Thursday, January 31, 2008

Thursday - R&R

DH is back home. I've had my massage. And if he'll ever get off his conference call, we're going for a nice dinner. Good to have a day off. Though because we are down to one car at the moment, I'm a little concerned about skating at lunch tomorrow as I think he has lunch plans.

Meh, I'll figure it out when I've got some food in me. So hongry is Ms. Conduct.

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Can't sleep

The Wild game was fantastic. Nobody punched Brad May like I'd hoped they would, but I didn't even notice amid the hail of goals and Giggy's temper tantrum.

Oh wait, there's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUxqzrzM8Ng

What a beauty. As Jacques would say, "Poor goalie!"

Anyway, both the later games were mostly blowouts (well, the Sharks did have a little uprising against Calgary but too little, too late... cue "Ring of Fire"), so I headed up to bed early and did my easier/bedtime yoga video. Felt good to do that one, since it's been a while. It is truly a rest day video because, while there is one move I cannot do at all, the rest of it is pretty easy, but still beneficial.

Fell asleep about 11 and woke up at 1:30, desperately thirsty from the too-salty pizza I had for dinner and, like every night when I wake up, immediately started thinking (about hockey, of course... really need to learn to switch that off). All sleeping bets were off at that point. Now it's 4 a.m. and I have to be up at 7 to shower and shave (so poor Cheryl doesn't have to massage thru fur). Is it worth trying to get 3 hours of sleep even though I don't feel very sleepy right now?

Shaver posted a new Aeros Audio today with the defense/special teams coach talking about the guys he's working with right now. He doesn't sound very happy with Scotty or with Belle. Sounds like they're having a tough time changing their approach to suit the style of play the coaches are after from them. At least Scotty's a stud on the PK, blocking all those shots with his big body. How bruised up must he be after a game?

As someone who has spent some time lately pondering the prospect of having pucks shot at me, and even with all the goalie padding, it scares me, I really respect these defensemen who get in there and take those shots with just normal skater pads. Schultz does it for the Wild and nearly had me swooning in a game a while back where he really sacrificed himself during a 3 on 5 situation. It was downright heroic.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Looking up

Well, I finally came clean with my dear friend, S, with whom I was supposed to do the Austin Half Marathon. The more I thought about it, the more my stomach ached and fear of injury and just flat out dread was filling me up. Looks like I'm going to give my entry to a neighbor of hers who wanted to do it but waited too late to sign up, and I'm just going to join her along the route for as far as I'm comfortable with.

Merciful Jeebus, what a relief and load off my mind. Now I can look forward to the weekend with my friends. What a good friend she is for not being mad at me. You're an angel, S. *mwah*

Meanwhile, my knees are still a bit angry with me, so I've made a massage appt. with Cheryl "Magic Hands" Francisco for tomorrow at lunch time. Also, trying to figure out my workout schedule for the rest of this week. DH comes home for the weekend late tomorrow night. I could skate tomorrow night before I go pick him up, but I think I'd like to just let the massage be it for tomorrow. As much as I'd like some time on real hockey ice this weekend (I miss my crease), I think I'll skate at lunch on Friday, spin on Saturday morning, and get some more physical stuff done around the house Sunday morning prior to the Super Bowl festivities.

We'll see how that plan holds out. :)

Today, I think yoga is in order. I haven't done any since last Friday, so I'm well overdue for it. I'm sure I'll need it after the Wild play the Anaheim A-holes tonight. Go Wild!

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tuesday Skate

Coach Stalin and I went to the Galleria to skate tonight. I finally got swizzles down! Made it almost all the way around the rink doing them before my knee said to stop. Will have to build up to doing more of them, but what a relief it was to figure out the technique!!! I had just been using my edges wrong. Figuring that out was worth the cost of my power skating book alone.

Anyway, also worked on stopping a bit, but don't feel like I made a lot of strides there. But considering I've had my skates for less than a month, I'm feeling awfully good about the progress I'm making in general. Still a lot to learn but I'm feeling good about it.

What I DON'T feel good about is how damn crappy that Galleria ice is. Their fake zamboni doesn't do any more than lay down a layer of new water on the ice. Totally worthless and the ice was just as bad as before they cut it within 15 minutes of everyone getting back on the ice. Lame. Do better, Polar Ice!!!

Icing my knees tonight while I watch Dallas/Vancouver. Turco is in net for Dallas. I like him, though Sanford seems to be a pretty good backup to Luongo. (ETA: Never mind. He's already been yanked.)

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Monday workout

Squats (w/ ball) 3 lengths
Lunges (w/ball) 3 lengths
One leg squats 15 x 2 each leg
Reg. pushups 5
Diamond pushups 5
Plyo jump overs 8 x 1 (bolster pillow)
30/30/30 ab and obliques, 20 lower abs (ball between knees)
groin stretching (ouch)

Watching the AHL All Star game. Somehow, I really enjoyed the NHL AS game without all the hitting, but kinda miss it at the AHL level. Maybe because it's slower? I dunno. But still, it's fun to see the guys. Amazing save by Schaef, though I feel for the goalies because nobody plays defense in these games. Everything is going 5-hole on him. Stiff groin? His period's over now though and I bet he's glad for it. :)

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Learn to do the Splits with Miss Fitness!

http://www.metacafe.com/channels/Miss+Fitness/

Okay, you can tell lots of guys get their jollies off this woman's videos, but I do like some of the techniques for learning the splits. I wasn't even sure where to begin without hurting myself.

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Monday in Swampville

It's warm and humid out today, January 28th. I'm SO glad I've taken up ice hockey!

Had planned to go skate at lunch today, but I think I'm going to do stuff at home instead. Some light plyometrics, squats, lunges, abs, groin stretches. As much as I hate that Gratton a-hole from the San Antonio Rampage, the boy is LIMBER. He does splits and other huge stretches to warm up before every period (right in front of us with his butt in our faces, so we can't miss it). And he's not a goalie. I'm guessing he's got a grumpy groin so that's how he keeps it in check. I thought I saw Gabby doing the same thing at the All Star Game. Mr. Groinitis himself.

Really enjoyed the AHL Skills competition last night (actually finishing watching it while I eat lunch today since Com(plete idiot)cast cut the game off for a Patriots press conference last night). Reitzy and Schaef looked terrific and pretty happy to be there. The game tonight should be fun. Nice to have something positive happening for the guys during this slump. Maybe they'll bring some renewed enthusiasm and go-get-'em-ness back. :)

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Good Instinct

My instinct to write about my great skating session yesterday before the Aeros disappointed me was right on. Actually, I'm feeling lousier about it today than I was last night, though I couldn't say why. All those shots on goal and nothing going in (and really, very few of them being terribly challenging for the SA goalie). It's tough to see everyone so disappointed in them while still wanting to believe they can be better than this.

Knees were aching pretty bad last night. Sat with ice packs on them while I watched the All Star skills "game" when I got home last night. Not sure what's on the agenda today. Abs and maybe my less taxing yoga video before bed. Something easy. I want to skate at lunch on Monday and find that I have a much better session when my legs aren't dog tired from squats or whatever the day before. Though I'm not sure what I'll use as lines to practice stopping at the Galleria with their sissified, lineless ice.

I'm still trying to find a day to work in some light plyometrics. Maybe Tuesday, since I doubt I'll skate at lunch again until Thursday.

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Saturday, January 26, 2008

Great Skate!

I wanted to jot this down before I ran off the game and potentially came off my high...

Awesome skating lesson today. I still can't do swizzles but after reading some of my Power Skating book and then talking to Coach Stalin, I think I'm not using my edges right when I do them. I started to feel right after we discussed how you're on the flats when you're heels or toes are pointed together, but on the inside edge at the widest part of the curve.

But we got distracted and worked on stopping most of the time, so by the time I got back to swizzles, I couldn't control my edges at all and it was just not happening. Tired legs.

However, the stopping lesson was great. I'm looking forward to practicing more. We went all the way down the ice just making little snow piles to get some muscle memory around that motion, which I find terribly awkward in the hip area. But I feel like it's just a matter of practice now and I'll get it. Coach also tells me I'm getting much faster (which is what led to the discussion of, perhaps it would be best for the safety of all involved to be able to stop). :)

Anyway, it was an awesome session and I didn't have to take my skates off or rest off-ice even once (though I admit to leaning on the boards to pick a foot up and wiggle my toes and also doubling over at one point to stretch my back out). It was just awesome (and very cool to skate on the Aeros practice rink!)

I find myself so much more comfortable skating in a hockey rink versus, say, the Galleria, mainly because of the crease. Everytime I skate through the crease (and I ALWAYS skate through the crease) I remember why I'm doing this. I love to just crouch down in my goalie stance and look out over the rink and dare someone to get a puck past me. :)

Off to pre-game dinner shortly. Thank goodness, because I skated up a real hunger. Plus they have good margaritas. :)

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Saturday Mourning

Friggin' Aeros. Friggin' Ref.

Okay, I'm done. All positive vibes for tonights game. Gooooo AEROS! (Here's something: "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor just came on my iTunes rotation... it's a sign, I tell ya!)

Dan came by last night to tell me how ridiculously loud I am and how shocked he was at that (in a good, proud, hockey-lovin' way, of course). Um yeah. The second penalty on Scotty pretty much sent me over the edge. I often wonder if drinking would make it worse or maybe mellow my ass out a little bit. I've learned from the master though. DH is about as loud a person as I've ever known, even just in normal situations, but especially at hockey. I cannot WAIT to razz Chucko next weekend. I'm practically vibrating with anticipation. Poor Chucko. Heh. God, I love hockey.

Oh. My. Gawd. Now "Don't Stop Believing" is playing. Seriously.

Anyway, looks like Coach Stalin and I are going skating this afternoon. I'm in a much better frame of mind and ready to work hard. Also got "Power Skating" by Laura Stamm in the mail today. Looking forward to reading through it and hopefully picking up some tips that will be helpful in my skating. My legs are finally not feeling as tired as they have been, so that's good. Might hit spinning in the morning (though it's the class that's 15 minutes longer than my usual one, so it might just kill me).

Um. Now it's "I Hate Myself for Loving You"... also quite appropriate, I have to say.

Okay, back to filing bills and tax papers. Real life sucks.

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Friday, January 25, 2008

Friday 1/25 Workout

Legs have been tired so I decided it's a rest/yoga day. Well, I got 3/4 of the way thru my yoga video and Coach Stalin called to move dinner up before the game, so I had to hop in the shower. No harm really except I think all that laying around we do at the end of the video is what enables me to actually stand up by the end of it. I stopped right after all the major leg stretching, bending, contorting and my legs were shaking so bad, had to lean against the wall to hold myself up while I dried my hair!

Yes, I'm a big pansy. Thanks for noticing.

Anyway, shrimp tacos for dinner, so life is good. Best rustle up my jersey and tickets and potty the dog and stuff.

GO AEROS!!!

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"Lord Stanley's Summer"

Watched a show about what the Ducks did with the Stanley Cup this summer. Pronger gets a bad rap but he seems like a pretty decent guy. They all did, except for Brad May, who appears to be just as big a prick as I figured he was. Dustin Penner, who is now with Edmonton, seems like a guy who'd be fun to have a beer with.

Aeros game tonight. Hockey weather outside (or as close as it gets in a hockey hotbed like Houston). Not feeling too pumped up due to the bad taste I still have in my mouth from Sunday's train wreck of a game. Hopefully the guys don't have the same (or any) hangover since they are at least in a position to make it right.

Is it too early for a beer?

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Thursday skate

Had some personal stuff weighing on me a bit this evening, so it took me a while to get going on the ice. In fact, I'm not sure I ever really did. I know I didn't accomplish much. Still can't do those f***ing swizzles. Did get closer to doing a crossover (though Coach Stalin says I'm probably not doing it right... and she's probably right, but it's a start).

I dunno. Just wasn't much fun, except for a few times when I really got in my groove and had some solid laps. Did skate for quite some time and only had to take the skates off once. They are VERY slowly breaking in. Unfortunately it seems like we skated in the same direction for a good 45 minutes and my hip was killing me by the time they said to reverse directions. By then my legs were tired so I only got a few, somewhat unsteady laps in. Wish they'd have done that earlier.

Amazing to me how different ice can be from rink to rink. The ice at the Galleria was VERY hard, where the ice at SLICE was incredibly soft. Felt like I was skating with my soakers on. I don't like that feeling.

Now I'm watching the Wild/Avs game. Backs is having a tough time, but looks like maybe he's pulling it together. Sucks for him to own-goal though. That's gotta mess with your head. The boys in front of him need to play that much better.

Question for the night: Why are these announcers (pretty much every place the Wild play) too stupid to say Voros' name correctly? It's not hard. It's just like it looks. Yet they always say "Varos"... WTF?

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Jesus Saves

There's a church we drive by on the way to the game. Pretty old place looking very out of context in downtown Houston, particularly with the neon sign on top that says, "JESUS SAVES" and of course, that turns into a hockey joke.

Meanwhile, I found this shirt, which I MUST have.

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Thursday Miscellany

Tonight, the Aeros game from last Friday is going to show on FSN North, so all the Minnesota Wild fans who want to feed Skoula to the wolves can see what sort of defensemen they have to choose from in Houston (except for Reitz who was still injured from that nutbag FitzGerald slamming him to the ice a game earlier, and Stoner who is forever injured, bless his heart).

The announcers do go on a bit about how talented Pouliot is, so I fully expect the Pouliot bandwagon to be running completely out of control when I get home tonight. And maybe some other bandwagons as well... Clutterbuck comes to mind. I love the Wild, but I really want to keep Cal around another season, for purely selfish reasons. Though I think all the Minny fans who say, "I hate agitators and would quit being a Wild fan if we got a guy like (Cooke, Avery, etc)." will be eating their words once they have a guy like that on their team. You have to love a guy who will give up his body, and sometimes a bit of dignity, to rattle the opponent, spark the team, etc.

Anyway, Wild play in Colorado tonight. Who the hell knows which Wild team will show up. I've quit trying to figure it out.

Going skating tonight. My "Leg Tiredness Litmus Test" of coming up and down our stairs informs me that my legs are indeed a bit tired from yesterday's work, but I'm looking forward to being on the ice again, even if it is that crummy Galleria ice. I said I'd have swizzles mastered by this weekend, so I guess I better make that happen tonight. I think Coach Stalin will be with me cracking the whip, so that should keep me on task.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

ECHL All Stars

I take it back. It was distressing seeing Khudobin in net, not fun. Granted, the American team looked like crap, too, but dude was a sieve.

I'm gonna say a little bedtime prayer that Nolan and Barry stay healthy the rest of the season (and the boys in Minny, too, for that matter).

Moved on to the Ducks/Wings game. Hasek is creepy as usual. Love Giggy though (another goalie of a team I hate). The Ducks scare me though. They're no Disney team anymore. Looks like they're gonna lose this one though. Yep.

Okay, time for some brain bleach to wipe the vision of Hasek from my head. *shudder*

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Great article on DP

Informative article on DiPietro's training and prep routines. Sadly, I seem to like a lot of goalies on the teams I hate, like DP and Luongo.

And just because, who doesn't love a goalie fight, here's DP and Montoya. Sweet.

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Here we go again!

I tried to put it off as long as I could, but now that I'm training daily, I'd like to keep track of it, and I'm just not a spreadsheet kinda gal.

So, I've got this completely crazy notion of wanting to be a hockey goalie. Maybe I'll feel like talking about WHY at some point, but I'm not forcing anything here. I don't expect anyone to read it. I just want to keep track of some stuff.

To that end, let's do a little skill check here.

SKATING:

  • Stride - Don't embarrass myself on the ice as long as no one bumps me or whatever, I can work up a decent stride, though I still have to remember to keep my knees bent more than comes naturally to me yet. But I almost CAN'T skate with straight legs anymore, so that's good.
  • Swizzles - I'm about halfway there on swizzles. I can get a decent distance but I still can't quite get the propulsion I should have and it eventually, er, fizzles.
  • Crossovers - Not up to actually trying them, but I've toyed with it and found that my balance and confidence on one leg needs to improve dramatically before I can do these.
  • Stopping - Not even close. Haven't even tried. Scares the puck out of me.

HAND/EYE:

  • Juggling: Still can't juggle two bean bags yet. I was getting close there for a while, but haven't picked it up for a while.
  • Reaction ball: Heh. Threw it once against the garage wall and it went under the car, so I have yet to back the car out and retrive it. It will be awfully challenging, though, I can tell.

STRENGTH:

  • Balance: Have worked some on standing on one leg (knee bent in skating stance) and moving the other leg in "skaty" positions in the air. Figure if I can't cross a leg over on dry land and sock feet without falling over, I sure as hell can't do it on skates and ice! Would love to get a Bosu ball or something to make this more challenging and/or dangerous. :)
  • Legs: I've realized the uber necessity of having rock solid thighs if I'm going to be squatting all the time in a goalie stance (or even just to skate), so I've started doing squats and lunges (holding a fitness ball in front of me) back and forth across the house. Right now I can do one round trip of each and I'm sweating and huffing. Let's improve that, shall we? Also found a great move here where you put your leg up on the fitness ball and do one leg squats. Nice groin stretch there, though I sure can't get way down low like that guy.
    Also, I put on socks, put a resistance band around my ankles and do power strides (well, you can see that in that link as well) on the hardwood floors. That's pretty fun actually.
  • Upper body: Other than what I get out of yoga and holding the fitness ball out during lunges and squats, not doing so well there. Need to figure out how to work that in. Lots of gear for that upper body to hold up as a goalie.
  • Abs: Just crunches for now. I pulled an ab muscle from coughing back when I had bronchitis about a year ago, so I've avoided abs until now (took FOREVER to heal), but felt fine tonight. Obliques, upper and lower abs all just get the standard crunches.

FLEXIBILITY:

  • Yoga: Have two (beginner and intermediate) yoga videos specifically geared toward flexibility. I'm getting pretty proficient (and maybe a little bored) with the beginner one, but I know I can do better at it, so I'll stick with it for a while longer. Definitely works on stretching out the backs of the legs where I am so stiff.
  • Splits: Yep, goalie's gotta be able to do splits at least in some form. I'm just starting to toy with that. Still very painful to do, so it will be a slow process, but I know I'll get there.

That's all for now. Watching the ECHL All Star game tonight. Got a couple of Wildcatters on the team, so that will be fun to see.

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