I knew it. It started to melt down but I knew it. Since I decided to resume my football practice the weather was just getting better. Of course we shall agree on what’s ‘better’ according to the Estonian standard: 3*C and 3-months-old snow melting down. What everywhere could be just a nasty Winter day, here is a glimpse of Spring. Thermometer is over 0*C for the first time since weeks. Things around have a color again (if they ever had). It is ‘warm’.
The concept of ‘warm’ (soe) it’s very relative from country to country. However once you live in Estonia, you start to realize that whatever is above 0*C is warm. Estonians don’t complain. They are thankful for everything above 0*C God mercifully sends them.
A hard concept to explain to a Southerner spoiled by years spent at a 15*C standard in March or to a Sicilian travelling at 20-25*C.
It’s a climatic shock though cultural too.
You start laughing when ilmatüdruk says: ‘ tomorrow will be 5*C warm’.
After the third time you listen to that, you start realizing she is very very serious and talking to a very serious audience of listeners already dreaming of wearing their new Spring (!) outfit.
My illusion, though not so much fed with confidence, was smashed as soon as a heavy snowfall started to hit the city in the very early morning.
All the melt-down work, at a quite an advanced state, was ruined. Everything was going to be plain white again in less than 24h.
Included the kunstmuru stadioon at Kalev premises where I have been training for about 3 years now with a mighty IV league team of the Estonian Championships system.
All the hopes for a decent ball control, forget-about-it! Keep getting fun with a 3-4 meters lenght sliding tackle dragging everything on the way: ball, legs and snow in a kind of snow plough effect very suitable in this kind of weather.
No hope to leave my up-to-the-knee waterproof Hummel pants in the closet. Still more hard work for them before going to Spring-Summer lethargy.
Keep putting layers of clothes to avoid frosty wind to penetrate you bones and (few) muscles.
However I learnt my lesson since Day 1 at training grounds.
Too many layers will just give you the same mobility of a pachyderm wearing a sweating suite as part of its diet plan: you might be very warm, but forget about reaching the ball first.
Therefore I opted for a simple 3-layers outfit. Counter-indication: don’t stand, keep moving!
One of my teammates shows off is Viking ancestors proudly. Besides the same type of pants I have and a pair of gloves, it is like Summer in July for him: short sleeves and no hat whatsoever. I admire him, sincerely. However, shall I follow his example it would be rather better to book a room at the local hospital (haigla) for some weeks to fight against the aftermaths of a bronchial pneumonia. My ancestors must have definitely travelled across warmer seas.
Football is fun anyway. Even when it looks like a mix between the aforementioned, ice-hockey and a hard men trial. Once you have found your own personal way to it, I can guarantee you it’s fun.
That’s what I tried to explain to my visiting brothers joining us for a training last December.
One of them tried to escape smartly the warm-up: shoveling snow from the pitch.
However my arguments were not enough strong as I got a muscle injury during the training game. If your body fails to support your opinions as you cannot change the first you should change the second ones.
Nothing to do. I will still pack my sport bag twice a week and join my lumetrenn until it will become just trenn and lume will be definitely melt down.
Soon it will be ‘warm’ again.
Tule toetada!
