Holiday Cheer

Hello everyone. Yes, you're right -- it has been awhile since I last blogged. I bet you can't guess what I was up to!? Now the holidays are right around the corner and it seems like between playing tennis and attending holiday parties, there's little time for much else. Ok, don't fall over but I did find the time to cook this week. Seriously. I probably should be embarrassed to admit (though strangely I'm not) that it may have been the first dish I've cooked all year. I say this being fully aware that boiling pasta does not count as cooking.

Anyhow, I made Beef Stroganoff for my tennis cup team's holiday party. Amazingly, it was the hit of the party. Well, it shared that honor with the seemingly unending supply of vodka coupled w/Rock Band well into the night. It was like Josie and Pussycats -- for real! My fingers were sore for days. Several people texted me for the recipe, which I unfortunately couldn't pass on as I just made it up as I went along. Which is just how I happen to cook : on the fly and when the mood strikes me. Actually my mother is an amazing award-winning cook. It's like having a European-trained chef at your disposal, which as I think about it is pretty sweet. Her cooking is really the best part of the holidays. (Now I'm starting to get hungry!) Who knows, maybe along with her tennis-genes, my mother passed along to me a smidgen of her cooking sensibility. I should make a mental note to thank her for that.

Happy Holidays!

Update: My 2nd Tennis Tournament

For those of you who may care, either a little or not so much:

As this is my tennis blog, I thought I might mention the outcome of this last Saturday's doubles tournament which I, at the last minute, participated in. After playing 4 matches over the course of the day, my partner and I did in fact end up winning our division! Gosh, I think we even get a plaque or somethin'. Imagine that. It was actually a lot of fun and I wasn't very nervous at all. Thank you, thank you very much.

p.s. In case you were wondering, that's me in the yellow shirt and nifty matching headband. :-)

The Tiniest Dose of Bah Humbug!

First, let me say that I bet none of our Thanksgiving celebrations will look anything like this. At the risk of sounding like a complete tool, I can't help but feel so over holidays which mainly serve an excuse for people to overeat and drink too much. And please, don't get me started on the daylong TV football marathons. (Jeezus, what is that about? Did the pilgrims even know how to play football?!) I should just stop there. I know, I know: It's all about being with family. Anyhow, just expressing my opinion. It is my blog afterall. On the bright side, I bet you will never be able to guess what I will be doing for part of Thanksgiving day. It begins with a T, ends with a S. Thankfully there are other like-minded folk, so game on!

Functional Tennis Shoes? Not so much.

As we head into the winter season, the ankle boot is making its cyclical comeback from the 80's. This trend further verifies the widely held fashion belief that "Style" recycles every twenty years, though thankfully returning a tad updated. (Prairie skirt and buffalo plaid, anyone?)

It is a well known fact that I possess a bloodhound-like ability to hone-in on & then fall in love with the most expensive shoes displayed in a store, be it online or in person. Case in point are these amazing ankle boots by Robert Clergerie whose shoes I first discovered while living in France. And for a paltry $685, they could be mine. Nevermind the fact that I most likely would be unable to walk to my front door in them.

Santa? Are you taking notes?

The Upcoming Week

This coming week is going to be a busy one!

Tomorrow (Monday) I have 4 matches -- 2 in the early morning and 2 in the evening, plus mid-day I have my first conditioning appt. w/Casey, one of my tennis coach's (I almost said tennis couch -- isnt' that funny?!) best friends. = 7 hours

Tuesday I have 2 matches, a drill class, and a lesson. = 5.5 hours

Wednesday is an early morning lesson, 2 matches and my USTA singles practice. = 4.5 hours

Thursday will be 2 matches (7:30am/7:30pm), my cup practice, and tennis lesson (weather permitting). = 5.5 hours

Friday through Sunday are still getting worked out but just in those 4 days, I will have put in approximately 21+ hours of court time.

Bring it on! :-)

Tennis History Has Been Made!

Yes, you heard right. There is exciting news!

Even though I'm still feeling under the weather, I managed to get my husband on the tennis court yesterday for a late morning match.

And guess what? I **finally** beat him! Fair and square.

Jim is one of those natural born athletic types. You know, the kind that doesn't pick up a racquet for months or years, then walks onto a tennis court and makes it all look so effortless. (Where do these people come from?!?)

Yesterday, he came prepared with an arsenal of perfectly delivered curvy left-handed serves, lots of spin on his returns, and plenty of quick footwork. Trust me, he wanted to win and gave it his all. Still, I took the match 6-3, 6-3.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel very hot later in the day, but I have to say -- it was worth it. Honey, just let me know when you're up for a rematch, k?

Get Your Halloween Freak On!

Give the People What They Want!

Hey, long time -- no see. You guys got big Halloween plans? Not to be a buzz-kill or anything but personally, I'm not a huge fan.

So, after receiving several requests to add some new material, I am finally getting around to posting. Someone, yet another who shall remain nameless, asked that I post again if only to move on from my admittedly bizarre sick day blog which included a descriptive analysis outlining my facial features in a rather, um, unflattering close-up shot.

Gosh, that blog really weirded some of you out. Sorry folks, I can't be witty , sane, and pretty all of the time. :-) Even Jim thought I should post a different picture and as he is my ultimate litmus test -- that was not a good sign. Still, I politely declined, telling him that in the interest of utter transparency, I felt said photo should fully capture the essence of me being sick and bored out of my mind. I feel I was successful in getting my message across. So, now you know: if you ever see in me in person and I look like that close-up, then I am both of those things.

Lastly, after a fellow tennis player wigged out on me this last weekend, I received gentle nudging from a friend who witnessed said wigging out event to blog an anecdotal expose on the uglier side of tennis. And yes, my friends, there is a such a thing!

After some thought, I have decided to do just that. Hopefully, I will have it posted in the next few days. In the meantime, I have a 7:30pm singles match tonight so I must skedaddle. So, STAY TUNED!



tina signing off.

U.N.C.L.E!

And by that I am not referring to the 60's TV show, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E' -- I mean to say I SURRENDER ALREADY! I have picked up a flu bug that I can't quite seem to shake. Admittedly in the last week or so, I have overdone it a wee-little-bit tennis-wise. As a result on Monday I felt a little run down & nauseous but soldiered through a 7 hour day of tennis and conditioning. Yesterday, after a 7am lesson and 2 back-to-back doubles matches, I felt so drained and feverish that I skipped Singles Drills and headed home for bed.

This morning I was up at 5:45am getting ready for my 7:30 match but quickly realized I still wasn't feeling too hot and also had developed a sore throat overnight. I made the executive decision to call off both today and tomorrow's tennis-related activities and crawled back into bed. Falling back to sleep, I made a TheraFlu-induced promise to the Tennis Gods not to cheat and really take it easy for 48 hours in exchange for full recovery in time for 2 singles matches I am really looking forward to playing over the weekend, not to mention outstanding plans to hang out w/a friend that I haven't seen in ages.

Jeez, who knew being sick could be SO BORING? Seriously, taking it easy is like watching paint dry. Pretty dull. You know things have gotten pretty desperate when you find me resorting to taking pictures (of myself!) using my iPhone. (Gosh, I had no idea my eyes were so big and my forehead so, um, expansive. Especially when contrasted by my non-existent lips. It got me thinking that it might be wise to consider some bangs to hide some of that Danish forehead of mine! However bangs are such a commitment. I dunno.)

This afternoon I found myself in that weird state of mind where I had slept all I possibly could, yet didn't feel well enough to do anything remotely productive or brain-power consuming. No elliptical machine even. I have to keep my promise y'all. Hence I read a little, Googled about, caught up with my Mother, took photos of myself, the cats, the new vintage timber mantel -- all the while cursing the powers that be (in the nicest possible way) for making me miss tennis. By the way, meet my cat, Frank. He is frankly the BEST. :-)

Hell to the Yeah: Undefeated in 3.0 Doubles!

Meet my 3.0 Doubles flight partner, Jane. I was cashing in on a promise she'd made to let me take her picture for my blog. Figured taking the pic while we were out celebrating our undefeated status was a good a time as any. (And she even picked up the tab for all of us -- thanks! Next one is on me.)

Early this summer, Jane and I started playing singles against each other a few times a week, then took up a weekly doubles match with Nicki (aka The Warrior) and Kathy (aka Ms. Spin).

At summer's end, Jane and I decided to join forces for 3.0 Ladies Doubles. Since getting to know her, I've come up with many nicknames for Jane but my 2 favs are G.I Jane and Calamity Jane. She wrecks havoc on our opponents, especially at the net. And she is an amazing retriever. I am glad we're on the same side of the court. Jane is an awesome partner, always makes me laugh and is just an all around great person.

Word on the street is that Jane and I are being advanced to the 3.5 Ladies Doubles Flight next session, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet. Will keep you posted.

The "To Do" List: Hitting With Purpose & Building Points

Are you showing up to the court with a plan of action? Some players have one thing in mind when going into a tennis match and that's to return the ball over the net, get it in the court and pray that their opponent will not be able to do the same thing as often.

It all starts at warm-up! With a good eye and attentiveness you can start planning your match points in the first 5 minutes of the warm-up, although you will continue your fact finding and information gathering during the match, a good tennis strategist will already start planning their match before the the first serve and return. You should make mental notes about the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. How is their reaction time? Do they have good balance and technique or are they wrong footed and look as if they have never taken formal instruction? Ask yourself what types of shots does my opponent prefer to hit? What are they trying to avoid hitting? Try to get a read on your opponent’s mental status as well. Some players will come to the court sluggish others will be amped up ( not to their advantage ). Does your opponent look nervous or overconfident?

When your information gathering has been completed it's time to move into the next operation and that is to EXECUTE the plan using the ingredients that your opponent has given you to make a really nice tennis dish called "Exploitation and Domination". I always tell my high school players that having a " To Do" list is one of the most important things a player can do for themselves on the court. It not only helps you stay in the moment and focused, but gives you a mini-plan for each and every point of the match. You'll find that your " To Do" list will promote mental focus that you never had before and you'll be hitting with purpose. Your list should be a nice blend of your personal strengths combined with your opponent’s weaknesses. To Do lists also require a good balance and understanding that placement over power is key. After-all, without consistency and placement, power is worthless.

There are several variations of mechanical shot combinations one can use in singles play, keeping in mind that every match is going to be different, a player may want to use some of these tactics based upon their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, a good player will have several variations to a lot of these tactics and not play the same points repeatedly with the risk of becoming predictable. It's easy to vary these purposefully planned combinations and a player should always be evolving and changing their game plan as needed during the match. Remember it's a two way street and your opponent will make adjustments if they are well schooled in the game.

Here are some mechanical variations that one might bring to the baseline before taking their serve to start any given point:

- Three drives in a row to the same corner, and then a sharp, slow cross-court to the other side.
- Four drives from alternate corner to corner, and then the cross-court drop shot.
- Alternate corner to corner until you decide your opponent is set in the rhythm, and then the slow, straight short shot back to the same side of court as your last shot.
- First a drop shot, then a lob deep to the opposite side of the court.
- First a drive, then a slice , then a drive, then a slice , and so forth, with continually varying depth until an error is forced.

Unless a player is going for a clean winner, a good player always hits his shot with his next shot in mind, and an even better strategist is planning two strokes in advance of the one he is then hitting. There are several types of baseline rallies that, unless deliberately broken up by one player or the other, will follow an almost invariable pattern. The most general type is the cross-court exchange to deep court. The one seen most often is the backhand-to-backhand variety. The forehand-to-forehand variety seldom continues for more than three exchanges. To break up either type of cross-court exchange, there are two excellent shots. One is the faster straight shot, paralleling the sideline, into the deep corner. The other is a slow and very sharply angled cross-court shot, which is still in pattern with the exchange, but has very different depth and pace, and possibly has different spin as well.

Week 8: (Not) Very Inspiring

I find it hard to believe that I'm already finishing up WEEK 8. Time really does fly. Nearly 60 days ago I began my tennis extravaganza, on August 24 to be exact. In this short amount of time, I have made huge strides in both my tennis game and physical conditioning.

Though, I agree, you probably wouldn't know that by reading my blog posts. Someone, who shall remain nameless, recently shared with me that they didn't exactly find my blog to be, um, inspiring. Don't worry about me, I can take it. But yes, I know -- hater! I mean I include quotes from Angelina Jolie on my blog -- how is that NOT inspiring?!? ;-)

Now, I am not trying to make excuses. I just feel that you, my faithless followers, deserve an explanation regarding my inability to inspire you too to drop pretty much everything and pursue a passion of yours like your life depended on it. So here it is:

Blogging is a creative process, people! For me, being creative requires a certain mind space. When it comes to blog content, the main creative challenge I confront is that I am REALLY tired at night. (Try some form of exercise for 3-7 hours a day, 6 days a week -- & get back to me.) While I don't know about you when I am very tired, one of two things -- well, ok -- one of three things happen. The most obvious being that I fall asleep. (Duh.) Second is that I turn into a chatty goofball with no ability to focus or be serious (Hello!) which has its drawbacks. Lastly is that I sometimes get cranky when running on empty.

So, by the time I get around to blogging I am leaning towards one of these states of mind, with limited ability to search my soul for any lurking inspirational yearnings, let alone recount the myriad technical aspects of my tennis program. In all seriousness, there really is a lot that goes into this tennis thing and I know I haven't done it all much justice. Hopefully as I develop more stamina (or begin drinking espresso at night) my recounting of this journey will improve.

Until then, my blog will most likely continue as a (sometimes) banal narrative allowing me free license to think-out-loud, chill a bit, and at the same time share my witty personality in even more agonizing detail then you might get in person. Though in my defense, I must be doing something right (or wrong, come to think of it!): I've already received one marriage proposal. :-0



tina signing off.

My Feet Kinda Hurt!

Just thought you'd want to know. Yesterday was a action-packed tennis day. 4 matches! That's 6 hours on the court. Happily, two of the matches were mixed doubles. Back-2-back even! Of the 4 played, I won 3 - lost 1. Not too shabby.

I was beat by the end of the night; didn't get home from my last match until after 11pm. So it was quite a treat to sleep in this morning until 8am. And yes, I did very much enjoy a cup of very strong espresso upon waking, which did wonders to jumpstart my brain. Now I just need to get my feet restored in time for my 6pm singles match tonight.

Plan to take it easy today to gear up for the rest of the week. Tomorrow and Thursday are 3 and 4 match days respectively. Then Friday, we're headed north to the lovely town of Stanwood for my cup team's match. If it was anything like last Friday, it's going to be a barnburner. As it's an away game we will be carpooling, which means just one thing: trouble! Hopefully we make it to the match. And since we will be in the general vicinity, I hope to finagle a quick look-see at the lululemon outlet store afterwards.


tina signing off.

I'm Just Saying...

1. We all do crazy stuff. Well, most of us do. And for those of you that haven't, maybe you should -- before it's too late. Mind you, there are varying degrees of crazy. The picture to the left highlights one of my crazier, um, adventures. (Nope, I will not divulge which theme room I stayed in.) Take it from me: Probably not the best idea to elope with someone you dated for, oh, 8 weeks. Romantic, perhaps. Smart, not so much. But crazy, yes! (And to make matters worse, do not talk your best friend into doing the same thing -- with his best friend. I am such a bad influence!) Still, if you just can’t help yourself, do yourself a favor. Skip Reno.

2. We all make mistakes. While mankind has discovered how to split atoms and managed to make 450 ton metal objects fly, sadly, we humans have not yet figured out the secret to perfection. Major bummer that we are fallible creatures. For example, while a teen-ager, it was a mistake for me to ‘borrow’ my parent's brand new car before knowing how to drive, drive to the U-District, and then while pulling back into our driveway, crash said car into the side of my house. It didn’t seem to matter at all to my father that I had run out of Dippity-do hair gel & needed to get to Pay-n-Save ASAP. A person's character is shaped in part how they handle mistakes made along the road of life. No pun intended.

3. We can learn from shoes. Seriously, this is fact. You can learn all you need to know about someone by their shoes. Call me what you will: Shallow. Delusional. Whatever! I have a few immovable beliefs and this is one. Shoe-reading is an art and I, my friend, have refined it down to a science. So trust me when I say to stay far, far away from any person wearing puffy black Reebok high-top tennis shoes. You can thank me later.

4. We all have a fatal flaw. And lucky us, turns out we’re pretty clueless about it. While we all have a stronghold of small defects, the flaw I mention is the invisible pattern that holds us back & hangs us up throughout our lives. Without realizing it, we are constantly being given opportunities to work this pattern out. In a strange twist of fate, while this imperfection is usually hidden to us, it can be strangely obvious to those in close proximity. Don’t believe me? Ask someone near &/or dear. Though it’s not always easy for them to put into words, see what they have to say. If they’re aware and honest, what they tell you may change your life. Or it may just really piss you off.

tina signing off.

FAQ's: Inquiring Minds Want to Know

I have been genuinely touched and surprised at the interest and curiosity other tennis-folk, and really, just people in general have shown for my, ahem, slightly time-consuming passion for tennis. Lots of questions get thrown at me. Some more than others. "Are you crazy?!" is high up there. And since I am all about people-pleasing (that's me being sarcastic), I decided to lift the guarded veil of secrecy and do my best to answer your questions semi-truthfully. That's right. I just might lie.

One of the more frequent questions I get asked is what I do for fun outside of tennis. As if there were such a thing. In fact, earlier today, Carole S. from Woodway had this to ask: "Christina, you can't possibly spend every spare moment playing tennis. What is your favorite TV show? Do you even own a TV??"

My response: Hi Carole. Aren't you funny. Yes, just like most of the populated western world, I happen to be a TV owner. In fact I'm pretty sure I even have premium cable. And in case you were wondering, this is what a TV of mine looks like. Being a form-over-function gal many of my purchases, TV's included, are largely aesthetically-driven. (It's not just a TV -- it's art, damnit! Admit it, it's cool looking -- right?) Say what you will, but I'm funny like that. Kind of like my love for the Bang & Olufsen Beocom 2 cordless telephone. Those Danes sure know their way around design. Anyhoo, moving on -- let's re-focus!

As for a favorite television show. Is this a trick question? Would it surprise you to learn it's not the Tennis Channel? Truthfully, I discovered I have a difficult time watching tennis on TV. It just makes me realize that I am NOT playing. Once that happens, I get rather impatient watching.

I have a short attention span when it comes to a variety of things, TV shows being one. With all the drama and cruelty being played out in the world, I gravitate towards comedy, albeit the irreverent and dark kinds. Current faves are Californication and Dexter, which aren't exactly your run of the mill feel-good sitcoms. Not only do these shows provide comic-relief, they seem to satisfy my ever-present interest in human nature. Through the eyes and words of some really talented writers, you meet some flawed yet honest characters who are darkly funny and deeply human. Which is something you don't see on TV -- or in life really, very often.

Thanks for the question Carole! tina signing off.

Have I mentioned....

HOW MUCH I LOVE TENNIS?



I'm just saying...I kinda love it. A lot.

My Favorite 4-Letter-Word

P-A-C-E. Yes, pace. What did you think my favorite 4-letter-word would be? Jeez people, do me a favor and clean your dirty minds out with soap, will ya'? Some runners-up in the fav 4-letter-word category would likely be N-I-K-E (as in: see my adorable new shoes?!?) and let's see -- ok, J-E-E-P (as in: I'm counting down for mine -- a mighty fine bday gift). Sorry, I'm losing my train of thought. (Cast your vote: What color Wrangler should I get? Jeep Green? Sunburnt Orange? Red Rock?) Hey, focus! Back to PACE! Just got home from my singles match with Luis E. whose ground strokes had crazy-amazing pace! Flat, low and super hard. (As in: Holy crap!) I loved it. Love, love, love. To be honest, I was happily surprised that I returned all but a few and kept my return shots from being long. (How very timely that we covered this very topic in today's lesson. The revision in amount of racquet swing worked like a charm.)

I had asked to be matched with a strong 3.0 or newer 3.5 (just for the heck of it) guy. Dr. Luis was my man. I took the first set 6-1, he took the second 2-6, and we tied the 3rd, 3-3 before time ran out. We had a blast and plan to play again next week. Seriously, I must have lost at least 2-3 lbs. in 90 minutes. My pedometer clocked over 4000 steps by the time we were through. (Tonight's match left me dying for a cheeseburger. Yet vigilently I had to take into consideration that I haven't eaten red meat in over 6 months. I am afraid my digestive system would not be very agreeable to this particular food choice. Plus then I start thinking of all my Danish cow friends & viola! -- no more craving. Until the next time. Adding to my confusion, Jim tells me I crave red meat because my body really wants more leafy greens. But I don't understand -- how does my body confuse the two?!?)

In other news, I got the word today that I made it onto HS's USTA Mixed 6.0 Team A. A very exciting development indeed! Our season begins November 1, and team practices begin next week. (Not to mention, the team uniform is super cute. Priorities, you know.)

on that note, tina signing off.

Way to Go, Brad!

"I haven't learned how to work as well in partnerships as I do as an individual. I'm better alone. The key is finding someone with goals as ambitious as your own. Basically, I think there should be a reason for you to be a unit. Not just to be happy but to actually accomplish and change, and take on things you want to take on in this life. Someone who just really works hard and loves. That has not been an easy thing to find. "

- Angelina Jolie

Ingredients for Change

"Satisfaction is the death of desire. In order to achieve, to move forward, to invent things, a certain amount of unrest is probably necessary. And I hate to say it, but a degree of unhappiness too."


- Lisa Grunwald

Remembering

"The breeze at dawn
has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back & forth
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep."

Week 4: Change in Blog Format

Yes, it's true. I am being totally lame about completing my daily blog entries. The truth is twofold: I don't like to talk about myself, let alone spill every day. Seriously -- give it a try for 30 days, it's harder than you think. (Well, ok -- so you're the exception!)

Secondly, time has become more of a factor. Monday through Friday I usually spend at least 4 hours each day on a tennis court, either playing a match, attending a drill class or in a lesson. On Mondays, it's 7 hours. The weekends are cut back to 1-2 matches which allows for some recuperation. I also try to fit a weekly body work into the mix. (Trust me, I would spend every waking hour on a tennis court, if only my body could handle it!)

Taking all this into account, by the end of the day -- it's a challenge to find the time or muster the energy to blog. Added, in addition to tennis, I do try to maintain somewhat of a life. I am just not hugely successful at striking a balance. I hadn't realized I was such an all or nothing sort, but there it is. Just one of the many self-discoveries uncovered since beginning my tennis experiment.

In any event, there are a few people who come to mind that I miss and haven't seen since leaving the yoga studio, who probably hate me for being such a loser friend! (Dear Constance -- are you still speaking to me?)

So! (insert drum-roll here) Monday marks the start of Week 5 of my tennis challenge. Moving forward, there will be weekly recaps posted every Saturday or Sunday. These entries will include run-downs of matches played, any particular learning hurdles, and any tennis-related epiphanies experienced. If you're really lucky I may even include the outcome of my weekly report card. All for your viewing pleasure. During the week if something really jumps out at me -- you might find a stray blog here and there. Let's give it a try and see how it goes.

Tonight I'm playing a mixed doubles match against Suzy (3.5, my new doubles partner) and Brian O. (3.5). My partner is Coach Schneider. True to form, I am sweating bullets about it, especially given the fact I'm for sure the weakest link in this particular 4some. Oh well, worse case scenario is I play like crap *and* make a complete fool of myself. Seriously though, it will be good times -- so wish me luck!

tina signing off.

Day 30: Greener Pastures

I spent the morning in Marysville. Haven't been up that way in quite awhile. It was nice to see some pastures and farm land. Seeing that made me miss the Danish farmlands, along with their adorable and remarkably clean cows.

Anyway, it wound up being a perfect morning for a drive; traffic was light and the weather was amazing. Before heading back home, I stopped at the Nike Outlet. Anticipation ran high but unfortunately there was zero tennis apparel. Sigh. Do Marysvillians not play tennis? :-)

Today was a mellow tennis day, by design. I figured a lighter schedule today would be wise given yesterday. There was no tennis scheduled for this morning, had a lesson this afternoon and then played doubles this evening at AquaClub. It couldn't have been a better night for outdoor tennis!

Tomorrow will be a busy day. I'm playing at 9:30, have drills at 11am and at 6pm have a singles match with Ned. Ned and I have not played together before. He's rated a 3.0, so it will be interesting to see how I fare.

That's all the news fit for print.

tina signing off.

Day 29: High Score @ Mixed Doubles

*Spoiler* This is an obnoxious post to state for the record that I made the mixed doubles high score out of all 3 courts playing: 17 points! I beat out 8 guys for the high score. The best you can do is 24 by winning all 8 games with each partner. (My score for last week's score was 14. )

The guys I played with tonight hit the ball SO HARD! It was pretty awesome.

Yes, of course -- I realize it's not whether you win or lose (blah, blah, blah) but how you play the game. Still, I have discovered that I like to win. Come on, throw me a bone -- doesn't honesty count for anything?!

Day 23 - 29: Attitude Adjustment

Hey L -- what's up! I am so sorry for calling you accidentally so many times this last week, and (I admit it) again this morning. I can't help it! As you already know, my phone has a mind of its own. I promise -- it will probably happen again. ;-)

Hey everyone, I'm back! Just when you thought you had gotten rid of me. Um, no I didn't not fall off the face of the Earth. Though at some points I think I would have preferred just that. I was just feeling a little (more like a HUGE amount of a little) crabby this last week. That would be Ms. Crabapple to you, little missy! Overworked, underpaid, possessed by evil spirits ---you know the drill. However, after an awesome weekend, I am back in the saddle and once again back to my sweet self. (You're right: sweet is not a word often used to describe me.) Still, sweet or not, I feel like myself again. And trust me, when compared to the alternative, that is a very good thing.

Am currently fixated on making a quick trip down to Mexico in the next week or so. Feeling the need to spend more time by/in the ocean, and I want to check out the tennis court situation down there, so we'll see if I can swing it. Fingers crossed.

In tennis-related news, today started out early with a 7am match with Barb S. which, as always, was a lot of fun. Barb is one quick lady. At 9am was my weekly doubles flights with Jane D. We played 2 very nice ladies who both love to lob. Lots of lobbing. We had a 6-0, 6-1 win. (Good job Calamity Jane! Hope your shoulder feels better soon.) Moving on, I headed down to HS for my first 11am drill with some ex-cup players who meet every Monday. Boy, that is a workout. Today was reactive volley practice. (Split-step!) I'm seeing improvement, which is nice. Major drama at the club. And it's only Monday. But that's a whole nother story.

Anyhoo, made it to my lesson, which today is all conditioning. From this lesson I took away that I would not call myself over-coordinated. I got kudos for doing what was asked of me without whining or locking my keys in my car like a space cadet. Again, baby steps. (BTW, with such an improved display of attitude today, I would hope to not see 2.0 grade in the conditioning section of this week's report card.) After my lesson, I ran a bunch of errands which were postponed from the weekend. Ate a rather enormous salad for dinner. How very healthy of me. Part of me would like to wiggle into my so very comfy pjs or jump in a hot tub -- but wait! There's still-more-tennis! Will be leaving soon to mixed doubles flights at 9pm. Should be loads of fun -- will keep you posted on how I do. Peace out.

tina signing off.

Day 22: Yeah, Baby: Mixed Doubles!

I realize as I try to formulate sentences for this blog entry that my brain is quickly turning to mush. So please easy on the judgement if any of this fails to make sense. Plus for some reason -- I find this mixed doubles picture hilarious. From the back, the guy looks like Will Ferrell -- who, at times, I also find pretty hilarious. (BTW, have you seen his The Landlord video at http://www.funnyordie.com/ ? It's comedy gold. Well, that's a stretch. But it's pretty funny. Hey, cut me some slack. I'm tired.)

Today was a marathon day of tennis for me. I just got back home an hour ago from my final match which began at 9pm. I had the absolute best time this evening. My 5pm match was challenging -- the women are strong players with lots of drills and practices under their belts so I have some catching up to do there. But that's a good thing. You have to lose some to win some. Or something like that.

The highlight of the night was FC’s Rotating Mixed Doubles. I could never understand what all mixed-doubles fuss was about but I 100% get it now. Playing w/guys offers a great change of pace. So far all the men have been super nice – and like I said in an earlier post, they are quick and hit the ball freakin’ hard, which I love. Even if I can't always return it. The time just flies by and it leaves you wanting more.

Oh, and just one more thing. First, let me qualify this by saying I find braggers completely annoying. However, I just have to share that I was so on fire tonight. I have no idea what got into me – but whatever it was, I’ll take the entire case. IT WAS SO FUN.

Ok -- yada-yada-yada. You get the idea.

In closing, a great start to the week! 4 matches played = 6 hours of court time. Yes, it is true that in an effort not to overdo it, the plan was to moderate court-time. However, Monday’s tennis offerings are too good to pass up. So, in my defense, I compensated for today’s overage by scheduling only 1 match later in the day tomorrow, allowing for me to take it easy up until my 1:15pm lesson. I think that sounds like a good plan.

Not sure I’ll be able to walk tomorrow, but even so, it was so worth it.


tina signing off.

Day 20/21: Weekend Update

First things first: Hi Glendy! :-) I'm very happy to see you here, and even more excited to be seeing you tomorrow afternoon!

Big surprise: I am discovering it hard to say "no" to tennis. Seriously, who knew trying to take it easy could be such a challenge?

My weekend plan was to play tennis on Saturday with Laurie and then give it a rest for the rest of the weekend. Maybe do a bit of yard work, catch up on a book I started about a month ago, and pay a few bills.

Then my phone started ringing with tennis people wanting to play. Out of the woodwork they sprang! The weather today and yesterday was so incredibly perfect for outdoor tennis. Ultimately, I succumbed without much arm-twisting. In all, I ended up playing a couple matches both days, including doubles this evening with my new partner, Suzy O. We seemed to play really well together, which doesn't always happen -- so that was a nice bonus.

Plus I was still able to reorganize my closet (which sadly looked like a bomb had gone off in it!), read a few chapters of my book, do some yard work, grocery shop, walk the dogs, and even grab a quick nap.

Yikes, tomorrow is really busy. I just took a look at my schedule for Monday and realized I am seriously overscheduled with 6 hours of court time. At this late hour, not much I can do -- it's a little late and rude to cancel now. I play at 7:30am, 9am, 5pm, and again at 9pm. Plus I have my first 1 hour tennis conditioning lesson in the mix as well. I will just need to draw upon my super powers -- wish me luck!

tina signing off.

Day 19: Mixed Doubles: A New Flavor of Tennis Ice Cream

Sound yummy? Today was my first mixed doubles match, played at HS. I was so tired last night; I couldn’t get too nervous about it. However this morning I woke up with plenty of energy to feel anxious with. By the time I added a strong cup of coffee to the mix, I was having heart palpitations. (A sports psychologist might be in order if this sort of behavior continues.) Luckily for everyone involved, I was able to pull it together. Once on the court, I managed to get out of my head and into a groove – something just took over. Amazingly, I did really well. We rotated partners at 8, and I was on the winning side of all 3 sets. The pace of mixed doubles felt faster – as did the ball speed. I had a total blast! Also, I don't know if all mixed double men are as nice as the ones today, but throughout the match, they were supportive between points and generous with offering encouragement and 'Good Job's' when warranted. I certainly don't want to over-analyze, but it will be interesting to see if this personality trend continues or if it was an isolated event.

I wasn't scheduled for a match again tonight, which actually felt weird as I usually play at 6pm. I wound up getting a call this afternoon from one of my cup mates asking if I wanted to play this evening w/a group of 7 others, but I already had plans. Speaking of my cup team, this afternoon we played our first game of the season. Of 3 courts, we won Court 1 and 3. We had to default Court 2 when one our players got injured. I was advised this afternoon to get ready to play/fill her position. We'll see what happens with that. Until then, I will do my best not to get nervous about it.

Otherwise, my day was kind of strange and at times stressful. Even so, I am now complete putty and Zen-like from a 2-hour massage I was able to score this evening. (What?!? Hey, don’t hate on me!) I am feeling relaxed and ready for more tennis tomorrow. Playing outdoors with Laurie, bright and early!

tina signing off.

Day 18: Guess What? More Tennis!

Tomorrow marks the 8th anniversary of 9/11.

Currently feeling quite satiated, not to mention healthy, having eaten a huge salad for dinner, complete with sunflower seeds sprinkled on top. Happily, the sunflower seeds lended just the right bit of crunchy texture. One thing you probably don’t know about me is that I am a bit of a texture junkie with food and oddly enough, clothing.

Speaking of the latter, while shopping recently with my niece (Hi Anna!) we made the best find ever. We ran across the softest, most comfortable heathered-cotton lounge/workout pants. They are like tissue-tee material but still hold their shape perfectly instead of getting all stretched out at the knees 5 minutes after you put them on. They are made by Alternative Earth -- and trust me, they are heavenly. Yes, I realize I am once again getting sidetracked. Let’s talk tennis, shall we?

I was on the court for 4 ½ hours today. I started early, with my first match at 7:30am with Ramona. I didn’t play as well as I would have liked but I’d not slept well last night, which I’m sure didn’t help. Still I did a better job of planning the placement of my shots, which is a step forward. (Ramona loves to lob, which interestingly is frowned on at HS.)

Afterwards I headed to my weekly 9:30am cup practice, which is proving to be not only a sweat-fest workout but very helpful in terms of learning doubles technique and strategy. After practice, a woman on my team asked if I was available to sub for her tomorrow morning to play a mixed doubles match, which was an added bonus. This will be my first mixed doubles match and I am excited to see what it's all about. Excited and kinda really nervous.

This evening, I played singles with the ever-friendly Sue T. – and while at FC, I ran into Suzy, my doubles partner for the Fall, who just happened to be playing on the court next to ours. Afterwards, Suzy and I arranged a mixed doubles match for this Sunday evening, which should be fun.

Since Monday was a holiday, this week seemed to fly by. I am happy to report that the weather prediction for the next few days is sunny and warm, plan to take advantage of some outdoor court time over the weekend.

tina signing off.

Day 17: Back to Our Regular Programming

Egads! Enough introspection for awhile. What was that all about? (After all, this is not to be mistaken for Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey -- whose deep thought for today did make me laugh. Does that make me a bad person?) And please, don't even ask about the red hair. Eyes rolling back into head now. Though in my defense, I will say everyone thought it was natural -- well, strangers or people who didn't know that I was really blond thought so. I am part Irish. I think. Anyway --whole 'nother story. In any case, I'm not quite sure what got into me. Though whatever it was has officially passed.

Let's get back to TENNIS! It’s been a great week for it. So far the highlight was playing Barb S. on Monday. I was so nervous about playing her. She’s a 3.5, very quick and her ball placement is near perfect. One morning when I first started at FC, Barb warmed up w/ me when both our singles partners where running late. No joke, I think I missed everyone one of her balls – the pace and spin was overwhelming to me. I was expecting to get big-time bagled (i.e. a complete blow-out where you score zero.) but figured while it would be a snooze-fest for her, it would be great practice for me. We tried for an open court at 7:30am but because of the holiday, all the courts were taken. Barb invited me back to her home for breakfast, which was so sweet of her – and then we went back and played at 9am. Amazingly, I won the first 2 matches and though I lost the third, it was pretty close. I was shocked at how well I played against her. The experience further demostrated that I really must get-out-of-my-head (!!!!) and stop comparing abilities so much. Just be in the moment and have fun!

Today was my weekly USTA Singles Practice. Let me tell you, singles practice is a freakin' serious workout -- I must have burned 2000 calories in that 90 minutes. At practice, I met a few more members of my cup team. It was also decided during today's opening lecture that apparently I seem more like a ‘Stephanie’ -- hence my new nickname. I can also report that while there today I received a firsthand look at my cup teams uniform and got sized for our awesome team (skull/rhinestone) skirt. :-)

Then this afternoon it was off to my tennis lesson where after what must have felt like an eternity of feeding to my disastrous (yes, that is a word.)backhand returns, I can officially say that my coach has the patience of a saint. Poor guy. I’m sure it was painful to watch. You would have thought I had just picked up a racquet for the first time – or that I had my eyes closed. It wasn’t pretty. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. And it's an early one -- first match is with Ramona @ 7:30am.


tina signing off.

Day 16: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Again, feel free to skip this post as it has not a thing to do with tennis. Sorry. I know, I am so delinquent.

I was just perusing YouTube, looking at old television shows from the 70 – 80’s. It's too bad they don't make tv like that anymore. Watching the opening theme from Fantasy Island, Charlie’s Angels, and CHiPs (California Highway Patrol!) gave me a good laugh.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who, for most of my childhood, lived only 2 blocks away from me. During that time, my grandmother’s 3 favorite things in life were Babette (her black poodle who hated me), shopping, and watching all her police detective television shows: Ironside, Kojak, Baretta, Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Hawaii 5-0, The Streets of San Francisco. (She also loved cottage cheese with fruit on top, which to this day I have never understood.) Since my grandfather worked the graveyard shift, she watched a lot of television at night. Given how much time I spent with her, watching those shows -- it's surprising I didn’t wind up being a police detective myself. Hmmm, it all makes sense now, doesn't it?

Several years ago my grandmother developed Alzheimer’s and around the same time my grandfather passed away. My grandmother now lives in a long-term care facility, and while she no longer remembers me, I have many wonderful memories of her. This is the woman who ate Milkbone dog biscuits with me! I would like to think some of my grandmother's fun-loving qualities rubbed off on me and it could also explain why I always misplace my car/house keys. As a little girl, I remember telling her that she would always be my first and best friend. She was a loving and fun Grandma, and I miss her.

tina signing off.

Fall Tennis Dress: Yeah or Nay?

Just in, this tennis dress is part of Fila's Heritage Line for Fall '09. It even offers SPF 30 Protection. How can you refuse that?

In my mind, the verdict is still out. While it's definitely unique. I just can't decide if it's retro hip or possibly a bit nurse'ish. Like what Nurse Ratched would wear had she played tennis (and been a real person.).

I was thinking a pair of red pom-pom socks to complete the look. Remember those?

As with most clothes, the ultimate decider is how it looks on. Will keep you posted, because I know you really care.

Day 13 – 15: Fighting Me, Me, Me

Blogging about yourself daily might seem wildly enjoyable or just plain easy but I have discovered it to be neither. After all how much can I say about whom I played, what shots were learned, and whether the match was won or lost?

Nearly 2 years ago marked the beginning of my goal to reach a healthy body weight through exercise and proper nutrition. While it seems rather obvious now, at the time I had no idea that the effects would be much more far reaching and encompass more than the pursuit of becoming fit or losing weight. What also began to change is not only how I view the world but how I interact with the people I share it with. Additionally I received a true introduction to ME, and all my carefully arranged nooks and hidden crannies; how I perceive myself is often my biggest challenge and, at times, obstacle. It isn't always pretty.

Being who I am, I am not especially compelled to bare my soul about any of this – especially in a public forum. Joking around comes easy. That being said, while I am not narcissistic enough to believe anyone other than Jim actually reads my blog regularly , I still find blogging/talking about myself daunting. However, though I don't necessarily share the sentiment today, I happen to believe being stretched past your comfort zone can be a good thing. Maybe for now it’s enough just to say, out loud, that this experiment is not all about becoming a better tennis player. Baby steps.

And You're Telling Me This Now?!

Disclaimer: I admit this post is not tennis related. However in an effort to find balance I have made the executive decison to every now and again add random posts -- you know, to keep things interesting.

The other day I was looking through some photos taken when I was in Mexico late last year. I had to laugh when I saw this one, and thought I would share. This is me (obviously) in the water with the boat captain who took Jim and I snorkeling to a chain of islands off the coast of La Paz. We were at least an hour, probably more like two, away from civilization (i.e. hospital, medevac, etc.).

So, what is so funny about this picture is that as the captain and I were walking into the water (the plan being to swim out to those rocks in the distance) he was emphatically telling me to shuffle my feet into the sandy bottom while walking. Somehow, Jim managed to snap this picture just as he was answering my question of "Why do you want me to do that?". His reply was that there was a large population of sting rays where we were. (Apparently shuffling or stamping your feet would scare them away.) Otherwise, he told me, you step on them and worse case, their stinger gets stuck in or goes through your foot. (Ok, so maybe you had to be there. But it was really funny.)

Day 12: Week 2 Recap

Today marked the end of Week 2 of my tennis experiment. Gimme some dap! Overall, I could not be happier with how the plan is progressing. Time spent on the court not only highlights my strengths and weaknesses; it provides opportunity to practice what then gets covered in my daily lessons: areas (footwork!) and shots that need improvement. Little by little, it’s all starting to sink in.

The one area of my experiment where the need for some fine tuning has become readily apparent is in the arena of weekly scheduling. Basically, there needs to be a balance between matches/practices, conditioning, and recovery time. Instead of playing 2-4 matches each day, the conditioning side of tennis needs more attention. Conditioning is equally, if not in some ways more, important as time spent on the court.

ANYWAY, while I enjoyed some great matches and practice classes this week, I think I overdid it. Energy-wise, there just wasn't much in terms of reserves. Once home, it took all I had to forage for food, walk the dogs, shower and hit the hay. As a result my weekly schedule is in the process of being retooled in time for the Fall flights/ladders/cups which all begin September 14.

Probably NOT a good time to begin the ice skating lessons I was looking into…

Day 11: Don’t Quote Me

I ran across the following quote about tennis and had to chuckle:

Why has slamming a ball with a racquet become so obsessive a pleasure for so many of us? It seems clear to me that a primary attraction of the sport is the opportunity it gives to release aggression physically without being arrested for felonious assault. ~Nat Hentoff

Thoughts?

Day 10: Que milagro!

Unrelated to tennis but important nonetheless: I am relieved to report that my home away from home, a little town in southern Baja, narrowly escaped a direct hit from Hurricane Jimena. I have been preoccupied worrying if the town would get totally pummeled but hoping for the best. Luckily, after making landfall, Jimena downgraded from a category 5 to a 3 and changed course. The town mainly received a lot of rain and some high winds, between 50-60 mph, overnight. Even with all the rain there was no flooding. Overall there was little if any damage. And of course, there were some huge waves, so I bet the surfing was great.

Well, today was certainly action packed! I played 2 matches, had my 1st USTA Singles practice class along with an hour lesson. By the end of day I’d spent about 5 ½ hours playing tennis. How awesome is that?

Tomorrow will be another tennis-filled day. I have 3 matches as well as my first practice for my cup team and a lesson. That ends up being about 7 hours of court time. It will be interesting to see if I have the stamina to be walking by the end of tomorrow. Considering my first match is at 7:30am (I know, what was I thinking?) I better get some rest, though not before I take a few Aleve for my barking dogs. :-)


tina signing off.

Day 9: Rained Out!

Not much to say except I felt a little drained today and couldn't stay warm to save my life. I am not sure what the deal is, but I'm thinking it could be nutrition-related. Maybe I am not eating enough or eating enough of the right foods. Any thoughts? (Please, save the waffle comments.) I'm hoping it is just a random thing but will keep an eye on it.

I played doubles this morning with Nicki, Kathy and Ellen. They're such fun and make me laugh. I had my lesson at 1:15pm which included work on backhand returns. "Left shoulder turned and low." Then we ended the lesson with some core work, which I actually found enjoyable. (Does that make me weird?) Unfortunately my evening match was rained out. Karen and I were scheduled to play outdoors at Aqua Club. You would think with 2 tennis club memberships, I would have managed to reserve an indoor court but no such luck. Instead we rescheduled for next Tuesday down at Harbor Square.

Staying home tonight provided an opportunity to catch some of the US Open, which began yesterday. I even turned on the living room fireplace for the first time this summer which. sadly, is a telling signal that autumn is upon us.

Have to get some rest, I have a super busy tennis day tomorrow! I play singles with Jane D. at 9am, then it's on to my first USTA Singles practice at 11am. Followed by my 1:15pm lesson, then in the evening I play with Sue G. Should be a fun day!

tina signing off

Day 8: The Sisterhood of Tennis

Be honest, are you already sick of my blog posts? Well, if so, it will be of little comfort when I tell you there is only another 357 days of me. Come on, you can handle it. In terms of a lifetime, that is a mere drop in the bucket.

Today was a 3 match day for me. And in celebratory tribute to my caloric output my lunch consisted of 2 (ok, 3 – how did you know?!) gluten-free waffles. They were surprisingly yum-scrumptious! I realize waffles are off-topic but I just wanted to share.

I played singles in the morning with Jane D., and mid-day was my weekly match lesson with Coach S. And while it is no news that I lost that match, I would like you all to know that I WAS victorious in the agility portion of my lesson. Again. (But hey, who’s keeping track.)

The big news is this evening I played my first match at HS since joining their tennis program. The HS ladies have somewhat of a reputation for being, um, cliquish. So yes, I was nervous -- huge surprise, right? Originally, I was scheduled to play singles with one of their Cup Team's captain. However, at the last minute, someone decided it would be better if we played doubles. (Perhaps I was being vetted.) As a result, another Cup team captain and one of their top 4 players showed up to play with us. Gee, no pressure or anything. Seriously, it felt like I was a sorority pledge. Midway through the second set, my partner turned to me and said, “You play great and you’re blond. You’ll fit right in.” I guess that means there is a tennis skirt with rhinestones and skulls in my forseeable future.


tina signing off.

Day 6/7: First Tournament: A Recap

Yesterday morning marked the completion of my first tournament where I (gracefully, I might add) lost my second and final match against a sweet southern lady recently transplanted to the NW.

For the first set I started out strong and spent most of it up by 2 games. Towards the end, we were neck and neck (6-6) but I lost in the 7-point tiebreaker. Then I lost both my momentum and the second set, 2-6. Our match lasted nearly 2 hours – so I definitely didn’t go down without some fight. And while I certainly did not play my best, for my first tournament I am more than satisfied.

Now that I have completed my first tournament, I believe I qualify to become a 2-racquet owing tennis player. (My opponent had 3 racquets. Her overgrip and string were perfectly color-coordinated to the racquet frame. Maybe it’s a North Carolina thing.) Seeing that, I tried for 3 but the suggestion was shot down as overkill. Whatever the case, the upgrade to 2 is a perfectly fine consolation prize.

Today will be a tennis-free day for me – the first in nearly a month. Honestly I’m not sure I can make it through the day w/o being on a tennis court. Is that so wrong? Still, logic tells me it might be wise to give my body a rest and gear up for tomorrow as I’m playing 3 matches including my lesson match for the week.


tina signing off.

More Team-Doubles Hand Singles

For the record, I wanted to state that I now know a grand total of 5 hand signals to use when playing team doubles.

In addition to the 3 shown earlier in the week (GO, STAY, FAKE), I learned 2 more today: HIT WIDE, HIT DOWN THE MIDDLE. These are serve position signals and are meant to be used BEFORE signaling your planned position (GO, STAY, FAKE) on the court after your partner serves.

Hopefully there will be more to come!

Day 5: The Humor in Success (Or How I Won my 1st Tournament Match)

I spent the entire day nauseated, my stomach knotted in anticipation of my first tennis tournament. I was excited! Yes, a bit of a basket case but in a good way. Then after what seemed to be the longest day in the history of man, it was game time.

The news that you have been waiting for is: YES! I did win my first match in this weekend’s tournament: 6-1, 6-0. Thank you. I can now forever claim to have won the first match of my first tennis tournament. Good fallback conversation piece when I’m 80. And if I were smart(er), I would just bask in your accolades and leave it at that. However, as you may well know, that is just NOT in my nature. (Sleeping dogs? Wake ‘em! )

As I explained in an earlier post, I entered myself into the tournament’s “C” category, which includes all levels below a 3.5. It’s also referred to as the ‘Rookie’ category. So while I did absolutely win, fair and square, I feel compelled to make the following full disclosure:

My opponent had:

A. Never played an actual tennis match before.

B. Did not keep or call out a game score.

C. And if I understood her correctly, today’s match against me was the first time she has ever played on a tennis court WITH someone at the other end of the net.

Are you seeing the humor and/or irony in this yet?

But wait, there's more. Let me now present a study in contrasts. This evening I was introduced to my opponent for tomorrow. She, oh – just happens to have a tennis court in her backyard. She has been playing on USTA teams for 6 years. She plays mixed doubles with her husband, and is a member of a certain north- end country club where she plays tennis several times a week. For whatever reason she opted to play down to the C category but more likely is a “B” category (3.5 /4.0) player. She, my friend, is no rookie.

So, yes, my stomach is still in a knot. Don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep tonight. I have decided to let go of all expectations and just play to have fun. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, this first tournament provided an excellent opportunity to learn an important lesson early in the game:

Play because it’s fun. Not because you want to win or you are afraid to lose.


tina signing off.

TOURNAMENT/MATCH PREPARATION

Since today is Christina's first tournament, I thought it would be a good idea to share a bullet point "To Do" list for tournament preparation. I have to say that I am very impressed with how far Christina has come in such a short amount of time with her game and I wish her the best tonight when she plays in her first round of her first tourney! Go Christina!!

MATCH PREPARATION

Before The Match

Confirm site, time, opponent, directions to site and dress code for tournament

Check conditions of rackets, strings, shoes and other accessories. Remember to pack a jug water.

Get your normal amount of sleep the night before the match

Maintain a normal and nutritious diet.

Set realistic performance goals for the tournament or match

Become familiar with tournament facilities and courts before match


Day of Match

Eat complex carbohydrates such as cereals, pasta, fruit and fresh vegetables two to three hours before the match.

Allow appropriate travel time to reach the site at least an hour before match time. This will allow you to:

Check in

Get a practice court to warm up

Warm up body and stretch off court

Warm up on all strokes 15-30 minutes before the match

Drink sufficient fluids 30 minutes before the match

Focus on goals and strategies for the upcoming match.

During warm-up, analyze your opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

During the Match
Focus on each point and remain present and centered

Drink fluids at every change over

Use changeovers ( and in-between points ) to recover and plan.

Follow the code of conduct


After the Match

Report your score and get details for the next match

Cool Down, stretch and analyze your performance

Eat nutritious foods within two hours and replace fluids.

Analyze and prepare for the next opponent

Allow for recovery and some suitable practice time

Day 4: T-minus 24 Hours and Counting

I am mostly recovered from yesterday’s arachnid run-in. Still my knee muscles/ joints (or is it ligaments -- whatever is inside there) felt pretty tight, kind of like after you get a leg cramp. I hate those! Or like my knee went to a jazzercize class on its own. Anyway, you get the idea.

Unfortunately I woke up in quite an antihistamine induced fog. It didn't help that my drug induced sleep was littered with weird dreams straight out of a Fellini movie played backwards. The first part of my morning was spent trying to detox from last night’s Benadryl. As a result, I made the decision to cancel my 9am match with Karen. Honestly it was a safety call as I seriously felt unfit to drive. Lucky for me, I discovered espresso comes very much in handy for this sort of recovery and made liberal use of it.

By 12:15, I was completely lucid and spent the better part of an hour refining my response to approach shots, including volleying at the net. (While it's only 3 steps or shots, it all happens so quickly! I feel like I need it in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n) Plus I was instructed on all sorts of fancy foot work using an agility ladder, which was really fun. It kind of reminded me of high performance hopscotch. Growing up, I rocked at hopscotch. Lately I have many moments where I feel like I’m living “CHILDHOOD, TAKE 2”. Sue T. and I played in the evening and were able to get through several rounds of '21' which is great serving practicet. Sue employs a very sneaky and effective drop shot not to mention well-placed short balls. I'm on to her! She gets me running up to the net, which is just what I need.

THE BIG NEWS IS TOMORROW I AM PARTICIPATING IN MY FIRST TENNIS TOURNAMENT! I happened across a brochure for the 1st Annual Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Tennis Tournament and decided to just throw caution to the wind and enter. Jump straight into the fire, feet first. What do I have to lose? (I mean other than the tournament.) I am so nervous about participating that I don’t feel nervous. I feel numb. (Maybe I’m in shock.) I am playing in Women’s Singles – Class C, which is basically a 3.0 rating. Apparently there were only a few of us rookies daring enough to enter, so we’re playing Round Robin style. My first match at the tournament is tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm and then again Saturday at 9am.

Being the true friends and supportive tennis buddies that they are, Laurie and Heather, will be there to root me on. Heather even offered to bring pom-poms but I think she was kidding. She did sweetly offer to come by my home before the match and to drive me to the tournament so I don’t wreck my car on the way there. Plus I will have the BIG GUN (i.e. Coach Schneider) in attendance to assist in this landmark event. It should be fun – stay tuned, I’ll let you know how it goes!

My (Possible) Cup Team's Uniform: Beware?

Thoughts? Feedback?

Day 3: Venomous Spiders and Soldiering On

You know what a cankle is, right? Well, I'm not sure if there is a word for a knee version of a cankle, but whatever the name, I have one. Apparently some sort of spidey decided to take a bite out of my knee this afternoon while I was outside putting more woodpecker suet in the feeder. And I'm allergic to bee stings/spider bites. Now my right knee is swollen and has red welts all over it. Good thing I am not a knee model or I would be so out of a job.

With Epipen in hand, I headed to my 1:15pm tennis lesson. All went well though I felt a little dizzy and nauseous at times. That being the case, I felt justified asking to skip the polymetric (i.e. jumping as fast as you can) portion of my lesson. Instead I got an introduction to doubles hand signals which I find completely fascinating. Now I just have to get them all straight: Go! Stay! Fake! (I wonder if there's a handle signal for "Don't get bitten by a bug"? Frantic waving of hand left-to-right maybe?)

During my evening match with Janie, she kindly offered to have someone or something crawly bite my other knee in an effort to get a leg up on me. I very politely declined her offer and managed to pull through before calling it a night. Incidentally, Janie is a RN and after taking a look at my nankle suggested I take a Benadryl before going to bed, so that's what I did. I hardly ever take medication, so I feel pretty loopy right now. With that in mind, please excuse this blog post if it is lame or makes no sense. I remain optimistic I'll be player ready in time for my 9am match tomorrow over at Aquaclub with Karen K.

One final thought: Each day seems to improve upon the one before it. And really, I wonder, who could ask for more?

Tina signing off.

Day 2: Nerves of Steel

First things first, I'm spent! Frankly, I would love to eat something, take a bath and crawl into bed -- but discipline dictates that my daily blog entries come first. I'm afraid if I don't do it now, it won't get done.

It was a long day -- but not surprisingly, I loved every minute of it. Did I mention how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE tennis? Playing, watching, talking -- doesn't matter. It's a wonderful thing to find something where the more I see, the more I enjoy it.

It was also a big day for me in terms of confronting my primary psychological barriers surrounding tennis. And that barrier would be NERVES. All new territory for me having never participated in any sort of sports before now. Call me a late bloomer. So in terms of overcoming hurdles of the mind, it was a double whammy day. I had my first match review under the watchful eyes of CS and then later in the afternoon met with Harbor Square's tennis director to get rated for playing tennis at their club.

A match review (well, this is my definition) is when I play an entire singles or doubles game with my tennis coach present for critical analysis. Observations are made and notes are taken regarding my performance, including strengths and weaknesses. After the match, while it's all fresh in the mind, we review his keynotes. Then we head back out to the courts for a 30 minute lesson which focuses on this review.

After all of that, I raced home (driving the speed limit of course) before heading to my 3pm appointment at Harbor Square. The director took me out to a court and we hit back and forth for about 15 minutes. Amazingly, even though I was anxious -- it all seemed to fall into place. Like I somehow found my groove. Months of practice and lesson time are paying off. I played the net and was able to get a few shots by the guy to boot -- which actually made him laugh. I took that as a good sign. Afterwards, tennis guy told me he was impressed and had a hard time believing I'd just been playing seriously since March. I was given a 'mid-range 3.0' rating for playing at Harbor Square. Which kind of blew me away. We went over my available options for playing Cup (Emerald/Classic) and Mixed Doubles (either 6.0/7.0). Not bad for a newbie. Overall, I think it all went really well.

For my second game of the day, I made it to the courts in Mukilteo by 5:30pm to play with birthday girl, Laurie. It was a wonderful nightcap. Arriving home around 7:30pm, I then turned right back out the door to walk Max and Abby around the 1 mile loop. Now I just need to stop and RELAX. Until tomorrow, game time: 7:30am.

Tina signing off.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Laurie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURIE!
As I was falling asleep I remembered that Laurie, my good friend and tennis buddy, celebrated her (29th) birthday this last Saturday. You go girl! Sounds like you still like to shake your groove thing!
Coach Schneider introduced Laurie and I earlier in the year and we have been fast friends ever since our first tennis date. We usually play tennis together at least once a week, if not twice. Laurie loves tennis as much as me. She is super fun to play, very speedy and has some killer spin on her balls. And lucky for me, she offers a lot of wise insight on the ins-and-outs of tennis and life in general. Plus she has an adorable French Bulldog named Zoey! And in a weird twist of fate, her father was one of my high school teachers. How random is that? Ok, now back to bed -- it's 1am.

Day 1: When I Say Jump!

What a great first day! I just got home 30 minutes ago and need a bath, then some sleep!

I am happily surprised to still be walking (pain-free) after my very first plyometrics lesson, which consisted of a 4 square jump-fest. In the blazing sun. Plyometrics is a type of exercise training used to improve performance in sports? It is designed to produce powerful, fast movements, and apparently it also improves nervous system functions. Of my notable natural talents, moving quickly on my feet, especially sideways, is not currently one of them. But trust me, I have a feeling it will be!

If I remember correctly the jumping portion of today's lesson was 27 minutes long, the individual exercises were timed in 20 and 10 second intervals. If you think it's easy to jump for that long, try it some time and get back to me. (I'm just relieved this portion of my training will not be getting videotaped.)

In addition to 2 matches, and a 2 hr. lesson, I had afternoon appointments and a few errands to run before getting back to Forest Crest for my 7:30p match with Heather. Heather has a wickedly powerful serve and likes Korean food. Extra bonus for today was discovering I once again fit into one of my favorite pairs of Lucky jeans which hadn't seen the light of day in awhile. And now they're a little big. Pretty sweet!

Tomorrow will begin at 6:15am (ok, it was 7am) with 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, followed by toast with, you guessed it, just a smidgen of Danish butter. And quite possibly a few shots of espresso. How I cherish my trusty orange Francis Francis X1 espresso machine. Then half-awake, I will head to the court for a 9am doubles games. My partner, Jane, promised to let me take her picture tomorrow so I can introduce you all to her.

That's it for now!

Before I Get Started: My Game Plan

Tomorrow is the kick off day for my 1 year tennis plan. Wish me luck! To start things off right, I decided to post MY GAME PLAN tonight. The plan provides an overview of both my tennis goals and the strategies involved to reach them. I will continue to flesh all of this project out here on my trusty blog.

I have been playing tennis casually since the start of the year. I joined a local tennis club back in August '08 but didn't really start playing until this January. It has been in the last few months that I have gotten more serious about it. Now I am completely hooked. For the last month I have been doing a self-led tennis intensive. It consisted of 1 hour tennis lesson each weekday along with playing 2 matches a day -- a mix of singles and doubles. On weekends I played once a day.

Tomorrow (Monday) is going to be an early morning for me. First thing is early morning cardio in the form of a quick jog around my neighborhood. (I promise to run just on the grass.) Max & Abby are going to be less than thrilled about staying home for that. However, right now I can't run and manage dogs at the same time. Baby steps. At 9am, I have a singles match with Jane D., my doubles partner for the Fall. Then it's on to my first 'official' match with my tennis coach, Mark Schneider (aka Coach Schneider). You will learn all about 'the Coach' in near future blogs. I will back on the court in the evening for my 2nd singles match, playing with a favorite cohort, Heather, whose skin should still be glowing after our trip to the spa on Friday.

So here it is, for your viewing pleasure, the rough draft of my game plan:

Christina Walton
August 2009

Goals for 1 Year Tennis Plan
- By Fall 2010, USTA 3.5 Level Player
- Enter/Compete in USTA, Cup and Local Tournaments
- Increase Physical Fitness and Tennis Conditioning

Christina’ Personal Commitment
Time Commitment:
- Daily: 30 minutes, Blog
- Weekday: 3.5 – 5 hours daily (2 matches, 1 lesson, Cross-training 2-3x week)
- Weekend: 2 – 3 hours daily (1 match, 1-2 cross-train activity, rest)

What's the Strategy?
1 Weekly Play/Instruct Match
4 Weekday Tennis/Plyometric Lessons (1 hour)
Weekly Lesson Plans/Topics
Monthly Review/ Report Card
Identify/Improve Skill Strength/Weaknesses
Weekly Review – Areas to Improve/Areas that did improve
Tennis Fitness Guidance (Cross-Training)
Understanding the Mental Game of Tennis
Nutrition Suggestions
Equipment Guidance (Racquet/String Selection)
Singles Play Guidance
Doubles Play / Strategy /Partner Selection Guidance
Team Cup Guidance
USTA Team Guidance
Local Tournaments (Singles)

Before I Get Started: A Few Smart Rules to Live By

First let me just say how much I love lululemon athletica clothing, especially their yoga pants and capris. Never in my life would I imagine spending $100 for a pair of yoga - workout pants. But for lululemon, I and many diehard others do just that. (Ok, so I have many several pairs. Am I that transparent?) The good news is now with the lululemon outlet up north near Arlington, you can save yourself a few bucks. I know, I am such a bad influence. I hear that a lot. Ok, now on to the important rules:

- Dance, sing, floss and travel.
- Do one thing a day that scares you.
-Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
-SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
-Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
-Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
-Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
-Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
-Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
-That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least. -The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
-Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water.
-Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I will”.
-Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
-Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
-A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
-Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.

Before I Get Started: Food for Thought

Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have though of doing or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the intiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give peace of mind but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life you must lose your inclination for monotonus security. I guarantee you will be very glad that you did. You are wrong if you think joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle. My point is you don't need me or anyone else to bring this new kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it. The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubborness to engage in new circumstances. I hope the next time I see you, you will be a new man with a vast array of new adventures and experiences behind you. Don't hesitate or allow yourself to makes excuses. Just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did. -Into the Wild