Quick rugby update

It's been a rough week. I've been experiencing shin splints since the cal game and quite frankly it sucks. On Friday I had a frustrating practice where my arches refused to cooperate and my shoulder was feeling dodgy. But I gutted it through despite getting a bit of sarcasm from my coach. It was, however, difficult to just tough it out when we had an oversized greek choir of non-participants at practice. I'm all for injured players showing up and supporting/learning at practice but some of them need to freaking butch up a little and a few others who were practicing really should have given it a rest (she has bruised ribs, a slightly torn rotator cuff, and a broken toe for shit sake).

I sound like a broken record but I really feel we need less fitness and more rugby at this point in the ballgame. Hopefully practice this week will reflect said shift towards the practical as this week is our last before our first league game versus San Jose. They're always a tough team and it's an away game...I'm not sure if our team is in the right mindset yet...this isn't some pre-season friendly...this is LEAGUE. San Jo is a serious team with big players and they know how to win while our team can't focus up enough to go through a line of hands without dropping the ball and staring at how pretty it looks in the mud.

Wednesday was a pretty good practice and we got our new shorts. I'll admit I'm kinda disappointed, they're stretchy Kooga shorts but we were assured that they would have reinforcing tape...which they lack. Our first lineout with them nearly resulted in a dropped jumper. So we're kind of in a muck over whether to buy lifter shorts for our jumpers or just to have them wear some old shorts (this is complicated by the fact some weird kids actually care about uniformity and our lack of a solid lineout plan). I also did some lifting, this was the first serious lifting I've done...pretty much ever. An odd experience for a hooker but I know it's good for me despite all the protesting my jammed thumbs and fractured fingers might have felt at the time. I have a sinking feeling that my coach is going to shove me in at prop if I don't get fit soon or if our pack doesn't settle down. I'm going to personally start kicking some ass if this happens. But really? I'll play anything...I'm just a hooker at heart.

Saturday we had a friggin trail run. I was not pleased being the only front row to show up and running with a bunch of relatively fit locks and wings through damp forest razor-backs. If my arches, ankles, and shins weren't bothering me enough, spending my Saturday morning slipping around on moss trails like a rampaging elephant after a pack of long legged cross-country runners was a sure way to further kick in my morale. To add insult to injury, my gf with her sprained ankle was able to keep up with my fat ass. Once my body got over the harsh kick of running up a mountain it was actually an enjoyable run with brisk fog, luscious green clovers, and the comforting scent of the redwoods (or at least as enjoyable as an hour long trail run broken up by push ups and planks could possibly be for a front row). By the end of the run I finally caught up with my fly-half (ha! bitched!). I suppose it was worth it, it reminded me that I need to get in shape and that I should do it on my own terms so team attempts at fitness are less painful.

So this post is running kind of long so I'll leave a few things for next time..but one last thing. I'm thinking of getting a scrum cap so I can still play after I turn 23. I'm looking for suggestions for the cheapest...best scrum cap that a gal can get. I've got a little azn faux-hawk going on so I don't need space for a pony-tail or anything like that. I just need to protect my noggin from opposing tight-heads getting a little contact happy in a scrum. I'm thinking of getting a random Canterbury one.

Well anyhoo I guess that's it. I'll blather more later.