High on the list of things I wasn't expecting to do tonight: A German Wheel

I see no way in which this could go wrong....

So circus school had a new adventure today.   The German Wheel.   😂  if you've never heard of this nor seen how it's *supposed* to go, I suggest googling :)

We were told "you need strong core, and the ability to keep your hips over your shoulders" - awesome, I have that and have always wanted to try one of these (I didn't even know they *had* one until last week and I've been coming for a couple months now lol).   

It's a beginner class and I've come to trust the instructor to not let us kill ourselves, so that's also promising. 

Now, there's usually no phones / cameras allowed in the gym.  But A, it's an adult-only class (the rule is really cause mostly their students are kids).  B, the coach had been taking pics - with permission - of the group warmup earlier, and C - this was too good to miss, so instantly everyone had their phones out.  I filmed more than half the class for them and kindly someone did the same for me.

So - let me tell you about this adventure.

- the very first challenge is getting the 2nd foot strap tight.  How do you stop it from rolling while you bend down to fix the strap? ;)   Related - it is extremely easy to make the wheel roll.

- those feet straps aren't super tight.   Related - even loose, they definitely saved me when upside down ;)

- Did I mention it is extremely easy to make the wheel roll.   This is important because it is NOT particularly easy to STOP it rolling.  This has some pretty serious hazards and why every one of us had not one but two spotters.  One to manage the wheel and one to help the human.  The woman you can see in the background is our coach Christine - she is awesome.

So, I'm going to acknowledge right here that I really failed this one.  😂   Most of them I get the general concept of and while there are definitely "complete beginner with neither gymnastic nor dance experience" I can generally make something happen (did I mention last week I did a one-handed cartwheel?!?!  😂   For the first time ever.  Ridiculously excited about that even though in the grand scheme of things that's about as basic as it gets).  

Anyways - back to my failure.    I started to roll it, and then immediately my hips would go the other way to counterbalance it and send it back the other way.   😂 watching on camera I could see exactly what was wrong, but with just the instructions I couldn't figure out how to get it to change directions with just my feet.  In the not-very-long we had for this though, I definitely didn't get it properly.   However, I was still permitted to try a cartwheel 😂 

Each person got reminded before starting to "push away" -- I guess people try to pull up on the bars and that's very much NOT what you should be doing, esp when upside down.  

So the cartwheel - most people the biggest issue was either their hips moving sideways OR they collapsed through the middle (hence the hands-on spotting because these ones would've been in trouble if not saved by coach spotter).  My issue was more that my response to don't move your hips and "push away" was to lock everything.   Overkill much?  So it meant I needed the support of the person guiding the wheel to actually get me rolling more, but was okay holding my body in place while it rolled.   

However, I didn't push away enough to keep my feet firmly in the feet-squares.  I can understand how it should work (v much the same principle as for handstands) but...  definitely first try, upside down, survival mode, forgot that minor step, so as a result, my feet were a hundred percent reliant on those feet straps to keep them in cause I was NOT pushing into the feet stands at all, so once upside-down, gravity did its thing.  

Lol no harm and very low risk given the double spotters.  The entire class managed this without a single issue.  But definitely not something I feel the need to take up.  Esp as you need to really commit to things, even on the first try when you're just learning.  There is no slow mode beyond the things with the wheel straight up that a spotter can hold it.

It occurred to me afterwards that the first 30+ years of my life I was taught to stabilize myself and stay upright on a horse using core muscles to NOT rotate off the side, so potentially that was part of my challenge right at the start ;).  Not sure this particularly activity has strongly transferrable skills from riding lol.  Strong core, yes, but use it for the extreme opposite purpose - more of a mental game that I was up to after an in-office day ;)

So summary:  Fun, I survived due to qualified spotters/coaches, and I don't really feel the need to do it again.   Although I would love to try rocking it once more to see if I could get my brain around that coordination (properly) not the way I was doing it 😂   but beyond that, I'm happy to leave this apparatus to others.   I am glad I got to try it though!

This adventure wasn't my fault ;-P

Just like that ;)
Only maybe slightly closer to the ground.

So as some of you are aware, I’ve been taking adult acro classes, which sadly are almost done for the summer, and unfortunately had to miss the last two in a row.  Boo.  BUT the lovely admin / front desk / organizing person said I could do a makeup in the Tuesday class.  Sweet!

Except…. “Isn’t that the advanced class?   I am the opposite of advanced.”  “You’ll be fine; it’s a really small group.”   Well if Christine (coach) is okay with it….   Never got an answer on that last part.   🤨 

So always open to adventure and acro is all floor based so figured worst case I get a good warmup and practice cartwheels and handstands for 45 mins while watching people who know what they’re doing defying gravity w some impressive flippy-flippies (definitely the technical term).  To put in perspective, the beginner class ranges from literally never done a somersault or cartwheel to people doing front flips and aeriels (hands-free cartwheels).   I’m closer to the beginner end of that although in reality right in the middle of the class skill wise - I cartwheeled through a tunnel without knocking over a wall so deeming that a pretty big win ;-P.  

I see no way in which this could go wrong ;)

So I show up and there are exactly 4 other students.  Total.  Which means the warmup was intense and exhausting cause no waiting for your turn 😂 everybody has a turn all the time.  5 lines, 5 people, all the exercise.

Then it’s time to move to the interesting part of the class.  The coach, who is not my coach (warning sign one) says “in this group everyone is working on specific skills they’re interested in, so you can pick whatever apparatus you like and work on it, or I can give you some ideas.” (Warning signs 2 and 3)   Now sometimes even in the beginner class we get choose your own adventure- some go to the handstand wall, some to the tumble track (think long straight bouncy castle run), and others to the trampoline run (this is my fav although I usually do all options at least a bit).   So I didn’t question too much…

…until the other students started pulling stuff down from the ceiling.  Oh frig.  Not only is this an advanced class I’m not ready for, it’s an arial class.  Aka options are silks (which I have actually at least tried in the past!), trapeze, hoop, or a giant swinging cube.  The cube wasn’t out tonight so I’m guessing that wasn’t something the other women (all of whom are about half my age!) were working on.

So with an only slightly panicked look on my face I told the instructor I’d only done acro.  A brief stint w silks ages ago that I didn’t entirely remember, and nothing else (in my head I had memories of playing w a trapeze in a friend’s basement when we were about 10 - does that count?!?!)

To her credit, she only paused a heartbeat before “Well do you want to try?” Sure - but starting from zero so not sure that’s fair to everyone else?   I don’t want to hold them back…

Well it turns out they’re all working on improving stuff they already know how to do, and therefore this class is more about access to equipment than instruction.  So we start w trapeze cause I said I’d love to try something new and that’s her area of expertise.  And she spent solidly at least the first 15 min w me 1-1 giving me 3 different tricks to try.   I think she was slightly lost w somebody who had no fear and decent balance but zero skills 😂.    Like she asked if I could stand up on the trapeze like she expected there to be hesitation or even a solid no and suffice to say there was no issue.  Heights at the edge of a cliff or the top of a volcano or the middle of a high rickety bridge - those I have issue with.  I hate that I do, and I rarely let it stop me, but I have to consciously work to overcome it.  Heights on stuff I climbed up on and can climb back down again?   Not an issue.

This was one of the first things.
Obv not me, all pics from Google ;)

So I did the things  - starting w demonstrating that I could hang and support my body weight for at least 15 seconds lol - and took a bit of a break while she wandered to see if others needed help or throw a comment one way or another.  One woman was actively learning and trying to evolve a routine - I’d say the coach worked 1-1 with her as much as w me, but none of the others seemed even remotely interested in what she could or could not contribute.  2 were clearly friends and working together on something while the last one had one very convoluted trick on the silks she was working on.

This was the first standing one.   
Other than a lack of flexibility, as easy as it gets.

So eventually I got bored of the trapeze (only so interesting as a complete beginner) and went to see if I could remember anything from silks.  Had the climbing no problem.  Up to the ceiling and back easily enough.  Then I couldn’t remember anything else so coach Jesse reminded me of how to do a foot lock and a double foot lock.  Then showed me a spin of some sort that I forget the name of but was super easy and a lot of fun.  Effectively throw yourself at the floor and miss 😂.  Then I get “oh here’s an easy one, start in your double footlock…” okay…. She’s doing the same on the silks right next to me so I can follow…. “Then go into your splits” ummm yeah, that’s not going to be an option ;).  😂.    Turns out this move is actually one I learned the last time I did Silks.   There is a modification if you don’t have flexibility, it just requires strength and looks less impressive.  But that I was able to do and felt it was easier than the last time but it was a couple yrs ago so could be misremembering.

This was less graceful to get into, but easy to execute

So I played there a bit more but footlocks hurt your feet if you’re not used to them (or at least they hurt mine) so eventually I went back to the trapeze which is just fun.   Realized very quickly trying to get up that my arms had had about enough 😂 but once you’re up, arms are less important.  Was pleased I actually remembered all the moves she had taught me, and she came and added one more to the repertoire (the gazelle that was the next step from an earlier one she showed me) which ended up being my favourite by a lot.  She also said that there was a step two to one of the other earlier ones (the star) but that if I was getting tired it probably wasn’t the best time to learn it but I could come back again if I wanted 😂.  

This was my favourite one - prob cause upside down ;)
Also, requires little to no strength so good when tired.

So I said I had one more makeup to do and if she’d let me maybe I could come back next week?   She was pretty into that so stay tuned to the next edition of Completely Inappropriate Middle Age Hobbies (accidental version!)

#TIL - How to do a back handspring

Just like that ;)

Today I learned all the components of a back handspring.   Lol now to put in perspective - I could never do something that even vaguely resembled a back handspring even when I was spring-aged ;).  The closest I ever came was a front walkover or stand to bridge going backwards (I never managed the walkover part going backwards).   And these days - well my bridge is very structurally unsound and I’m legitimately terrified of what would happen if I tried to go into it from anything other than lying on the ground.  I don’t technically *need* to be able to walk to do my job but I kinda enjoy that ability for quality of life ;)

Suffice to say mine does not look like this ;-P

So anyways - did our warmup, then did some exercises about holding a tight core (think two parallel giant rectangular cushions.  Lie across them so ankles on one side and forehead on the other - holding your body straight across the chasm between them.  Then roll.   Front to back and back to front.   Both harder than it seems and somehow also not as hard as it seems.

Then on the handstand wall (where we also did some handstand practice - yeah!) with a cushion not far in front of it.   Facing away from the wall, one foot on the cushion, then arch/reach backwards till you find the wall.  That was supposed to be the easy part.  Suffice to say dear reader, at least for me, it was not ;).  

Once you find the wall (which I should remind is directly behind you 😂) then the part that we were supposed to focus on was coming back to standing leading w chest.    Demos that made it clear very quickly how if you lead w your head as instinct might suggest, you will end in a heap on the floor ;).  This part I had zero issue with.   Leaning over backwards till I found the wall (again - we’re talking inches here) - terrifying.  😂 

We did the pushing off through the shoulder thing in the warmup.  I get the general concept of that one and can do it in slow motion but I have yet to successfully combine it w literally anything else 😂.  New skills.  All about the new skills.

Then the coolest part. Hands over head, push off, arch backwards, hold all the things super tight, flip legs over head, and land in plank position.   Nbd right?

Lol the part I’m leaving out is the giant pac-man cushion, hands on coach spotter/extra strength/driver, and ability to do it all one step at a time.

Tell me I'm not the only one who sees PacMan?

So let’s back up a bit.  My coach borrowed one of the two coaches working w the arial class to do a quick demo.   You orient Pac-Man so you’re sitting in the cutout w your feet on the ground.   Push off both feet and reach backwards.  The first time the coach paused the wheel at that point so you’re now in an arch over the open space you were just sitting on moments ago.  She made sure everything was in roughly the right place and key components were tight and then rolled us back to sitting.

I'm betting this kid is the appropriate age to be doing this ;)
Pic stolen from amazon sales ad so considering public domain.

The next time we got to go over.  So. Much. Fun!  My hips being the mess they are suffice to say I landed v crooked and not in a plank the first time 😂 💀.   BUT also not broken, and grinning like a 5yo told they can have ice cream for breakfast.

Got to try once more without the practice run and w a little more power and speed.  This one I stuck.  It still wasn’t straight but it was all kinds of fun.  Still grinning, hours later.

After that played w handstands for a bit while the rest of the class was finishing - I love that it’s not only socially acceptable but actively encouraged to try other things when it’s one of the few one-at-a-time activities.   I should say - “other things” that we’ve already learned and have proven we’re safe with 😂.  Which is why I generally stick to handstands and cartwheels.  Or very recently, round offs (but only on the bouncy track!). Managed to stick a handstand for a couple seconds for the first time in a v long time so that was a bonus.

End of the class was somersaults from the trampoline onto some cushions.  I really enjoy this - it’s what they were doing my very first class but I didn’t get a chance to try that day (although I did get to bounce on the trampoline and flop over 😂. Which, tbh, is WAY harder!!!).  

Day 2 of Acro Adventures

So, for those of you who are new here - my latest way to ensure I remain humble is I, while solidly into middle age (much as I'd rather not admit it), randomly joined a class that is all the tumbling components of gymnastics.   I, who have never done gymnastics, have zero flexibility, can only hold a handstand for a couple seconds at most, and have only ever accomplished a flip off a diving board ;). 

  

But sure - gymnastics is a totally reasonable thing to take on as an adult.   This was absolutely confirmed by the fact that in last class - my first - I was not the only beginner.  Woohoo!   Sadly, the other woman didn't make it back, so I am now, in fact, the only beginner.   lol

Warmup was quite different.  I get the impression though that it doesn't normally change so dramatically each week but rather they had a key staff member away, so our coach (who's definitely the "real" adult of the group ;) was doing other things at the start and had one of the other coaches (I'm going to say maybe early uni age?) cover the warmup.   It was definitely a kid warmup but it did warm us up and got a few giggles so why not.   Also when she split the arial class it was “older ones over here” which got a laugh from everyone and our coach reminded her to stick to “more advanced” since with adults skills and age are not necessarily tied ;)

Anyways - when warmup ended the same coach from last week took over (yeah!) but we were down to only four in our class, while the arial class was still full.  The four included 1 superstar (also potentially the youngest by about 20 years), 2 who did gymnastics for many years but had a gap and are relearning as adults (think gymnastics version of reriders) and me.

So on the plus side, I’m fully embracing the “new and incompetent” side of things ;).  I can, and happily will, learn from anybody.  And I know enough about adult learning both from a teaching and a learning side that I can figure out pretty quickly what I need to be able to attempt to mimic.    Lots of different drills today - a bunch on the bouncy track (I think that’s the tumble track?  But then I’m not sure what they call the trampoline one so forgive me if I make up my own names till more sinks in).    

When it came time for choose your own adventure, the pro went to the bouncy track to do arials and other flippy things, while the other two went together to the handstand wall to work on something that wasn’t handstands but I think was to build up to handsprings.  But I didn’t want to get in their way so once they were set up I asked if anything I could do on the trampoline track.  

So the idea was handstand then fall flat on my back (onto a nice cushion).   First of all, my handstands are questionable at best and non existent on a trampoline 😂. And second of all - that’s more of a mental game than you’d think.  First time I got the handstand and then bailed entirely rather than go over backwards.  Oops.  Then I did it wrong a couple dozen times with my shoulders hitting first and *then* my body.  Got *almost* there, and then was too tired to do anything else ;).   

By this point the two handstanders had come over and were also doing variations of handstand and fall - they’re working toward more advanced skills and at least one is fighting a mental battle over it and negotiated w the coach to “try it next week”.

Then we had an example of on the trampoline, from a standing straddle position, lean over and grab your ankles (bend knees if wildly inflexible!), flip onto your lower shoulders on the trampoline, and then bounce back to your feet, rinse and repeat w/o ever letting go.

The other two decided that was too scary and would also be next week but to me it looked mildly entertaining so I asked if I could try it.  I’m pretty sure my coach is reasonably certain I’m going to enthusiastically kill myself 😂.  She demoed again and made sure I was set up right and was right w me, with on hand only millimeters from me if I needed assistance so thinking this one might’ve been higher risk than I really calculated ;).   

And when I grabbed my ankles ALL the survival instincts kicked in with This is a BAD Life Choice!!!!   The other two were right.  It’s friggin terrifying!

But I’m an eventer.  And when things go wrong in eventing or there’s a BFJ on course that scares all the things out of you, not only do you have to tackle it, but you have to convince the 1000lbs+ prey animal w a brain the size of a walnut that the predator sitting on top of it *really wants* to jump the BFJ.   

That’s right.  You have to so fully commit emotionally to a complete lie that a critter whose entire existence relies on reading threats, thinks you *really* want to do the thing that’s making you think you should’ve take up a nice, quiet, safe sport - like rugby.

After 30ish years of that training, even after a longer gap than I’d like to acknowledge, when I feel that fear kick in, I fully commit to The Thing.  Whatever it is.  

So I flipped upside down and bounced back to my feet.  A few times.  It wasn’t particularly hard and I’m not sure I understand why we (I - the others deferred to next week) did it.  But it wasn’t horrifying.   The flipping onto the mat last wk was way more fun though ;)

One of the others commented on “I wish I could be fearless like that” - internally I laughed so hard.  Externally I tried to explain many many years of training in overcoming fear.  But I don’t think she got it and I wasn’t super coherent at the time between exhausted, excited, overwhelmed, and mildly dizzy ;)

Today’s overall was much more of a workout.  Also learned a ton more.  Was mildly amused when she asked the others to do something from a squatting position so I did too for a laugh even though I’m not close to good at it standing so definitely don’t need a harder version and got told “oh no, that’s just to build strength - you have more than enough of that, better for you to work on technique”.  Hey - it’s the closest thing to an ego boost I’m going to get in this class, so I’ll take it!   And my only normal strength comparison these days is Chris, who is significantly stronger than I.  But I have enough for beginner gymnastics so win!   

Also with no depth perception it’s much easier for me to place my hands on the mat where I want them and use strength to get upside down than to throw myself at the ground just to get some extra impulsion - so I actually like the “harder” ones cause I know reliably where the ground is ;). But I think the single most repeated correction across the exercises for me today was “start back farther” / “take a bigger step into it” - so I’m just gonna have to suck it up and learn where the ground is.  But maybe I’ll start on the bouncy track ;)

TIL: Cartwheels are a complicated way to change direction ;)

Who here has done a cartwheel?   Decades ago right?  Throw hands to the ground and then flip feet over them - pretty basic.   Well I don't know why I had it in my head that when doing this you're either facing sideways and stay facing sideways the whole way OR facing forward and end facing forward (isn't that how you can cartwheel down a line?!?!), but definitely facing forward and ending facing backwards would not have been on my list.   

Yet TIL, while others are options, officially if you do it "right" as per gymanastic rules you end up facing the opposite direction you started.

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

For me it was tonight - and, in typical Laur style, it was not a typical adulting new thing like “I took a new route home” (often a great mental health break) or “I bought a different brand of toilet paper” (not worth the risk!)!  

Gonna just acknowledge here and now - I'm still high after a lot of fun and exhausted after a very long day, so I'm absolutely not guaranteeing any quality - or even particularly comprehensible - writing.  

I joined an adult Acro class.   For those of you with the same puzzled look I had - think acrobatics ;-P.  With nothing but the description, the fact that I could try the first class without signing up, that it was only a 4 week commitment, and that it happened to start the week I emailed to ask about it….  Away I went ;)

So I foolishly assumed the people in the viewing area waiting for the kids to finish were mostly parents of said children.  They were not.  There were probably about 15 adults there who filed into the gym when class start was announced - which had me mildly confused since they said the class would be 6-8 until I realized it was two classes worth.  The warmup is combined and then people doing arial stuff (which I’ve done before and is all kinds of fun but basically impossible to improve cause you can’t practice at home) and the acro group which stays closer to the floor.   I have floors at home ;)

Warmup was an experience.  I’m sure for kids who did gymnastics or dance it’s normal, and even for a large number of team sports there may be similar drills, but pretty well the entirety of my athletic interests - and therefore experience - started and ended w a combo of grade school gym class and horses.

So imagine 3 straight lines that run the length of the floor, everybody in a row goes from one end of the line to the other doing something.  But it’s not just one something, it’s a combo.   So first example was lunge, warrior-ish pose, front kick, then land the front leg and rinse and repeat on the other leg until you get to the end of the line.  Strength, balance, and flexibility together.  Sweet.  There were a couple variations on that - some more strength and some more balance focused.

Inch-worm that followed was arguably less fun ;).  And the line of 2 push-ups, lie down with hands and legs off the ground and roll-over without using them, hollow body hold, roll the rest of the way; rinse and repeat….  Well suffice to say I was just as well I was last in line for that one and “didn’t get to” finish my line ;)

Now that we were all warmed up it was time for stretching.  I am the extreme opposite of a flexible human.  But at least I wasn’t alone!  While I’m definitely among the least flexible in the group, there were others of similar lack of ability.

Okay so at this point they split out the two classes.  And we’re back to the lines.   Except the *very first* exercise was cartwheel down the line…

Ummm right - those lines are kinda close together and if I try something that even pretends to mimic a cartwheel I’m going to hurt somebody.  So I tagged our instructor w a “I haven’t done a cartwheel in 30 years - I might need some suggestions” and a woman nearby lit up!  “Oh I’ve never done one ever and am just learning”.  It wasn’t her first week here, but she’d never even done one as a kid and was thrilled to have another beginner in the class.  

So coach worked w us a bit and then set us up w a big square cushion to practice cartwheeling over (ummm isn’t that going to be harder?  Absolutely- but it’ll help you build the strength and get the concept).  Cool - okay.  So we worked on that while the others did lines of walking on their hands (that one I have hopes of doing some day) and walking in a bridge (far less likely - my bridge is dangerously structurally unsound).

Then we were divided into different areas to work on different things.  I honestly didn’t catch too much of what was happening because I was so lost, but I def understood “we can practice handstands against this (padded) wall” - sweet, sign me up.  My new same level as me partner joined me.  She was ahead of me in cartwheels but I had last summer’s practice for handstands and it was coming back fast which was awesome!  We took turns at the mat and our coach came over and gave us some structural clues.

But I’m not handstand fit anymore and I haven’t practiced in a v long time, so I tired pretty quickly and was watching the others doing some really cool stuff.  On one side was an inflated track that very much looked like the floor of a bouncy castle - two people there were practicing arials (think handsfree cartwheel).  Since I can’t even do the version WITH hands, I think we’ll pass on that.

Some were doing strength or flexibility training that I really didn’t understand at all but I also wasn’t really watching cause at the far side of the gym was a trampoline track with giant crash pads at the end where people were learning flips.  

We were like 2 mins before the end of class and one of them waves us over w “do you want to try?”   Yes!  That looks so ridiculously fun and absolutely no way in which I could seriously injure myself ;).  My partner had to leave though so she opted out and exited the gym.   Coach had me demonstrate that I could do a somersault on the floor (no worries - although made me shockingly dizzy in a way it didn’t as a child) and then she sent me to the bouncy castle floor that is, in fact, bouncy ;).  To try it there.  Since it was softer and springier I found that much easier and was giggling and feeling ridiculous if not particularly challenged by it.

So then I was promoted to the trampoline version after “just bounce a bit first to get used to it”.   I made sure all the other women were actually done because we had to remove one of the crash mats for my level (you’d think more was easier but in this case more is higher and you have to really commit ;)).  One stayed w me, not because she needed the beginner level but because coach told her she was ready to try land the actual flip and it also requires fewer mats.

All I had to do was bounce and do a somersault onto the mat.  Somehow suddenly terrifying?   Like it’s the softest landing yet but somehow both having my arms up in the air and needing a tiny bit of height suddenly made it super scary.  Which means I absolutely did it, multiple times (if there’s one thing eventing teaches you it’s to keep going forward when you’re terrified 😂).   And the woman who I was trading off w nailed her front flips so that was fun to watch.

I very much want to try the double mats next time to learn to get the height for flips.

So yes, there will be a next time.   I was definitely one of the oldest there and the least experienced BUT not by a horrifying amount - there was at least one mother / daughter combo which was nice to see.   

And it’s only a couple hours later and my body is questioning my life choices lol tomorrow and Friday will be interesting!

But omg was it ever fun.