Zen and the Art of the Outside Edge

Skating on the Outside Edge (learning it is scary!)

I am very slow when I play hockey.  It's been a long haul getting back in shape after the near fatal butt injury (OK it wasn't "near fatal," but it felt like it at that time).  Before the injury, when I played with my co-ed team, I was always a step behind the better players.  As a winger, when we broke out of our end, I couldn't keep up with the centre or other winger when they would streak down the ice.  I gave it my best though, I was usually back in the play if the goalie gave up a rebound (to be real, I was there if the goalie gave up a third rebound).  After the six weeks off due to my butt injury, I was more than a step behind and it's been really tough trying to get back to the slow state that I was before my injury. I've been working out five days a week for a month now and I'm finally back to the speed I was before the injury.  I guess that's just another thrilling aspect of age - injury recovery time is longer!

The other night, after our game, I was bemoaning my rather plodding pace while I skate and John gave one of those rather offhand comments that your spouse will make when they're absolutely right, but they know you don't want to hear their absolutely right comment (if you're married you know what I mean); he said "You know you'd be better if you'd practice more and got up off your inside edges."  Now to give John credit, it wasn't stated in a derogatory manner, but in a simple matter of fact kind of way that brooks no argument, since he knows about a thousand times more about skating than I do.

I know I need to practice, but practicing skating isn't fun, playing hockey is fun.

So off to the rink we went (John, Madie and I).  Of course before we left I issued the caveat that "If I have to pee, we're coming home, there's no way I'm using the porta pottie!" (A girl has to have standards - it was an outside rink)  ... What my husband puts up with!

John had me practice getting up on just one skate and then making turns that would force me to use my outside edge.  So if I was standing on my left skate I had to turn left and vice versa with my right skate.  I guess it was an indication of how natural I feel on my inside edges, because the whole process felt totally alien to me!

Me (#15) on my inside edges (at least the other girl was too)

On and on I practiced.  Every now and then John would check in on my progress and encourage me.  He would proceed to effortlessly demonstrate the process over and over again.  He kept telling me to just do what he was doing ... I wanted to ask him how he'd feel if I demonstrated a two handed C major formula pattern on the piano and told him to just do what I was doing .... then again, I wanted to get better at skating and he has no interest in the piano ... sigh.

I just kept trying.  Snot was running down my face, I kept getting in every one's way as I single mindedly wobbled back and forth with my turns.  I was determined to be skating like Gretzky by the time I was finished.  In the end, we had to leave since we were scheduled to skype with Jamie later that night.  I must admit that I hadn't come close to mastering the use of the outside edge before we left the rink and we haven't been back yet because it's been so cold (remember it's an outside rink and the porta pottie issue).  Yet I am determined to practice some more and I did play a better game since I started learning the whole outside edge thing. 

Just watch out - one I get this whole outside edge thing, I should be in time for the first rebound!

It's Really Quite Simple

John simply having fun

A friend suggested to John that he read the book Younger Next Year written by a Chris Crowley, a former lawyer and Henry Lodge M.D. a board certified internist.  John hasn't read it yet, but I picked it up, since I'm one of those people who will read just about anything.  The book is supposed to be a "revolutionary"  change of attitude towards the aging process.  The authors base their plan on the idea that instead of looking forward to decades of pain as the body slowly deteriorates, it's possible to live as if you were 50, maybe even younger, for the rest of your life.  The book is clearly targeted towards baby boomers who are just now hitting their retirement years and are scared poopless of the aging process. 

To be honest, I didn't find it very revolutionary.  Clearly the masses don't agree, since it sold extremely well and even spawned a website http://www.youngernextyear.com/ that helps promote various spin offs from the original book that of course cost money.  The book follows a set of rules called "Harry's Rules" (Harry is Henry Lodge - I know it's confusing)

Harry's Rules

1. Exercise for six days a week for the rest of your life
2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life
3. Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life
4. Spend less than you make
5. Quit eating crap
6. Care
7. Connect & Commit

Heck, all you had to do was watch Oprah for the past few years and you would know all about this.  I've never really followed Oprah that closely, but I remember watching one show, where she made it quite clear that she had more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime and if there was a sure fire quick and easy way to lose weight, than she would have bought it, not matter what cost.  At the end of the day, the only thing that really worked, was eating the right kind of food in moderation and exercising.  It's a fact we all know, but there's a billion dollar industry out there that feeds into the belief that there's a magic potion that can help you lose weight.  The book Younger Next Year simply puts the Oprah show into print (and profits from it).

One thing the book pointed out, is that the rules were much easier to follow if your spouse/partner/significant other/friend joined you in the process.  It simply makes sense that if you're trying to change your life style, than those that will affect and be affected by the change, are on board with you.  I'm really lucky in that respect, since John (even without reading the book) is totally on board with regards to all of Harry's Rules, even before we knew about Harry's Rules.  These days John and I are over at Donalda Club hitting golf balls in the indoor range, working out and sometimes skating on the outdoor rink.  We both enjoy it and we both enjoy cheering each other on in our efforts to drop some weight and get healthy.  On Friday nights we play together in co-ed league - it puts a whole new spin on date night.

At the end of the day, we're all getting older.  I don't need a book to tell me that I need to stay active and eat right ... I just need to do it.