IN THE GYM [Jumping Rope Blogrimage: Day 8]

ROPESPORT QUOTE:

In the classes I teach I’ll periodically yell out, “You’re just dancing with your rope.”

Worked all day and decided to jump in between my last class and bus pickup. With only an hour, I quickly changed clothes and started jumping. Five minutes after arriving, Amreitha got on the treadmill besides me (we had the whole gym to ourselves!).

Immediately, the high ceiling, wooden floor (with a little bounce), and open space drastically changed my jumping. No longer confined, I felt greatly more comfortable here. In my house, I am trying not to hit the ceiling, hit the floor too hard (neighbors), hit the walls, or hit my furniture. That alone is a work out. The gym welcomed flails of many sorts—including 14 double-unders in a row! That is almost double my previous record of 8!

My external environment increased, but my body seems to dislike all this jumping. The left knee whimpers each jump, so I slowed my pace a bit. I wonder what’s going on there? The concrete in my house probably doesn’t help.

PROGRESS:

1. Jumped in a Gym

2. 14 double-unders in a row

3. Left knee hurts when jumping

4. 1000 in 15 minutes

5. Wanting a knew rope or tape to balance existing rope

TRIVIA:

In the United States, the main jump rope organization is USA Jump Rope. USAJR is composed of hundreds of jump roping teams and hundreds of jumpers from all over the country.

CRAPPY MIRROR [Jumping Rope Blogrimage: Day 7]

ROPESPORT QUOTE:

“And in terms of pure fun, there’s no comparison, either.”

Went on a walk with Amreitha and rummaged for furniture in rich Korean apartments. Second hand stores are rarely seen, so I think I now know where second hand furniture goes—the trash. She picked up a coffee table and I collected a crappy mirror (blinded earlier by excitement). I don’t like it, but my room is looking less and less like an isolation chamber (I have white floors, white walls, white appliances and white furniture).

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the rope with me. Oh well, I got a good 1,200 in my disappearing isolation chamber (see above).

After many tiring attempts, I completed 8 double-unders in a row! I am not sure if these are hard because of my rope (cheap Korean dollar store rope) or my inabilities. Either way, the challenge satisfies. So, I guess, horray!

PROGRESS:

1. 8 double-unders in a row

2. 165 revolutions in one minute (with one trip up)

3. 1 crappy mirror

4. 1200 or so revolutions

TRIVIA:

Jump rope is a sport, and is practiced at a competitive level for young kids or adults.

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE [Jumping Rope Blogrimage: Day 6]

ROPESPORT QUOTE:

“MTV with a Jump Rope”

Today was nuts! Though, traveling from Busan to Daegu then to Cheongdo tired Amreitha and I greatly, the brought us a lot of energy and excitement. We traveled with foreigners from all over the world to visit a wine tunnel and a Korean Bull Fight. A local Korean magazine hired me to take pictures, so it was a free adventure.

Free Adventure

My step dad taught me a lot about theology (he is a Lutheran Pastor in California). One of the greatest lessons he taught me concerned free adventure. He said that money and circumstances doesn’t dictate adventure or fun. He said that adventure could be found anywhere without paying a dime. It was from this mindset, we biked across Minnesota, climbed collapsing sand mountains, train hopped (with his son), “extremely” canoed and did a number of things. My spirit of adventure comes largely from this passed on lesson.

Anyways, I felt like we participated in a true Korean event. Yeah, I was more entertained by watching the people than the event, but I overall I loved being there. If taking pictures didn’t dictate my time, I would have jumped. However, it was, so I reserved jumping for home once again.

PROGRESS:

1. I think I’m seeing a slight difference in my stomach size and tone

2. I gave myself strawberries and incentives

3. Completed 6 double-unders in a row!

4. 160 in one minute again

TRIVIA:

“Bloomer [Wisconsin] is the Jump Rope Capital of the World.”

MOTEL and BEACH JUMPING [Jumping Rope Blogrimage: Day 5]

ROPESPORT QUOTE: “Maybe men like to imagine themselves as boxers in training?”

Yesterday, I blogged in the morning, but couldn’t do it justice because of travel plans. Amreitha, her brother Vaughn, and I went to Busan to spend the day and, eventually drop him off at the airport. This city has quickly become one my favorites in Korea. We saw the beach, ate good food, drank smoothies and then woke up at 3:50 a.m to drop Vaughn off at the airport.

I jumped a set at the beach in all my clothes. I got some strange looks, but it was not a big deal at all. After that, I completed my 1000 in the bathroom of a cheap motel. The bathroom measured large enough to work, and made for a convenient shower. We laughed at how ridiculous the situation was—wearing a bathrobe, waking up in 3 hours and jumping rope when we were all so tired!

On top of the fatigue, exercise and limited sleep, I had to travel back a little across Korea to photograph a Bull Fight immediately after dropping Vaughn off! I’m excited that my grandchildren will read about this.

The taxi driver got us to the airport, and we felt a bit unnerved for the airport stood vacant and dark. I’ve traveled a lot of places and never experienced anything like this. We had the whole place to ourselves. Crazy.

The lights eventually turned on, and good-byes commenced.

PROGRESS:

1. Jumped on the Beach of Busan, Korea

2. Continued jumping in the Bathroom of a cheap motel with Vaughn and Amreitha

3. Getting smoother, but still not like the pros I see on the internet

4. Think I’m starting to see a difference in my body from dieting and jumping (I’ve been dieting for awhile now)

5. Jumped 1100 times

TRIVIA:

Jumping rope can avoid the knee damage which may occur during running, since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs.

I WORE SHOES [Jumping Rope Blogrimage: Day 4]

ROPE SPORT QUOTE: “Jumping rope Looks Really Cool.”

For some reason I said “you can’t kill time without injuring eternity” in the video portion of this blog. That phrase doesn’t legitimately apply to this blog unless you correlate it to “time flies” and then connect “flies” to the jumping in jumping rope.

Only on day 4 I considered taking a day off. Passion is so much easier than discipline. Don’t worry, I pushed on through. Like with not injuring eternity, discipline is something I want to work on (always). Discipline is the mark of the disciple. Though temptation comes, the commitment, and memory of why I started, is before my eyes. Another discipline in this journey is something I hope people steal—every time I make time to read a blog, I comment on it. Seemingly, Beth Stice has ventured on this as well (she comments and encourages on every blog I read before me!).

Speaking of discipline…

When managing my jumping time, I’m considering increasing the jump rope number to something unhealthy. I’m curious to see how far one can push his body before injury (in the world of jumping). Maybe it will make jumping rope more exciting for me and you? Who knows? Let me know what you thinky.

PROGRESS:

1. 6 Double-Unders in a row

2. Wore Shoes

3. Jumped with a full stomach of Korean BBQ

4. 160 revolutions in a minute (not sure if this is good or bad)

5. Jumped 1100 times

TRIVIA:

“Rope jumping is a simple activity that can be an excellent method of conditioning. This activity incorporates every energy system of the body, providing many fitness benefits.”

[http://www.fitness-facts.com/cardio/47/?sport=Rope+Jumping]

Jumping Rope [Day 3]

Walking to my bus stop identified soreness in my calves. Last night, my calves wanted to cramp up. Last time this happened is freshmen year of college. I tried training with the track team without stretching or drinking water. Though I kept up, afterwards I began blacking out and both my calves cramped up. The track coach yelled at me, and asked a big black guy to pick me up--like a husband with his new bride--walk me to the bleachers and massage me. Not only did he massage me, he did it soft and tender because applied pressure hurt too much.

A teacher colleague of mine bought a book (ROPESPORT: The Ultimate Jump Rope Workout) for me today! Thanks David!

This book is helpful and full of hilarious quotes. From now on, each blog will include an entertaining quote from that book.

Still loving following everyone’s BLOGRIMAGES and appreciate the comments!

PROGRESS:

1. Thought I’d be suffering through this session, but my soreness wasn’t too bad.

2. Did 5 double unders in a row!

3. Criss-crossed a couple times (makes you jump! Jump!).

4. Jumped about 1300 times.

5. Over corrected my right foot and now my left is jumping higher!

TRIVIA:

The Origin of Double Dutch

"A history of the game written by David A. Walker, the founder of the sport, traces the probable origins to ancient Phoenician, Egyptian and Chinese ropemakers..."

"The Dutch settlers brought the game to the Hudson River trading town of New Amsterdam (now New York City). When the English arrived and saw the children playing their game, they called it Double Dutch."

The modern competitive game however bagan in "...1973, David A. Walker, then a New York City Police Community Affairs Detective, joined by his partner Detective Ulysses Williams, developed the street game of Double Dutch into the World Class Sport that it is today."

http://www.nationaldoubledutchleague.com/History.htm

ROPE SPORT QUOTE:

The opening sentence of the book says, “Like so many millions of people, my first memories of jumping rope are as a kid on the local school playground.”