This morning I took to the treadmill for a progression run. The mill at this gym turned out to be in desperate need of recalibration, though for a while I wondered if maybe someone spiked my Special K* with amphetamines. While I happily deluded myself into believing I was actually running a cakewalkish 9.4 mph, I watched some Wimbledon.
I grew up "playing" tennis, which I put in quotes because I spent more time huffing and moping on the court of my beloved sport than actually playing it. I had some occasional down-the-line winners and a pretty reliable two-handed backhand, but the pressure of the duel, the one-on-one fight to the death, took me down. Tennis matches were like teen girl rivalries with a net: callous assassins in short skirts.
It really is too bad that I didn't have the chops for competitive tennis because I do love watching the professionals and what amounts to supermodels expending themselves. There's something very satisfying about watching pretty people work themselves to exhaustion.
I love everything about tennis. The crisp sound of the ball when hit. The superstitious tics before a serve. The opportunity to sit down frequently during competition. The relative unimportance of the time. The elitism. Nadal's biceps.
You boys can post all the pics of Kournikova that you want. Behold the exquisite Adonis from Majorca:
Do you really need another argument for tennis than this?
..........drool..........
.........................
Where was I?
Oh yes, tennis. Liking the tennis.
I haven't played tennis in quite a while. I don't even know that I feel the urge to play now. I'm happy to watch the pretty people battle it out on TV while I eat strawberries and cream and drink a Pimm's on the couch. I just wish that running could take a cue from tennis and maybe I could stop the clock to sit down every once in a while during a race. That, and acceptable grunting. I want to be able to grunt more often without people staring. Then running might be as perfect as tennis.
*My breakfast almost every day of the week because it makes me feel, well, special.
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13 comments:
I played tennis all through high school, and just rediscovered it over memorial day weekend. Signed Tommy up for lessons and everything so we can bond and do something all mother/son-ish. I love the sound the ball makes too when you hit it just right.
thanks for the pimm's link ;)
You must be really into the whole arrogantly stoned look. That guy looks like a dick.
I had no idea you were tennis'y!!
not me.
nary a tiny gene of hand/eye coordination in this bod.
hence the weight training love :)
MizFit
@theloosemoose: funny, when I posted that pic, I didn't even look at the expression on his face. All about the arms. Leave it to Nike to ask a perfectly nice guy (as he is known to be) to pose like an asshole.
I visited Majorca a couple of times but I wouldn't say that I'm from there.
I enjoy watching and playing tennis too, but like you it's been a while since I played. I used to play more regularly before I had kids.
Pretty people working themselves to exhaustion? What?! You haven't been watching "Superstars"?!
As for the grunting; maybe no longer:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/06/15/itf-to-crack-down-on-gruting.aspx
Tennis and I were never meant to be, despite lessons and all. But it's fun to hit the ball around.
Don't the elite tennis players have one GIANT forearm? Maybe that's why they cut them out of that picture...
Tennis just seems like a foot race where people constantly change the direction of the course while you are running it. Oh, and you carry a racket. But you can carry a racket in a marathon too without all the crazy zig zagging back and forth.
I've been lucky enough to see Rafa in person several times - once a few years ago when he was still relatively unknown. The sun had set and he was done practicing so his buddies brought out a soccer ball and they kicked it over the net. Kids :-)
I don't know, watching my girl crush Kara work herself into exhaustion works too. Although she doesn't do it for me quite like Nadal!
My other sports beside running is chess...It is very different from running...^_^
zbsports
Great blog! Running is my favorite sport.
My feet have several thousand meetings scheduled with the dirt on a trail not far from here. Who am I to keep them waiting? Time to run. ~Jeb Dickerson, Smartwool
I love playing tennis. It's a great workout for me. Nice post!
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