Today was another 2.5 hour drive up to Blue Ridge for flying trapeze. The weather was in the 60s and I finally talked a friend into coming with me. The drive was definitely better with a friend.
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| Ashlynn working on her layout. |
The trip was also better with tunes. My CD player broke in June and my husband installed a new CD player the night before. This was the first time I've had an iPod hookup in my care. It was awesome. It was like a radio station with all of my favorite songs. LOVE.
Today, I mostly worked on my swing.
I went the first time and it was a mess. My timing was all off. And the instructor wanted me to sweep back more.
And then we realized: Last class was the first time I worked on my full swing as opposed to the full swing starting from the front. He told me to sweep back as soon as I take off the board. (Ahh, didn't remember this.) And then to kick back longer in the BACK part of my swing. And it clicked. I had three swings with the right timing. IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER.
I even got a high-five from the owner. That's how much better it was.
Once it clicked to sweep back longer—then I stopped getting to my 7 too early. Hooray.
Bye bye belt hold
I've been a pretty light belt hold for a while. I haven't quite outgrown it. Today, they said I should try it without.
And holding the bar at the beginning feels REALLY WEIRD without the bely hold. I can do it. I got. So now I don't need someone to hold my belt. Wahoo!
I was actually so happy with that progress I didn't even try to catch. Let's quit while we're ahead.
Takeoff
I still need to work on my takeoff. I'm bending my arms. Still. I need to jump back more on the swing—and not forward (which your body is leaning forward with the bar so it's hard!). He told me to bend my left arm on the takeoff, on ready to bend my knees and angle forward and straighten out that arm, the jump off the board, bending the arm to propel me up, and to straighten the arm so I'm not going OVER the bar. I also need to bring my shoulders and head back more and use my shoulders and back more in the take-off. Not my arms.
I got too tired so I'll have to work on that next class.
Bullet drop
I still don't have quite the timing to drop from my swing by myself. Almost. Another thing to work on next time. For now, whoever is working the lines can tell me when. I tried to early once.
Working the Board
Today I tried my hand at helping with the board. I'm pretty bad with the carabiners so I was pretty hesitant to try. I like to leave this to the pros. But I tried. A little.
What I learned
• Try to catch the bar when it comes back after the flyer drops. There's a short and long hook (longer one is called a noodle). And if the bar is really far away you can still get it with the noodle. Stand in the middle of the board. Point your body to the side, and hook with one arm and reach with the pole one armed (you can tuck it under your forearm.) And you want to hook the wire, not necessarily the bar. (I did catch the bar once. Wahoo!)
• You'll want to catch the carabiners when they come up at you. At this rig, you can hook them with your foot.
• If you work the bar, you clip someone in with the carabiners. Untangle the rope from the bar.
• And you'll give the next flyer the bar, kind of and up motion. (I wasn't great at this.)
So lots to learn and improve on.
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