When 35 is old

I thought playing on this co-ed softball team might make feel feel young again.  Remind me of the days when I was 12 playing for the Chemlawn Cuties.  Running the bases, swingin' the bat...

Nope. 

It's making me feel old as dirt.

Last night was our second game.  We still lost, but not as bad as last week.  A mere 6 - 4.  All of our runs were scored in the last inning.  Apparently it takes us 6 innings to get warmed up.

When I arrived I grabbed a ball and started tossing it with another gal in what the other players lovingly call "warming up".  Whatever.  This is not warming up.  This is just "throwing".  I couldn't figure out the semantic difference until I looked more closely at the players on my team and realized I'm probably one of two of the oldest players on the team.  I'm guessing by a LOT.  So yeah, to them tossing a ball around is "warming up".  When you're twenty-two...

However, when you're 35 "warming up" for anything physical should always include:

• stretching all appropriate muscle groups for the activity
• stretching groups you don't think you're going to use, because face it - you're not 20 anymore so you're likely to use non-appropriate muscle groups even if you don't mean to
• increasing your heart rate in some form - jogging a bit, perhaps
• ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT if said activity will require you to raise your heart rate during said activity...
• popping preemptive ibruprofen

After you have done all of the above you can continue on with any additional "warm ups" suggested by teammates.

NOTE - following outlined "35 YO Warm Up Plan" does not exclude you from injury. 

Case in point:  I hurt myself during our game last night.  During said "ball tossing" with fellow "Ball Breaker" (read that how you will) I twinged my right upper quad.  Face it - I'm just not used to standing still and quickly lunging out to field a grounder or sprinting out to first base.  I thought to myself "Self, be careful!  You're not 20 anymore!!  Don't let that twinge turn into a tear!"

Guess what?  I tore that bitch.

Actually I kept on tearing it and tearing it.  'Cuz I'm a glutton for punishment like that.  And I tweaked my left quad too.  But I kept reminding myself there is NO crying in baseball!!  (or softball, or in front of cute boys) 

But I did consult dad on the way home for proper post injury treatment.  When I got home I iced those thighs like Thanksgiving leftovers and popped Advil.  And today?  More icing and more Advil.  I feel like a new girl!!

Take aways:

1. Don't try to act younger than you are because you just end up looking stupid
2. If you decide to disreagrd rule #1 at least go through the proper warm up techniques at least twice (preferably in private so the younguns don't see you and how old you really are....
3. Don't ever discount the healing properties of ice (or dad's advice....)