Wait...What Day Is It...

Day 5…6…er something…is nearing a close. What day is it anyway? Thursday? I’m in a Rugby Time Warp right now. It feels like we’ve been at camp for weeks now. Days bleed into days and time is measured in weigh ins, feedings, sessions, meetings, ice baths. I’ve taken my heart rate five times now, weighed in 14, had three ice baths, and have consumed enough calories for two or three people (depending on their size and disposition toward doughnuts). I hope this is what heaven is like…or hell (depending on the final destination of my hand basket).

I felt a little beat up today, which of course is inevitable after a match day. It’s a good feeling…or a horrible feeling, depending on your level of masochism. I think rugby players are all masochists to some extent and so relish in post-match pain, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. A seed must break its shell before a plant can grow.

Philosophical ramblings aside, the second match was a physical one. One that left me physically exhausted—I’m talking fatigue-delirium. I enjoyed every minute of it. I felt that I played one of the most active games I’ve ever played, and my teammates voted me forward of the game. That is an honor, not because it represents a personal triumph (we play for ourselves, of course, because we love the game and the person the game makes us), but because we play for our teammates. When we’re on the pitch we are committed to 14 other people. We strive and push ourselves to our breaking points for those people, and to have those people appreciate my effort has made my time here worth it, regardless of win-loss records, regardless of selections.

On a less serious note, a few things that have helped me prepare for the intense rugby here at camp have been the quotes on my Celestial Seasonings teas (the one I got before our match was, “On with the dance, let joy be unconfined,” and I kept thinking throughout play, “Let’s dance, baby.”), our strength and conditioning guy, Paul, saying that his goal was to help us be athletic and happy (what could be more simple and more awesome than being athletic and happy), and the sloth slaps I’ve been getting from Kmiecik (you don’t need to know what that is, just know that it helps).

That’s all for now. Check back in tomorrow for more of my insights (if you want to call them that) and updates.