Facing into it....

Langerland

Facing in to it…. eight long weeks of slogging it out on Tuesday and Thursday nights in the cold. In the rain, running with heavy clunks of mud sticking to the studs of boots that have been through it before. Eyes teary from the salt of sweat and washed in the rain. Running into the gale. Beating back the years. Banishing the demons. Body weary. Knowing what is coming. Eight long weeks with the scarce puck of a sliotar, clash of a hurl.

Retire. You’re 32. Married. Kids. Work. You already train some underage teams in the club. You spend too much time in the place anyway. It’s fine for the younger lads. They have energy, spirit and time on their sides. You’re chasing dreams now. You were never that good anyway and you’re only going to get worse. What is the point of putting yourself through that pain? That shame. That torture. That agony.

It’s all in your mind you know. The worst part of training is always the 5 minutes before you leave home. Once you’re on the way, with the lads, the banter, the collective spirit, it’s not too bad at all, is it? Maybe they make you feel young. Maybe you feel young knowing you can endure the same as them. Run hard. Give it all. Be proud. Smile in the car on the way home.

Spring and summer are not too far off. Go through this and you can play again with the warmth of the sun on your back just like when you were a young lad yourself. Feel that satisfaction when you knock a point over. Feel that strength when you win the ball. Feel that pride when you wear the jersey. Feel your heart beating behind the crest on your chest. It could be your last year. You said the same this time last year, but maybe this really is.

Live it. Soak it up and feel every agonizing minute of it. Love it.

An Citeog

I haven't played in over 2 years now, except for a brief stint with the college this year and the same with the club 21s before we got knocked out of the championship. Reading your post reminds me how much I miss it and I can't wait to get back playing!:)

blackbelt

Third week back training now and I am chomping at the bit to play another game.Training was tough tonight but the more you go,the more you want to be able to sprint faster at that last lap while some weeks ago you'd stuggle to catch your breath after running for the bus.

I dislike January training like a lot of players but after each training session you feel better and better.

Forget the gym...GAA training is much more beneficial.

s_carnage

Took a year out of playing last year and seriously can't wait to get back training. Even the first paragraph of the OP was making me look forward to it more.

Mushy

Nice post. Just started back last week, its not gonna be a nice few weeks. Even though ultimately it will be. Very odd for me to be doing this, I won't even be here during the summer, so will only play matches around April/May really. Still gotta do what I love doing though, and winter training is just a small price to pay.

Flukey

If you and your team mates are sitting on the steps of the Hogan Stand, or some other ground, accepting or watching a trophy being handed over to your team, those cold, windy, wet, winter nights will have been all worth it.:)

Mushy

I better have a serious amount of fun sometime to make-up for training tonight. Although there is something fulfilling bout loying down, doing back exercises, you look to the sky, its pitch black, and snow starts falling all around ya. You wonder why your there, but you quickly realise why!