Off Season Day 67 - Week 9

Sep  3  Stickhandling, Arms, Knights Training
Sep  4  Rest
Sep  5  Rest

In the morning of 3 September I backed up my efforts from the day before with a rapid fire strength session.  I kept recovery times to a minute or less between sets as the emphasis shifts from muscle building to endurance, and increasing the tempo of the actual lifts themselves (particularly adding an explosive push to full extension, rather than the more usual deceleration, as hockey is a game of explosive acceleration).  Good session.

Followed this up with a fifteen minute stickhandling session.  Still keeping it simple, concentrating on cupping the golfball as I move it either way through loops and figure eights, and where on the blade (ie toe or heel) it is held when I tap it away from or closer to my body.  Again, persistence is paying off and am gaining a lot more control at moderate speed.

Finally, I went to a good Knights training session in the evening.  Close to twenty people turned up, including two goalies.  Was still skating strong at the end of the evening.  Could really feel the positive impact of my training in a number of ways (eg. anaerobic energy recovery, strength in moving people off the puck).  I'd also had my skates sharpened as one of them was blunt as shit, this made a huge difference and I am now able to keep within defence range of all but the most skilled opposition.

One of the goalies commented to me after the session that I was doing good at clearing the shooters away, if not the puck itself.  Most hearteningly, I was connecting a lot more with simple poke checks and stick sweeps when in the D role.  The pieces seem to be fitting together.  Finally!  Let's hope this translates into match play.

I then had two rest days on 4 and 5 September.  This was not necessarily by choice.  Rather, due the fact that I was flat chat busy on both days with kids and had neither time nor energy left over for hockey pursuits.

In summary, week 9 started strong but finished quietly and with an orange rating due failure to train on three days in total.  Never the less, I kept up a significant effort for anaerobic and stickhandling/skill based work, which is where I should be at this point of pre-season.

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