The other week I stepped on to the basketball court for the first time in almost 9 months. I nearly died. My lungs felt like they were going to burst and my head was spinning from the lack of oxygen. There was little strategy going on in our game, with people shooting from almost half-court and the ball being passed around haphazardly.  It was a mess and we lost our first match.

Subsequently, I had my first Rainbow Six: Vegas match. After only a few days of team practice, we found out that instead of sharpshooter, we’d be playing modes like team retrieval (capture the flag-esque) and team survival (last man standing). Weeks of prior sharpshooter practice had now gone to waste as we had to relearn and revise our tactics for any hopes of winning. Unfortunately, we lost our first online match.

Needless to say, it was time to get back into shape.

So now I’m on a strict 4 to 5 days-a-week RS:Vegas practice schedule with matches twice a week. I’m also on a not-so-strict workout schedule of rollerblading with my dogs a la Cesar Milan and basketball team practice on Saturdays. It’s draining and sometimes very discouraging, but it’s great to have team support when you’re feeling bad about yourself; and even if we lose (in both cases), I’m happy to know I tried my best.