Friday, July 23, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, the lady left town for a few days, so I decided to use that opportunity to switch up my post-work routine a bit. Instead of coming home after work, eating dinner, and pretending to write yet another article, while listening to music and sipping red wine, I went to go play basketball.

Now, although I have recently played basketball alone and with my son, I have not played competitively with other people in a little over a year. The last time I played, I severely sprained my ankle, and it threw off my workout routine for a week or so, and I didn't like that. Still, I burned and yearned to get back out on the court. Even though I'm 35, my game still has not changed much from when I was in my early 20s. In fact, while I am playing, you can't even tell that I am pushing 40..unless of course you were with me the morning after, when I tried to move, but that's a different story.

So I get to the indoor court around 6:30, I wait around until the end of the last game, and then I assemble with the other three guys who said they had next. From 6:45, until 8pm when I left, my team won five games in a row, which means I did not sit down once. We won close games, we blew teams out, some games I did the majority of the scoring, other games it was evenly distributed. It was just good, solid basketball, and a great workout I might add. Plus the gym was 566 degrees, so I was sweating like a crazy man.

But around 7:55 or so, right before my team finally lost, I took the ball, drove the lane, jumped up for a lay-up, and came down on someone's foot. The SAME ankle I jacked up the last time I played, was once again severely sprained. I finished the game, I walked home, I walked around my house (with no sympathy because the lady wasn't here), I put heat and ice on it, and I did whatever I could do to avoid that morning after pain. It didn't even hurt that badly last night, but I knew as soon as I took that first step out of my bed this morning, it would. And now that I've taken about 50 steps this morning, let me tell you, that shit hurts. I see Motrin in my future. I have all kinds of things to do this weekend, and this is going to set me back.

This minor setback is not at all a reflection on my 35 year old game. Despite my year hiatus, I held my own against the youngsters, even though they kept calling me little man, because they all seemed to be well over 6'0" tall, and I am 5'9". Love it when that happens!

Everything's Gonna Be Alright - Sounds of Blackness

4 comments:

Jazzbrew said...

Go get a cortisone shot and get back out there man. The old(er) generation needs you. I'm not really holding my own with my old(er) man sports of golf and bowling...

Sab D said...

That's what's up! Some time should make a mid-level veteran exemption for you

Tiffany said...

LMAO, you thought you had it, didn't you? Only to be struck down. *SMH*

Peace, Love and Chocolate
Tiffany

rashad said...

jazzbrew: my goal is to be back next Thursday, so there's hope for me yet!

sab: all i need is a one year deal, and i'm straight

redbonegirl: I still have it! this ankle setback is temporary!