Amphetamines...and now rehab.
Or more appropriately put...physical therapy. That's right folks, I've managed to re-aggravate my hamstring injury. It happened yesterday during my workout with Eric and we immediately stretched it for 20 minutes, then set up an appointment with his friend Larry Grello who's a very talented physical therapist. I met with Larry yesterday and we did stretching for about an hour and I just did a lot of icing and resting. I also set up appointments with my old Pilates intructor, Kristen, and she said she could do some stretching with me, too. Today I did an hour's worth of stretching with Kristen, and then the same with Larry. It's pretty sore but I think that's from stretching it so much.
I could easily try and put into words my frustration but it's not worth it for a number of different reasons. As my cousin Tim Foster said, "There isn't room for negativity anymore. All energy is towards physically and mentally making this the best tryout." Well said, Tim, well said. (Tim, by the way, is getting married in 9 DAYS to a lovely lady named Caralyn Desautels. The whole family is really excited and wondering how Tim convinced her to marry him. She's way out of his league! But seriously, congratulations to them and I can't wait to see you guys next Friday!) Tim had a good point, though, and I'm really trying my hardest to stay positive and visualize doing my best and getting the invite to be on and train with the team.
On a different note, I finally got all of my equipment together. I went to Kelly's Sports, which is easily one of the best sports stores I've ever been to, and I managed to procure elbow and knee pads, gloves, and additional track spikes. I got my track shoes yesterday in the mail...yikes. In my defense, Eric-who's an accomplished sprinter and at 39 runs a 10.7 100m dash-said these are the best and they only come in one color combo. They. Are. Hideous. Imagine the brightest and most visually offensive orange you've ever seen...and then put that color on my shoes. It has black on the back part with some black stripes in certain areas so I effectively look like I killed Tony the Tiger and made track shoes out of him. I tell you...They're GRRRRRRRREAT!
In case any of you didn't know, because I definitely had no clue, Lake Placid is in the middle of f-ing nowhere. The closest town is the fighting city of Albany, NY and even that is two and half hours away. To arrange transportation to the tryout, I had to get creative. While flying directly from Philly to Saranac Lake (the closest airport) is possible, there is only one flight per day and I don't want to take the chance of it getting delayed or canceled. I've decided that I will go to New York City Saturday afternoon, meet up with my sister and a bunch of friends that night, and more importantly meet up with the "Comments Master" himself, Josh Oryhon. Since Josh is the only undefeated and unscored upon goalie in SUNY-Albany history, I deemed him worthy of being part of my entourage that took me up to my tryout. Sunday, JoshO and I will drive to Albany, relax that night in his humble abode, and wake up early on Monday to travel to Lake Placid and check out the sites before I have to check in at noon.
4 MORE DAYS and I really can't wait. It's going to be an experience of a lifetime. At this moment in time, I'm reminded of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies. Standing with his troops before battling the Germanians, the great General Maximus Decimus Meridius said, "Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so." One week from tomorrow, I will be celebrating my invitation to train with and be on the United States Skeleton Team. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Hey, if this whole injury thing gets to be too much of a problem, you could always quit and go after winning the World Series of Poker. I kid. I only say that because I wish I could yell, "AND YES, He's going all in and LIEB HAS HIM! BEN LIEB, THE MASTER!"
Remember, Ben, if you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!
all the best.
mark moeller
I am honoured, nay, humbled to be a member of Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb's Lake Placid Pre-Tryout Entourage.
Being the only undefeated goalkeeper in the history of Albany State iced college hockey comes with all sorts of glorious trappings, including state dinners, secret handshakes and 10% monthly savings on my car insurance, but nothing has ever compared to this event.
This is a chance to truly do something worthwhile for AMERICA, the country that I love.
And yes, Lake Placid IS in the middle of nowhere. I checked. Though I currently live outside of downtown Albany (see: "white flight") I am a proud member the greater Capital District and an inhabitant of stushy Saratoga County. And as Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb can attest, there is nothing "humble" about my abode. Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb may think that he and I will be enjoying a quiet Sunday night watching glorious 1080i HD television before leaving for Lake Placid, but OH NO, we're gonna go hard.
Head Dietician and Director of Limiting Chicken Wing/Beer Consumption Jimmie Banta and I have developed a pre-tryout workout for Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb to make up for all the times he could have been ABP/ABWO. I will administer this training regimen (complete with training montage music) on Sunday night and it will include swimming in the Historic Erie Canal, throwing automobile tires over Interstate 87 at the Exit 9 interchange and finishing up with wind sprints at the Saratoga Race Track.
Relaxation is for the weak and I should know.
By the grace of the Almighty we shall see Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb's effort consumated!
Go Ben! I'm really proud of you for all the work you've put into this and can't wait to see you next Friday, triumphant from making the U.S. Skeleton Team! Lots of love, Mom
P.S. The orange patent leather spikes are even more attractive than you described.
Post a Comment