Florida Chick Tumbles

Despite all of my ranting about wanting to lose 5 lbs, I secretly think I'm in pretty good shape (except for the running thing) and could possibly hold my own in a steel cage match. I currently have all of my middle school students thinking that I could beat them flat out in an arm wrestling competition, and I keep this little belief going by never arm wrestling them...as long as they think I can beat them I'm good...the minute I actually try and fail it's all downhill.

The thing about getting older is that not only do our bodies shift and change but our minds seem to become delusional about their actual ability...which may be why I decided that tonight, after 10 years (I haven't tried tumbling since before I was pregnant with Kaitlyn), I was going to tumble again. (And which may be why I think I'm up for a steel cage match.) Maybe it's not necessarily age that messes up women's bodies...maybe it's pregnancy. As I stretched myself out tonight to get ready for my big debut, I realized that in the past 10 years since trying any gymnastics, my body has stretched and bent in ways and places that stretching and bending really shouldn't occur. My ab wall has been pushed apart to give my babies room to stretch while they were hanging out in there, and somehow, my rear has attached itself further down my legs and higher up my back so that even though I didn't carry a baby back there I probably could have...and labor and delivery...c'mon, you don't even want to go there.

So here I am, 16 years and two kids older than my competition days, ready to pretend I'm 16 again...and actually, it didn't turn out all that badly. I completed my task...one round-off, one back-handspring, and one back tuck, a little lower and slower than I did it 10 years ago, but not bad. I suppose the worst part about it was that my wrists are still burning and my back won't quite let me stand up straight. I did see stars, but only for a minute. My shins are slightly throbbing and I think I might have pulled a hamstring... but even though I was out of breath after only one tumbling pass, I didn't pass out and I didn't break anything so I feel pretty good...I feel refreshed, young, ready to take on the world...and ready for that steel cage match- bring it on - actually, bring it on tomorrow...I'm a little too sore tonight, I'm popping a Tylenol P.M. and heading to bed...and praying that I can get out of bed tomorrow without a wheelchair.