SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's day 6 (ish) of working on my elbow stand and I've successfully gotten all the way up and held it for a longer time than ever before, several times today!!!!!!!!!! Not only that, but I'm gaining more control so I don't thunk quite so much coming down; instead, it's more like the come-down from a handstand. :D I know it's a small victory and there's still not guarantee I'll be able to do it on a barrel or a moving horse in a week but considering how discouraged I was feeling about the whole thing in general just a couple of days ago and the fact that I have been working on this move less than a week (and it takes mainly arm strength which is like the one place I severely lack muscle), I'm feeling pretty happy right about now.

Bad news: I tweeked my old back injury dancing last night. My dance partner learned the candlestick (basically he swings me up so I do a full elbow stand on his shoulders), but the second time we tried it I got all the way up and apparently my knees bent and over-balanced me backwards or something because that angle where my hip and lumbar connect bent too far and there was instant pain. That vertebrae is really sore today and feels swollen and if I bend back even a little it hurts. I still did yoga this morning and practiced my elbow stands some more even though I know I should be taking it easy so I don't really hurt myself but I can't help it. I want it so bad, I just can't keep myself from training, especially now that I've gotten used to doing it every day. I've been icing it and am about to soak in a hot bath and then ice it again and if the pain isn't gone by Monday, I'm tempted to call my chiropractor and see if she can take a look at it. I really don't want to get readjusted this close to vaulting crunch-time but I may not have a choice. Honestly though, I may not even be able to get an appointment so the student health center (or "quack shack" as the students affectionately call it :P) may have to do, though I doubt they'd be much help.

So all reading this, please just pray for speedy healing for my back and nothing serious so I can get back to training asap and have my routine ready to show my coach next weekend (which I still have only half-choreographed-yikes!).

Better Late Than Never - Stock Show Recap

I know, I know, I'm over a month late on this but I've been crazy busy with school and training and just life in general so cut me some slack :P.

The stock show was so much fun and I'm really glad we got to do it. I did come down standing at the trot but I stood back up and finished and landed my dismount. Turns out, it was really an off-day for pretty much everyone. Even the vaulters from the other clubs who were a lot better than us struggled at every turn and one of their horses tripped during a double but I know that I had fun and my coach was really proud of us, even though we weren't perfect. The best part is, we've been invited back next year! We got lots of compliments from the audience and everyone watching really seemed impressed, no matter how much or how little we each did. I love performing for people and getting to share my love of this wonderful sport with them. Plus, people who've never seen this before don't know when you mess up! lol