Much anticipated and long awaited this first competition of the season. Fantastic that it is local. The Kerrier Open played at the ever welcoming Redruth Tennis Club, right here in Cornwall. Familiar faces, new faces, all eager to get on court.
After months in lockdown it’s a first chance to see how the investment in time, thought and money into my tennis is bearing fruit.
On court then at the Kerrier Open the bare facts are, played 5 won 3 lost 2 in the men’s open and over 35s. I would summarise by saying that my physicality was good and showed evidence of the physical work from lockdown. Technique wise, some of the work from the practice court showed through, maybe not as much as I had hoped, but enough to confirm progress.
Mentally pretty good, adapting from first round losses in both competitions can be mentally challenging, to then step back on court positively in the consolation event. With some internal mental re-adjustment I handled the consolation matches pretty well. If there was a disappointment it was turning up for an early Sunday start, without any real mental rehearsal or sense of purpose and producing an average performance.
The more interesting things happened before and after the tournament.
On the day before. After a coaching lesson, I then spent a further two hours on court playing singles. I was hitting the ball crisply and moving well, why stop practicing. Followed by an evening beer (first for several weeks) and a large fish and chips. Overnight indigestion and poor sleep followed. An attempt at self sabotage if ever there was one!
The time on court playing singles therefore read as follows. Friday 3 hours (practice) Saturday 3 hours (competition), Sunday 3 hours (competition), Monday rest, Tuesday 4 hours (practice). I could have sold off energy on any one of these days, like renewable energy to the national grid.
The four hours on Tuesday were played in strong gusty winds and I noticed afterwards that there was a stiffness in my forearm and a knot in the back of my shoulder. I take this as a warning, that I will do well to heed. Injury is the very last thing I need now.
Wednesday was a different matter. The lethargic jog down to the courts for a weekly social doubles, told me everything I needed to know. The tank was empty. It was an energy less performance all round. Had to find a more conservative way of playing, more placement less power. My body was refusing to move in any way I become used to and expected it to. There was one very interesting thing to think about. The scores in the three sets we played were not markedly different to when my energy levels are higher.
And so to the pre planned week of active rest with a holiday in Northumberland.
Travelled and stayed air b and b near Newcastle with Simon and Louise both passionate runners. View Simon’s NERunner youtube channel (137) Introducing NE Runner – YouTube and learn about his story as Simon the NE Runner introduces himself and talks about how he started running aged 50, his progress over the last 6 years, and what his ambitions are for the future. Inspirational stuff. Great to know there are others out there retaining their enthusiasm for sport and life.
Here lay the danger, like a trap set in advance, that I would willingly walk into. Active rest being about not stopping entirely – a loose notion of a couple of jogs maybe or maybe not, some stretching, walking with the dogs and generally taking it easy. That idea lasted just a single day.
Anyone this passionate about their sport as Simon is great to listen to. When I set out on my intended gentle jog the next morning, just before 7am it was a still morning with a slight mist. As advised I headed down to the river and followed the well marked trail seeing rabbits and noting the quadruple rowing sculls out for their morning training session. Putting down the training that would bring reward at the next regatta one imagined.
The prospect of the possible 10k Simon had sketched out along the River Tyne across the bridge and returning on the other side was not even in my mind as I made my way casually along the riverside path. At what point exactly I decided to jog on, to see if I could see the bridge I am not sure. Spotting a fellow jogger on an adjacent path, he assured me that the bridge was within 1k. Must be around the next corner then, or the next? And at some point, no to running to the bridge, became maybe and why not. Eventually the bridge came into sight at Wylam. Though the return track on the other side of the river was closed due to a landslip. Nothing for it but to return the way I came. I looked at my watch 42 mins and 30 secs.
I arrived back at the air b and b with 1hr 16mins on the watch, a significantly quicker return and just minutes before the search party was despatched. Felt great – what a pleasure to just go out and run for that length of time and think nothing of it. Endorphins to spare.
Needless to say my longest run for many a year. I cannot remember the last time I ran for more than an hour in one go, probably 2008 when training for the Grizzly – 20 mile off road event. Yep and rewarded with very tight hamstrings for the next couple of days.
Next run was Tuesday from our rented farm cottage in the middle of nowhere just south of Berwick upon Tweed. I identified a circular loop to run of about 4.5 miles in length and set off at a gentle pace. Without conscious thought the pace began to quicken, I was moving freely, breathing easily and ended up recording just over 8 minute miles for the loop. This is about a minute per mile faster than any of my usual runs. If you do any running at all you will recognise that this is significantly faster than I normally run.
I am thinking that what I set out to do was play tennis better not to become a better runner. Given recent days maybe I should rename the blog Lifelongrunner.com instead.
What does all this tell me? Physically things are in a good place for the season ahead. This does not mean that I can ignore the rules of common sense and I need to be wary of my self sabotage instincts. The sore arm and shoulder need to act as warning signs. Now some two weeks later they are not impeding my tennis, though I am still aware of them.
Now to readjust my training schedule from what I have learnt and look forward to the next competition.
Oh and yes nearly forgot the clock ticked forward during this period. The car recorded its 100,000 mile and I turned 61.
