This is a GREAT flick for the trainer. Meticulously shot and well cast, acted, everything. Can't say enough good things about it. Even my distaste for xenophobic patriotism takes a backseat on this one, as sport trumps all else here.
Best line is Coach Brooks saying "Legs feed the wolf" while his boys are doing suicides--I can only imagine how that feels, having never played hockey, though it is my favorite sport. There's my new mantra. Right now the wolf has a small stomach, but its appetite grows daily. That's appetite, not my stomach...oh never mind. Just see the movie if you haven't already.
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4 comments:
After playing hockey from about 5 years old all the way through college, I've had to do my share of suicides. You'll never experience anything so painful. These drills are designed to simulate the all out explosive skating required during a game: go as fast as you can, stop on a dime, change direction, go as fast as you can, stop of a dime. As you saw in the movie this is repeated about 7 times per suicide.
All done as fast as you can:
Goal line to first blue line
return back to goal line
to center ice line
return back to goal line (lactic acid is already building)
to far blue line
return back to goal line (legs can barefully push off)
to end of rink
return back to goal line
(fall over and puke)
The first couple of times you stop and start your legs are fine, but about halfway through, your legs feel like cement, the lactic acid has more than built up and your lungs are screaming. When you finish one suicide, you feel like puking.
I think the most suicides I ever had to do in one session is maybe 5-6. Herbie made his guys go for an hour or more.
I'm telling you, there is nothing close to this when riding a bike.
Flying Scotsman was pretty intense, though I was hardly in it.
Ray.
Obviously you haven't gotten to that point when you're puking and almost passing out after you've crossed the finish line in a bike race. (it's not the lactic acid which kills you it's the lack of oxygen to the head.)
Yes, suicides are killers, I see it when my son does it and then after the 3rd or 4th time, he does exactly what you do and collapses on the ground. He's a sprinter too.
As both a bicyclist and hockey player / coach I concur, these suicides can be painful. New research in training methods also show they can do more harm than good in developing "quick twitch" muscle response which is critical for hockey (and an attack on the bike!). I used to use them as both punishment / reward for the players. I would run the suicide drill at the end of practice and once in awhile let the first guy finished off the ice early. The players never new when or if that would happen. As assistant coach with a college team I would participate in the drills with the players. Any player that did not beat the 50 year old coach..... AGAIN!
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