I often get asked about my training and whether I train with a personal trainer or not, or whether I have a ‘gym partner’. Different people have different preferences, but my preference is individual training. I’ve been training with people in the past and have found it great as it was a great way to unwind and basically just chew shit or talk about the NHL season.
But at the moment, my training is something that I try and use as an exercise to enhance my mental preparedness and toughness. There’s no greater challenge, in my mind, than trying to push more weight than you were able to the previous time. When I was last at home and talking about training with my cousin, who has for all intents and purposes been somewhat of an idol to me, he told me that training at the gym was some of the most intense he had experienced in any sport. That combined with the requirements of hockey and you have the perfect athlete.
My cousin said that while you’re working out it is the one place where you can find out what you really are about. It’s that mentality that I take with me to the gym every time. I know I’m not the biggest guy there, nor do I intend to be, but the way I train is always geared with very specific goals in mind. Examples are such as “if I use 40kg weight for my jump squats how will it improve my explosiveness compared to using a lighter weight.” I know it sounds awfully meatheadish, but it is something that I use to push myself.
Another thing that training does it increases your tolerance for pain. It’s a well known fact that hockey is a tough contact sport and that to move some form of weight can often be a painful experience.
Hockey is a great sport because to be truly successful at it, it requires total dedication. Whatever you do off the ice has to reflect back to how it will benefit you on the ice. To make that commitment takes a lot of character and sacrifice. I know of times when I could’ve had the chance to go out and enjoy myself and have a few beers, but I opted to stay in and avoid a hangover just because I knew that I could get a better workout done the next day.
The major drawback about all of this is that often, especially this level, is that the life of a hockey player can be a awfully solitary. Sure your family is there, but you want that part of your life to be completely separate from hockey and training, though you have to be accommodating about the schedule and fit everything around games and training.
But the truth is, this is the path that I’ve chosen and there is no way that I would voluntarily give it up. It requires dedication, determination, grit and passion to put up with simple things as putting up with shit weather conditions to get to the gym. Though at times I think I should’ve done what my coach did and build my own gym in a shed somewhere.
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Friday, 8 January 2010
The Great Outdoors
So why does white powder cause so much hassle in the UK? I’m not talking about cocaine here, but snow. Snow is something that I grew up with and it was something that came down every year in late October, early November. Though snow isn’t seen on these shores that often, it shouldn’t cause such huge disruptions, or wide spread panic.
Because of the snow, my training has been severely disrupted. With Christmas holidays and the snow messing things up, I haven’t been able to train as intensively as I would like. In the last three weeks, my on ice training has been cancelled twice and with the summer cup coming round the corner quickly I’m worried that we will be ill prepared unless we step our training up and start playing some friendly matches to ready our selves for the up and coming challenge.
I find snow quite fun, but because of the disruption it has caused, it is starting to get a bit old. I mean our bins haven’t been collected in two weeks now and our recycling bin hasn’t been collected in over a month. I think the old adage “if you want something done, do it yourself” rings true as we’re going to take our rubbish to the dump ourselves over the weekend. But that’s enough on that topic before this turns into a rant.
The great thing about snow in Finland when I was growing up was that it was the anticipation of the local out door rinks being frozen. The ground care takers would start laying water down as soon as the temperature dropped below zero and usually within a few weeks you could set up a game of outdoor shinny on the rinks. It didn’t matter what age you were, or what your ability was. It was just great playing the game outdoors and have some serious fun.
You see back then it didn’t matter how cold it was, or how much snow was on the ground. You knew the rinks would be clear and cut on regular intervals. It didn’t matter if it was -25 degrees with added -10 degrees from wind chill when you were skating. It simply did not matter. All that did was to shoot pucks in the net, pretending you’ve scored the game winner in over time in the seventh game of Stanley Cup finals, or just being there and have a good time with your friends. I think my school success always suffered during winter because I was in such a rush to get to the rink. Though my parents told me I wasn’t allowed out, until my homework was done and given they granted me the independence and responsibility of doing it on my own I usually whizzed through it (with often poor results) to get to the rink in time.
What made that time even more fun was that even at those temperatures, getting to the rink on a bike didn’t matter. You see in those days kids didn’t have mobile phones so you couldn’t just ring your parents to tell them to come and pick you up once you’d had enough, so getting home was interesting when you were all sweaty, but it didn’t matter. 5km in the cold didn’t feel that bad.
As the NHL had its regular outdoor game on new year’s day, it took me back to the days when I played outdoors and thought back on all those great memories from that time. I only wish that I could do that again sometime soon as it is the environment where I fell in love with the game and over the years it’s been a great relationship.
I think as a player I still have a good 10 years of shelf life left, maybe more if I take good care of my body and learn to listen to it more. In those ten years I intend to achieve some of the goals I have set for myself and hopefully some of them will come true.
Because of the snow, my training has been severely disrupted. With Christmas holidays and the snow messing things up, I haven’t been able to train as intensively as I would like. In the last three weeks, my on ice training has been cancelled twice and with the summer cup coming round the corner quickly I’m worried that we will be ill prepared unless we step our training up and start playing some friendly matches to ready our selves for the up and coming challenge.
I find snow quite fun, but because of the disruption it has caused, it is starting to get a bit old. I mean our bins haven’t been collected in two weeks now and our recycling bin hasn’t been collected in over a month. I think the old adage “if you want something done, do it yourself” rings true as we’re going to take our rubbish to the dump ourselves over the weekend. But that’s enough on that topic before this turns into a rant.
The great thing about snow in Finland when I was growing up was that it was the anticipation of the local out door rinks being frozen. The ground care takers would start laying water down as soon as the temperature dropped below zero and usually within a few weeks you could set up a game of outdoor shinny on the rinks. It didn’t matter what age you were, or what your ability was. It was just great playing the game outdoors and have some serious fun.
You see back then it didn’t matter how cold it was, or how much snow was on the ground. You knew the rinks would be clear and cut on regular intervals. It didn’t matter if it was -25 degrees with added -10 degrees from wind chill when you were skating. It simply did not matter. All that did was to shoot pucks in the net, pretending you’ve scored the game winner in over time in the seventh game of Stanley Cup finals, or just being there and have a good time with your friends. I think my school success always suffered during winter because I was in such a rush to get to the rink. Though my parents told me I wasn’t allowed out, until my homework was done and given they granted me the independence and responsibility of doing it on my own I usually whizzed through it (with often poor results) to get to the rink in time.
What made that time even more fun was that even at those temperatures, getting to the rink on a bike didn’t matter. You see in those days kids didn’t have mobile phones so you couldn’t just ring your parents to tell them to come and pick you up once you’d had enough, so getting home was interesting when you were all sweaty, but it didn’t matter. 5km in the cold didn’t feel that bad.
As the NHL had its regular outdoor game on new year’s day, it took me back to the days when I played outdoors and thought back on all those great memories from that time. I only wish that I could do that again sometime soon as it is the environment where I fell in love with the game and over the years it’s been a great relationship.
I think as a player I still have a good 10 years of shelf life left, maybe more if I take good care of my body and learn to listen to it more. In those ten years I intend to achieve some of the goals I have set for myself and hopefully some of them will come true.
A Quick Update
t would seem that I have neglected this blog for a while. There has
been a number of holidays and what not that have diverted my focus away
from the blog for the time being. That and I've been busy training,
though it has been greatly interrupted due to the recent snow fall we've
had in the UK. The last time I've been to the gym has been on the 3rd of
January. Damn white powder coming so hard that the gym has actually been
closed.
Given that there hasn't been much movement on the hockey front as we are
only coming up to the season now and we haven't really played any games
recently there haven't been that much to write about to be honest. I
want to keep this blog somewhat fresh and I didn't really feel like
posts on 'went to the gym today. Did three sets of 12 on legpress at
130kg' would be that interesting or beneficial for anyone to read.
Though saying that, I have been able to start pushing the normal type of
weight again now that I'm recovered from the operation. The only slight
snag I've had is a broken finger after I got a slap shot on the tip of
the glove. Slightly painful, but nothing that would prevent me from
playing or training for that matter.
I mentioned the operation and despite it being three months ago now, I
still wouldn't class myself as 100% fit. I've managed to put on the
muscle that I lost but I haven't fully regained the explosiveness to the
degree I want it to be at.
However it will come and I'm sure that by the time it comes to the
summer cup I'll be in great condition and will be able to pursue my
ultimate goals.
The one thing that I have done, is that I have opened a twitter page for
this blog as well at www.twitter.com/amateur_hockey. You can follow
random short thoughts there as well as gain links to the actual blog and
stories. Though if you are reading this here then you must already know
that.
been a number of holidays and what not that have diverted my focus away
from the blog for the time being. That and I've been busy training,
though it has been greatly interrupted due to the recent snow fall we've
had in the UK. The last time I've been to the gym has been on the 3rd of
January. Damn white powder coming so hard that the gym has actually been
closed.
Given that there hasn't been much movement on the hockey front as we are
only coming up to the season now and we haven't really played any games
recently there haven't been that much to write about to be honest. I
want to keep this blog somewhat fresh and I didn't really feel like
posts on 'went to the gym today. Did three sets of 12 on legpress at
130kg' would be that interesting or beneficial for anyone to read.
Though saying that, I have been able to start pushing the normal type of
weight again now that I'm recovered from the operation. The only slight
snag I've had is a broken finger after I got a slap shot on the tip of
the glove. Slightly painful, but nothing that would prevent me from
playing or training for that matter.
I mentioned the operation and despite it being three months ago now, I
still wouldn't class myself as 100% fit. I've managed to put on the
muscle that I lost but I haven't fully regained the explosiveness to the
degree I want it to be at.
However it will come and I'm sure that by the time it comes to the
summer cup I'll be in great condition and will be able to pursue my
ultimate goals.
The one thing that I have done, is that I have opened a twitter page for
this blog as well at www.twitter.com/amateur_hockey. You can follow
random short thoughts there as well as gain links to the actual blog and
stories. Though if you are reading this here then you must already know
that.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Routines
Instead of writing about recovering and how frustrating it is, I thought that I would rather write about routines and what gets me going on game days.
I’ve worked out a quite a good routine that I follow. You hear people talk about superstitions and stuff that if they don’t do they don’t perform as well. I don’t think I’m superstitious, but I do have the things that I like to do to get in to the right frame of mind. I don’t think that if I put on my left or right skate first and feel uncomfortable if I do one or the other.
During game days I let myself wake up naturally. No alarms, no nothing. Just get out of bed when I normally would, which is before 0930 for some reason. If an away game, I normally wake up by the alarm so I have enough time to wake up my body and get enough food and fluids on board, because you never know how much time you’ve got at the away rink. Normally after I’ve woken up I do a light stretch and maybe a few push ups or some leg quickness work. Nothing to o strenuous though.
I try to keep myself active through the day but not tire myself out too much. I try to keep my mind off the game for most of the day, to avoid getting nervous or over think things too much. I tend to do things around the house (despite what the wife might say, I do). One thing that I want to avoid doing as much as possible is any chores that would involve leaving the house, like going to town or to a bank or do any shopping. I get wound up at shopping centres or the mall and that just throws everything out the window.
Typically, about three hours before face off, I eat and normally have something pasta based. Once I’ve eaten, I tend to take a half an hour nap or just have a lay down and watch something totally moronic on TV. Scrubs or Two and a Half Men do quite well.
Then it’s time to pack the stuff, make sure that my sticks are taped before heading out to the rink. I make sure I’ve got water on me, and some Lucozade (non fizzy) on me to help me replace any fluid loss during warm up.
Once at the rink, I unpack most my stuff so it’s laid out on my regular seat in the changing room and I change into my pre-ice warm up and get my iPod going. My play list consists of songs that resonate well with me. Mainly with tracks from Hatebreed. For some reason, during the years that I’ve followed that band I find that their songs give me additional strength and really get me going. One song that I listen to before hitting the ice is contradictory to the rest of the play list. The last track I listen to is Coldplay’s Fix You.
My pre-ice warm up is normally with our goalie Pekka, which is a run around the rink and do some running up and down the stairs. It’s a good way to get to the game and chew some shit in my own language and crack a few jokes. After that it’s stretching and get into the changing room and get dressed. It’s all wise cracks and jokes until the coach has his talk with us. After that while the other guys are still chatting away, I try to concentrate and just run through things in my mind and visualise what it’s like playing with my line mates and feel the adrenaline pump up.
Then all that remains is hitting the ice, fully pumped up and ready to give everything for my team to come away with two points.
I’ve worked out a quite a good routine that I follow. You hear people talk about superstitions and stuff that if they don’t do they don’t perform as well. I don’t think I’m superstitious, but I do have the things that I like to do to get in to the right frame of mind. I don’t think that if I put on my left or right skate first and feel uncomfortable if I do one or the other.
During game days I let myself wake up naturally. No alarms, no nothing. Just get out of bed when I normally would, which is before 0930 for some reason. If an away game, I normally wake up by the alarm so I have enough time to wake up my body and get enough food and fluids on board, because you never know how much time you’ve got at the away rink. Normally after I’ve woken up I do a light stretch and maybe a few push ups or some leg quickness work. Nothing to o strenuous though.
I try to keep myself active through the day but not tire myself out too much. I try to keep my mind off the game for most of the day, to avoid getting nervous or over think things too much. I tend to do things around the house (despite what the wife might say, I do). One thing that I want to avoid doing as much as possible is any chores that would involve leaving the house, like going to town or to a bank or do any shopping. I get wound up at shopping centres or the mall and that just throws everything out the window.
Typically, about three hours before face off, I eat and normally have something pasta based. Once I’ve eaten, I tend to take a half an hour nap or just have a lay down and watch something totally moronic on TV. Scrubs or Two and a Half Men do quite well.
Then it’s time to pack the stuff, make sure that my sticks are taped before heading out to the rink. I make sure I’ve got water on me, and some Lucozade (non fizzy) on me to help me replace any fluid loss during warm up.
Once at the rink, I unpack most my stuff so it’s laid out on my regular seat in the changing room and I change into my pre-ice warm up and get my iPod going. My play list consists of songs that resonate well with me. Mainly with tracks from Hatebreed. For some reason, during the years that I’ve followed that band I find that their songs give me additional strength and really get me going. One song that I listen to before hitting the ice is contradictory to the rest of the play list. The last track I listen to is Coldplay’s Fix You.
My pre-ice warm up is normally with our goalie Pekka, which is a run around the rink and do some running up and down the stairs. It’s a good way to get to the game and chew some shit in my own language and crack a few jokes. After that it’s stretching and get into the changing room and get dressed. It’s all wise cracks and jokes until the coach has his talk with us. After that while the other guys are still chatting away, I try to concentrate and just run through things in my mind and visualise what it’s like playing with my line mates and feel the adrenaline pump up.
Then all that remains is hitting the ice, fully pumped up and ready to give everything for my team to come away with two points.
Monday, 23 November 2009
A Blessing In Disguise
It has been a while since the blog was updated, but I figured that now is as good a time as any. There have been a few things out of my control that have limited the updates on this blog of late.
The two main things are that I had an appendectomy three weeks ago and we’ve moved to our new (own) house and as such I am without Internet. The obvious thing that I’ll be writing about today, is the appendectomy and the recovery from it.
About three weeks ago on a Sunday I started to experience severe stomach pains, which landed me on the operating table. Though the operation itself was pain free, it still put a stop to my training and fitness.
The overall loss during the operation: 3KG of muscle, which in my frame is A LOT!
I had worked hard to push my mass up and I thought I was standing pretty on a healthy 90KG. OK, the BMI still said I was over weight, but given that my body fat percentage is within healthy limits, I’d say that it was a good weight to be on and build up from.
But now I have taken a couple of steps back and I’m facing a challenge to re-gain the lost muscle and start making headway into improving my strength and physique for the up and coming season.
I have just finished my first week back on the weights and full contact training on the ice. What I can say for both is that it has been total murder. The weights that I deemed easy have been more and more difficult to lift and my confidence on the boards is gone, along with any jump and speed.
It was to be expected though. And I did prepare myself mentally for it as well, but I didn’t know to expect such a drastic experience. I suppose my mind was at the stage where I expected that I could pick up from where I left off, but I’m now climbing a small up hill to get back into the swing of things.
I was ready to curse the process, but remembered what a good friend of mine is going through and is struggling with. My buddy Nick broke his leg a year a go and is only just getting back to rehabilitation. He’s struggled with it as well and I hope that I gave him some sound advise on getting back to it and the need to work hard to get back to doing things he loves. If he didn’t he’d lose all but the memories of him doing those things. It is difficult to get back on the saddle after a long time off from any sport or hobby.
I remember when I first went to the gym and started lifting weights after the operation. It was difficult to get anything done, motivation was gone, but at the same time I knew that if I did not do the work, my goals would not be realised.
So how do you approach training after an operation, no matter how big or small it is? I have taken the view that it is a blessing in disguise. The way I see it, the operation gave me a break from training, which I wouldn’t have taken otherwise. Where yes it was boring to stay at home and not do anything, it gave me a chance to recharge my batteries, mentally if not physically. Though it has been tough to get back to the routine and pushing the weight I was used to, I’m now able to start working on apparent areas of weakness in my body and make myself stronger that way. After the first session and the incredible frustration I felt, I am now able to approach training with the same passion as I did over a year ago. At the end of the week (Sunday 22nd November), I felt happy about the progress I made, which is something I hadn’t felt in a while.
I know guys who have gotten back to playing their respective sports and everything after long times off from serious injuries or illnesses, where some have had to have several operations or organ transplants. Recovery is not an easy road to travel when you’re desperate to get back to it, but please treat it as an opportunity as opposed to a chore. If you’re able to approach it with an open mind, you will be able to reap those benefits you did to when you first started.
To me it has been a great experience to learn about myself and re-discover progress. Even if the progress is getting myself back to the old levels, it is still something I have not experienced in a while and as such I can approach training and the game with the passion that I did a long while ago.
The two main things are that I had an appendectomy three weeks ago and we’ve moved to our new (own) house and as such I am without Internet. The obvious thing that I’ll be writing about today, is the appendectomy and the recovery from it.
About three weeks ago on a Sunday I started to experience severe stomach pains, which landed me on the operating table. Though the operation itself was pain free, it still put a stop to my training and fitness.
The overall loss during the operation: 3KG of muscle, which in my frame is A LOT!
I had worked hard to push my mass up and I thought I was standing pretty on a healthy 90KG. OK, the BMI still said I was over weight, but given that my body fat percentage is within healthy limits, I’d say that it was a good weight to be on and build up from.
But now I have taken a couple of steps back and I’m facing a challenge to re-gain the lost muscle and start making headway into improving my strength and physique for the up and coming season.
I have just finished my first week back on the weights and full contact training on the ice. What I can say for both is that it has been total murder. The weights that I deemed easy have been more and more difficult to lift and my confidence on the boards is gone, along with any jump and speed.
It was to be expected though. And I did prepare myself mentally for it as well, but I didn’t know to expect such a drastic experience. I suppose my mind was at the stage where I expected that I could pick up from where I left off, but I’m now climbing a small up hill to get back into the swing of things.
I was ready to curse the process, but remembered what a good friend of mine is going through and is struggling with. My buddy Nick broke his leg a year a go and is only just getting back to rehabilitation. He’s struggled with it as well and I hope that I gave him some sound advise on getting back to it and the need to work hard to get back to doing things he loves. If he didn’t he’d lose all but the memories of him doing those things. It is difficult to get back on the saddle after a long time off from any sport or hobby.
I remember when I first went to the gym and started lifting weights after the operation. It was difficult to get anything done, motivation was gone, but at the same time I knew that if I did not do the work, my goals would not be realised.
So how do you approach training after an operation, no matter how big or small it is? I have taken the view that it is a blessing in disguise. The way I see it, the operation gave me a break from training, which I wouldn’t have taken otherwise. Where yes it was boring to stay at home and not do anything, it gave me a chance to recharge my batteries, mentally if not physically. Though it has been tough to get back to the routine and pushing the weight I was used to, I’m now able to start working on apparent areas of weakness in my body and make myself stronger that way. After the first session and the incredible frustration I felt, I am now able to approach training with the same passion as I did over a year ago. At the end of the week (Sunday 22nd November), I felt happy about the progress I made, which is something I hadn’t felt in a while.
I know guys who have gotten back to playing their respective sports and everything after long times off from serious injuries or illnesses, where some have had to have several operations or organ transplants. Recovery is not an easy road to travel when you’re desperate to get back to it, but please treat it as an opportunity as opposed to a chore. If you’re able to approach it with an open mind, you will be able to reap those benefits you did to when you first started.
To me it has been a great experience to learn about myself and re-discover progress. Even if the progress is getting myself back to the old levels, it is still something I have not experienced in a while and as such I can approach training and the game with the passion that I did a long while ago.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
'hard' or HARD
As I sit here recovering from an appendectomy, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on training and what separates the training of the pros from the joes. I’d like to think that I train quite hard and I’m trying to find ways to keep myself fit and active during the time I need to recoup from having doctors cut things in my abdomen. If it is any conciliation my stomach does feel like I’ve done a million sit ups. Too bad the feeling doesn’t quite represent the end result of doing said amount of sit ups.
As you know I am a player with dreams of grandeur whilst I want to enjoy what I do. Undoubtedly throughout this blog I have talked about the importance of training and the dedication I put into it, but is what I’m doing good enough to make me any better?
A player in my situation is often faced with responsibilities that far exceed hockey. There’s putting food on the table, taking care of the bills (though my wife does that), not forgetting about work. When you combine this you see that your days and weeks follow a certain pattern. Your days are spent at work and your evenings are, sometimes painstakingly, spent at the gym, jogging or cycling.
As an ‘individual athlete’ the responsibility is discipline, first and foremost. The difference between the ‘individual’ and the ‘pro’ is that as a pro it is infinitely easier to keep up with your training as you spend your time in a team environment where everything is set for you. The coaches and trainers think through all the exercises for you, areas to work on and blows the whistle to add pace and push you at times when YOU don’t quite feel like it. The ‘individual’ has to think about the areas of the body that he uses, the exercises he should do and motivate himself when the tank is empty or the threshold is too big.
For the player working, the best support they can get, if they can afford it, is personal trainer. Truthfully, where I have the utmost respect for personal trainers, they cannot offer the same amount of motivation or specialist knowledge to the ‘individual’ athlete as the personal trainers working in the professional team environment.
When a player trains, despite the background, the aim is to train hard. For the aspiring player like me I can say that I train hard, but am I training HARD or ‘hard’. For the player like myself, when the opportunity might finally present itself, the reality is that the hard training of the pro’s is HARD and all you have done is trained ‘hard’. This is a good indication of the level you need to push yourself to excel and ‘make it’. Though the challenge is, there still isn’t anyone blowing the whistle or help you over the edge.
For those who make it, the first off season might provide an epiphany that this summer I need to train harder.
What I am getting at is that despite training hard and spending every free moment at the gym, the fact is that sometimes life throws a curveball at you and you need to prioritise. An ‘individual’ has to sacrifice things but with the work that he/she puts in will develop them as players as well as people.
I believe that dedication to a sport is a great way of learning about responsibilities, passion and priorities. It encourages ambition that will eventually filter into every aspect of your life. When you set yourself a goal that a mediocrity is not good enough in sports other things will follow the same pattern, whether it is career or social goals.
Hard work will always pay off and hard work is always rewarded.
I just wish I could resume my ‘hard’ work push myself to train HARD.
As you know I am a player with dreams of grandeur whilst I want to enjoy what I do. Undoubtedly throughout this blog I have talked about the importance of training and the dedication I put into it, but is what I’m doing good enough to make me any better?
A player in my situation is often faced with responsibilities that far exceed hockey. There’s putting food on the table, taking care of the bills (though my wife does that), not forgetting about work. When you combine this you see that your days and weeks follow a certain pattern. Your days are spent at work and your evenings are, sometimes painstakingly, spent at the gym, jogging or cycling.
As an ‘individual athlete’ the responsibility is discipline, first and foremost. The difference between the ‘individual’ and the ‘pro’ is that as a pro it is infinitely easier to keep up with your training as you spend your time in a team environment where everything is set for you. The coaches and trainers think through all the exercises for you, areas to work on and blows the whistle to add pace and push you at times when YOU don’t quite feel like it. The ‘individual’ has to think about the areas of the body that he uses, the exercises he should do and motivate himself when the tank is empty or the threshold is too big.
For the player working, the best support they can get, if they can afford it, is personal trainer. Truthfully, where I have the utmost respect for personal trainers, they cannot offer the same amount of motivation or specialist knowledge to the ‘individual’ athlete as the personal trainers working in the professional team environment.
When a player trains, despite the background, the aim is to train hard. For the aspiring player like me I can say that I train hard, but am I training HARD or ‘hard’. For the player like myself, when the opportunity might finally present itself, the reality is that the hard training of the pro’s is HARD and all you have done is trained ‘hard’. This is a good indication of the level you need to push yourself to excel and ‘make it’. Though the challenge is, there still isn’t anyone blowing the whistle or help you over the edge.
For those who make it, the first off season might provide an epiphany that this summer I need to train harder.
What I am getting at is that despite training hard and spending every free moment at the gym, the fact is that sometimes life throws a curveball at you and you need to prioritise. An ‘individual’ has to sacrifice things but with the work that he/she puts in will develop them as players as well as people.
I believe that dedication to a sport is a great way of learning about responsibilities, passion and priorities. It encourages ambition that will eventually filter into every aspect of your life. When you set yourself a goal that a mediocrity is not good enough in sports other things will follow the same pattern, whether it is career or social goals.
Hard work will always pay off and hard work is always rewarded.
I just wish I could resume my ‘hard’ work push myself to train HARD.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
No more half measures
What a way to dust of the cobwebs. I’ve officially started to train for the next season and here’s what I’ve done so far. I started my training with an 8 mile run on Saturday , followed by a gym work out on Sunday. What has been interesting is that I’ve started my training earlier than I did last year, but perfection takes time doesn’t it?
During the off-season, I took some time off from the rigours of the training and review and reflect on what I had achieved during the season and summed the positives and negatives from the past year. It is funny that I spend ten months training and playing and resting for about two months. But it is something that I enjoy, so it is not a major sacrifice or a burden to bear. What I find most beneficial going into the off ice and individual training for this season is that I am not starting from square one.
Sure my fitness levels dropped off during the two months I spent relaxing. I didn’t sit flat on my ass, but I wasn’t training as intensely as I was and to be honest I needed that break or otherwise the threshold for starting again would’ve been too great. But now where I’m at the stage where I’m having fun going into the gym and I know what I need to do. The thing is I don’t want to reach the same level as I was at last season, but I want to push myself above and beyond the level that I was at.
What about early goals for myself and the team? As opposed to last season where I droned on about the chance of making to the playoffs, I’m now looking forward to a season where we can compete and come to the rink week after week and have some fun. I think that is a good early goal to set.
The team has a newish look. We’ve lost a few of the core players we’ve come to depend on but I hope that we can find some new line match ups in the roster that will help us deliver some offensive firepower.
But this is it. There is no room for half measures and time for talking is done. Now it is all about rigorous training and discipline.
During the off-season, I took some time off from the rigours of the training and review and reflect on what I had achieved during the season and summed the positives and negatives from the past year. It is funny that I spend ten months training and playing and resting for about two months. But it is something that I enjoy, so it is not a major sacrifice or a burden to bear. What I find most beneficial going into the off ice and individual training for this season is that I am not starting from square one.
Sure my fitness levels dropped off during the two months I spent relaxing. I didn’t sit flat on my ass, but I wasn’t training as intensely as I was and to be honest I needed that break or otherwise the threshold for starting again would’ve been too great. But now where I’m at the stage where I’m having fun going into the gym and I know what I need to do. The thing is I don’t want to reach the same level as I was at last season, but I want to push myself above and beyond the level that I was at.
What about early goals for myself and the team? As opposed to last season where I droned on about the chance of making to the playoffs, I’m now looking forward to a season where we can compete and come to the rink week after week and have some fun. I think that is a good early goal to set.
The team has a newish look. We’ve lost a few of the core players we’ve come to depend on but I hope that we can find some new line match ups in the roster that will help us deliver some offensive firepower.
But this is it. There is no room for half measures and time for talking is done. Now it is all about rigorous training and discipline.
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