Why do my arms do that?!

I am pretty sure I have touched on my grace and poise in previous blog posts, the fact that I have none.  Having both feet leave the floor at one time seems to be a terrible idea.  I do not jump.  I have no desire to jump and really is there a reason should I be jumping? 

This is what I envision.

This week Mike has decided it is time that we push the boundaries of my self-imposed limitations.  He has requested box jumps.  I can tell he is trying to wean me on to them.  He pulls out a little step “Look, that isn’t so high!  You can totally do that!”  I skeptically look at the step, “I can do it.  I don’t want to.”  I did it because he asked really nicely.  And then the box got a little higher and a little higher.  During this exercise it becomes glaringly obvious that I do not jump on things.  Can I jump straight up like a bad ass?  Oh no, that will not do.  I have to do some weird little fluttery, fairy, girl thing with my arms.  It’s uncontrollable.  Please arms stop doing that, we don’t look cool now!

The entire time I am doing this I have this nightmarish flash of what would happen should I not get my feet high enough.  My toes would get caught on the edge of the box, sending me ass over tea kettle.  Mike is thoughtful (brave) enough to stand in front of the box should this happen.  Maybe it’s the subconscious motivation I need to really focus on my feet so that way I don’t go careening through Mike like the Kool-Aid man.

What did I enjoy this week training?  Skipping!  I realize both feet are technically off the ground at same time but they don’t start that way.  It’s a slight but very important technicality.  These were big, happy, bounds.  Arms swinging away with the childish abandon.  No one would look at me skipping and think “What the hell are her arms doing?” unlike box jumps. I don’t know that it would be possible to frown through this exercise. 

As you can see the gym is definitely a love hate relationship some days.  I hate box jumps and most other jumping.  But I do love skipping.  I hate getting sweaty but I do enjoy the feeling that I did something productive.  Find what you love and enjoy in the things that you dislike and cling to them.  They will help pull you through on the days when you rather be in your fat sweats plowing through a gallon of ice cream and a Netflix marathon.