I'm Baaaacckkk...well, okay, not really

So today, for the first time in two weeks I engaged in exercise. two weeks ago exactly I last played racquetball. Since then, the most exercise I have gotten has been...well, here comes a joke I think is hysterical, but only about 50% of the people I have told it to have laughed.

The doctor told me to take it easy for a week or two. So I guess you can say I am rebelling against the doctor. I take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Anyway, we started out playing racquetball doubles. Usually I am a high-intensity, very active player, going to the front and jumping back and forth, sweating a ton.


Today I hung out at the back wall, scarcely moving, seldom hitting the ball...but at least I was up and moving and was occasionally hitting the ball.

After an hour one of the guys left so we started playing cutthroat (a three player version of the game). Typically cutthroat is the most active game. This time I was using positioning and well-timed aggression to score...okay, lets be honest. I scored about 70% of my points off the serve and another 20% hitting actually poor shots that they each thought the other guy was going to get that dropped and mixing in an occasional old school rally with a lot of movement.

Felt an occasional twinge in my chest, but nothing I have not been feeling the last two weeks. Also had to take longer between points because it is still a struggle to pull in a full deep breath but it felt good to be out there.

Then I regressed to barely moving...mostly standing by the back wall, no real energy expenditures. After about 20 minutes of playing like that, I jumped into a rally full speed. Won the rally with a spectacular shot...but called off the session because it left me a bit light headed.

So the good; I was able to be up and on the court for 2 hours. I hit some great shots, won every doubles game, and 2 of 4 cut throat games.

The bad; I was tentative; not because anything was bothering me but because I was afraid it would bother me.

I was winded often, cannot believe how much aerobic conditioning I lost in just 2 weeks. I took frequent breaks and we probably only got in 1:20 or 1:30 of actual play.

And the light headedness is not cool.

But at least I feel like I can go play again. And be active. So hard on me not doing so.