You All Inspire Me

Hi Friends,

Here we are again! Another week apart though not too far in spirit. I hope everyone continues to stay healthy, get rest, enjoy their favorite recipes, and fill up the day with fun family activities and the night with a blend of quality television as well as non-screen activities. In keeping with my role as a coach, I would like to lead with this week’s “Staying Sharp at Home” video in which I demonstrate a tennis drill you can do against a backboard or with a bungee cord tennis ball trainer.

Many thanks to Jen Metz for lending me her device to help in the production of this week’s video. After last week, many of you not only responded, but some of you sent me your home videos of how you were training or continuing to connect with tennis. Thank you to Ginny and Ryan Keator, Jenny, Noel, and Eli Lam, and Maya Teschke for sending me your tennis videos. That is just the kind of supportive and connected community we have at The WCC and why I have been with you all for over 15 years. So inspiring!

In this week’s video, I describe the importance of training your weakness as well as your strength, which in turn will remind you of the key tactic of attacking your opponent’s weakness… the backhand. Try to hit two backhands for every forehand and count how many you get in a row, or count how many times you can complete the pattern of backhand-backhand-forehand. All the while, remember your fundamentals… eye on the ball, contact in front of your body, follow through, and of course, move your feet!

In the coming weeks, I will keep in touch with even more ways to keep your game sharp, without the game. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVKJhk-UqMg

Finally, here are this week’s survival mechanisms… Please keep yours coming too!

Movie Recommendation: Yesterday

Show Recommendation: Shark Tank (every night re-runs on CNBC and I keep a note in my phone of all the products I want for myself or would be good gifts for others)

Non-Screen Activity: Write in a Journal / Scrap book / Keep track of meals and activities on a large calendar

Epic Walk: Elm Bank Reservation

Smoothie Recipe: This is my morning smoothie… it’s along the lines of Tim’s swamp juice but maybe not quite as bad…

1 frozen pack acai berry

6 ice cubes

1 celery stock

1/2 cup baby carrots

1 banana (frozen helps taste)

1.5 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 small handful of baby spinach (or bok choy)

1 small handful kale (or swiss chard)

3 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 tablespoon of maca powder (or use another superfood such as chia or flax seed)

1 tablespoon vanilla vegetable-based protein powder (optional)

Dinner Recipe: Korean-style BBQ Short Ribs

Serves 4-6

The recipe below has cooking instructions for an Instant Pot or other electronic pressure cooker, but you can use your own cooking mechanism (slow roast, or electric slow cooker) with the same marinade.

• 3-4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs (if using boneless, reduce cooking time to 20 min)

Sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 red apple (or asian pear), cored & chopped

• 1/2 onion, peeled & chopped

• 6 Tbsp soy sauce, regular

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 5 whole black peppercorns or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tsp gochujang chili powder (optional, but adds good dimension without too much heat)

Blend sauce ingredients together in a blender.

Marinate ribs for 30 minutes to overnight.

Pour sauce and ribs into an electric cooker. Put on lid and make sure vent is in Sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow for the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, and then do a quick release (carefully!).

Optional: Broil ribs in the oven under high heat for 1-2 minutes to sear top of the ribs.

Serve with simple greens (steamed bok choy or a kale and avocado salad with sesame oil and lime vinaigrette), mashed sweet potatoes (Japanese sweet potatoes are delicious!), and white or fried rice (I like using cauliflower rice to get in more veggies, and saute it with some ready-made kimchi and a scrambled egg).

Enjoy!

Until next week, stay healthy and safe out there and keep those skills sharp because any day now, any day now, we shall be released (Bob Dylan)

Tom

#tennistrainer #staysharpathome #Covid19 #healthyliving