120119

REST DAY!

I had class in the morning and then layed around on the couch all day until about 5:00 when I decided to go to a gymnastics/tumbling class. I have been wanting to do this for a while and finally made some time to go do it.  I have not thrown any tumbling in about 4 years.  I got some weird looks from the girls in the class.  Most of these girls are in middle school and trying to make their school's cheerleading squad.  We stretched out and got warmed up and then proceeded to get into lines to do the standard cartwheels and round offs for more warm up and two girls looked at me and said, "How old are you?"  I told them I was 24 and their jaws dropped.  They then asked me, "You are taking this class with us?"  I said, "Yep!"  They were blown away that I was taking the class and that I was even doing round off backhandspring and all kinds of other cool stuff.  They looked at me like I was mutant for being there. It was awesome.  Little did they know that I was a gymnast for 10 years.  They soon found out.

I had not thrown a standing tuck in 4 years and I have wanted to do one for a while so now was the perfect time.  I stepped up for the trainer/tumbling instructor to spot me.  He spotted me once and told me that I was plenty high enough to go for it, so I did!!!  I can honestly say my standing tucks are better than they were when I was a gymnast and cheering.  Crazy!  I guess that is what lots of squats, CrossFit and just getting stronger will do for you.  

It was such a great experience to be in the gymnastics gym again.  I feel so at home there and I have missed it a lot.  CrossFit training can be so hard mentally and I think incorporating the things that you love into training is so important and can be rejuvenating!  I am going to try to go the gymnastics gym at least once a week so I can get some of my tumbling back that I had a couple years ago and also to play on all the other equipment, of course.  It is so fun and makes me appreciate my training so much more.  I encourage everyone to do the things that they love in life especially going back to the sports you used to do and just enjoy it, love it and soak it up. It will make you a better athlete.