This week Keego looks ahead to preseason training with the appropriate amount of enthusiasm…
Welcome to blog number 6, it has three times the amount of number 2 in it…..
So it happened. The message went out earlier in the week. Coach Biggles (the name is apparently ironic and came about after an incident in the shower – maybe another blog is needed to explain?) sent the message out :
‘Gentlemen, pre-season starts this day week the 7th of August.’
Now, people associate ‘the fear’ with having to have a drink the night after having 24 and a half too many the night before…these people have never received the above message. These people have never had to do a preseason fitness session. I am still sore from the sessions I didn’t attend last season!
But this is the time of the ‘summer’ (insert Irish summer joke here) when any member of a rugby club starts thinking…..
Will I play again this year?
Well in my case, will I stand on the sideline in my gear getting frost bite on the various parts of me that hang lower than regulation allows? This is the question facing me; I thought I would talk about the thoughts etc about the coming season.
When you get to my age (I am not that old, some of you fogeys are much older than me ;)) you start to look at things differently. I am recently married and the fear of being involved in a tough rugby game holds much less than the fear I get when I forget to take the bins out, or leave a towel on the floor. But that’s enough of newly married life; I can hear wifey getting the cat o19tails ready for me after the above. (I wish we only had a 9tail).
Apologies for the tangents this week. There may have been a few beers consumed after band practice tonight, but I shall struggle on.
So I now feel pain, hangovers last longer than before and I have started making weird noises when I bend down to pick things up. Is this the right person to play a game that involves severe physical collisions? I know I am not the only one thinking of this. Every time I see a deck of card I shiver!
Spades = squats
Hearts = press ups
Diamonds = burpees
Clubs = pull ups
When the number comes out with the suit you do that number of the exercise. There are real tears streaming down my face just thinking about it. And there is also something running down my leg at the thought.
But in all seriousness, if I was to go and train, would I be wasting my time and the time of the club? While the @thethirsty3rds are mainly a social team, the standard and effort from the lads is always very high. There are players in higher teams who want to play for us (hopefully the lads don’t mind me including myself in ‘us’). I would feel like I was letting the team down by half-assing it.
So, while I have a few years before the golden oldies option happens, I thought I would get all interactive and put my rugby season in the hands of the HoR2 readers. Do you want to read about me attempting to get through pre season and into the season? Or will you spare me the indignity of crying for the whole journey home in the car while not being able to feel my legs?
Use #hor2keego on twitter if you want to join the conversation, the best comment will get a tshirt and one of Brian O’Driscolls hairs……one of these things will happen.
In closing, I got a call from ticketmaster today. They where asking why if I was renewing my season ticket this year. The woman on the phone then went on to say leinster need me and my ability to increase the decibel level in the rds and landsdown road (it’ll always be…….). I was getting guilted by Ticketmaster! I explained I am unemployed and turning to an Irish version of ‘Magic Mike’ to pay for the ticket. By the way it is called ‘Magic Paddy’ and the show doesn’t last as long….
I promise I will have something interesting to say next week….
keego (@nkeegan): Newbie blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener.
