So, I know I haven't been posting nearly enough lately, but, in my defense, I've been very busy. I've been camping with my dad, going on trail runs, mountain biking, getting a colonoscopy done (TMI?), celebrating my dad's 50th and Father's Day, hanging out with friends, playing a little golf, working, making movies, waterskiing, doing some Pilates, working out, and, of course, playing a little puck here and there. I have just a few side-hobbies, things I like doing to keep me busy. And, as you can see, I live in a place that offers a wide variety of outdoor and indoor activities to do just that: keep people busy. Not everyone has a mountain in their backyard that they can run up to get a quick workout in, or world-class camping sites within a 20 minute drive, or 13 golf courses in a 30 mile stretch of valley. (Granted, I haven't played much golf in the valley because it's so expensive, and I've only gone twice, but I have gone, so I can put it on my list of side-hobbies.) And I know for a fact that not every hockey player I'll be playing against next year has 8,000 feet of elevation to train in, so I've been trying to take advantage of that through a little cross-training, like mountain biking or trail running.
I've been using this summer to get as far away from hockey as possible, while still staying in good shape for hockey and still playing hockey as much as I can...if that makes any sense at all. And I think it definitely is healthy and normal for hockey players and coaches to try to get away from hockey for a little while in the summer, do some things you couldn't do during hockey season, and get the love back a little bit. Junior hockey has a long, grueling season, and it's definitely nice to come home and get some good, quality family time and some relaxation time in the summer. As I've said before, I think juniors is about trying to break kids down to see who is really cut out for the commitment of being a college hockey player. It's nice to have a little time away from hockey, even though I'm still always thinking about hockey: what I should be doing, what I could be doing, what I need to be doing, and what I am doing. But, obviously, summertime is a much less stressful time than in season, and it's nice to be able to stay busy, even when I'm not playing hockey every day.
So now's probably a good time to explain some of the side-hobbies I described above, like Pilates. Some of you are probably thinking, "Wait...Pilates? Is he serious?" Yeah, I'm serious. I've been doing it for the past 2 months or so, and it's been great. I sort of had the same misgivings about it when I first started, but I think it's really made my core a lot stronger and taught me how to tap into that source of energy before or even after my legs get tired. From what I hear, a lot of athletes are starting to do Pilates: David Beckham, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant all include Pilates in their training regimens. I have gotten and still do get a lot of flak from my friends when I tell them I'm going to a Pilates class, but I could care less because I know it's going to help me; I can already feel it helping me. And, as for that colonoscopy, I don't really need to explain, but it wasn't anything serious. I have been doing a little movie-making with some friends as well to satisfy that little bit of "theater kid" that I still have in me.
I don't want you to get the wrong picture: that I'm getting lazy during the summer months, that I'm not putting in the work I need to in order to play at my best next season. I'm still working very hard. Whenever I get in the weight room, thinking about winning a national championship in Idaho next year is what drives me to work harder. Envisioning some of the things I want to accomplish next year really helps me push myself in the weight room and when I get on the ice. But, at the same time, summer is nice because there is that extra time to get away from the game at appropriate times.
And now I'm off to Wisconsin for 3 weeks on Thursday to see my mom, brother, sister, and grandparents. But don't fear! I'm bringing my hockey gear also. Don't get me wrong, though. When I'm up there, I'm going to be doing just a little water skiing as well!
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