What every woman should do with a rope and a Tena lady!

I have had many aspirations in my life, some were huge: like running a marathon.  Others more commonplace, like having children… And some positively silly, like having three children without a hired Nanny.

In the last couple of months I have been all consumed by one ambition, some of you will mock it, others will understand, and a few will think I need to get better goals in my day to day being.

But for eight weeks, I have been trying to learn to do a double under…

If you don’t know what that is, I will let Athlepedia (yes, there is such a thing) tell you…

“A double under is a popular exercise done on a jump rope in which the rope makes two passes per jump instead of just one. It is significantly more effective than a single rope pass in that it allows for higher work capacity.

The Double Under takes a bit of coordination and determination to master. Those with less coordination will find it a little more difficult.

The Double Under must be executed with more intensity in order to complete a high number of repetitions without mistake.

The main key to Double Under success is learning how to control the rope. Rope control will help you coordinate your jumps to the whipping of your wrist”

For two months I have found these bastard things impossible to master.  Instead each attempt of trying has left me grunting like a gorrilla, with shins whipped to shreds and frustrations running higher those of a randy married man with a wife with a newborn.

I have lost hours of my life to YouTube, watching video after video on how to get a rope under my legs twice whilst I jump once.  I have read every tutorial, prayed to a God I don’t believe in, and tried several different types of rope.

And still nothing.

Until today people, until today!

I stood with my coach, 1-2-1, skipping rope in hand, mind focused and ready to fail.

I failed….

Then I failed again….

And then I failed again…..

Frurtrated and now fecked off was the only way to describe me.

Then she showed me a different way to think about it.  Placing both handles of the rope in one hand she held out her arm and using just her arm she circled the rope in a steady movement.

“One, one, one, one,” she chanted.

Then her wrist sped up,

“One, two, one, two, one, two….”

She handed me the rope and said I should try it, just spinning the rope, no actual jumping, so my wrist could feel the motion.

Then I understood….

The speed that my wrist had to flick was faster than I have ever tried… and I realised why men seemed to find this easier, the movement seemed similar to something teenage boys spend a lot of time doing.  Probably explained why I was so poor at it…..

“Now try, and flick whilst the rope is over your head,” she instructed.

And off I went, happy with my new understanding of the wrist action.

She chanted one, two, I muttered something far more inappropriate in my head…

Then, oh yes, then,

The fecking rope only passed twice under my feet!

It was a feeling of pure euphoria, a happiness that one really shouldn’t equate with skipping.  The last time I felt I achieved such greatness was when I had a baby.  Co incidentally I think I may have wet myself a little on both occasions as well.

And I did it again…..

Then I came home and practised some more.

A 36 year old woman, playing in the garden with her skipping rope, I cannot tell you how much fun it really is.

I managed four in a row, I feel like a world class athlete.

It was Elbert Hubbard who said. “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.”

Today with a little inappropriate thought process and a cracking coach, I achieved what I thought I would fail.

Glorious success is mine for a moment!

With success must come thanks…

And mine have to go to lights by Tena, as without them none of this would have been possible.

You see like most female crossfitters, I can’t jump without losing some form of bladder control.  Three children has taken its toll on my insides and I need a little support when I am trying to do my double unders.

So look what they sent me….

Everything I need to protect me at the gym and then afterwards when showing off my slimmer body on the beach!

Thanks lights by Tena!