More fun than a stick in the eye

[Irulan]

Jumping is fun. This first time I jumped onto the #2 box I just about peed myself I was so excited. I never thought I'd be able to do that.

[Catrin]

Kudos to both of you - that is seriously cool Veronica! Irulan, was today the first time you jumped on the #2 box? Is that the 20 or the 24 inch box? I've stopped box jumps because of my jumping related klutziness but it IS fun!

[Crankin]

I used to be afraid to jump up on the step with one riser. I couldn't do it 2 footed (is that a word?). I am ok with this now, and recently, I've been thinking about trying 2 risers, not just for jumps, which we don't always do, but for the tabata routines and other intervals we use the step for. I can handle the forward facing ones, but there are a few turning steps I worry about, that I might trip and kill myself. Once, when we were using the steps for some resistance work, or something that wasn't hard, our instructor (who is the age of my older son), said everyone had to use 2 risers. When I got a look of fear in my face, someone said, "you can do it," and I heard her (the instructor) say, "of course she can, I don't know why she doesn't." Over time, I have become one of the few who only uses one riser. The others have to do a much more modified routine than me, especially in terms of their cardio capacity. I think one of the things that scares me, is how short my legs are. It makes some of the steps a lot more challenging. I have the steps truly ingrained in my muscle memory,f rom teaching, but still...

[Catrin]

I hear you Crankin, it took me several years to learn how to jump 2-footed. I've never jumped higher than the 16 inch box (we have 12, 16, 20 and 24 inch carpeted boxes), but I've never braved the 20 inch. My former drill sgt. coach never pushed me either, he saw me fall on it just enough. If you don't feel safe...

[Irulan]

Kudos to both of you - that is seriously cool Veronica! Irulan, was today the first time you jumped on the #2 box? Is that the 20 or the 24 inch box? I've stopped box jumps because of my jumping related klutziness but it IS fun!

Not today, a couple of years ago. 20" maybe? I love doing it but it makes my knees hurt.

[Catrin]

Not today, a couple of years ago. 20" maybe? I love doing it but it makes my knees hurt.

It IS fun, but yes, it hurts. My KB coach has had me stop it along with a few other things (and adding new things). He IS preparing me for competition in 6 months, so it is in my best interest to listen. The proof is in the pudding, and with his coaching I am able to do overhead work that I was convinced (as was my last coach) that I would never be able to do!

How are you with jumping rope? I've still not really mastered that, apparently my feet just aren't that coordinated

[Crankin]

I can't jump rope, either. I couldn't as a kid, but had a brief spurt in my twenties, when I used to jump rope for 15-20 minutes, in my apartment, for my cardio! Nothing fancy, though. Whenever the jump ropes come out in class, which is not often, I pretend jump rope, so no embarrassment.

[Jolt]

Count me in as another member of the "can't jump rope worth a hill of beans" club. I hated when we had indoor recess (due to yucky weather) in elementary school and would jump rope...it was always embarrassing for me to be so bad at it next to the other kids.

[Catrin]

I can fake it, basically skipping with the rope, I can't jump with both feet at the same time. My cranky knee doesn't like it. When my former coach brought out the jump ropes we only had 2 options - 90 double-unders or 270 singles

[Irulan]

I finally can crank out 100 jumps non stop, sometimes. I found the key to not tripping or blowing up is 1. Slow down, pick a speed that you can maintain, and 2. Hands somewhat wide....that seems to really help. Comes down to whether it's a good day or a bad one though.