The best distance runner around when I was in high school just happened to be from my school. He didn’t set out to be a runner. He took up ‘jogging’ to get in better shape for hockey. however, his running career took off like a rocket and he actually left the sport he was originally training for behind.
Even though I shunned running for the better part of a decade, I still carried on playing pickup hockey for most of that time. I’m now finding that combining the two for a lengthy workout is a very doable and beneficial way to spend a Sunday evening.
This year, I started playing summer hockey at the University of Guelph on Sunday nights. It’s pickup, or shinny, hockey which means there’s no referees and no one’s keeping score. It’s fast paced and is well worth the 45 minute drive one way from home.
But, to maximize my value of driving that distance each week, I’ve added a run following hockey. I quickly change into my running gear, load my hockey equipment in the mini-van and head out for a 10-15 kilometre jaunt through the streets of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Shouldn’t I Be Tired?
It’s an odd feeling, coming out of the rink where you’ve worked pretty hard for an hour and reducing things down to putting one foot in front of the other. Elevated heart rate? No – the pulse stays about the same as any run. Slower pace? Not really. I try to keep the speed down to avoid injury but I remain pretty much steady throughout. Dehydration? Not at all. I take a quick chug of water before heading out but don’t feel dry at all for the duration.
I can’t stress enough the importance of nasal breathing during both of these sports. Always inhaling through the nose allows my system to work as efficiently as possible.
Of course, I do get tired but it’s not until Monday morning! By the time I pull into the driveway, it’s already 1:00 in the morning. I always have the urge for a bite to eat and a mental wind down. By the time I roll into bed, it’s closer to 2am.
I played around with the same combo in high school. The difference was, I would always run first (right after school) then play hockey later. At that time, I always found my speed on the ice was compromised. Of course, at that time, I was running a lot harder than I do now. It was shorter distances but always about going faster than the last run. Certainly a surefire way to tire the legs out.
In the winter months, I play Thursday and Friday evenings much closer to home. I don’t run after because of timing but I most often will run in the mornings. There’s certainly not the same dead-legs problem I had in my youth but I’m probably not going as hard on and off the ice as I did way back then. Also, the morning run and evening hockey leave a pretty long gap in between for recovery.
Exploration Running
The thrill of these runs, even if they only last a few months, is the chance to explore another city. Sure, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Guelph but running allows a deeper, closer connection to a place’s streets and trails. Every time I head out from the University of Guelph parking lot, I have a chance to see things I’ve never seen before. Once a week, in these travel-deprived times we’re struggling through, I get to be a tourist, if only for a short time.