Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Ouch Me Back



I fricken love tennis. I started competing locally when I was 11. I started out 0-4 and then won my last 7 matches to finish 7-4. At the award ceremony I got an award for most improved player of the season.

But then I spent the winter eating pretzels, drinking cokes, and playing ColecoVision. I got fat. The first match of the next season I hadn't swung a racket since the award ceremony.

I thought I could play on talent alone and I was very wrong. The first kid I played was dressed in white with sweatbands and everything. I felt pudgy and moving around the court was difficult. I lost 6-0, 6-0 and pulled a muscle in my leg and I couldn't walk for a week. I was so pissed off I quit tennis and took up golf instead (but that's another story).

Well now I am 36 and playing tennis again. I won my last match on Saturday 6-0, 6-3. The next day I had a lesson at 9am. I hit well and was feeling awesome. After the game I bent over to pick up the last ball before going home and I haven't been able to bend over since.

But this time I will not give up. I plan to get back in shape and play for the rest of my life. But there will be challenges. Although it's not ColecoVision, pretzels, and cokes anymore, now it's XBOX 360, whiskey, pizza, beer, & cigarettes.

I need to recover for a week, drop a good 20 pounds before May and get back in the swing. Wish me luck. And if you are in Stockholm and need a hitting partner let me know. Gotta run my ass around a bit.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007