Muddy Sunday

[chickenfeet]

Most of yesterday featured rather pleasant weather but the hour during which I happened to be playing rugby featured mostly freezing cold rain driven on a strong wind. Environment Canada recorded a minimum temperature of 9C for the area but it felt way colder than that. I played the full hour without any ankle problems but I wasn't too sharp. I can't make my mind up whether the problem is mental or physical. Certainly I'm a little off the play and have a lost a little of what pace I ever had (not much) in the last couple of years but I'm more inclined to think I've lost a bit of mental edge. Whether this is because I'm not also playing in much faster paced club side games, not training or a result of general depressive malaise, I'm not sure. Whatever the cause I'm not as "in your face" as I used to be. It shows in some strange ways. I'm not getting raked or being on the receiving end of cheap shots like I used to be which means I'm not irritating the opposition, and what use is a flanker who doesn't irritate the opposition?