we've lost several full-timers and have subsquently brought in a bunch of new guys to fill the ranks. They're all guys Doc has been playing with, and GoalieHusband even played on their team once when he did a stint in the instructional league after his knee surgery. They're good guys. I'm looking forward to getting to know them.
I also had a nice warm-fuzzy moment at QC practice when the coach announced to the team that I will officially be their full time goalie this year. Yay stick-taps and cheers. Guess it's time to think about jersey numbers. I'll take suggestions, but here's the problem. These numbers are already taken: 33, 34, 35. No way in hell will I wear 30 because even though Lundqvist wears it*, if I play goal in NJ with a 30 on my back everyone will think it's because of MAAARRRTTTYYYYYY and we can't have that. So, that leaves a few possibilities: 1 (it is a "goalie number" but I've never really liked it), 26 (personal reasons), 37 (I like 7's), 39 (Hasek), 40 (Rask, but I'm really not a big fan of that number in general).
This also means that finally, finally at long last, the wheels of hockey season have begun turning. Practice on Wednesdays. Games on Saturday, Sunday/Monday. Open hockey here and there (have to keep up with that, because that's how I stay sharp). Which means the gear will almost never completely dry out. I've taken to describing the bliss of this carousel of hockey as "oyster glove" time, thanks to a fellow goalie on Twitter who once commented "man I love it when putting my glove on feels like sliding my hand into a warm oyster." Which is allll kinds of wrong and disgusting, but that's what makes it so great. So bring on the warm, damp, smelly gear, bitches. I revel in it. Ha!
*30 isn't "really" Lundqvist's number anyway. He's only wearing it because 35 is retired. Just sayin'.
I'm still going to bitch about running though. I played field hockey in high school, and one of the things I had to do all summer to be prepared for the start of the season was run. And run some more. And keep running. I absolutely HATED it. (I wasn't too keen on field hockey itself either but that's another story). With that albeit distant memory in mind, I figured I could walk at a really fast clip to get my cardio in. I don't mind walking. I left my house at 5:45 a.m. with a planned route in mind. Unfortunately I didn't take into consideration that whole "it's dark at 5:45 a.m. now" issue. Fortunately half of my route had streetlights, so I did that half first, and by the time I was done with that it was light enough to do the rest. The problem is, halfway through I got frustrated because I wasn't getting my heart rate up enough, so I decided to throw in the towel and try running. It wasn't too bad actually. Until my hip tightened up on me (not sure what that's all about). And I got an enormous blister on the bottom of my heel. Still, wasn't awful. What I slowly became aware of throughout the day though, is just how brutal running is on your body. Knees, back, everything hurt. And today I'm walking aroudn like an old lady because my calves and shins are so sore. So... I don't think I'll be running again. Walking with a flashlight maybe. Because I definitely don't mind the dark as long as I can see where I'm going (and if someone's going to jump out and steal me).
But all that pain went away later in the day when I realized that not only is the Quarry Cats season starting (first practice was last night), but there will be a Hawks season after all!!! I can't express how elated I am about this. I LOVE THIS TEAM. It's going to be interesting because we've lost several full-timers and have subsquently brought in a bunch of new guys to fill the ranks. They're all guys Doc has been playing with, and GoalieHusband even played on their team once when he did a stint in the instructional league after his knee surgery. They're good guys. I'm looking forward to getting to know them.
I also had a nice warm-fuzzy moment at QC practice when the coach announced to the team that I will officially be their full time goalie this year. Yay stick-taps and cheers. Guess it's time to think about jersey numbers. I'll take suggestions, but here's the problem. These numbers are already taken: 33, 34, 35. No way in hell will I wear 30 because even though Lundqvist wears it*, if I play goal in NJ with a 30 on my back everyone will think it's because of MAAARRRTTTYYYYYY and we can't have that. So, that leaves a few possibilities: 1 (it is a "goalie number" but I've never really liked it), 26 (personal reasons), 37 (I like 7's), 39 (Hasek), 40 (Rask, but I'm really not a big fan of that number in general).
This also means that finally, finally at long last, the wheels of hockey season have begun turning. Practice on Wednesdays. Games on Saturday, Sunday/Monday. Open hockey here and there (have to keep up with that, because that's how I stay sharp). Which means the gear will almost never completely dry out. I've taken to describing the bliss of this carousel of hockey as "oyster glove" time, thanks to a fellow goalie on Twitter who once commented "man I love it when putting my glove on feels like sliding my hand into a warm oyster." Which is allll kinds of wrong and disgusting, but that's what makes it so great. So bring on the warm, damp, smelly gear, bitches. I revel in it. Ha!
*30 isn't "really" Lundqvist's number anyway. He's only wearing it because 35 is retired. Just sayin'.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Hyped up and stretched out
Ever since I saw the post by "Scottish" over at www.goaliecrease.net about widening your butterfly flare I've been all pumped up about it. He issued a friendly challenge to do some consistent daily stretching for 6 weeks and see if it makes a difference in the width of your butterfly. Since I've been trying for months (without much success) to make stretching a part of my DAILY routine, I figured this would be just the thing to inspire me to actually do it.
Maria Mountain of Revolution Conditioning (who I totally idolize) loved the idea too and volunteered to put together a video of stretching and exercises to help accomplish the task. (Go to page 5 of the goaliescrease.net thread linked above to find the video). What I love about 90% of her stuff is that it can be done at home. Yes, I have a gym membership, but doing self myofascial release on hip flexors and groins just looks really raunchy and I'm not at all convinced that all the muscle-heads at the gym can be mature about seeing someone essentially humping a medicine ball for 30 seconds. It's really amazing, the program she put together is simple, short (10-15 min) and yet after doing it I am feeling my hips and glutes.
After doing the exercises I actually feel like I want to work on my adductors and hamstrings too. I might look into adding some things for those muscles as well, but I don't want it to become too long of a routine or I might not actually do it every day. I'll have to see how that goes.
So here's to the challenge. On the board we've tossed around the idea of posting pictures of our flare at the beginning, middle and end of the challenge. Here's my "beginning" picture. To my surprise, the distance between my feet is 35". I guess the yoga is helping after all. (Disregard my disgusting enormous feet... future pictures will feature socks).
Maria Mountain of Revolution Conditioning (who I totally idolize) loved the idea too and volunteered to put together a video of stretching and exercises to help accomplish the task. (Go to page 5 of the goaliescrease.net thread linked above to find the video). What I love about 90% of her stuff is that it can be done at home. Yes, I have a gym membership, but doing self myofascial release on hip flexors and groins just looks really raunchy and I'm not at all convinced that all the muscle-heads at the gym can be mature about seeing someone essentially humping a medicine ball for 30 seconds. It's really amazing, the program she put together is simple, short (10-15 min) and yet after doing it I am feeling my hips and glutes.
After doing the exercises I actually feel like I want to work on my adductors and hamstrings too. I might look into adding some things for those muscles as well, but I don't want it to become too long of a routine or I might not actually do it every day. I'll have to see how that goes.
So here's to the challenge. On the board we've tossed around the idea of posting pictures of our flare at the beginning, middle and end of the challenge. Here's my "beginning" picture. To my surprise, the distance between my feet is 35". I guess the yoga is helping after all. (Disregard my disgusting enormous feet... future pictures will feature socks).
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Kind of adorable, yet kind of creepy
My apologies for lack of posts. No hockey to speak of, plus vacation, plus coming back and getting sick right off the bat means I'm totally out of the loop. I did manage to get to the gym on Monday morning though, before the cold germs took over. (I thought maybe I'd sweat them out. Didn't really work so well, they're determined little bastards.) There are a handful of little old geezers who are at the gym every morning when I'm there. They're kind of cute. Walking around with their canes, using the weight machines, talking the ears off of anyone who will listen. I generally just smile at them as I walk by, since I am the type of gym patron known as "Ipod Chick". I'm there to work out, not to socialize.
Monday, though, I had the incredibly strange, yet somewhat hilarious experience of two of the geezers trying to pick me up. At the same time. I think they have an act they do at the old age home that has all the old biddies roaring. Not sure why they thought it would work on me though. I was going through my lower body circuit and got to the last machine (yeah yeah, I know, weight machines are evil. I was taking it easy just coming back from vacation) when the first Geezer caught my attention.
Geezer 1: Can I ask you something?
(Oh boy. Here it comes, he's going to ask about my weird shoes or about my tattoo).
Me (turning off my ipod): Sure...
Geezer 1: Well, me and my buddy [indicates Geezer 2] were wondering something. And we thought who better to ask than a woman, right? Since women have all the answers.
Geezer 2: Or at least ya act like ya do! har har
Me (laughing politely): Oh really? Oh, ok sure, go ahead.
Geezer 1: Well when you get to our age you need to take all kinds of pills for all kinds of stuff...
(oh god please do not let this be going where i think its going)
...and well my friend over here has a really bad stomach infection...
(ew... wtf?)
Geezer 2: Yeah! I have this horrible infection in my stomach, and the doctor gave me antibiotics for it. So I took them, but I had this really bad headache at the base of my skull, and I felt all feverish. (looks at me expectantly...)
Me: Um... so you want to know why you had a headache?
Geezer 2: Yeah!
Me: Well... did you call the doctor who gave you the pills?
Geezer 2: No... this was over the weekend. I'm going to call him later this morning.
Me: Well I don't really know. I know sometimes antibiotics can cause stomach upset. But I've never heard of a headache.
Geezer 1: See! She did know something!
And now it gets really weird... I'm not sure where this came from but Geezer 1 went on a tangent about cooking.
Geezer 1: Are you married?
Me: Yes
Geezer 1: Well I bet when you make dinner, you don't really give your husband a choice do you? Its either "yes" or "no", right?
Me: Well, he pretty much eats anything, he's pretty easy going.
Geezer 1: Oh!!! Well you trained him good!
Me: Not really....
Geezer 2: Hey! Is your husband's nickname 'Lucky'?
Me: No....
Geezer 2: Well it should be, if he's married to you!
Me (nervous laughter)
Geezer 2: Ok now you can pay me for being so nice to you!
Me: What? I don't have any money (more nervous laughter)
Geezer 2: Ah, that's ok your smile is good enough.
Ok.... what the hell just happened there?!?! I seriously wasn't sure whether to be flattered or freaked out. These dudes are there ALL the time too. I guess I'm going to have to be nice and chit-chat with them. Or, just completley avoid them. What the hell, I could make their week if I winked at them, right? ;)
Monday, though, I had the incredibly strange, yet somewhat hilarious experience of two of the geezers trying to pick me up. At the same time. I think they have an act they do at the old age home that has all the old biddies roaring. Not sure why they thought it would work on me though. I was going through my lower body circuit and got to the last machine (yeah yeah, I know, weight machines are evil. I was taking it easy just coming back from vacation) when the first Geezer caught my attention.
Geezer 1: Can I ask you something?
(Oh boy. Here it comes, he's going to ask about my weird shoes or about my tattoo).
Me (turning off my ipod): Sure...
Geezer 1: Well, me and my buddy [indicates Geezer 2] were wondering something. And we thought who better to ask than a woman, right? Since women have all the answers.
Geezer 2: Or at least ya act like ya do! har har
Me (laughing politely): Oh really? Oh, ok sure, go ahead.
Geezer 1: Well when you get to our age you need to take all kinds of pills for all kinds of stuff...
(oh god please do not let this be going where i think its going)
...and well my friend over here has a really bad stomach infection...
(ew... wtf?)
Geezer 2: Yeah! I have this horrible infection in my stomach, and the doctor gave me antibiotics for it. So I took them, but I had this really bad headache at the base of my skull, and I felt all feverish. (looks at me expectantly...)
Me: Um... so you want to know why you had a headache?
Geezer 2: Yeah!
Me: Well... did you call the doctor who gave you the pills?
Geezer 2: No... this was over the weekend. I'm going to call him later this morning.
Me: Well I don't really know. I know sometimes antibiotics can cause stomach upset. But I've never heard of a headache.
Geezer 1: See! She did know something!
And now it gets really weird... I'm not sure where this came from but Geezer 1 went on a tangent about cooking.
Geezer 1: Are you married?
Me: Yes
Geezer 1: Well I bet when you make dinner, you don't really give your husband a choice do you? Its either "yes" or "no", right?
Me: Well, he pretty much eats anything, he's pretty easy going.
Geezer 1: Oh!!! Well you trained him good!
Me: Not really....
Geezer 2: Hey! Is your husband's nickname 'Lucky'?
Me: No....
Geezer 2: Well it should be, if he's married to you!
Me (nervous laughter)
Geezer 2: Ok now you can pay me for being so nice to you!
Me: What? I don't have any money (more nervous laughter)
Geezer 2: Ah, that's ok your smile is good enough.
Ok.... what the hell just happened there?!?! I seriously wasn't sure whether to be flattered or freaked out. These dudes are there ALL the time too. I guess I'm going to have to be nice and chit-chat with them. Or, just completley avoid them. What the hell, I could make their week if I winked at them, right? ;)
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