I had my first ultimate game last night in two years. It felt really good to be out running and playing again. I had been really afraid that any and all attempts to run around were just going to illustrate how used up and broken my body is after having three kids and turning 37. Like maybe I’d end up just gasping for air in a puddle in the middle of the field. Or maybe I’d break a leg or something.

Sir Monkeypants was pretty scared of me having a heart attack or stroke. On my way out he yelled after me, “There’s no shame in faking an injury!”

But you know, it actually went pretty well.

I got this really cool mark on my arm:

It’s sort of half way between a bruise and a scrape. A brape? A scruise? I got this one while jumping up to make a D in the middle of a crowd of five people and I totally D-ed that baby. I rock.

I also got this bruise on my knee:

That happened during this bizarre incident in which I turned to dash into the end zone, and I got about three steps before my legs were all, Oh no, thank you and I couldn’t possibly and Pip pip, Cheerio!. Then they were magically changed into a bowl of jelly, and down I went. Totally embarrassing. This same fall also, I think, caused me to aggravate an old injury in my right foot in which I dislocated a bone in the arch while being smashed into by a really big guy during an ultimate game about seven years ago.

I also pulled a muscle in my butt. That’s going to make it really hard to sit around all day without a lot of childish moaning. I don’t think I’ll include a photo of my butt here, though.

In case you are wondering, I do indeed have a head. Here is a picture Gal Smiley took of me yesterday afternoon:

Not bad at all! She’s currently really camera obsessed and loves to take pictures and videos, when I’m in the mood to let her touch the camera. She’s so totally getting one of those Fisher Price toddler digital cameras for Christmas. We used to think she would clearly grow up to be a doctor, but now I’m thinking, film-director-with-doctor-fetish.

Where was I? Oh yes, ultimate. I was mostly afraid of being the weakest link on the team, and although I did get outrun by some of the gals on the other team a couple of times, I didn’t feel like I was really holding everybody back, which was good. I ran a lot — I took three consecutive points in the cup, which if you know ultimate, you’ll know what I mean, and if you don’t know ultimate, you’ll know that I RAN UNTIL I DIED, and then ran some more. My flick was confident and strong, I made a couple of good defensive moves, and I didn’t really start to run out of steam until the last couple of points.

Then I came home and entered my physical activity in DietPower and it said, “Have all the Bran Flakes you want.”

So I did.

Most of all I’m invigorated by the idea that I could play all this season, and maybe for a couple more seasons too, before I have to retire. Already I feel like an old lady out on the field — it’s hard to keep up with these young pups who dash about the field with boundless energy. On the sidelines, when people find out I have three kids — I’m often the only parent in the group when I am subbing for a young team — I get to feeling really, really old. But if my knees and my heart and my butt hang in there, I hope to keep playing for a few more years, at least.

Can’t wait for next week!