Sore, sore, sore - noah's version

Ok - my turn to be sore. (Although, really, I seem to be sore far more often than Helen).

But it's not like I'm sore for no reason. On Saturday, I took part in my first ultimate tournament since what seems like forever.

This used to be a common weekend activity for me. For around 10-12 years ultimate was my main sport, and then some. (My passion? My obsession?). I spent lots and lots of time playing, both on organized teams, not-so-organized teams, leagues, and pick-up. I'd started scaling it back in 2001 - a sudden revelation during a particularly dreary tournament in the Netherlands made me realize how skewed my priorities had gotten. But I still kept playing pretty often, just not on teams, after I got back to Philly in '02.

In August 05 I blew out my knee playing summer league, and it's taken me a while to get back to it. I didn’t miss it that much when I was rehabbing my knee - I missed running with Helen a lot more than I missed ultimate. So when the knee was healthy again, I decided to take some time off from ultimate. But I've also been pretty unimpressed with the options available to me here in Philly, as far as playing ultimate goes. If a good team with fun players had been an option, I'd have most likely done that. Or, if pick-up was good, I'd be playing that more often. But I've never been as much of a fan of league ultimate as a lot of other people around here. I've been on good league teams, I've been on bad league teams, it's not really my thing.

But when I did Devilman a couple of weeks ago, two things struck me. One, that I'm just not going to get into triathlons the way I got into ultimate; and two, I like ultimate players more than triathletes. Ultimate, when it goes well, is just much more fun for me, when I'm on a good team and playing well. And this past weekend I had a chance to play with some good players that I'd played with before (although not in Philly).

But it's also a lot easier to get hurt playing ultimate, and I was worried about that as I prepared for the tournament. I'd done some strengthening of my leg muscles, and some changing direction drills, but it's hard to get ready for a tournament without playing a lot of ultimate.

It didn't help that we didn't have any subs for the first two games. Or that both of those games had a lot of points. Or that our schedule was four straight games on Saturday. Sunday's schedule depended on our Saturday results.

I made it through the first two games ok. I knew I'd be tired, but was also worried about getting hurt somehow. I wasn't expecting it to be my feet that gave out first. Not even my feet, though – it was more my toes than anything else. By half way through the third game, it just wasn't happening. Each step hurt too much. Finally, when going for a long pass, and grimacing on each step, I made a flailing last-minute lunge for the disc. Didn't get it, felt a twinge in my hamstring, and realized that my day was done.

The twinge was just a twinge. People said that it looked like I'd pulled my hamstring, but that's not what it feels like. My hamstring just feels tight. Or, actually, both of them feel tight. And I feel sore. It's Monday and I played on Saturday, but I'm still hurting. Far more than after the half-iron two weeks ago. Not as much as after the marathon, but more than just about anything else.

To be honest, the toes are doing ok. But so many muscles on my legs are still hurting.

But that's enough whining for now.