The winter inline season and my Pre (ice hockey) season ended within a few days of each other. The summer inline season starts with training on the 7th of October and the first game on the 10th. That's all within sixteen days. Events have already got away from me as I post this (2 unblogged Knights games) so the reader will have to forgive me if this review of what has been is not as in-depth a post as it ideally should be.
Endings I - Wheelers Winter Season
We lost in the Grand Final against our Divisional foes, the Bumpers. This was not only the end of the season but also the end of the current team formations. This is because this Summer we are being encouraged to form our own teams, choose our own names, select our own jerseys (more on that later). The organisers are of the belief that the Division has matured enough to allow for self formed teams (rather than centralised drafting for need). As such, it seems appropriate to look back.
In the season just passed we fielded six skaters more often than not. This was a major change from the past. Our lines stabilised by the playoffs, albeit not entirely due on rink performance (a consequence of having two family groups, each with their own internal issues to juggle). In this regard, the stats of Josh and Crystal look very good offensively but that was to at least some extent a result of putting our best defence with them (Merrilyn). In goal, after a bit of chaos initially we settled in with Nicole between the pipes. I think she was finding her game by season end.
In the longer term, I have played 48 games with the Wheelers across four seasons during which I went to four grand finals, won gold once and received an MVP. My regular season stats have steadily improved over time but my post season stats remain woeful.
Regular Season Post Season
GP G A Pt PPG
13/14 Summer C Grade Wheelers 5 3 1 4 0.8 (3/1/0/1 0.33) Silver
14 Winter DivII Wheelers 10 8 7 15 1.5 (2/0/0/0 0.00) Gold MVP
14/15 Summer Div II Wheelers 12 12 8 20 1.67 (2/1/0/1 0.50) Silver
15 Winter Div II Wheelers 12 11 14 25 2.08 (2/0/1/1 0.50) Silver
Endings II - Ice Hockey Pre-Season
After a false start I began an off-season strength and conditioning program on July 1st. I kept to my schedule pretty well for the first month, and then maintained an acceptable level of commitment through to the start of the season. I had noticeable gains in leg, core and upper body strength, aerobic capacity and anaerobic performance, quickness and agility. As the program wore through its second and into the third month I derived a great deal of satisfaction from my commitment itself, the activities themselves and the almost daily challenges such a program poses.
At the end of eleven weeks I was regularly going for a run, interval training, using a HR monitor (thanks Jess for the loan!) and pushing weights (again, thanks Jess!). To a limited extent I'll be bringing all of these activities forward into the season proper, for both their game specific values AND the intrinsic pleasure I derive from them in themselves. Who would have guessed it?
As to the value of the program, it was well worth it! I had a small amount of weight gain (a primary goal of mine for years) and increased performance on many health related indicators. Perhaps more importantly, the value has already shown itself in my inline games and the first two games of the ice hockey season. They show themselves particularly in the following ways...
Increased ability to skate a shift and a game out
Better decision making through a game (due being less fatigued)
Decreased recovery time between both shifts and games
Greater strength along the board and in the crease
Quicker and faster
Increased confidence.
Greater knowledge about my own and other's bodies and physical capacity
All in all, a great advance in both my hockey and life potential.
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