Some things that are even more flexy bendy than me

[flexagon]

I chose to live IRL last night and snuggle my nice, semi-neglected husband instead of hopping online to see how everyone was doing (really just snuggles, as I haven't felt the feistiest since last Weds). Then after he left for chamber music rehearsal I went for a nice exhausting session of late-night squats and stretching. So virtuous!

Wanted to post that I had a great time on Sunday night going to a big gymnastics exhibition at the FleetCenter with bluechromis. Most or all of the USA Olympic gymnastics teams, men and women, were there, with a rhythmic gymnast and some other acrobatics-y people. And so was every preteen gymnastics club in the state, but oh well... it was sooo inspiring, and also so much less stressful than watching the Olympics or something where a stumble actually matters. They were having fun. And what magnificent bodies, all of them! I'm newly inspired to stretch. I got some encouragement last night from a 50-yr-old woman at the gym last night who told me it took her 15 years to lower her chest to the ground when leaning forward in a straddle (the stretch I most suck at). Maybe all I need is a whole new level of stubbornness.

It's still a damn good thing I never saw rhythmic gymnastics until college. As I was telling blue, if I'd seen that when I was a little girl it would immediately have been the aim of my life, and MIT would have been the last thing on my mind. (A sad thing this would have been, too, since I wasn't at all flexible and my parents would have had a fit at the sexy moves and skimpy outfits, and they couldn't have afforded it, but that's another story.) God, being able to do those things would be so cool.

Comments

[artana.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I had a friend at MIT who was an awesome gymnast and I got to go to one of her meets. IT was just so much fun, and so impressive. I wish I could do that, but I would have looked like Svetlana out there or something, I'm just way too tall and would never have managed to look graceful.

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Well, svetlana is way too skinny and it looks freakish, but other than her I think the tall gymnasts are the most graceful. They've got such beautiful lines comparatively!

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was going do a separate post about it. It was awesome, I'm so glad we went! You didn't mention your backwalkover aspirations though. :)

[flexagon]

LOL, I know, because I didn't want to embarrass myself. Too late now. :) I'm still incredibly psyched at the notion though. I did a decent backbend last night, I thought, pushing up from the floor. I'll probably do that every day for a week or whatever before trying to do it onto a stack of pads at Bally's. Oh, and I was thinking it might also be useful to stand on my hands a bit, just to get used to supporting my weight that way. I know I can, but it'd be a very unfamiliar feeling right now.

Babble babble. You are so cool to offer to teach me!

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

How are you doing the floor backbend? Are your feet together or apart? Arms straight or bent? You might want to wait until you can do a feet together and legs and arms straight one, or at least close to that.

[flexagon]

Drat... having my feet together was no problem (did it today again to be sure), but straightening my arms too much only strains the tendons in my right hand/forearm. I've been wishing that hand would get looser for at least 10 years. :(

Probably the best is if I practice for a while, then do a backbend for you and let you say what's missing.