I signed up for a co-ed softball team here in town. Last Thursday was our first practice and last night was our first game. After practice I was duly sore, but the game nearly did me in. We took the field first and I was playing third base. The first ball to come in my general direction caused me to strain my thigh. Then after my first hit I strained my left buttock and my right pelvic muscle. I had to run around the bases like a peg legged pirate. So embarrassing! I didn't pull or tear anything but I had to be careful and take it easy on my legs. Remember, I have a half marathon this weekend. Lesson learned. Warm up run = required.
I hate how humbling it is for me these days. Not to go all Al Bundy on you...
... but once upon a time I was pretty good. A pitcher with a low ERA (I know the lingo and everything), and I played in college. We'll just leave it at that. No need to name the actual school and ruin the eminence.
And last night, the sport I once loved so deeply, tried to shred my lower limbs. Like a fork on chicken breasts being prepped for tacos. < I'm not the only one who understands that analogy, right? I'm really quite shocked at how one game affected me. I once ran a full marathon with practically no training (Chicago 2010) and felt slightly less pain than what I felt last night.
But hath no fear, all has ended well. I detoured to the gas station before heading home and invested in some bags of ice for a refreshing (haha) bath. After my legs went numb, it felt great. Then I immediately got the stick out and rolled before feeling could return. Finally, because I could hardly sleep with my thigh throbbing, I pulled a cut up piece of tube sock around my thigh for compression. The triple threat worked because I woke up this morning feeling exponentially better. I felt really good, actually.
Hi. I'm Alecia, a 30 year old chronic under estimator. I have learned that I can no longer run out the door and simply show up to play an "easy" rec league sport without serious ramifications. Don't let what happened to me, happen to you. KNOW YOU'RE OLD
- Hugh Jass
I think what you've really exposed here is the frequency that you actually eat tacos. You'll get conditions for the movements in softball soon enough. Running uses a completely different set of skills, so you're not old, just in an adjustment phase.
ReplyDeleteexcept, you know, you are old. like really really old.