Working out feels like play.
As it should really. When working out feels like just another chore on your list of things to do, it becomes much easier to talk yourself out of doing it. But who doesn’t want to play?
Last week, the CrossFit workouts were ghosts of our P.E.past. On Tuesday, we did front and back somersaults. Sounds easy enough, right? Not if you’re someone (LIKE ME) who had a remarkably hard time doing back somersaults as a child. My parents have a VHS recording of a tumbling performance when I was about three. I am unable to do a back somersault and I just keep trying and trying, holding up all the other kids behind me in line waiting to make their parents proud by actually doing a back somersault.
Turns out not much has changed in the back somersault department. I found myself still unable to do one and still holding up the line of other people waiting to get on the tumbling mat. But you can bet that doing a back somersault has made it onto my 2012 list of goals. Along with doing a freestanding handstand.
Yes, I’m back in the fourth grade.
On Thursday, I showed up to CrossFit and instead of the usual 10 or 12 people, there were only three others. Turns out we were climbing the rope in class and it seems some people were still traumatized by their rope experiences in junior high. You remember that rope. My memory is of the Presidential Fitness Challenge in the 7th grade where I totally failed in my attempt to climb the rope. Like I didn’t even get off the ground. And of course, this happened in front of my entire co-ed gym class.
I can understand the trauma.
Fortunately, that did not happen this time.
I climbed more than halfway up the rope on my first attempt, learning two very important lessons along the way. Never underestimate your abilities when trying something new. And never wear capris when climbing a rope.
{Thanks to Nicole, my coach, for the photo of me in action and the constant encouragement.}
