The Only Way to Cruise

First things first.  The other day I mentioned I would be providing a high frequency training template.  I will be, but instead of posting it, I’ll be sending it out in an upcoming newsletter.  If you haven’t yet, grab a free copy of “Strong Hockey Core Training” and sign-up for my newsletter.  Even if you already invested in my Off-Ice Performance Training Course, it’s still worth signing up for the newsletter to get updated information and other freebies.  Sign-up window in the upper right corner of this site.

Moving on…

On Saturday I got back to New York after a 7-day cruise through the Caribbean with Emily.  It was probably the most fun week of my life.  Up to this point, my foreign travel has consisted of hockey trips to Canada, and one  accidental journey through part of Mexico during a cross-country drive with my brother.  We spent one day each in: St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados.

If you know me at all, you know I’m exceptionally boring.  On an average week, I’m busy with something kinesiology or training related for about 14 hours a day, about 4-6 of which is spent reading.  I get about 7-8 hours of sleep, and spend the last 2 hours eating the same foods (pepper, onion, and cheddar cheese omelettes, ground turkey, spinach, broccoli, and smoothies).  Some would call me a workaholic.  I wouldn’t disagree.  I just happen to enjoy my work, so I don’t mind putting the time in.  

Having said all that, Emily made it clear that no constructive work would be done at anytime on this cruise, which was an ultimatum I agreed to without hesitation.  I needed a break.  It was time to relax and branch out.  It was a week of firsts.  Last week, for the first time ever, I:

1. Have been on a cruise ship 
2. Been outside North America
3. Ate snails
4. Ordered Shrimp, three times I might add
5. Ate Wahoo…it’s a type of fish
6. Ordered three desserts and ate all of them
7. Enjoyed a bowl of Strawberry Bisque
8. Eaten Cream of Asparagus Soup
9. Rode a jetski
10. Ordered a Mojito with an unaltered self-perception of manliness
11. Feared for my life (Emily, driving the jetski at full speed through choppy waves straight toward the shoreline, turns her head and says “I can’t see anything.  I’m going to close my eyes. Let me know if I hit anything!”  She later added, “I had NO idea what I was doing” haha)
12. Spontaneously slow danced in the middle of a hallway
13. Saw SEVERAL senior citizens ripping their clothes off to win a cruise-hosted contest
14. Saw several men provocatively dancing together to with the same contest
15. Got a tan!  Due to my Irish, German, and English heritage, my skin tone usually varies between eggshell white and translucent.  In fact, I’m so pale, the people at the “Bodies” exhibit asked if I would be part of their tour, as it is indeed rare that you can see the muscles right through the skin in a life human.
16. Stood up in the open back of a jeep while speeding through poorly paved roads in a rain forest
17. Saw a banana plantation (it was cool to see where they come from since I’m single-handedly keeping the banana industry afloat by eating 5-6 a day).
18. Snorkled above a ship wreck and with sea turtles
19. Tasted banana ketchup
20. Went a week without checking my email or voicemail once.  Nor did I send a text message.  First week without outside communication in as long as I can remember.
21. Been to a cigar lounge
22. Saw a towel animal (On different days, our room was inhabited by a towel elephant, monkey, and what Emily described as a “Sexy Antelope”)
23. And lastly, interacted with such a diverse population.  I made friends with two bartenders from China and a small island off the coast of Africa, a piano player from England, a waiter from the Philippines, and a couple with the wife from Russia and husband from Albania.  I learned more about foreign culture in one week than I have in 18 years of school.  

It was a great break from reality.  I’m already looking forward to my next escape 🙂

Hockey Training Take Home: Take a break every now and then.  You’ll feel well-rested and rejuvenated, allowing you to get back to training hard and making progress.