Monday, September 14, 2009

I think I'm Gonna Die


Tonight was the first night of basketball for our men's league this season. We haven't played since mid-May. We'll, there's not really structured teams...and it's not a league, as such. Just a bunch of guys that rent the gym at the military base for an hour to relive their youth (yute?). Some of these gents have been playing together for over 35 years. It sort of gives you an idea of the age bracket when I, a couple of weeks away from 47, am one of the "youngsters". I think the oldest is 63 or so. I privately refer to the weekly spectacle as "Geezerball."

Now let me get this out in the open...I'm nobody's idea of an athlete. I didn't play team sports back in school (not even basketball). I was talked into this gig last fall by my sister-in-law's husband who is a bit of a jock. "Yes b'y, just a bit of fun and exercise." Ha, such a liar!

I feel like somebody has driven sharp knives into both my knee caps, exchanged my thighs for heavy chunks of rubber and pounded my lower spine with a baseball bat. Hmm, guess that I was more out of shape than I thought. A few of the guys like to go downtown to a bar for nachos, wings and pitchers of beer. That can be enjoyable, on the rare occasion, but I tend to not want to undo the good effects of the torture exercise.

A think that I may have to adopt a couple of cliched mantras: "No pain, No gain" comes to mind. Also, "What does not kill me, makes me stronger" may apply here as well. Either way I will be sure to have myself checked out of the hospital next Monday in time for the game. I am off for a hot shower and a handful of Ibuprofen with a tea chaser.

11 comments:

Aaron Polson said...

Yay for exercise! Great descriptions there: "sharp knives into both knee caps...pounded my lower spine with a baseball bat..."

Katey said...

I feel like somebody has driven sharp knives into both my knee caps, exchanged my thighs for heavy chunks of rubber and pounded my lower spine with a baseball bat.
God, isn't that the best feeling ever?

... hm. Now that I see it written out, that seems like it might be a little weird of me :/

Fox Lee said...

Exercise? Are you mad??

Writers don't exercise. We ponder ; )

Anonymous said...

Dude... you sure this was basketball, cos it kinda sounds like they lured you away and mugged you. Do you still have your wallet?

Rebecca Nazar said...

Through your deft description, I relived my first feeble days of exercise after a life of couch-potatoing. I felt your pain.

As a fellow geezer, it does become easier given time. I love my workouts now.

Cate Gardner said...

Exercise!!! I think I may have to stop following you in case you give my butt ideas.

Alan W. Davidson said...

Aaron-Thanks, I'm hoping the desciptive writing spills over into my reports of job-site visits..."His reflective vest flapped gently with the early morning breeze and the frost was a pebbly layer on the rafter's pale, grey primer"...Yikes!

Katey-Not a great feeling at the time, but OK today. I'm sure that I'll feel better about if if/when I see some benefit.

Natlaie-I hear you, sister! I'm pondering the fact the Davidson's rarely make it out of their 60's!

Anton-You would'nt believe the number of injuries last season. I believe you may be correct with the mugging description.

Rebecca-Thanks for the support words, fellow geezer.

Cate-LOL, I hope that what I have isn't contagious. I necessary evil, I'm afraid, to keep my weight under 200lbs (I believe that would be 16 stone in British-speak!)

K.C. Shaw said...

Exercise? I do not understand your species' primitive concept of...exercise.

I hate most sports. If anyone tried to talk me into playing anything except baseball, I would hit them. And I might hit them about the baseball too, just for the hell of it.

Hitting is pretty good exercise, for that matter. You should have tried it instead of the basketball thing.

Sylvia Dickey Smith said...

You sound like my son, and his two oldest sons who live, breathe and eat basketball. They live in Wisconsin. The younger of the two plans to be a sports statiscian and I think he already has all the stats memorized!

Laura Eno said...

I'm with K.C. I don't like sports and exercise is mostly boring, although I am a Tai Chi instructor. It's the only thing I've found that doesn't bore me to death (and it's easy on the knees)

Alan W. Davidson said...

KC-Generally speaking, I agree on the exercise thing being foreign. It's only the dire threat from my Dr. that motivates me into a token effort.

Sylvia-I enjoy playing the evil basketball because it's a team sport and it's good for me, and gets me out of the house. I would actually prefer to watch hockey.

Laura-I did a couple of Tai Chi (Taoist Tai Chi Society) when I was younger but desided it was for the older crowd. Now that I'm one of the older crowd, I've been thinking of going back. We'll see. I'd go to your class if you were in the area.