If it Ain't Broke, Don't Break it!

Oh, how I've missed my blog! Believe it or not, the season is done. It's not so much the macro elements of hockey season as it is the minutia that really change. It's things like spending weekends (gasp) in town, not showering at school every day, wearing non-sporty clothes sometimes, being able to actually have a bit of a social life, and..drumroll please... GETTING BACK TO THE IRON...WAHOO!
Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than hockey (aside from a small circle of loved ones, and sometimes green tea) but lordy, I have missed the weights.

MR and I are gearing up for a pretty rockin off-season. We are heading back to my original goal sheet and picking right back up where we left off in August with mobility, movement efficiency type goals. Might not sound so sexy, but believe me, I can put the FUN and funk back into "functional" training. I also want to get the hells away from running for a little while. I love running, but I can't deny that it is just not flowing with the plan that is going to make me "bulletproof" (Mike's word)! I am moving to 3-4 crosstraining sessions/week and possibly 1 run per week. All I know is that I feel a bit geriatric from the neck down these days and I have no doubt that it could be from 10-15hrs of pounding the pavement/week. I'd like to work in a spin class and definitely some pool running. I would love to start getting back in to the water once a week.

Now, one minor setback, if you please. I managed to seal off my CIS career in this, my first and last season, by breaking my nose with 10 mins left in our final game. Second half, game vs. Queen's at TD Waterhouse Stadium in London, Ontario. Yep, rebound off the keeper's pads (from about 1 metre away), a loud crunch and moments later, there I am lying on the turf with some warm liquid pooling in my hair, hands and face. There really was quite an obscene quantity of my extremely well-nutured hemo-mess on the field. Aw Jaya, for real?
For real. The therapist was on site immediately and managed to get a look, determining that I had definitely taken a major blow to the nose and would need some stitches to clear up a small gash between my eyes.

Please note that I have an extremely lucky bastard of a broken nose with minimal swelling/bruising! Now, if only I felt as minimally marred on the inside...

I felt quite calm and aware of everything that was going on. I seriously just didn't want to walk past a mirror, is all! I was seen fairly fast at the hospital in London and the doctor stitched up my nose lickitysplit, then handed me some T3's that he instructed me NOT to take for my splitting headache (No, thank YOU!) and asked that I remain awake and unmedicated until I got home to Ottawa, saw a doctor, had a CT scan and was cleared for skull fractures. So off I went, imploring my eyes to remain open for the 7 hrs back to Ottawa. Mom picked me up as soon as we got in and so at 1am we went to the Civic, where they assured me a 7hr wait. Nah, not so much. We then moved to the Queensway Carleton, where we were told to expect a
1-2hr wait. At 6a.m. I saw the doctor, had my scan and saw the results; I have one lucky skull! My nose was too swollen to xray, but I had definite concussion symptoms. The doctor finally gave me the go-ahead for pain relief and sleep, mandated 3-5 days bedrest (yikes) and ..tear...
2 to 3 weeks off from sports! I can live with just about anything, but this will truly test my resolve and sense of self-care. Good googly, 2 weeks? I have been suffering from quite severe headaches, nausea at times, and general exhaustion but I will be back on top of my game before you can say endoplasmic reticulum!

So far things haven't been too bad. I have nausea on and off, an axe stuck in my head (or so it seems) and actually.. the whole thing is kind of exciting. I secretly revel in the romanticism of finishing my career on such a dramatic note! I am really proud of how this season has gone. I have to forgive some of my own mistakes and accept that I may not have played as consistantly well as I had hoped, but I did gain much MUCH more from this season than just hockey. Although I won't be coming back next year, I am really looking forward to pursuing the off-season with a heightened sense of desire to synchronize wish and will, mind and body, action and reaction.

On the school front, it has been hard to accept that my congnitive faculties are not 100% at the moment, but my profs have been incredibly accomodating and I think tomorrow I will try to hit the books for a little while after my appt to get les stitches removed.

In the meantime, I realize that some of you may be losing sleep and now becoming completely consumed by my last post and what became of the leftover ganache. Well my little sweetpeas, allow me to ease your minds by sharing what I believe to be one of the best desserts for bringing together those with an affinity for healthy foods with those who value taste and decadence. Manski and I put these little ladies together for a Thanksgiving dinner we attended and they were well-liked by all! Just another example of how holidays can be healthy and delicious!

Sexy Little Fruits in Chocolate Lingerie
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
(Feel free to add anything else you can think of! I added a few slices of apple, and even some jumbo roasted cashews)
Leftover ganache

Method:
1. Cut fruit and arrange parchment paper on platter.
2. Melt chocolate in double boiler until just warm and melty. Yes, I'm getting tired.
3. Dip fruit in chocolate and place on parchment paper, dipped side up.
4. Store in fridge and serve alongside just about anything. Toss them over ice cream, pies, creme fraiche, you name it.. or even just by their lonesome, they make a lovely apres dinner palate refresher.
(Aerial view!)