Taking on the bias

 Last week, I made a couple of sports related miscalculations:

1) I thought that lack of progress in bouldering  after a year of lock down could easily be rectified in one brief coached session.  

    I could not walk properly the following day.... I will not go into detail, but let's just say glutes are a pain in the backside. 

2) That same following day happened to be one of the the hottest days of the year so far.  Therefore, I concluded that it would be the perfect opportunity to take my sore glutes on a bike ride.  One which involved the only uphill route in all of East Anglia. (It was only to town and back.  But Bishop's Hill...)

    I don't think I need to explain my feelings about my life choices that afternoon. 

To relieve myself from all this self inflicted suffering, I decided to treat myself to my penultimate blogging letter:  Ladies and Gentlemen, I skived football and went to "L"awn bowls instead.

A few weeks prior I had spotted a little poster in Holywells Park, advertising open sessions every Tuesday in the summer It had been a long, hot, sore day and I simply forgot to worry about joining a group of people I had never met before to try something I didn't have a clue about.  (I also forgot that the park is totally within cycling- and walking distance and took the car.  I know.  It was a low point.)

Holywells Park Bowling Green.  Lush!

And I am so glad I didn't worry about it, because I was met by the friendliest group of people.  Brian, the club's coach, was away on holiday, but Liz and her husband Tony took me under their wings and showed me the ropes... well... balls.  Woods, I mean.  You know, bowls. Tony patiently showed me how to place the matt and the jack, and then coached me one-to-one for nearly on hour to help me get used to the bowls bias, explaining how to use fore- and backhand to my advantage. 

The matt, the jack, and the size 0 bowls I got to play with

Liz would kindly help me out each time I had to judge whether something was in a straight line because my eye-brain communication when it comes to straightness of lines is... well... watch my parking. Paul, who runs the Tuesday afternoon sessions, helped me from the side-lines with my footwork, and all in all, between the four of us, I managed to actually get a bowl to touch the jack.  I know!

I also managed to get quite a few into a ditch, so let's not get ahead of ourselves here. 

Whilst the game might look gentle from the outside, I did start to feel the weight of the bowl and was glad to be offered a pew and a nice cuppa by Paul and Liz whilst we watched Sue win a competitive game on the far side of the green.  We chatted about the benefits of playing bowls, and everyone agreed that what they liked most about bowls - aside from the actual exercise - was the social side of things. There are separate men's and women's competitions, but there are also mixed ones and I can't think of any other sports that - whilst still fiercely competitive - are so inclusive of all different age groups.  Brian, the absent coach, had told me on the phone that he works with the local primary school to encourage children into the game and that they often have open events to encourage people to give it a go.

Tony showing me how it's done

So if William Shakespeare liked it so much, might it be worth you giving it a go?

- I of course can't speak for all clubs, but if you are looking to meet a group of the nicest people, I'd suggest you get yourself there

- If - like me - you dread the idea of joining a class or a group where everyone is miles ahead of you and you have to breathlessly admit defeat, you do not have to worry about that here. This game is about skill, planning and precision.

- If you are competitive, I think this would be the perfect sport for you.  Because I had my own personalised training session, I didn't fully grasp how competitive this sport is.  Only during our chat at the end did I realised how many competitions there are, at all different levels, in different places...I think if you join a club, you will most certainly be kept busy. 

- The club kindly let me borrow equipment for the sessions, so I don't know how much stuff costs - it did look like most people have their own kit, which makes sense seen as you would want to play with correct size bowls for your hands.

- This particular club charges a membership fee of £40 a year plus £2 per competition.  In return you get a key to the clubhouse, a parking permit and access to the beautiful green.  If you play about 20 weeks a year, that may still work out cheaper than many classes - and not many classes offer this particular view!

- If you don't want to commit just yet, but just have a little taste, Tuesday evenings from 6:15 as well as some Saturday afternoons from 2pm are drop in times (just past the stable building).  Or just give Brian a ring, he told me he'd love to hear from you (and gave permission to share his number: 07971 716 728).

So.  M to go.  

Sisters are doing it!

 When I started my ALPHABET OF SPORTS, there were certain letters I never even fretted about.  T was always going to be Trampolining because that was the only physical activity I had something akin to real life experience of.  And F was always, always going to be Football.  It's not like there was an alternative (except fencing.  And figure skating. Fox hunting, field hockey, fishing... but let's be honest, it was always going to be football.)

Then why did I leave it so long?  Well, it is surprisingly difficult to find an opportunity to play if you are a terribly unfit middle aged two-left-feeted woman.  It wasn't for lack of trying; yes, I was that childfree woman queuing at the face painting stand at the family faire reaching out to primary school aged wannabe players in the hope of getting a contact.  For some reason, clubs were not too keen in having me "help" them with their training.  One of the very few replies I received to my enquiries was an offer from a local sports ground that I could use their field to have a kick about with friends.

A KICK ABOUT WITH FRIENDS?  What did they think I was after?  FUN?  Without some kind of organiser there to tell me the rules and make me feel terrible about my terribleness? 

Due to the obvious ridiculousness of the offer, I kindly turned it down.

Luckily for me, and for many other women, SuperLady Kathryn has a braver heart than me.  She went forth and did the exact opposite by putting out a shout out on Facebook:  Are there any women in the Felixstowe area who would join me for a kick about?

I've been lucky to join her on week 2 of her adventure - and she's already gone up in the world: where we played today, there were permanent goal posts and we had bibs.  Who knows, maybe by next week she'll own a whistle?

As always, I was quite nervous: new people, a new place, my breathing had been suboptimal over the past few weeks, and the sheer thought of accelerated movement... my tummy was churning.  The thing that gave me a bit of confidence this time was that I knew quite a few of the Ladies already from work, and the fact that it was quite a new group. I was all the more impressed by the bravery of those who turned up without knowing anyone else there.  

Any remaining nerves went out of the window when the question "could you please explain the rules, I don't really know them" was answered with loudly blown raspberries. 

After a brief giggly warm up (which explained the comments about Tena Ladies), we were off.  By "off" I mean - we literally ran after the ball, some people sometimes kicked it, and sometimes it went into a goal. 

It primarily went into the goal I was meant to keep.  I think that today, we learnt the lesson of never putting your worst player in the goal.

Don't get me wrong:  There were brilliant players who always seemed to get the ball where they intended it to go, who were in the right place at the right time, and who used professional lingo like "corner".  But the atmosphere was so relaxed that it really didn't matter that I wasn't one of them. It truly was a kick about it in the park with friends - is there a more fun way of getting out of breath, increasing your heart rate and getting your steps in? 

Are you thinking of going along?  Give me a shout and I'll put you in touch with the legend that is Kathryn - and have a look at my top tips:

- Good trainers.  The ground was slippery, and some mighty players fell today.

 - Wear layers, like a zip-up hoodie or something... you'll get warm very quickly, and cool down just as fast when you stop. 

- Most definitely bring a bottle of water

- It's free.. for now.  But we are thinking of joining like a league where it would never matter if we won or lost and where we would make lots of money for our owners from TV deals and stuff... We know the fans would be disappointed but...

- Don't be afraid of getting involved - just go for it.  

- In the words of Kathryn's son Freddy, who had the dubious pleasure of practicing with his team on the field next to ours: "Just be happy and try your best".  

Pretty sound advice from a young boy who just had to put up with our squeaking, giggling, and falling over for an hour. 

(P.S:  Still looking to fill letters L and M.... and I don't think I'd survive lacrosse... still grateful for any hints so we can finish this sporty torture :-D)

Playing by the rules

 When I first attempted finding a sport for each letter of the alphabet, the suggestion that came over and over was for the letter N: Netball, obviously!

I'd always smile and nod, as if I knew precisely what they meant by "Netball" - as someone who'd grown up in a Non-Commonwealth country, I had never heard of it. 

I did heed the advice and look into playing Netball; unfortunately, like with other popular team sports that I had enquired about, the answer I received back was that I would be welcome to observe only.  And whilst I am very good at watching other people playing sports, that would have defeated the object.

Nordic skiing being the only other "N" sport  I could come up with, I started to think that "N" might just be the letter that I would not get to cover...

That was until Morgan casually mentioned that she plays Netball...and even better: WALKING NETBALL! Delighted about the invitation, I of course agreed immediately and already loved everything about this sport before I even turned up on the court. 

(Things I immediately loved about Walking Netball: NO RUNNING).

So here is what I thought would happen:  We would mainly be standing around, occasionally walk around a bit and sometimes pass a ball. And I would be very excellent at all these steps.

What actually happened was this: THEY WALK REALLY REALLY FAST!  I couldn't keep up.

But let me start from the beginning:  Seen as this would be the first time meeting a new group of people for over a year due to COVID, I felt incredibly nervous. Luckily, Morgan was there, and it reminded me once again how much easier it is to try something new when you're not on your own.  If you don't have a friend who drags you along to sporty things, but you'd like to give something a go, do give me a shout.  I've been making other people look good at sports since 1983. 

My nerves were completely unnecessary: Everyone was warm and welcoming - and clearly rearing to go.

The session started with a warm up which involved walking, stretching, passing and catching.  We also had to practice communicating with each other, which meant that I got to learn everyone's names very quickly and felt part of the team straight away.  There wasn't really much chance of hiding in the back row I'm afraid. 

After a brief drill which involved knowing where your right is (trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds - not when you have to walk AND think!) we started the game. 

So here is one key thing I learnt about Netball: There are many, many rules. And I probably broke most of them (except the one about no running.  I'm good at that).  You are only allowed in certain parts of the court, depending on the position you play.  You're not allowed to jump, have to keep 4 ft (in times of COVID) distance from the person you're marking and I'm sure there was something about pivoting when holding the ball...

What really stood out to me though was the way everyone celebrated and applauded when a point was scored - for either team.  Even though the game was competitive and everyone worked hard, it was clear that the players were also having a good time.  Encouragements and passes flew freely. 

After a brief warm down I had the opportunity to speak to some of the players, and that point was made over and over:  I feel really welcome here.  Many mentioned having made friends within the team, and the social occasions such as Christmas meals were spoken of warmly. One Lady mentioned that she liked the way the different positions in the game allowed for different physical abilities, and catching up with the coach later, that was clearly one of the strengths of this sport. Someone pointed out that walking Netball in particular allowed her to keep physically fit in a fun way despite having had to slow down over the years. (Note:  She did not appear to me like someone who had slowed down. She was flippin' fast!)

So what should you do if you want to give walking Netball a go?

1) Find a club near you: https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/play/walking-netball/

2) Wear comfortable clothes and a pair of good trainers.  

3) Definitely take a bottle of water

4) If you want to feel well prepared, maybe have a look at the (many) rules - but I felt that once we got going, things made a lot more sense, so I wouldn't worry too much. 

5) Whilst the sport is designed for all fitness levels (phew), it is physically demanding.  So if a year of lock down sofa-warming has done some damage, it might be worth going for a few strolls; one Lady suggested walking at varying speeds to get the heart rate going. Practicing throwing and catching a ball against a wall may also be helpful if it has been a few years since you last engaged in a ball sport. And stretching exercises - such as Yoga or Pilates - always seem to have a positive effect.

6) Consider the finances: The local team are coached for £4 a session.

And what happened next?  I picked up the best husband and we went climbing because WE FINALLY COULD!

You can take the girl from the mountain...

I remember being about 10 years old, standing in line with my fellow ski-schoolers, listening to the instructor going on about some technique or other.  At the edge of the piste were a group of older teenagers, smoking, chatting, and most shockingly, sitting on their bottoms in the snow!  

"Snowboarders", our instructor huffed.  "We're getting more of them each year.  They seem to spend more time sitting down and being in the way than practicing a proper sport."

For the next couple of years, I would enjoy silently tutting at the people who - as I had learnt from our instructor - were too preoccupied with following a fad to enjoy a proper snow sport.

However, when I hit 14, I noticed that the vast majority of my ski camp peers had exchanged the heavy boots and awkward sticks for the comfortable soft leather of boarding boots - and they didn't seem to mind getting cold backsides when comfortably sitting in the snow, waiting for me to catch up. 

20 years later I was determined to fill the gap in my winter sports education, so the best husband and I hired some boards and hit the slopes in Adelboden (thank you Crazy Sports for having made that possible at such short notice at the time!) 

Unfortunately, whilst Matthew got on really well and progressed quickly, my "hitting the slope" soon turned into "hitting the wall". I had heard that people who were confident skiers tended to pick up snowboarding fairly easily, and was confident that my teenage skills were good enough to overcome the two decades of absence from snow and sports. Surprisingly, I was wrong. 

I had been warned that it might be hard work -  I just hadn't expected it all to be quite as tough as that! By the time our morning passes had expired, I had decided that snowboarding really was a fad at best, not worth investing in, and that the day was better enjoyed standing upright.

Adelboden (Engstligenalp) on foot

However, if you have read my blog before, you will probably have come across my approach to physical activity:  I try it, it's hard, I decide it's probably not for me.  The lock down has not only inspired a heart breaking nostalgia for Switzerland, but also forced me to reconsider how easily I had given up on things I had really wanted in the past, just because they were hard to get. 

And so, for my second lockdown Birthday, the best husband booked a lesson at Suffolk Leisure Park.  Perhaps because this time I was properly prepared for it to be hard work and tiring, and maybe because I didn't expect to make it to the bottom without landing on my knee pads, I had a really good time! After a short warm up and stretch, we hauled our boards up the short, steep incline. Initially, we slowly skidded down backwards, holding on to the the steady arms of the instructor, practicing only to slide and desperately tying to look relaxed. Much like a dance teacher, he must have gotten bored of uttering "look at me, don't look at your feet, relax your shoulders, no, look up, not at your feet, relax...". When he slowly prized my clinging fingers from his forearm, I had to focus so hard on not bursting into fearful tears that I can't really recall how I made down - but make it I did! There even was some zig-zagging action... but exactly how that happened I'm not sure.

 

Are you considering giving snowboarding (or brush-boarding, if in Ipswich) a go? If - like me - sports is not your middle name, here are my thoughts:

- Decide why you want to do it.  If you would like to have a one-off fun-time with friends, maybe go for tobogganing. Snowboarding will probably be very little fun for at least the first half hour.

- If you are considering trying it to see if it might be a regular thing to do, be prepared to find your first lesson hard work.  Whilst the boots are more comfortable than the skiing ones, I still felt that my feet were pressed into an awkward shape, my legs were pushed apart by the binding and my thighs burned from the near-constant squat position.  As we started on the beginner slope (phew!), our lesson also included a fair amount of bending down to clip in and unclip the binding and carrying the board back up to the top.  We definitely experienced a good amount of cardio and muscle work.

- Our very helpful and patient instructor recommended doing Yoga - he felt that the balance and flexibility he had developed allowed him to be confident on the board. 

- It might just be me, but I feel that I have the most fun when I start off by assuming that I'll be very terrible and won't make any progress ever.   

- Wear gloves. Whatever else you take from this, wear gloves.  Just... trust me. 

Will I do it again? I guess this is at least in part a financial question.  Lessons aren't cheap, and I would need a good few more before being able to fully enjoy it. Even once I am Olympic material, it's not like running, where I just chuck on some trainers. On the other hand, once I started to feel that I was getting the hang of it, I did really enjoy it... maybe I'll try skiing next, just to see if my mad 1995 skills are still alive in there somewhere.