My son overall had a pretty good game. When he came off the ice he was pretty frustrated. The frustration was due to some of the players on his team not knowing how to play their positions, particularly the defense. At this level a lot of kids just want to skate the puck up the ice and score. When defensive players do this it creates breakaway opportunities for the other team. At that point it comes down to our goalie. Our goalie is not shall we say very talented.
To compensate for this my son started keeping track of all the players on the ice. If the defense players started playing offense he drifted back to cover their positions. When they would come to their senses and start playing their positions my son would shift back to offense. This meant that he let up on the offensive side but he also prevented a lot of goals as a result of his creativity. His heads up playing setup our teams only goal and he got the assist so I guess he didn't let the offense slide that much.
My son's frustration motivated him to change tactics to address the problem. His switch from strictly playing his position to keeping tabs on what was going on in the bigger picture may have been a fluke or it may have been a step down a path that will serve him well if he continues to use it. The best hockey players aren't the ones who score all the goals. They're the ones who know how to read the situation on the ice and make the plays.
Sometimes we need a little frustration to motivate us to travel down a different path. Often this unintended path will allow us to grow in some new and completely unexpected way. My initial frustration with cycling started me down the path of running, which lead to triathlon. This small frustration resulted in a direction change that has had tremendous impacts on all areas of my life. Had I not traveled this path I truly believe I would be a lesser person as a result. The next time you're frustrated look for the opportunity to grow within that seed of frustration. You may be amazed by what you find there.
Workout Summary
Workout Week Review
Started to feel a bit more energy this week. Run form seems to be coming back - I'll know for sure after tomorrow's long run. I added circuit and core work back into my Tuesday/Thursday lineup because it just makes me feel better. Something about doing circuit seems to pump me up for some reason. Just have to be careful that I don't injure something as a result of lifting after doing a tri-brick.
It was great to get out on the bike today. After tuning up my bike last night my friend looked at my position on the trainer and made some adjustments. He also recommended that I start pushing my chest out a bit (similar to "pushing the buoy in swimming"). This helped push my hips into the saddle more firmer which improved my spin and also helped my "reach" to the handlebars. I don't feel that I have to reach out as far now - the reach to the handlebars feels more natural. The new upgrades are working very well. The Dura-ace shifting is incredibly crisp. I also really like the speedplay pedals, though I still need to get used to the slightly different exit twist then my Look pedals.
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