Out of Retirement

Part of what running a marathon teaches you is that you can accomplish just about anything through hard work and desire. Couple that with a craving to relive some of the glory days of my youth and the idea of skating began to fester in my mind. It's been over 4 years since I last laced up the skates and I'm not getting any younger.

The argument went on in my mind for weeks. One side of the brain (which we shall call Mr Brightside) kept saying, "great exercise, the perfect compliment for stronger running." The other side (known as Capt Cautious) would respond, "one awkward hit against the knee and your marathon days might be over."

The battle would continue, but let's look at this objectively. Is there a risk that I twist an ankle or knee on a trail run? Yeah, that's realistic, but it doesn't stop me from running. Have I been injured before playing hockey, yeah, Capt Cautious would promptly point out; 1 concussion, 1 separated shoulder, 1 knee strain over the last 5 years I played. Not horrible odds, but a bigger risk, nonetheless. Ah, but the rewards are sweet. It's not the competition that drives me, rather the thrill of the game itself. The satisfaction of threading a picture perfect pass to a teammate as they score is powerful to me.

The whole idea was born when last month I went out to watch my son play his league game. On the other sheet of ice that day was a couple of old teammates playing in a separate game. After their games, we caught up in the lobby and my old teammate tried to convince me to come out and play again. They had a non-competitive session called 'Pond Hockey' that was a laid back, relaxed game for fun. The ability levels of the players ranged from relatively new skaters to elite players, my skill level would probably fall somewhere in the middle.

"Give it a try", she said, "you'll fit right in." Yes, my old teammate was a female, but believe me, she can play with any of the guys in those leagues! My appetite was whet that day.

Well, it looks like Mr Brightside has won the debate!

Last night I made my way to Pepsi Ice Midwest, plopped my butt down in the locker room and began to lace them up again. My wife said I was like a little kid that day, scared and nervous while preparing all my old equipment for the event. Every little detail was covered, from what color jersey to bring to making sure the skate laces were in good condition.

Jimmy Rutherford - Detroit Red Wings
1970 –1983

All of my fears were washed away once I stepped on the ice and made that first crossover and turned to skate up ice. It's like riding a bike, it all came back to me right away. I could still stop quick and still skate backwards.

During the game, I quickly discover that running does not give me the power to skate effortlessly like I thought it might. Only a few shifts into the game and I'm gasping for air and the legs feel like I've already ran a 10K. Yeah, skating is tough and this is going to be great exercise. After awhile, my heart rate starts to settle a bit and the hard work over the last few years begins to pay dividends. The legs are tired, but as with marathon running, I'm able to keep going and skate effectively.

Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with my comeback attempt. I did well enough skating and stick handling, grabbed a couple of assists, made my share of dumb passes, over-skated the puck a few times, but in the end, I was still standing; injury free.

After the game, we had a cookout with both teams in the parking lot with burgers, brats and of course, plenty of beer. I don't think I've ever met a hockey player that doesn't enjoy a beer after the game! The guys were all so nice to me and encouraged me to come out and play again. I'll admit, I had a blast, but haven't quite decided if I will play regularly or not.

I'll see what Mr Brightside thinks.