Even though I really meant to get an update out earlier, and promised one, it just wasn’t in the cards for the end of last week. To summarize, despite being told we would have Tuesday and Wednesday off since we were going two weeks without a game, our schedule quickly changed. We ran Monday evening, had Tuesday off, practiced twice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and were given the weekend off. Not too bad I guess but it made for a busy week.
On Thursday I went to see our team doctor to discuss a pain I was having in my left foot. That night, I had an MRI, which just happens to be my sixth of the season, to go along with a CT scan, and four or five X-Rays (I’m hoping all those are records). After going under the enormous bubble looking thing and trying to lie motionless for about an hour, while listening to atrocious banging sounds, my pictures showed badly flared up tendonitis. Fortunately, we had time to rest so I was given the rest of Thursday and Friday off to go along with my weekend break.
However, having a foot injury really limits things you can do if you don’t want to walk around. I did get a chance to see the new X-Men Origins movie highlighting Wolverine. A couple of my teammates went the night before and were impressed (one of the great things about living in Frankfurt is the presence of an English movie theater. Though not necessarily new, its nice to be able to watch movies in English, adding an extra option to evening plans.). I was also impressed as I thought the writers did a good job of using the prequel to explain and tie the story into existing movies. I am not a huge X-Men fan or follower, but it was a good action movie with an easy to follow story.
Other than that, during the weekend I spent some time doing rehab on my foot and trying to relax for the upcoming weeks. Keith and I did venture downtown on Saturday for a few hours, and stumbled across a collection some street vendors. I also gave him the walking tour of old Frankfurt (at least most of what I remembered) after going on the tour myself over Easter Sunday.
To start this week, we lifted and practiced Monday morning and then had a friendly game against the first place team in the Czech Republic that night. I saw the doctor before our morning practice and was cleared to play. The game did not go very well for our team though, as we were down 20 points early and could never recover. I guess that’s what happens sometimes after a few days off.
Waking up Tuesday morning, we had practice scheduled for 8AM, our earliest of the year. While that is not too big of a problem for me, for some of my teammates it is a big adjustment. Rarely do we have anything before 10AM, including breakfast. As I went through practice, I noticed the sharp pain in my foot continued to get worse. For the first time since I can remember, I took myself out of practice purely based on my decision. It was too painful.
Now, it is Wednesday afternoon and I’ve continued to spend my time rehabbing and swimming to make sure I stay in as close to game shape as possible. We have another friendly game today against a team from Turkey, but I will not be participating. Hopefully, this one will go better than our last game.
Anyway, I know this really isn’t anything exciting, but I’ll work on that. Playoffs are drawing closer and our last regular season game is this Saturday.
By the way, I would like to send a shout-out to Sean Keeler of the Des Moines Register. Sean and I have been in contact with some regularity since I’ve ventured to Germany and has been a great supporter. To do my part, I’ve tried to answer any questions he’s come up with for me. But, he has went above and beyond, even referencing my blog on the Register’s website. So thank you Sean for your support and welcome to all the new readers. Again, I am encouraging people to leave messages – its makes it so much easier to write about things people would WANT to know.
Oh! And by the way #2 – I just want to make sure I say how jealous I am of many of my “friends” including the WebMaster who took their planned trip to Vegas this weekend. It was something we talked about since the middle of our senior year in college, but unfortunately the time that worked for them made it impossible for me. I must admit, I am a little upset and insanely jealous but am glad to see they all returned safely without losing too much money or self-respect. Thanks jerks!
Adam Emmenecker 