the Ultimate afternoon

Thanks to Amber, another American in Wellington, we headed out Sunday to try and find a pick-up game of Ultimate Frisbee.
Arriving at the designated park, we found a few other players gathered for the frisbee (including yet another American, in town for student teaching, trying, as we were, to meet people through the game). Unfortunately, a larger group of Cricket players had already taken over the field.
Not all was lost - a van showed up, and the decision was made to transport all of us poor saps who arrived on public transportation to a beach on the other side of Wellington. Since Sunday was the first day of really good temperatures and sunlight without much wind, the idea was roundly applauded.
The beach also helped me out. Since the last time I played Ultimate (as the practicioners of the sport refer to it) was somewhere around eight years ago. I was certainly still in school.
Even when I was a freshman in college, when I was playing basketball regularly and in the best shape I've ever been in, a game of Ultimate was taxing. Now, as an occasional smoker and less-occasional exerciser, I was worried about the game killing me.
Thankfully, the beach was narrow and the field was short. There were also 11 people gathered for our five-on-five game. This meant I didn't have to run as far as usual, could be subbed out occasionally, and on the beach, no one can run fast.
Still, when all was done, I was less worried about my performance and more worried about my ability to continue breathing. My body was running dangerously low on the oxygen supply it so desperately wanted. I held my own, though. Perhaps a few more sessions will teach my lungs a lesson about holding their own.