A dozen years of rust

[digitaldiscipline]

At the cajoling of a coworker and because it will hopefully prove to be both good, useful cardio and an inducement for cassandrasimplx to resume pursuit of her plans to do likewise, I joined a recreational hockey league yesterday morning. My first game was, uh, yesterday evening. I had all the necessary kit already - my years of playing rollerhockey mean that, other than digging everything out and getting my skates sharpened, I could, in theory, step onto the ice and get back to it.

That first step can be a doozy. Not from the OMFG HOW DO LEGS EVEN WORK? side of things - I was doing passable if not confident front crossovers within five minutes, and took some tentative strides towards reacquainting myself with hockey stops and back crossovers - but more prosaically, HOLY SHIT ARE MY OLD SKATES UNCOMFORTABLE. Granted, I bought them used when I was... in college? Hitting the rink during my tenure in DC in 2001? I don't honestly remember. But half an hour in them was enough to convince me I didn't want to be, so it was off to the pro shop for new boots. Not as dear as it could have gotten, and it's entirely likely this is the last pair of skates I'll ever need to buy. Far more comfortable, even fresh from the box, and they'll only get moreso as they weld to my feet. I may or may not get them baked to enhance their form-fitting-ness.

Back on the ice for the open public skate, and, yeah. Much better.

Then it was "kill some time with dinner and watching the other game in my league before my turn." Mira Grant/seanan_mcguire's Feed was the reading material of note.

Got introduced to my new teammates, about 3/4 of which knew each other and about half or so had been on the same team together during the previous season (they go more or less nonstop, 12 weeks, playoffs, a week off, and then it starts over). There is one other dude who is brand-new to the team - we'd met in the skate shop - and we ended up as linemates. He and his wife were (and she remains) referees. Very congenial bunch of guys on my team; organized and focused but not pushy and having fun. I suspect the best player in our league is one of the ladies against whom we played last night (the least-skilled may be her husband, whose very first time playing was last night, and he spent roughly equal amounts of time upright and... not upright. I know those feels, bro).

Game ended in a scoreless tie, and then 1-1 after a five round shootout. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to regain some skill and confidence in my skating and stickhandling so that I spend less time flailing spastically and missing the puck (or having to stare at it, rather than look around) and can do something that more closely resembles playing hockey.

Next game is Saturday at 8pm. I may hit one of the open public skates during the week if scheduling works out for it - the rink is less than two miles from my office, so getting there for a post-work session is super convenient.

Today is housecleaning to prep for the parental invasion, drug procurement errands, and lifting heavy things.... fueled by some fucking delicious roast bison.

Comments

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned the world needs video of you on ice skates? I think I have. But I'm mentioning it again here because the world needs video of you on ice skates.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I look like every other person in ice skates, just better ;-) CS will take video when we go skating when I'm visiting her next. rec league hockey is not very mediagenic.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

(tumblr really needs some way to reply to replies, because unless the reply is a repost, there's no fucking way to do so except... with a new post, or a fan mail, or dm. wtf)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Tumblr isn't well set up for social interaction. =(

[ivy]

Interesting! I hope you have fun with it. I haven't ever been more than passable on roller skates or more than remedial on ice skates.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I was pretty good - able to do 360* jumps and shit when i took a figure skating course (in hockey skates) in college and stuff.