Training Log Archive: RLShadow

Webster Rec Center. Three courts, 12 people. I was in a lot of good, competitive teams, but sadly on the losing end of the majority ... The last 3 games were the same sides, Cheryl and I against Richard and Joyce. We miraculously won the first game in a squeaker, then lost the 2nd game again in a squeaker, and soundly lost the 3rd game, 11-5. Can't be too unhappy, because I would say they're basically the better team by a moderate amount, so to take one out of 3 from them, and have one of the losses be close, is about as good as we can hope for.

Early afternoon walk with Homer over to Finn Park, around the big field, and back. No speed records this time.

At the Rec Center. Fun for a while, with only 3 people, Cheryl, Debbie, and me. We played the other 2 against me -- good workout, lots of fun. Then a 4th person came, a lady who is a pretty weak player (way below Cheryl and Debbie's level). The foursome play was a lot less enjoyable than the threesome had been.

Afternoon at the drop-in pickleball time at the Rec Center. Quite a difference in intensity from this morning! Had a number of very good games with various teammate and opponent combinations which included Mike S. Paul, Bert, Richard, and Joyce -- all very solid players. Then one final game against Bert and Joy (who has become a dependable and steady intermediate player after taking the game up kind of slowly at first), with my teammate someone whose name I can't remember but I've played with quite a few times previously. He's more erratic than any of the other players mentioned above, plus I wasn't playing that great, so we got beaten soundly by Bert and Joy.

Genesee Valley Park, mapping. Mostly on the west side of the river (in the ice rink / tennis court area), which isn't included on the current map.

Extremely unseasonably warm (upper 60's by the time I was done). Wish I had worn shorts. The downside from a weather standpoint is that it was very windy, which can make things awkward when using the usual two-Mylar-sheet approach which Karl taught me and which I nearly always use. The top sheet tends to blow around out of control when lifting it to write on the bottom sheet. But all in all -- an unusually good mapping day for early December.

A brisk walk with Homer, after getting back from mapping. I felt like I should get him out for a semi decent walk on such a nice day, but the weather was supposed to change for the worse, sometime in the afternoon. Soon after he and I set out for our walk, I saw some very threatening skies in the west, so I decided that I'd try to do the loop around the big block at as fast of a pace as possible. I warned him that he couldn't dawdle ... and to his credit, he didn't. I had to give him a gentle tug on the leash a few times to let him know he couldn't do his normal sniffing, but actually not too many times.

Early afternoon walk with Homer to Finn Park and back, with a short stop for him to wade in the stream. Nice day for a walk -- upper 40's, very little wind.