Whilst the longer evenings, rising temperatures and toughening ground is welcomed by all G.A.A. players come springtime, it's what it is sandwiched between that drives me on.
Those icey cold January nights where the silence is only pierced by the heaving men and their sodden boots trawling through the mud. I love it. Tracksuits are yet to be embraced by the G.A.A. player so you'll have a field full of lads donning just a standard pair of shorts and at most a long sleeve jersey. Those nights are the nights you sow the seeds to carry you through summer and on. The excess of the off season is worn off you and its the dreams of glory that warm your body.
The summer will come and go and if you are still standing you will see the seasons rotate, maybe not back to winter but certainly until the evenings shorten and the temperatures follow suit. Now you will try to reap the reward of all the hard work which came before. I was lucky that from 17 to 24 I never had a summer cut short. Be it Minor, U-21 or Adult level, we always found ourselves in the shake up for something.
In Europe, it's naturally a little different due to the structure of the competitions. The great thing is that you know you will will run side by side with autumn into the darkness of the winter. Most importantly though, it's when Championships will be won and lost.
On Saturday, we will travel to Rennes for Round 3 of the European Football Championship. The smart money suggests Den Hague and Paris will be the men eyeballing eachother for the big price in the season finale in Maastricht. There is no reason to think that we'll rock up to defiantly defend our title.
Look at the table though and you will see that we stand in exactly the same position as we were in 2008. Two victories from reclaiming the big prize. Since Copenhagen, I've felt an energy about the whole thing that was absent all year. It's as if the body clock switched on. The back, hamstrings, groin et al seem to have decided to step back and give me the nod. It's effectively Championship on Saturday; win or bust. This is why you play G.A.A. Every drop of sweat you lose, every hurdle you jump, it is all for one reason. It's all about being there on the last day, in the final moments of the season, with a fighting chance of bringing home the silverware.
Despite the frustrations, you wouldn't have it any other way. These are the days that test your mettle and tell you whether you really have the balls to do what it takes. I can't wait for Saturday. Giller told me the other night that I haven't got out of third gear this year. I don't like hearing it but he is right. Excuses won't put the ball over the bar on Saturday. It's time to stand up, all of us to stand up, and drive it on.
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