Like Riding a Bike

I started playing squash again after a five-year break. It wasn't a voluntary break by any means, just weird life stuff I suppose. Regardless, I got a membership with the local community centre and booked my first court in ages.

Going into it I knew my stamina was going to be really bad. I'm relatively active, but squash always kicks my ass when I'm returning to it after a while. It probably has to do with the short, intense bursts of movement that get me. However, knowing it had been years since I last picked up a racket, I was really worried my skills would be almost gone.

To my joyful surprise, I still had it. I was hitting the ball consistently, I moved fluidly around the court, and I still had my accuracy and power.

While I was playing, it occurred to me that I'd been playing squash on-and-off for half my life. There were definitely periods of time where I played many days per week and others where I didn't play at all, but I always came back. And then naturally the old adage "it's like riding a bike" popped into my head.

Was squash my bike? Was the squash playing muscle memory so deep at this point that if I pick up my racket after ten years I'll flow right back in? It was an interesting thought, and one that I continued to ponder as I whacked the ball around. I even got a game in with someone at the gym and won, which also boosted my already over-inflated ego.

Anyway, it was a great feeling being back on the court and I don't plan on going on another extended squash hiatus any time soon.

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