Tournament Weekend

Sometimes, we have to take it for a run.

You have been playing tennis for months now and you know you are getting better than the last time.  However, you cannot confirm unless you face a little bit of competition.  For some people, competition is a scary thing.  You don't know where and how you'll end up.  However, for others, that is the appeal.

It is happiness to play with friends and co-workers during this weekend.  Every one was tired and happy.  That's a great combination, if you ask me.

The thing about these tournaments is that you can see your students got better.  The best feeling is you feel you're a little bit responsible for it.  And you secretly take part in their victory.  

There were those who have stopped playing for a while.  They are a little bit unconditioned to play but that didn't stop them from joining.  We're all in it for fun.

It was nice to have done this at the end of this year -  something to celebrate about and a group to celebrate with.


At the end of this tournament, with all that food, everyone was a winner.

A competition's a competition.  No matter how small.

("A person's a person.  No matter how small.")

Photos by Ma'am Joy.

The Thing That Drives You To Work Out

Years ago, I enrolled in a gym myself. I wasn't in that stage of a heartbreak. I just felt lame. I didn't have to be on the heavy side to feel that way. I just felt that I was kind of a weakling. I didn't like that feeling. I want to have fun with friends without getting tired easily. I was thinking, "This must be what it's like getting (really) old". And that's scary because I wasn't that old... yet.

How to Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps

STEP 3½: Try and get your shit together and join a gym. via JASH

Posted by Esquire on Thursday, February 18, 2016

A Little Bit of Inspiration

No matter in what arena, we always have to aim for something.  Our goals are our directions.  Without them, we roam without a purpose.  I don't think we'd like to wake up in the morning without looking forward to something good.  Without a goal, we would probably just stay in bed the whole day (sounds nice) and waste a good day God has given us.

And so, plan something for yourself.  Set goals everyday.  Easy goals.  Big Ones.  It doesn't matter.  What matters is getting something done.  Having even the littlest accomplishment is a big deal for our morale.  We get by when we feel good.

Before going to bed tonight, I set some goals for tomorrow.  I still have those traditional planners.  And I filled up that space for the weekend.  No day should ever go to waste.

Finally, Old Enough To Start

Finally, our daughter gets to have her first formal tennis lessons from her father.  She's turning five and she could only show that she is having fun with the sport.  Her knowledge about it is as much as I have - hit the ball over the net and not beyond the court.  That is all.

My husband is planning to bring her with him on Saturdays when he's not so busy with his students.

I do hope that she will show skills and interest in tennis.  I want her to be fit and healthy unlike her mother who is such a weakling with a couch potato body to show for.

My husband don't have much but he could give her this.  And this is a big deal for her - to be fit and develop the mentality you get from sports.

Trying To Lose Weight With Tennis

MUTE THE VIDEO.  The ballboy has messed it up with his comments along with my stiff hits! :) 

At last, we have found a trustworthy nanny to whom we could leave our kid at home to.  I have gained so much weight for the past months.  People are beginning to comment about it.  And my pants are beginning complaining about the increase in my abdominal girth.  

Work is so hectic that I just want to eat and sleep whenever I arrive home.  However, I am pushing myself to grab the racket and my husband to the tennis court.  I need to sweat it all out - the fat, I mean.  (of course, I burn the fat and not turn it into sweat.)   

I thought my husband (a tennis coach) has given up on me.   I was right.  But then, since I'm pushing him to try teaching me again, he has no choice but to do so or else, he would be stuck with a heavy weight for life.  

Back To Square One For Me

Starting my training again in the court.

Note to self:  Must do a lot of stretching beforehand.

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Body Aches

My husband, aka Coach, (LOL!) was complaining awhile ago that he is suffering from vague body pains.  The culprit was playing an intense tennis game right after he had a body massage.

Earlier, he thought that his day was already done.  There were no more scheduled tennis lessons in the late afternoon.  So he thought it was the best time to get his usual body massage.  He didn't get it from me because I don't do a good job in deep muscle massage which he said, he needs the most (to which I forcefully object because I believe this kind of massage - shiatsu-like massage - is never good unless a chiropractor is doing it).

So he head home after that massage.  He was planning to take the rest of his day in bed to rest.  But instead, he got a call from his usual client that he needs to be back in court to play a two-hour game with the client and his company.

This client was known to play an intense game of tennis because there was gambling involve to make the game more interesting.  And he always hires my husband to be his tennis partner.  My husband was known to help win the bet for this client.  And so, my husband couldn't say no.  So he subjected his body to an intense workout when he should be lying down because his muscles just underwent some tenderizing session (which I fondly call the shiatsu-like massage).

And now, he ended with body aches.  I wish he passed up on the client but he couldn't let the client down.  I wish I was there to have hot compresses ready for him when he gets home.

Instead Of Flowers

My husband who is a tennis coach, didn't give me a bouquet of flowers last Valentine's day.  Instead he gave me something that I could use when I'm ready to play tennis again.  His student was selling a used tennis racket.  And since he thinks the color suits me, he bought it for me.  And for a relatively cheap price, considering it hasn't been used that much.  It hasn't even needed any stringing before or any change in the rubber grip.

He told me someone, upon seeing the racket, wanted to buy it from him and was planning to give him double of what he paid for.  But he said no.  He really thinks it was a great buy and refuse to let it go.

Now, I really can't wait to go back to court.

Tennis Service

The last 5-10 minutes of the one hour tennis lesson is reserved for teaching on how to serve in a tennis game.  It is saved on the last part the lesson so that students who are already tired wouldn't mind standing still and hitting the ball at their own will.  This is the most boring part of the tennis lessons for me.  I'd rather be running around trying to hit the ball.  Besides, I have a hard time following instructions when it comes to serving in tennis.  But the coach doesn't mind me complaining.  He keeps on encouraging me to hit it on one particular part of the other court.  Even though, he ends up finishing up all the balls in the basket.

Below are pictures of coach, practicing his service... when he's not teaching :) 

Getting Ready for Summer

You can sense that summer is almost here.  I was in the mall this morning and I saw some bathing suits on display in a couple of high-end shops already.

Summer is almost here.  Almost.  There's still time to get into that shape you promised yourself you'd have when the time comes.  Smaller hips, thinner arms, shapely legs and thighs.  You have less than four weeks to do all that.  Crash diet just won't do because you also have to be fit for the summer season.

The best way to do it is to keep on moving.  But a desk job just won't allow you to do that.  And you don't really have so much time to spare during the day.

I even tried wearing Shape Ups hoping that I would get those shapely legs the product promised.  But I think I need to walk a couple of miles before I actually see any results.  By the time I see results, I would wonder if it's because of the shoes or the walking that I did.

A gym membership costs so much money if you're earning an average amount as a corporate slave.  And you can't really go to the gym as much as you would like. An hour would probably burn you only a hundred or so calories from you 2500 calorie daily intake.

I personally found tennis to do a good job in burning calories.  It even tones up your muscles.  I have yet to see a female who plays tennis who has not-so-beautiful pair of stems.  I've seen women over the age of forty who could wear short skirts so gracefully.  It's because of their well-shaped legs.  Sigh!  I wish I had those.  Maybe a few more tennis lessons will do me good eventually.

Most exercise will only be able to tone up certain body parts.  It is either the upper or the lower body part.  It is rare that an exercise will be able to address the whole thing.  I believe dancing can do that.  I believe tennis can do that too.

And just imagine the glow you'll have after a night of dancing or an hour of a tennis game.  You wouldn't need the sun rays to glow.