#firebats

This happened yesterday to the #Firebats (my american football team). True story.

It was a play-off game for the EFAF Cup (like 2nd division in the European League) against Cineplexx Blue Devils from Hohenems (Austria). Truth is it was an insignificant game because we both lost against Grenoble Centaures (so they get to go to semi-finals).

Anyway, the thing is, the Blue Devils came all the way to Valencia (Spain) but when they arrived, started complaining about the field... a field approved by the EFAF observer the day before and the referees on the same day. Also the same field we've been using for over 10 years and in which bigger and more important teams have played.

After achieving to delay the game for half an hour it's kick-off time. We kick it out of bounds, so first drive, 1st & 10 on the yard 20. The center does the snap to the QB... and knee to the ground. Ok, maybe something else is happening, maybe they're trying to make some kind of statement or something like that. 2nd & 10... and again knee to the ground. This is getting weirder by the minute. Defense be cool, be ready, don't get too confident, we don't know what they are going to do. 3rd & still 10... and just the same. We still don't know what's happening but we're on the 4th now and we have not moved even a yard so it has to be a punt, right? Wrong! Once again the QB just kneels.

Offense time now. We're so tense because we don't know what's going to happen ...but the Blue Devils defense just lines on the side, barely a step inside the field. Of course we score, because nobody is defending anything.

You'll ask 'What happened after this?'. Just the same. Over and over and over again. Ok, not exactly the same. The referees advised the Blue Devils defense they couldn't stand on the side all game long so the next time they just stood there in the middle, doing nothing.

After two more drives the referee stopped the game for a while and gave the Blue Devils 5 minutes to think about what were they doing. It was completely useless. It had been a coaches decision and they stuck to it.

Btw, the four Blue Devil's coaches were from the USA, the head coach and other two from Texas.

During half-time the referee proposed to shorten the two remaining quarters to 8 minutes each without stopping the clock. Everybody accepted, so the 2nd half was just a shorter version of the 1st half.

The final score was 104-0. We won.

Just one week into pre-season but a really full week.

Tuesday and Thursday training. 'Getting in shape' training actually. And that means running (warming up), running (sprints), running a bit more (progressive series), doing different kinds (a few dozens each) of push ups and sit-ups, and yes, running again. Coach is one sick bastard... and I love him for it. Seriously, I'm starting to worry about that masochistic streak I let out once in a while.

Wednesday didn't even touched the gym. More pain in the knee than usual so after work, light work out at home and that means I started the 'Deathly Sit-ups', and 5 minutes later I was going to the shower bitching about the knee.

Friday out as a kind of rushed welcome back/farewell dinner for HappyGerman. He sang (of course!), we had a good time (like always), and by the time we arrived to Destino to have a drink (we made a pit-stop at the Portland but it was already closing) my knee was on full mutiny mode (and the ankle was joining with enthusiasm). So just a beer and going home. Quoting R. Murtaugh: "I'm too old for this shit".

                                         Solo una semana de pretemporada pero una semana bien llena.

Martes y Jueves entrenamiento. En realidad entrenamiento de ‘puesta en forma’. Y eso significa correr (calentamiento), correr (sprints), correr un poco más (progresiones), hacer distintos tipos (unas docenas de cada) de flexiones y abdominales, y sí, volver a correr. Coach es un cabrón enfermizo… y le adoro por ello. En serio, me empieza a preocupar esa vena masoquista que dejo salir de vez en cuando.

El miércoles ni toqué el gimnasio. Más dolor en la rodilla de lo normal así que después del trabajo, ejercicios ligeros en casa y eso significa que empecé las ‘Abdominales de la muerte’, y 5 minutos después me iba a la ducha quejándome de la rodilla.

El viernes salimos en una especie de cena apresurada de bienvenida/despedida para HappyGerman. Él cantó (¡por supuesto!), nos lo pasamos bien (como siempre), y para cuando llegamos a Destino para tomar algo (hicimos pit-stop en el Portland pero ya estaban cerrando) mi rodilla estaba en pleno amotinamiento (y el tobillo se le unia con entusiasmo). Así q solo una cerveza y a casa. Citando a R. Murtaugh: “Soy demasiado viejo(-a) para esta mierda”

That moment when you come back home from training, sit down, and when you try to stand up again... you CAN'T.

Doesn't matter 'cause in less than 2 hours Saints vs Packers. Shame is I will die half way through the game... 2:30 a.m. it's an inhuman hour.

                                            Ese momento en el que vuelves a casa de entrenar, te sientas, y cuando intentas levantarte otra vez... no puedes.

The day has finally arrived. Firebats are training again!!

Today, just Crazypenny and me with about 20 of the guys and HappyGerman (ex-Firebat guy, but still Firebat-family) who's visiting for a few days. I really hope the rest of the team (girls and boys) will come for the next training.

It has been 2 painful, cruel, brutal, inhuman, unmerciful and disturbingly enjoyable hours and once we have finished I could have started all over again. I would have died for sure, but with a smile on my face. I've missed this so much.

After wolfing down half the fridge and now that the adrenaline has worn off, I think I'll be sleeping for a couple of days. But I'll wake up before the training next Thursday.

                                          El día por fin ha llegado. ¡¡Firebats entrenando de nuevo!!

Hoy, solo Crazypenny y yo con unos 20 de los chicos y HappyGerman (ex-Firebat, pero sigue siendo de la familia-Firebat) que está de visita durante unos pocos días. Realmente espero que el resto del equipo (chicas y chicos) acudan al próximo entrenamiento.

Han sido 2 dolorosas, crueles, brutales, inhumanas, sin piedad y perturbadoramente entretenidas horas y una vez que hemos acabado yo podría haber empezado de nuevo. Seguro que me habría muerto, pero con una sonrisa. Había echado tanto de menos esto.

We, Firebats Girls, have been all day at Crazypenny's home: Crazypenny, Relaxigirl, QBfumy and me... although after lunch we went to pick up GutIrish firebat guy that was nearby. Bearing in mind that we're only 5 Firebats Girls at this moment (LittleRed was the one missing)... I think it's a pretty good number.

So, it's official. Firebats Girls had our first team-work meeting. And we even did some work!! Of course we also had swimming pool time, and football passes, and beer, and paella, and laughs, and mojitos, and photos, and more swimming, and 'what's that? tequila sunrise? tastes good', and board games, and... actually, I think that was all.

The actual work was good. We did brainstorming, we set goals and distributed tasks.

We worked and we had fun... it's been great! Now I'm dead on my feet.

                                          Nosotras, Firebats Girls, hemos estado todo el día en casa de Crazypenny: Crazypenny, Relaxigirl, QBfumy y yo... aunque después de comer hemos ido a recoger al firebat GutIrish que estaba cerca. Teniendo en cuenta que solo somos 5 Firebat Girls en este momento (LittleRed es la que faltaba)... creo que es un buen número.

Así que ya es oficial. Las Firebat Girls hemos tenido nuestra primera reunion de trabajo en equipo. ¡¡E incluso hemos trabajado algo!! Por supuesto también hemos tenido tiempo en la piscina, y pases con el balón, y cerveza, y paella, y risas, y mojitos, y fotos, y más rato de nadar, y '¿eso qué es? ¿tequila sunrise? sabe bien', y juegos de mesa, y... de hecho creo que eso ha sido todo.

El trabajo en sí ha sido bueno. Hemos hecho lluvia de ideas, hemos marcado metas y repartido tareas.

Hemos trabajado y nos lo hemos pasado bien... ¡ha sido genial! Ahora estoy muerta.