In Pain, Frustrated, but Hopeful

Ah, was good day!...and frustrating at the same time.

It wasn't so much a formal class or tutorial as it was mass chaos. For one thing, Dave, the coach, a boy who must have been about 8, and I were the only males, but that really came as no surprise.

He started stretching us, and when I tried to do a kip up (you know, what martial artists do to get up when they're on their backs) he made suggestions, and I finally got it! Been wanting to do that for years! Of course, by the time I left, I couldn't do it anymore, and that burns. I had it, then I lost it...just gonna have to get it back again next Sunday.

When it came to doing backbends, K.C. was the best of us because she ahs the most flexible back. I can hold mine, but I can't bridge that high up, and poor Dave didn't even get off the ground this time, but he will.

Then Dave and I started playing around with backflips. When it comes to height, tuck, and form, I've got it, but Dave's got the one thing I haven't that makes his backflips better than mine: GUTS. When there's someone there to spot me, or even just to hold their hand there for me to flip over, I can go right ahead and pop them out all day, but as soon as no one's there, I chicken out, and I just can't psych myself up to it. I think I'll be able to at least try it next week, depending on how sore I still am.

My quads are still aching, and my shoulders are too, but other than that, I guess I feel driven. I had the kip up and lost it, so I have to do better next week. I've got the flip, but I have to be able to commit to it. Once I get the guts for that, I think the next step is the flips off trees and/or walls. The ride's plenty worth the pain!