Alright folks, let’s dive into how I prepped for the upcoming 13th Region Tournament. Been grinding these last few weeks, trying to get this old body tournament-ready. Wanna share exactly how it went down, the good and the ugly.
Gearing Up Phase
First thing first, I knew I needed proper gear. Dusted off my old basketball sneakers – bad move. Took a few jumps and my feet were screaming. Went out and bought some new kicks specifically for basketball. Not the fancy ones the pros wear, but ones that actually felt cushioned. Also dug out my knee brace from like 2012. Surprisingly, it still fit. Found my old playlist too, the one with those high-energy beats I used to run drills to.
Trying Out The Tips
So, I heard these top 3 training tips floating around for the tournament prep and decided to test ’em myself.
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Tip 1: Sprints, Sprints, Sprints
- Thought it’d be easy. Boy, was I wrong. Went down to the high school track. Tried doing ten 100-meter sprints with short breaks. Managed maybe four before my lungs felt like they were on fire and my legs turned to jelly. Couldn’t even finish ten! Ended up walking half of the fifth one. So that sucked.
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Tip 2: Jumping Stuff for Explosiveness
- Read somewhere that box jumps help. Didn’t have a box. Found my sturdy old picnic table bench instead. Tried jumping onto it and nearly busted my rear end sliding off the first time. Got scared real quick. Went to the stairs in my garage. Did some simpler step jumps onto the first step, holding the wall like I was afraid of falling over. Looked kinda ridiculous, but hey, it worked.
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Tip 3: Eating Like a Pro
- This one sounded smart. More protein, less junk. Grabbed some canned tuna, eggs, and tried eating chicken breast for lunch. Hated every bite of that plain chicken, felt like eating cardboard. Snacks were the hardest. Instead of grabbing chips, I tried almonds. Ended up eating way too many nuts one afternoon. Felt kinda gross. Drinking more water though, definitely needed that.
The Good, The Bad, and The Sweaty
Look, it wasn’t perfect. After that first brutal sprint session, I could barely walk next day. Felt like someone beat my legs with a stick. The box jump attempt was just embarrassing. Felt shaky. And the diet? Still craving those chips somedays. But sticking mostly to it.
Been doing this rough routine now for about three weeks. Surprised myself. Can actually finish those ten sprints now, even though I feel like dying afterward. Maybe a tiny bit faster? Probably not setting any records. Jumping onto the bench feels steadier, less like I’m going to break something. Still haven’t managed more than a couple in a row without needing a breather. Eating better is slowly becoming a habit, less cardboard chicken, more finding stuff I actually like that’s still decent.
Is it enough for the tournament? Honestly? Probably not gonna be the star player. But I feel miles better than when I started. Stronger legs, feel a little more bouncy, definitely more gas in the tank. Mostly just glad I actually stuck with it. Biggest takeaway? Just gotta start somewhere, even if it looks messy at first. And drink that water! Now, wish me luck!