This week I accomplished...2010 version

[GikiGirl]

I had a great practice tonight, made my tuck Tsuk on vault with the hard landing. I have been doing them in the pit but have never tried them on the competition landing. I was very excited that I stood them up

The other events are going great too but I was most excited about vault, even when I competed in my younger days vault wasn't my best. I have never competed a Tsuk and I am hoping to compete it at Disney in a few weeks!!!

wow, that's a hard vault esp. onto competition landing. Did you compete them when younger?

 

[JDCrook08]

Gikigirl: I have never competed a Tsuk, I never worked them when I was younger. I worked FHS front tucks and twisting 1/2 ons, vault wasnt my best. Recently I have been doing them into the pit alot and had a chance to practice with my Dad(and Coach) so I could try them on the hard landing. Now we will see if I have enough practice time left to get it before Disney!!

 

[grizzoline]

Fab job on the Tsuk!!! I'm jealous! I had a pretty good tsuk onto a mat in the pit this spring and now completely lost it. On a good day I will do half ons but on a bad day I'm even scared of those!!!

Has anyone ever had a similar experience? Like, going completely mental on skills and then the fear is just spreading over to skills that used to be easy? I have a very bad time like that. I've definitely lost the tsuk and most of my back tumbling is pretty much on and off (more off than on). Every now and then I'll randomly lose skills for a practice session that are normally very easy and comfortable for me (flyaways on bars) but they usually come back after an hour of doing another event or simply waiting till the next practice.

I'm kind of on the verge of quitting for a while (or totally. don't know). I've had my last competition and will graduate from uni this summer, so I don'T even know how much practice I'll get after that. So maybe that's part of the issue, that I don't know what I'm doing it for, or maybe I'm just too old, because I never did anything remotely as scary when I was younger (never did more than a bhs and handspring vault, it didn't even occur to me, it was just that far away and noone around me was even considering such skills).

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just hate going to practice knowing that I'll probably spend half the time fighting mental blocks and being totally disappointed in myself which is made even worse by the fact that everyone else seems to enjoy themselves and improve (Drastically, even!)

 

[nicci1999]

Having mental blocks and developing irrational fear is justa part of gymnastics just like losing skills is. Or if you're having an off day feeling as though you can't do anything right. Sometimes taking g a short break can make a world of difference. Its how you choose to deal with these roadblocks that will determine where you go. You don't decide on the skill. The sill decides on you.

I had practice this morning myself and could not do anything right. As you guys know I have been dillegently working on my Kip for the past couple of months and today I couldn't even do a proper glide swing LOL. I think I was still just really tired from having been sick. Now I'm of for another hour and will work on beam. Or rather what beam I can with my knee.

 

[MissBear]

Grizzoline - Have you tried a change in skills?
I haven't posted here for so long because I've been going round in circles with the same things (including fear). Made a very little progress with my cartwheel on beam. But today I tried straight fronts - something I've never done before. They are really good fun and making such progress on something new really motivated me through the rest of practice. I even hit the high bar with two hands on my Mo shoots!

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

Last week was my first time back at gym in 3 weeks. I've had such a crazy work schedule that I couldn't do gym myself. Anyway, it was a great practice! Today, I had practice again but with a sub coach...I was so nervous, but actually it was my best practice in a long time. I worked on lots of standing skills, which went well. I got to front tucks and completely bombed! They are so frustrating to me! Some days they will be great and others I will punch so far forward or even land on my bottom!

 

[katy]

it has been crazy hot in the gym 90s to 100, so i was glad for the july 4th break. pretty good practice back. i almost made a kip cast hand stand on bars. kip cast handstand is totally my goal. for the last two years when we post our goals, this is always one of my top! i am trying really hard to get it for the meet at the end of the month.
really working on setting when i tumble. apparently, i'm only lifting my arms half to 3/4 up? did two ro bhs bt with full sets - sooo much easier.

 

[autumnsage]

Hi everyone! I finally have something to draw me out of lurkdom - I got my glide kip this week! I have been working on level 5 skills for a while, and this really is one of the most difficult. My right leg split is also getting there (my flexibility is terrible) .

As a trade off, I completely lost my cartwheel on the high beam this week. It's definitely more of a mental block than anything else. Hopefully next week will be better.

 

[katy]

great job on the kip. i still remember how it felt my i did my first one. kips and cast handstands were my hardest skills to learn.

 

[nicci1999]

Great job on the Kip that s wicked exciting!

This week I accomplished having successful surgery to repair my ACL as well as two pieces of my meniscus. I am now stuck on my keister for three weeks minimum and can't wait to start conditioning the ABS and upper body again. But for now I can successfully maneuver stairs on my crutches

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

On rings:

Cross to maltese
Cross to inverted cross
Double lay 1/1 out (into a pit -- still not consistent)

 

[katy]

geoffrey: i'm so impressed with how good you are. there are a handful of the power tumblers at my gym that can do double layout full out, and two that can do full full straight on the rod floor. it is so amazing to watch.
a couple of months ago, two of the guy coaches were playing around and through the men's high bar over the pit... that is the first time i've seen high bar in person. men's high bar has alway been my favorite to watch.

 

[JDCrook08]

Meet results from AAU National's:

Vault 8.65 3rd place
Bars 8.25 5th Place
Beam 8.075 5th Place
Floor 9.575 1st place
AA 34.55 4th Place

Stood up my tsuk and this was my first time competing it so that was exciting, bars was a little rough and one fall on beam, floor champion so that was fun

Here is a link to my meet video on youtube
YouTube - 2010 AAU Gymnastics National's Ladies Level 8

 

[GikiGirl]

Wow! Thanks for posting your routines. You have really nice polish and presentation!

 

[nicci1999]

So this week I was able to use the stationary cycle! I was so proud of myself, you would think I had just done a double back lol! I figure since I can't post skills progress in terms of gymnastics, if anyone cares to see how I am doing on healing following my surgery, I will post skills progress in terms of basically learning to walk again

 

[autumnsage]

Thanks for the kudos! It's nice to find a group of people who are also participating in a sport for which they are "too old".

JDCrook08 - Congratulations on being floor champion! I too enjoyed watching your meet video.

nicci1999 - I'm glad you're getting back up on your feet. I hope you heal quickly and well.

As for me, I'm still working on kip consistency, although now when I fail, I know why. I managed to get up on my hands on my back extension roll a few times, and I even made my front hip circle on bars for the first time! I also did my roundoff-two backhandsprings on the floor without a spot this week.

 

[katy]

routines have been going pretty well. i did my floor routines to the music (i haven't done them in a month) and i got real tired in the second pass. one more practice and then leave for jr. olympics on thursday.

 

[kyliesmith1]

JDCrook08,
Nice job at nationals. I enjoyed watching your video. I think I saw you practicing your valdez on balance beam before we competed and was impressed. I used to be able to do one of those but only on the floor. I don't know if you noticed our little south carolina group. We're not nearly as good as you but we are trying. Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet sometime. If you are going to the Junior Olympics you may meet one of my team mates Ruth and also a new one who is going to compete level 8 for the first time for AAU but used to be a level 10 USGA before she quit, named Taylor. I assume she will do pretty well. If I didn't have a wedding to go to I would go to. Anyway good job again. You looked really good and clean, especially on floor.

 

[JDCrook08]

kyliesmith1,

Thanks, I think I did see you guys did you start on Vault? It would have been fun if all the ladies division were in one squad. Maybe I will see your teammates or be in the same squad!!! I watched your youtube videos of your floor routines, how long have you been doing gymnastics? It's great that you guys have a group of adults practicing together, I practice by myself and it would be great to have a whole team!!!

 

[ivyagogo]

This week I had a great post op visit with my doctor about my torn ACL.

He told me that of all the patients he's ever seen in the past 10 years, I am farther along in my range of motion at this point than anyone he's ever operated on. My graft is solid and I should be tumbling again in six months.

I have pictures of my arthroscopy on my blog if anybody is interested:


Torn ACL - Gymnastics - My Story