Wednesday evening I spent about an hour on the ice for my only between games skate this week. I only really decided to go at the last minute so didn't round up any of my (now) usual companions to join me. It felt a bit unusual to be there 'alone' on the public skating session - even though that's what I've done for most of my skating career.
I spent more time than I have on other recent skates pushing myself at moderate to high speed laps. Although my speed is still there I have lost a lot of the quickness/acceleration I was working towards in the pre-season. I got the feeling that a lot of this drop off is neuromuscular, I need to retrain myself into quickness. I know what to do, at least, though will be a hard slog to do it in-season. Still, if we are to make the playoffs I will be glad to have done so. And, if we don't, my winter season inline game will surely benefit.
My transitions have smoothed out significantly between and left and right over the past few months (the value of hundreds of repetitions), but this isn't of as much value in itself without high acceleration out of the move. Lowering my stance through it will assist to patch the weakness, but more training required.
Continued with backwards crossbehinds drills, now much smoother and a reasonable exercise. I think the effect is coming through when I revert to proper backwards cross overs, the outside edge push offs add more power to the stride.
After a good hour the feet weren't sore at all and the skates are now feeling pretty comfortable. I went over a couple of times, once from loss of edge and once to avoid collision with a tyro skater.
As much work as fun.
Ice 7
Fridge
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Friday, 23 January 2015
(Late) Game Day - Kings (5) d Knights (2)
We played our first game of 2015 last Sunday, going down to the Kings 5-2. We'd beaten them 7-2 earlier in the season. They held onto third spot on the ladder, we dropped to sixth. We are now two points off of a playoff spot with seven games to go in the regular season.
We had ten skaters, the Kings had nine. Considering their narrow defeat the week before, when they'd only had six skaters, this should have set all the warning bells going. We were missing Baden and Foxy, whereas we had gained Beau for his second game of the season at the cost of no Dan.
They scored two strong goals in the first period, we put on one in the second which was quickly followed by their reply, and we got a final goal in the third followed by two for them. We had a total of 22 minutes of penalties (including a game misconduct for Christian), they had a total of 6. The Kings certainly had a couple of skilled forwards who were firing on all cylinders and everyone else on the team fulfilled their roles to suit. We had no-one shining, played reasonably well as a team initially but that started lapsing after a while and resulted in clumbsy and self destructive moments on the ice (eg. collisions and confusions, creating gaps). They were powering along quicker than us for much of the game and, when their lead finally stretched back to two goals, it just got worse.
Not for want of trying, mind you. I suspect that we had an 'off' night, and paid a price for having had the bye last week when all the other teams had been shaking off their cobwebs.
For me, the most disturbing aspect of play was my lack of urgency. The goal that I hold myself somewhat responsible for was one where I found myself 'cruising' towards a pick up of a loose puck on the offensive boards and failing to control the puck at all. The end result, their centre swoops and they're off with a two on one rush that results in a sweet shot into the back of the net. This wasn't the only moment I was aware of my lack of 'compete', but it was probably the worst.
I played the whole game in defence, with Tom as my partner (though I seem to play a fair bit on the ice with Mike also). I'll call us the 'first' pairing because Tom and I usually are there for the opening faceoffs. I pulled quite a bit of time on the Penalty Kill (the first time I've ever got to try and play within a 'box' defence), including a couple times of 3 on 5. Scary.
I got a couple nice passes off out of the zone, including a ripper in the first five minutes to an accelerating Christian. Also found Andy up the wing on a couple stretch passes from the zone which he commented on later. My skating felt competent for 90% of the game (after a couple slipping falls in the first few minutes on my new skates) but nothing spectacular. My stickhandling was very mundane, and totally failed me on a couple occasions (see above for the play I stuffed that led to their second goal). I generally covered my zone, a couple of times allowing someone through for a clear and strong shot, though I think always from out of the slot. By the end of the third I was closing out their star into the boards and matching his ferocity, but too little too late. I should have been doing it from the moment he showed a willingness to try and deke around me (which is something I allow to happen far too often - need to watch the body not the puck like in training).
It was interesting to hear after the game from a couple viewers that my skating appeared to be better than ever, and my positioning to be solid. Though the frank acknowledgement that my stickhandling was 'crap' accorded well with my own perceptions. For what it's worth, these same viewers were puzzled at what we got all our penalties for. I just shrugged this off and said 'we're the Knights' but it does make one think.
I was on the ice for four of their goals and none of ours (that'll wreck my plus/minus rating!). I was pretty instrumental on one of their goals (see above) and I was reliably informed by a viewer that I also had a hand on a second of their goals (whilst on the penalty kill). The other two, I shouldn't have done anything other than what I did (and they were rocket shots).
This coming Sunday, the Sharks. To give us a run for the finals, we will need to beat these guys. Last time we met, they won. Pressure is on.
GP 10 G 0 A 0 -6 5/4/1
Ice 6
We had ten skaters, the Kings had nine. Considering their narrow defeat the week before, when they'd only had six skaters, this should have set all the warning bells going. We were missing Baden and Foxy, whereas we had gained Beau for his second game of the season at the cost of no Dan.
They scored two strong goals in the first period, we put on one in the second which was quickly followed by their reply, and we got a final goal in the third followed by two for them. We had a total of 22 minutes of penalties (including a game misconduct for Christian), they had a total of 6. The Kings certainly had a couple of skilled forwards who were firing on all cylinders and everyone else on the team fulfilled their roles to suit. We had no-one shining, played reasonably well as a team initially but that started lapsing after a while and resulted in clumbsy and self destructive moments on the ice (eg. collisions and confusions, creating gaps). They were powering along quicker than us for much of the game and, when their lead finally stretched back to two goals, it just got worse.
Not for want of trying, mind you. I suspect that we had an 'off' night, and paid a price for having had the bye last week when all the other teams had been shaking off their cobwebs.
For me, the most disturbing aspect of play was my lack of urgency. The goal that I hold myself somewhat responsible for was one where I found myself 'cruising' towards a pick up of a loose puck on the offensive boards and failing to control the puck at all. The end result, their centre swoops and they're off with a two on one rush that results in a sweet shot into the back of the net. This wasn't the only moment I was aware of my lack of 'compete', but it was probably the worst.
I played the whole game in defence, with Tom as my partner (though I seem to play a fair bit on the ice with Mike also). I'll call us the 'first' pairing because Tom and I usually are there for the opening faceoffs. I pulled quite a bit of time on the Penalty Kill (the first time I've ever got to try and play within a 'box' defence), including a couple times of 3 on 5. Scary.
I got a couple nice passes off out of the zone, including a ripper in the first five minutes to an accelerating Christian. Also found Andy up the wing on a couple stretch passes from the zone which he commented on later. My skating felt competent for 90% of the game (after a couple slipping falls in the first few minutes on my new skates) but nothing spectacular. My stickhandling was very mundane, and totally failed me on a couple occasions (see above for the play I stuffed that led to their second goal). I generally covered my zone, a couple of times allowing someone through for a clear and strong shot, though I think always from out of the slot. By the end of the third I was closing out their star into the boards and matching his ferocity, but too little too late. I should have been doing it from the moment he showed a willingness to try and deke around me (which is something I allow to happen far too often - need to watch the body not the puck like in training).
It was interesting to hear after the game from a couple viewers that my skating appeared to be better than ever, and my positioning to be solid. Though the frank acknowledgement that my stickhandling was 'crap' accorded well with my own perceptions. For what it's worth, these same viewers were puzzled at what we got all our penalties for. I just shrugged this off and said 'we're the Knights' but it does make one think.
I was on the ice for four of their goals and none of ours (that'll wreck my plus/minus rating!). I was pretty instrumental on one of their goals (see above) and I was reliably informed by a viewer that I also had a hand on a second of their goals (whilst on the penalty kill). The other two, I shouldn't have done anything other than what I did (and they were rocket shots).
This coming Sunday, the Sharks. To give us a run for the finals, we will need to beat these guys. Last time we met, they won. Pressure is on.
GP 10 G 0 A 0 -6 5/4/1
Ice 6
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Knights Training - with the big boys on the big ice
We'd learned that we'd lost our usual Tuesday night training slot over the xmas break, so Justine had organised a combined training with her B grade Blackhawks team (and a couple of their A grade friends) and the Div I Bombers on the big ice. Although regular on Thursday nights, the times will be varying for the next month. For this first session of the year, we had the ice from 8:15.
I wasn't as well prepared as I would usually like to be. No real meal beforehand, a bit rushed in the transition from work through home to rink, only sheer stubbornness with which to combat lack of sleep from previous evenings. I did manage to tape up my knee, however, and again took out the thick socks.
The session was divided into two portions. In the first, two simple drills. For the first drill, we divided into C Graders at one end and higher grade players at the other. We C graders did the relatively simple pass and follow around the five points of the attack zone drill, a little over five minutes each on both forehand and backhand sides. I felt my skating speed isn't what it was the last time I did this drill, but that my pass accuracy has increased.
Second drill was combined with all grades, defenders in the centre and passing into a diagonal corner simultaneous with another D doing the same into the opposing corner. Then the D's skated around the centre face off circle to pick up the rushing forward the other D had passed to and try and defend them out of goal. I kept getting outskated by the better guys and at least half my attempts resulted in an unresisted shot on goal. On the other hand, half my attempts were to some degree successful in that I at least made them work to deke around me, or I managed to disrupt them long enough to put them into a less dangerous corner zone, or I managed to poke or sweep check the puck away. Started feeling my stride and transitions returning.
The last half of the session was in the form of a shinny. I spent the whole time in the defence, only making one howler mistake (an unobserved pass across the central slot). I generally managed to keep position on the attacking blue the few time we got it in there, and found myself picking up the lead forward on their rush and trying to keep the slot clear when they pinched behind. By the end of the session I was building a bit of confidence even against those players who were several grades above me, utilising my head and spatial sense to minimise the harm they were doing while others on my roster swung into action.
At the end of the evening I felt really good about having come, my feet didn't hurt, and agreed with my teammates that we were looking forward to taking on the Kings on Sunday.
Ice 5
I wasn't as well prepared as I would usually like to be. No real meal beforehand, a bit rushed in the transition from work through home to rink, only sheer stubbornness with which to combat lack of sleep from previous evenings. I did manage to tape up my knee, however, and again took out the thick socks.
The session was divided into two portions. In the first, two simple drills. For the first drill, we divided into C Graders at one end and higher grade players at the other. We C graders did the relatively simple pass and follow around the five points of the attack zone drill, a little over five minutes each on both forehand and backhand sides. I felt my skating speed isn't what it was the last time I did this drill, but that my pass accuracy has increased.
Second drill was combined with all grades, defenders in the centre and passing into a diagonal corner simultaneous with another D doing the same into the opposing corner. Then the D's skated around the centre face off circle to pick up the rushing forward the other D had passed to and try and defend them out of goal. I kept getting outskated by the better guys and at least half my attempts resulted in an unresisted shot on goal. On the other hand, half my attempts were to some degree successful in that I at least made them work to deke around me, or I managed to disrupt them long enough to put them into a less dangerous corner zone, or I managed to poke or sweep check the puck away. Started feeling my stride and transitions returning.
The last half of the session was in the form of a shinny. I spent the whole time in the defence, only making one howler mistake (an unobserved pass across the central slot). I generally managed to keep position on the attacking blue the few time we got it in there, and found myself picking up the lead forward on their rush and trying to keep the slot clear when they pinched behind. By the end of the session I was building a bit of confidence even against those players who were several grades above me, utilising my head and spatial sense to minimise the harm they were doing while others on my roster swung into action.
At the end of the evening I felt really good about having come, my feet didn't hurt, and agreed with my teammates that we were looking forward to taking on the Kings on Sunday.
Ice 5
Wednesday Night Skate
A relatively short skate on Wednesday night, mainly due the fact that young A (5) was being brought along by Jess for his first skate since last year after his return from Bali. He was sooooo cute when he rocked up in his toque and proudly bearing his Bauer skates for us adults to help him put on.
Cutting a long story short, the little fellow was hampered by the fact that he'd grown a couple foot sizes over the past four weeks, was tired, and had a tired mum (who, as a result, was a little shorter than usual in her demands for independence from her son) and it all ended in tears. Ce la vie.
I stayed there about an hour longer with Craig. I'd remembered to tape my knee this time and concentrated mainly on backwards cross behinds. Making progress, could feel the outside edges biting when I reverted to the more usual crossovers. Used thick socks for the first time in the new skates, had no dramas with foot pain.
Maybe I will be able to wear them into the back half of the season afterall?
Ice 4
Cutting a long story short, the little fellow was hampered by the fact that he'd grown a couple foot sizes over the past four weeks, was tired, and had a tired mum (who, as a result, was a little shorter than usual in her demands for independence from her son) and it all ended in tears. Ce la vie.
I stayed there about an hour longer with Craig. I'd remembered to tape my knee this time and concentrated mainly on backwards cross behinds. Making progress, could feel the outside edges biting when I reverted to the more usual crossovers. Used thick socks for the first time in the new skates, had no dramas with foot pain.
Maybe I will be able to wear them into the back half of the season afterall?
Ice 4
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Cross Behinds on Sunday Skate
On Sunday I went down the Ice Arena and met up with Craig and Jess. It was moderately busy. The ice was pretty hard for social skating because (a) the atmospheric temperature had dropped quite a bit, and (b) the ice temperature was no doubt turned down due the fact that there were five back to back hockey games to be played on the rink after social skating was over..
As seems to be my midseason habit, I didn't push myself too hard but kept up a steady pace throughout. I had watched M2Hockey training video about 'cross behinds' on Youtube prior going so that I had something new to work on (always important) now that the skates are beginning to settle onto my feet. This was pretty cool, as I have been trying to find out the technique for how to do something I saw in a P.K.Subban video over winter, but until now have been unable to find it. Maybe I just had to trust the universe to let me find it when I was ready?
The first few minutes I found it quite difficult to do (skate backward, cross over behind the lead leg onto the outside edge, push out) but by the end was able to do it moderately competently, albeit slow to moderate speed.
We were there almost two hours and felt quite fatigued by the end of it all. I went over four times, none of them painful, twice due my outside edge catching on the ice. Skates caused no additional pain after the first five minutes, so must be not far from breaking them in. Had my knee taped up for the first time in a month. Not so necessary as it was back then, but a source of comfort none the less.
Pizza afterwards was delicious.
Ice 3
As seems to be my midseason habit, I didn't push myself too hard but kept up a steady pace throughout. I had watched M2Hockey training video about 'cross behinds' on Youtube prior going so that I had something new to work on (always important) now that the skates are beginning to settle onto my feet. This was pretty cool, as I have been trying to find out the technique for how to do something I saw in a P.K.Subban video over winter, but until now have been unable to find it. Maybe I just had to trust the universe to let me find it when I was ready?
The first few minutes I found it quite difficult to do (skate backward, cross over behind the lead leg onto the outside edge, push out) but by the end was able to do it moderately competently, albeit slow to moderate speed.
We were there almost two hours and felt quite fatigued by the end of it all. I went over four times, none of them painful, twice due my outside edge catching on the ice. Skates caused no additional pain after the first five minutes, so must be not far from breaking them in. Had my knee taped up for the first time in a month. Not so necessary as it was back then, but a source of comfort none the less.
Pizza afterwards was delicious.
Ice 3
Friday, 9 January 2015
Return to Off Ice Training
With just over a week before returning to the back half of the Ice Hockey season I thought it was about time to get back into some sort of training regime. On Tuesday Knights training recommences, but that and the once or twice more I'll get onto the ice won't be enough in itself. Justine recommended a bit of running in the lead up, but it's been too hot over the past week and now it's pouring with rain (typical Australia, we had both fire and flood stories leading the news bulletin yesterday and today), and I was never much for running for running's sake.
So I put myself through a shortened workout of all three major muscle groups that I was concentrating on before the season (ie upper body, lower body, core). Only did one complete circuit with ten reps on each exercise. Burned energy, but not extremely so. The knee and its surrounding muscle groups strained a little to keep up, but no dramas.
It's been over three months since I was last game to work out to this extent. Will see how I feel tomorrow.
So I put myself through a shortened workout of all three major muscle groups that I was concentrating on before the season (ie upper body, lower body, core). Only did one complete circuit with ten reps on each exercise. Burned energy, but not extremely so. The knee and its surrounding muscle groups strained a little to keep up, but no dramas.
It's been over three months since I was last game to work out to this extent. Will see how I feel tomorrow.
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Wednesday on ice water
We've had a cool summer this year, generally speaking, so it was only last night, after five days over 35'C, that we finally got that special experience that ice skating in Australia offers, skating on the ice water as the power burns at the rink as more people than usual come to challenge it in its task of keeping the rink cold. Who can blame the people for coming? For me and Craig it was a blessed relief from the muggy heat outside.
We were there only about seventy minutes, but both stayed on the ice throughout. Again, I hadn't taped my knee so had to keep my exertions in check. I stayed active, however, and kept a reasonable pace up throughout. Concentrated somewhat on my edges.
My skates no longer keep piling on the pain as they get broken in (this would have been my sixth hour of skating in them). The discomfort at the end was no worse than it was after five minutes. Hopefully this means I am coming through the worst of breaking in the boots. Just in time for training to recommence next week.
I went over twice, and two narrow misses after my edge caught on the right foot. Didn't hurt myself, but got a bit wet.
Ice 2
We were there only about seventy minutes, but both stayed on the ice throughout. Again, I hadn't taped my knee so had to keep my exertions in check. I stayed active, however, and kept a reasonable pace up throughout. Concentrated somewhat on my edges.
My skates no longer keep piling on the pain as they get broken in (this would have been my sixth hour of skating in them). The discomfort at the end was no worse than it was after five minutes. Hopefully this means I am coming through the worst of breaking in the boots. Just in time for training to recommence next week.
I went over twice, and two narrow misses after my edge caught on the right foot. Didn't hurt myself, but got a bit wet.
Ice 2
Friday, 2 January 2015
Skating on a hot day
Today was very hot (43'C) so it wasn't that much of a surprise to get a call from Jess asking if I wanted to meet her and Craig at the Ice Arena in the afternoon. I wouldn't have gone if someone else hadn't asked, but I don't want to be the wet squib so I said yes and headed down at the appointed time for my first skate of the year. I didn't pick up B on the way, thinking that he needs to be doing other ten year old things in his holidays. He'll probably pay me out about it, but that's a grandpa decision.
Me and Craig continued the relatively painful process of breaking in our new skates. He seems to be making a fair bit of progress, working with his laces and the internet together to help get himself set up. It sounds like the pain is going and I could see the increasing ease of his skating. I didn't have a lot of energy so didn't go full on at any point, instead continuing to work the edges and balancing. Probably didn't generate enough heat in the feet for the 'baking' process (whereby skates made of modern materials mould themselves to a foot if sufficient heat is applied, generally through hard skating), but it wasn't a debilitating pain. The second hour went a lot quicker than the first.
Jess was beginning to do proper backwards swizzles and continues to work on her stopping. Peter from Melbourne gave her a few tips and I think she found that quite helpful.
Met a lass from Darwin who asked me, with ten minutes or so to go, if I could show her 'how to do all my tricks'. What do you say to a kid who asks that with all the earnestness of the young? Especially a bright lassie who has a natural grace on her skates. Who's from Darwin, where there is no ice rink? I thought about it a bit, suggested she watch Youtube. As she does have inline skates, but is interested in figure skating, I told her mum that the figure skaters I know at Gawler use quad skates, not inlines. I think mum was planning how to score some quad skates as they left.
As we got home through the heat it was nice to feel that I'm a couple hours closer to having broken in my skates. We all felt 'jelly legs' when we got home, age seemeth to not single me out in this respect yet.
Here's to another year of good skating experiences!
Me and Craig continued the relatively painful process of breaking in our new skates. He seems to be making a fair bit of progress, working with his laces and the internet together to help get himself set up. It sounds like the pain is going and I could see the increasing ease of his skating. I didn't have a lot of energy so didn't go full on at any point, instead continuing to work the edges and balancing. Probably didn't generate enough heat in the feet for the 'baking' process (whereby skates made of modern materials mould themselves to a foot if sufficient heat is applied, generally through hard skating), but it wasn't a debilitating pain. The second hour went a lot quicker than the first.
Jess was beginning to do proper backwards swizzles and continues to work on her stopping. Peter from Melbourne gave her a few tips and I think she found that quite helpful.
Met a lass from Darwin who asked me, with ten minutes or so to go, if I could show her 'how to do all my tricks'. What do you say to a kid who asks that with all the earnestness of the young? Especially a bright lassie who has a natural grace on her skates. Who's from Darwin, where there is no ice rink? I thought about it a bit, suggested she watch Youtube. As she does have inline skates, but is interested in figure skating, I told her mum that the figure skaters I know at Gawler use quad skates, not inlines. I think mum was planning how to score some quad skates as they left.
As we got home through the heat it was nice to feel that I'm a couple hours closer to having broken in my skates. We all felt 'jelly legs' when we got home, age seemeth to not single me out in this respect yet.
Here's to another year of good skating experiences!
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Final Skate of 2014
Wednesday afternoon our band of four brave skaters somehow managed to coordinate our busy holiday schedules to sneak in a final visit to the Ice Arena for 2014. Jess, Craig and me continued to break in our new skates, B continued to buzz around and have fun as is his wont.
Jess hasn't had much dramas with her skates, continues to work on her backwards skating. Will soon be doing crossovers is my bet.
Craig is displaying obstinacy worthy of our family, continuing to persevere through the pain of his new Vapors. I think he was beginning to flag after about an hour, to be rescued by B and his enthusiasm showing him a few basic maneuvers. To Craig's credit, he hung in there to the end and I think realised that the pain was becoming less than an issue than it had been. Maybe he won't have to trade in his skates afterall?!
For me, my 160s started out smooth but after an hour had developed into all around ache in the feet. So I took the old school approach, took them off for a wee while and had a cuppa and a smoke while my feet recovered. When I laced them up again I noticed that there was again no pain and, an hour later, very little ache. Maybe the end is in sight of this process for me also?
Here's to 2014 which was a very good year for me and mine and our skating in Adelaide!
And here's hoping that 2015 becomes a very good year to me, mine, and all the regular readers of Puck'n'Skate!
Jess hasn't had much dramas with her skates, continues to work on her backwards skating. Will soon be doing crossovers is my bet.
Craig is displaying obstinacy worthy of our family, continuing to persevere through the pain of his new Vapors. I think he was beginning to flag after about an hour, to be rescued by B and his enthusiasm showing him a few basic maneuvers. To Craig's credit, he hung in there to the end and I think realised that the pain was becoming less than an issue than it had been. Maybe he won't have to trade in his skates afterall?!
For me, my 160s started out smooth but after an hour had developed into all around ache in the feet. So I took the old school approach, took them off for a wee while and had a cuppa and a smoke while my feet recovered. When I laced them up again I noticed that there was again no pain and, an hour later, very little ache. Maybe the end is in sight of this process for me also?
Here's to 2014 which was a very good year for me and mine and our skating in Adelaide!
And here's hoping that 2015 becomes a very good year to me, mine, and all the regular readers of Puck'n'Skate!
Sad Streaming News - Demise of Wiziwig
Only a week after I found it, Wiziwig has been (hopefully temporarily) shut down by its operators in response to changes to regulatory environment in its host nation Spain. If you read the blurb I've linked to you'll see the explanation. In short, the Spanish have made it so that on the unsubstantiated complaint of a broadcaster they can fine and will soon be able to jail the site operators without recourse to court of law (ie as an administrative action of government).
At the risk of sounding political, it's this sort of governmental lackeying to capitalist conglomerates that is the greatest threat to about the only thing going that offers humanity a way out of its global race towards environmental and cultural destruction, the internet.
Sigh.
I've located a couple other streaming sites for those leagues that aren't shown here at all. I'll post the links when I've ensured to my own satisfaction that they don't damage the soul.
At the risk of sounding political, it's this sort of governmental lackeying to capitalist conglomerates that is the greatest threat to about the only thing going that offers humanity a way out of its global race towards environmental and cultural destruction, the internet.
Sigh.
I've located a couple other streaming sites for those leagues that aren't shown here at all. I'll post the links when I've ensured to my own satisfaction that they don't damage the soul.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)