Dear Intense Soreness

Dear Intense Soreness,

Hey, Man. I had some you a couple weeks back, and I didn't really say much at the time, and I felt a little bad about that. So I figured that - since you're back around - I owed you a letter. So here it is.

I have some you going on right now, Intense Soreness. Big time. It aches when I do pretty much anything at all. My shoulders are sore, my back, my legs, my arms, my stomach . . . Almost every major muscle in my body hurts right now. And that's okay.

Why would I say that? Why is it okay that I'm so ridiculously sore? Well - mostly because it is exactly what I expected. It's that good kind of soreness that comes from really using my body. Pushing myself and competing and being physical. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday I played 6 hours of football. Four games. Three straight hours, and hour lunch, and then another three straight hours. And this wasn't some half-assed playing. No. This was 6 hours of intense, very physical football action. Playing both sides of the ball and barely taking any plays off. For those that don't know - professional football players only play for THREE hours, and they have a lot of down-time because they don't play both ways. Granted, this wasn't the same kind of physical exertion as all that, but still. That's a lot of football.

And it was great. It felt really good to use every part of my body - and all the way. It was a struggle at the end - I admit - but I was able to push through. It's amazing what the body can do. Even when I think I had used up all of my adrenaline a few hours into it, I was able to keep going and pushing to make plays. And make plays I did. Of course. Because I'm awesome.

But that's not really the point. The point is that all that football (after a week off for the Super Bowl) gave me some you. Every hour since I stopped playing, I've been getting a little bit more stiff. A little bit more sore. Until "somewhat sore" turned into you. And that's where I'm at right now. By the end of the day, leaning over to pick stuff up off the ground was very difficult.

And it's not even just you, Intense Soreness. I am also bruised all over the place. I have a million different rug-burns (from the turf). I did something to my wrist, so that's all swollen and tender. I have no skin on my left knee. So there's a lot of different little pains going on.

But it's all good because I EARNED it. It's that feeling that I can only get from really using my body for something athletic. No running in circles or riding a freaking bike up a hill can make me feel this universally sore. Sure - those types of things can give me some you. Absolutely. But not through every part of my body like playing a physical sport does. The thorough beat-up feeling I have today can only come from supreme physical exertion - when every muscle in my body was stretched and spent in the pursuit of athletic excellence. And that makes it all quite gratifying. Almost enjoyable. Because I can ease myself into bed now - groaning and awkward - and think back to the various plays that made me feel the way I do. The long touchdown reception (with a fingertip catch in stride). The perfectly-timed interception for a touchdown. The blocked fieldgoal attempt. The numerous great defensive plays and big-hit blocks. Because I'm awesome. And all those things happened yesterday.

And so I have no problem with you at all, Intense Soreness. I almost welcome you. Sure - I hope that you are a bit calmer tomorrow, but I have no regrets. In fact, if I didn't have you today, I would feel a little bit disappointed. Like maybe I didn't try hard enough yesterday. Like I really didn't push myself. And that would be a damn shame. However - you are with me, and that tells me that I really did give it all for the game, as it were.

The wrist-damage? I could do without that. And that's why you won't see any letter going that direction anytime soon, Intense Soreness. Nope. Instead, you get a letter of appreciation for letting me know - definitively - how much fun I had yesterday. Thank you. And I'm sure we'll see each other again soon.

So So Ginger,
CVT