But so is Everybody Else

This past weekend marked the end of the state series in Illinois, with the state tournament being held Thursday through Saturday inside Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois.  I would like to congratulate all of the wrestlers who competed, especially the three wrestlers who represented Buffalo Grove High School.  One of them, our 145 pounder, took fifth place and even reached the semifinals before losing to a very tough top seeded wrestler.

The website called Illinois Matmen has done a phenomenal job each year of providing video coverage, and I was even able to watch that 145 pound match.  One video from a couple years ago that sticks out in my mind was a brief interview with one of the 160 pound finalists after he won his match in the semis.  The most striking quote from that clip was: "I'm a little banged up right now, but so is everybody else, so that's no excuse."  As the season winds down, many of us have accumulated nagging injuries throughout the winter.  Out of pride, toughness, insanity, or a mixture of all three, we choose to continue competing rather than throw in the towel when being so close to the big show.  I myself fall into this category as well, and my justification is I either suck it up or my college wrestling career is over.  Pretty easy decision.

As long as you're making an informed decision and not putting yourself in much danger, I think that toughing it out is fine.  But after the season you need to recover from those injuries.  Although spring freestyle and greco practices may be starting soon, the regular season is a long ways away, and I'd much rather you miss training time now than in November because you didn't give your body a rest.  Let your body recuperate for a week or two, engaging only in light biking, walking, or cross-training.  If you need to, get any serious injuries checked out by a professional.  Do physical therapy, rehabilitation, or whatever your doctor tells you to do.  It may be hard to fight the urge to stay off the mat, and you may feel lazy because you're avoiding intense exercise, but your body will thank you because you'll return fresher than ever.

Stay tough,
Jeff