stiffness

Sleep eluded me last night. I couldn't get out of my head about expectations and being sore from volleyball. That didn't go away when I woke up either. I believe yoga will help ease some of the stiffness associated with playing volleyball last night. Wow, am I sore! Must remember to stretch in the future, pre-match, and afterwards, too. Or, invest in a massage. Wouldn't that be nice?
I found some revive gel and applied it to my knees and feet. After showering the sand away, I found a few abrasions on my feet, too. The sand is not my friend. The revive gel was part of a goodie bag from one of the events I did last year. Thankful that I kept it for a rainy day. The gel worked like lavendar would I think.
My quads are both tight. I am trying to figure out where I developed this stiffness in both of my legs. Last week I ran which is normal and attended yoga class. I did some strength training, at home, which I suppose is where it happened. I stretched before and after the activity, but apparently not enough. For sure, I have soreness in quads. There is a tendon that feels super tight. I almost skipped volleyball, last night, due to this. I had spoken to my sister who is on a kickball league. At her first game, she didn't stretch and sustained an injury. The sprint to first base screwed with her hamstring. Hamstring injuries are no picnic. It seems like they can hang around for awhile from what I remember. In high school, I did the splits without adequate stretching. Next thing I know, I am couch surfing with ice praying for relief. I favored my right leg for awhile after injury.
After talking to my sister and remembering how uncomfortable I was when I strained my hamstring, I made sure to stretch long and hard. The last thing I wanted to do was sustain a tendon issue 7 weeks before my next half marathon. Especially when this is all in my control. I can stretch and I understand how important this activity is.
Yoga could be challenging tonight. I am not, at all, looking forward to the camel pose or any of the sitting on the knees stretches. Two weeks ago we focused on the controlled breathing exercises. Perhaps that will be the focus of tonight. There are two women in the class that I think would prefer that as opposed to the flow type of class. They are both new to yoga and out of stretching shape. The one lady feels the need to comment on her difficulty at most poses which is semi-annoying to me. I tend to block it out and work on my own practice. I find myself biting my tongue, sometimes, to stop myself from saying anything negative to her. I think it is excellent that she is trying to be healthy. I support that. I do not want to suggest otherwise. Plus, the instructor goes out of her way to keep me interested even if it is apparent that our levels of comfort greatly differ.
The best way to combat this stiffness is to get moving. Definitely time to greet the day and stop bellyaching about a good hurt. Volleyball is fantastic! I am glad that I decided to try it out again. A little discomfort is worth all of the joy associated with the activity. It is fun and connect friendly.