I think I played one of my best games of hockey last night. I spent very little time on the bench -- I'm estimating that I played between 35 and 40 minutes of the 50 minute game. We had 3 subs (4 play at a time), which means I got a bunch more PT than others, but I took my turn and everyone else was just tired. Aside from just playing, I hustled a lot and played physical and solid both ways. I had only a couple turnovers, and I battled for things I usually don't try for. I took a lot of faceoffs, only winning a couple of them, however. I broke up several important passes and blocked a few shots (like usual).
I think the most important aspect is that my conditioning was fantastic. I had an insane shift where I scored a couple minutes into the shift, then stayed on the floor for the ensuing draw. They came back stronger than usual, and the only times it came out of our zone, I was in the play. One of those times, I hustled down the wing, tailed by a pretty big defender. I cut back, and ended up tripping him with my stick (his fault :> ). The ball dribbled on goal, the goalie didn't handle the rebound very well, and I hustled in to get another shot. That lead to a break the other way, and seven minutes after the previous whistle (for my goal), I finally got a rest. It was the most tiring shift I've ever had, but I was back up and ready to go after about one or two minutes.
I've been noticing that my conditioning has been getting better every week, especially when I have games like that. The ride in this morning felt great -- I wasn't fatigued at all, and I took it at a nice steady pace, coming in only two minutes slower than yesterday (Mondays are always very fast). I've also noticed this trend at Ultimate, when I'll run in the cup (zone defense) for quite a few points, and feel fine to go back out for the next point.
The real question is, how will I ever keep this up in Africa? And do I want to? It would be nice to stay this fit, and I'll feel healthier, but it requires a lot of food. Last night I made a dish with a pound of tofu, two zucchinis, a half-cup of risotto rice and heavy seasoning. I ate it all with room to spare. During the day, I usually have a couple pieces of fruit, at least one cup of granola, a couple PB&J sandwiches, one or two other sizable snacks, and then one or two small snacks. I can't expect to find anywhere near this variety or quantity where I'll end up. I think my project when I stop working should be to lower my metabolism without sacrificing conditioning (or at least too much).
And, of course, I may have to start eating meat overseas. Harrumph.
