Okay, I stopped the weekly updates because for a month I was traveling (no playing) and then it was Chinese New Years and places were closed and people were gone for the next few weeks, and then we slowly got to playing our regular games, but I was still not having class because my school was closed.
But this week classes start, which means I have to work again (boo) but I get to see my coach again (yay)!!
I was actually hella nervous. It had been two months with no training from him and I assumed I had forgotten everything he taught me. I actually warned him when he arrived.
“Remember, I’ve forgotten everything,” I said.
“I’m sure you haven’t,” he said.
“I’m bad. I’m really bad,” I said. Didn’t want any expectations.
We hit the birdie back and forth (high and to the rear of the court) and luckily I did it okay. We start every class with that and I’m not always so good.
“You’ve made progress,” he said which made me relieved. I just don’t wanna disappoint the guy.
Then we started class, doing some of the same drills we have done before, and I started sweating. Then he tried some new things. He had me squat in the center of the court on my toes. I’m a good squatter (cause most of the toilets in China are squatters) but squatting is hell on the thighs. he’d hit the bird, I’d jump up and hit it back, then run back to the middle and squat again. It went quicker and quicker. And squatting is fucking murder on the thighs. I almost died.
Then I asked if we could practice hitting a smash. You see, I like smashing and I like when people smash to me except I have trouble moving fast enough to return the smash. So I asked if we could practice that. He taught me this great new technique which is basically a full lunge and body twist. Like, if the birdie is being smashed to your left, you lunge out with your left leg, twist your body to face the leg and then hit it. The same on the right side (lunge with your right leg). And it was a wide lunge as he kept throwing it out of my comfortable range to really make me stretch my body.
So squats the first half and lunges the second. I hobbled out of the place. I was so sore I had to sit down before making my way home. (After my teacher left of course. Didn’t want him to see how out of shape I was.)
But my teachers back! Yay!!
Also, the say after my friend gave me the best/worst compliment.
“Becky,” she said disappointed looking at me, “Your legs are almost skinny!”
“What a weird way to say my legs are fat,” I laughed.
r body is really changing with badminton. I can see it so clearly!” she still said kinda upset. She likes rolly-polly people so actually this “criticism” is a good thing. While not losing a ton of wight (none recently actually) I am getting tighter and toned. Score.
