Whew, another whirlwind hockey weekend behind me. Finished Ms Conduct tournament game four in Coral Springs at 1 p.m. Sunday, and Mrs. Harrible and I still made it to Ellenton for the second two periods of our 4 p.m. Revolution game. (No laws were broken in the writing of this blog.)

Turns out I’m in pretty good shape, so to speak, for the fitness fever that comes with New Years. I don’t have any resolutions or anything concrete like that, but the gluttony of the holidays does encourage a counter-swing toward healthiness, for at least a time, and circumstances are helping me out with that. Another Sunday-night hockey season just started (two weeks after the previous one finished, as is standard), and Ms Conduct will have a few practices before our next tournament at the beginning of February.

We also returned to boxing after a few weeks off last week. You know it’s bad when you’re gasping for air, look up at the clock and realize you’re only 15 minutes into an hour-long workout.

The championship game for the Latina Women’s Soccer League out at Palmetto’s Buffalo Creek was pushed back to this coming Saturday. Always a treat to get back on a full-size pitch after a month’s layoff, but, well, at least it wasn’t as long a break as last time.

And even beyond our hockey/boxing/soccer/etc. routine, the huge fitness feature I just finished for February, plus all the connections that come from the monthly health department I write, have provided a steady stream of fitness invitations.

Tomorrow I’m headed out east to Kaizen Total Wellness in Lakewood Ranch for health section material—which obviously doubles as good personal tips.

For the fitness feature, I reconnected with trainer (and former Orioles strength and conditioning coach) John Selzler, whom we initially met through Uppercut Boxing & Fitness. John’s started offering adult conditioning classes out of the new Strike Zone facility in Bradenton, so CCB and I are going to check that out Wednesday night at 6.

In between appointments, and thanks to all the tips and encouragement from another feature source, Pat at Fleet Feet Sports and one of her star students, Rock Star Kim, CCB and I are going to start jogging again—and maybe even sign up for a 5k. My knees still respond unpredictably to the impact, but I took some pointers from hockey teammates and started getting back into rehab-style strength training, which may wind up being the miracle solution I was looking for.

Someone even asked me the other day if, with all these connections and new opportunities, I might take up rowing. My first reaction was, “Doubtful—it’s not really as close at hand as some of the other activities that present themselves.” Then I realized that good friend and hockey teammate (and fellow Stetson alum) Lefty was a rower in college and remains pretty passionate about the sport. So who knows, maybe in between the skates and sticks and gloves and cleats, I might find a moment to pick up an oar. Any other suggestions? Badminton? Water polo? At this point, the sky—ie my cardiovascular conditioning—is the limit.