ok...so, i've got a couple theories regarding recent sporting activities...

 

i'll start with today.  my company has a sand volleyball court on their property.  today, 12 of us decided once a week we'd play volleyball during our lunch hour.  if you know me, you know that i'm basically the first person to raise my hand for such an activity...i love sports and i also love anything that keeps me from being bored...hence why said activity works for me.  now - we start playing.  the teams are mixed with people - some that have never played before in their lives, some that have played at backyard family bbqs, and some that have actually played competitively in the past and therefore have respectable skills.  don't get me wrong...i'm all for just having a good time...it's lunch hour volleyball for christ sake.  BUT, i'm also a competitive person and have high standards for what i expect out of myself. 

 

moving on...so, we're playing today...happy-go-lucky...and a ball goes to the girl on my left.  she's about 3 feet away from me.  she goes to hit the ball - it goes directly off the SIDE of her arm and smokes me in the nose/lip.  i take a moment, as getting hit in the nose is just one of those pains that hurt like hell.  then later in the game - a similar event happens - this time the ball is 'accidently' sent backwards (i.e. away from the net and away from where it's supposed to be headed) directly into my face - and again - my lip gets further cut up.  i honestly felt like i was in the volleyball scene from the Meet The Fockers movie.

 

so, this is where i get to my theories...

 

my first theory...i admit to being in my 'wiser years' now...sure, no big deal...but, what if my wiser years means that i have slower reaction time and that i'm just not as good at sports as i used to be.  am i becoming 'that guy'...the one that is a has been, but was good at one time and he just hasn't realized that he's lost it while gaining his big beer belly?

 

my second theory...one plays to the level of their surroundings/competition.  i find this to be frequently true.  if i'm surrounded by people that actually know how to play volleyball (or any sport for that matter, but volleyball is the example for the day)...then i find myself playing better.  it makes total sense...bc when the people around you can't hit the ball forward, straight up or generally in any planned direction...then i find myself making up for their weaknesses...that sounds bad...it's not meant to be...it's just the reality.  when they do hit the ball...it goes randomly off to the side...then the rest of the team suddenly runs randomly off to the side to try to save it...which turns the play into a cluster f and someone gets a ball to the face.  today, i won that prize...twice.

 

maybe the lesson is that as i get wiser i need to realize that the number of people that aren't good added with the number of people that have turned into 'that guy' directly result in the increasing number of people that will assist in injuring me...so, i guess age does become a factor indirectly.  what i do know is that i prefer blaming others for my wounds instead of my wiser age, so i will continue to do so moving forward. 

 

the Boston race was a success...and i'm actually proud of myself, which i think has possibly happened 3 times in my life...one being this race and i say a total of 3 times because i feel like there should be at least 2 other times that i've been sincerely proud of myself...i just can't think of any...another topic for therapy...

 

anyway, it was a really cool experience and i was actually impressed by the all-chick event.  the neatest part was seeing all the husbands/boyfriends with strollers packed with kids holding signs and cheering the females on.  i actually felt proud to be living in 2007 where it's normal to have men and kids route for a female sport.  it made me proud as a female, a mom and an athlete. 

 

as for the actual results of the race (bib#255)...i had my best time ever...and all bodily functions stayed in check, which was a nice perk given past experiences.  i ran the 5 miles in 46:29 minutes...averaging 9:18 minute miles, which is great for me!  (i have to disregard the chicks that ran 6 minute miles, as they're clearly crazy people...which i have to say to make myself feel adequate)

 

here are a couple photos from the race...i think they're emailing professional ones soon, so i'll post those once i get um (if they're any good).  you'll notice the all-men/kid-crowd in the group shot...love it (i'm the 2nd one in red in that shot).