Stretch

It was good to get out there.

After a few weeks of colder and wetter weather, we had a pleasant weekend in San Francisco, coinciding with our first softball practice of the new year.

It was a great turnout and I was feeling good physically. I’m roughly at the same weight I was at the end of the season. Naturally, this was intentional. All my walks, change in diet have produced a trimmer me. It’s been a boon, a positive for running around the baseball diamond in my mid-50’s.

I was not rusty after stretching. There has been no softball since the first week of September. But I was practicing like I was in mid-season form. I had quick reactions to ground balls. At bat, I kept back patiently, then made good contact through the zone. I found holes up the middle, between first, second base and down the third base line.

Temperature-wise our high at the park was about 58 degrees, which for me is fine for playing. I felt like I could be out there for hours.

In less then a month a group of us will be in Palm Springs, playing in the Winter Classic. It’s a tournament that’s always marked the opening of the softball season. By then many San Francisco teams are gearing up for a new season. I feel like I’m ready to play but this weekend, it was great to play catch, stretch and get kinks out.