Interlude

I had four hours (probably more like three) between the Semi and Grand Finals.  All of the Wheelers hung around throughout.  We watched a bit of the footy together (Showdown - Port v Adelaide - Port won yay!).  Then went our various ways to do our various things. 

Me, I changed into some dry clothes, went and checked the large community event happening on the oval next door, then went and ate my lunch (of cheese sandwiches,  two hard boiled eggs (plus salt), a handful of nuts and some dried fruit, washed down with a cuppa and a litre of water) in the car park while a pipe and drum band warmed up before their march around the oval.  Then, I went and watched the kilted march and fell under the sway of the pipes of war.

Then it was back into my wet gear and loosen up the muscles for the big game.  Twelve, or even six, months ago, there is no way I could have played two games like I did today with anything like the level of energy that I managed to achieve.  That has come about through learning a lot about my own body and mind over my rookie seasons in ice and inline, and all the supplementary 'skills' have acquired as a result. 

For example, some basic anatomy and biomechanics (stretching before and after a game), energy input and digestive timeframes (having a rice and chicken meal at 10am, the afformentioned 'lunch' to the sound of bagpipes),  hydration and dehydration (the types of food eaten over the last couple days, 4L water yesterday, 6L by the end of the second game today), nervousness management (watch an episode of Leonardo's Demons to take my mind off the game and stop the slow build up of butterflies in the morning), etc.

I had a really nice four hours between games, both with my team and the township of Gawler (on the oval for their fair-like event).