Play Ball!

It's been a while since my last update, but I've finally discovered a new physical activity to get me through...and it's related to my last entry two weeks ago.

Why, it's basketball, of course! After a few years of just being a spectator, my curiosity got the best of me, and I mustered the interest to actually shoot some hoops.

While I wallowed in my sorrows after my beloved Boston Celtics lost the NBA title in nine incredible minutes, I was suddenly inspired to nick my brother's basketball and play in our garage, where we have a basketball hoop installed. Might as well be productive instead of depressed.

I did play basketball back in P.E. classes in high school and college, but I thought I was pathetic at it because I thought I could never shoot properly—my curse of being bad at playing sports forever. It wasn't until my brother and dad corrected my shooting form, and with just a few minutes of practice, that I found a comfortable shooting stride and rhythm.

I'm afraid I still lack the competitive nature, and I'm not really looking forward to seriously participating in any games, although my family sometimes plays two-on-two. But it's a really fun physical activity that I can do without having to pay for regular membership (a very attractive factor on my part), after years of plateauing and being burned out by jump rope, running, and aerobics videos. I also took up badminton a few years ago, but court rentals cost money, and with my arm injury, I can't play badminton for a prolonged period of time. Boxing classes are getting too expensive for me.

Just yesterday, my brother helped me out with catch-and-shoot drills, and, boy, it was quite the aerobic workout! I only got to do three sets of 20, but my arms were already getting tired in the middle of the first set. I'm still quite slow with my releases, and I'm hoping to work on picking up speed while retaining good form and accuracy. Now I know why basketball players require immense upper body strength, and I'm hoping I can also tone my arms while playing ball.

At the top of this entry is a video of a catch-and-shoot drill, although my garage is much smaller than a basketball court.

I'm enjoying this so much, that straight after arriving from the airport from my friends' Cebu trip (for another entry), I changed into my workout clothes and played two-on-two with my family, despite my exhaustion. This weekend, I'm hoping to head to our subdivision's basketball court (early in the morning, to avoid the heat and kids) so I can try it out on a full-size court.

Are there any of you Belles who are also ball players out there?

Monday
Breakfast: Kopi bun, coffee with low-fat milk
Lunch: Shrimp, olive oil, and garlic spaghetti
Snack: Whole wheat crackers, peanut butter, milk
Dinner: Sinampalukang manok, chicharon, brown rice
Dessert: Dentelles au chocolat

Tuesday
Breakfast: Oven-baked kuroke, cheese muffin, coffee with low-fat milk
Lunch: French dip roast beef sandwich, brewed coffee with creamer
Dinner: Steamed shrimp, ginataang sitaw at kalabasa, brown rice
Dessert: Dentelles au chocolat

Wednesday
Breakfast: Nutella and peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, coffee with low-fat milk
Lunch: Steamed shrimp, ginataang sitaw at kalabasa, brown rice
Afternoon: Brewed coffee with low-fat milk
Dinner: Siomai, brown rice
Dessert: Dentelles au chocolat

Thursday
Breakfast: Cheese muffin, coffee with low-fat milk
Lunch: Siomai, brown rice
Snack: Unsweetened green tea, Korean cream bread
Dinner: Stuffed eggplant, brown rice