Yesterday I played pickleball for just over an hour for the first time in a year.
It was super windy, and I had never been on an outdoor court before…
Those who tried to play despite the winds didn’t last very long. Jackie and I were there longest, because we came early so I could get some practice in.
We were joined about thirty minutes later by a gal. Not long after that, Judy showed up, so we had a foursome going for about 20 or 30 minutes, I guess.
Two other guys arrived, but only one of them wanted to play.
Play (or Flail, to be honest) was pretty hysterical, given the wildly fluctuating wind.
On one side of the court, players working against the wind had to whack the ball a good one just to get it to land in the right place on the opposing court; side winds and head winds blew the pickleball out of bounds almost as often as one made it where the player wanted it to go.
On the other side, a light tap (with the wind) could send it out of the opposing court (long) ridiculously easily.
But we were intrepid.
We kept playing.
It was funny, more than fun, because we’re all pretty competitive and there was really no competing with the wind, let alone each other.
But we got our exercise in, for sure, chasing after pickleballs that got blown all the way down the courts if they got past us far enough to make chasing them down basically a waste of playing time.
Luckily, Jackie and one of the guys had lots of extra balls, so we just kept using new ones as the ones in play blew down the court…
The good news is that next time I play outdoors, I’ll definitely be better than I was this time. Jackie said I did fine, even given the windy situation, and she says most people won’t even try to play in what we played in. That’s why only five players showed up today. Usually three or all four of the courts are occupied (four players to a court) on a decent day.
The hour plus play did reveal itself later in the day to me. Pickleball isn’t like walking (which I do almost daily) or bike riding. Pickleball is a very aerobic game, with lots of twisting, bending and leaning involved, and lots of foot action, so my feet, ankles and legs felt slightly sore yesterday afternoon. I was fine again by nightfall. I just has to get up and walk around a little bit to walk off the stiffness and soreness. Nothing to it, really.
It was a lot of fun, for a first foray onto a pickleball court again. There’s nothing like a good challenge — and boy howdy! — fluctuating high winds are a serious challenge!!!
OH! It was also the first time I played pickleball without lady boobs. I wondered if it would feel different, or if my skin would feel tight where my chest was sutured.
It felt liberating, and the sutured area felt great: no pulling or tightness at all. T’was truly terrific!
