Nov
2019

Feeling fit!

My floor routine for competitions is coming along nicely. I am excited about it!

He said

One of the commitments I made to myself when we got the rower was to be on it every single day (unless we were camping or I played hockey) for at least 30 minutes of exercise. Deep down I thought that was a pretty lofty goal to hit, but part of the reason I wanted home workout equipment in the house is that I didn’t want any possible excuse to get in the way of getting healthy. It has been 19 days since we got the rower, I am happy to say I have maintained that 100% with 18 workouts! I was excused 2 of the days for hockey, but I also did it twice one day because, why not?

I am feeling a ton better and already down about 5 pounds which is great. And I have noticed a huge difference in my stride at hockey. Not to mention my hockey pants fit looser again. I find all that it takes is to push myself to get on it, and within two minutes to find the right rhythm, and the right soundtrack, I can whip off 30 minutes without hesitation. In fact, I am finding I really love it as a workout. It has been the best workout plan I have ever engaged in. And the one funny thing I have found is that I can do it half-ass – even on days where I’ve earned myself the ability to take it easy by going on 30 minute mall walks on my lunch, I still find my pace once I’m on the rower is Giv’r Hell!

For the past few weeks Emelia has been talking about life after Gymnastics. She has reached the level (6) that she always said wanted to make it too, before she was done. And she even got there about a year ahead of when she thought she might. As much as she loves the sport and we do for the confidence she’s gained from it – not to mention the insane muscle tone – it is also a very tough sport on bodies. So, she has spent a lot of time thinking about what that next thing is and right now that is cheer. It’s a common transition sport for Gymnasts, and she even has teammates that have moved on to it. So, in true Emelia fashion it is all she talks and thinks about these days.

We’ve told her we want her to finish out the season strong and still do the tryout for next year’s Gymworld placements but that we would be open to exploring Cheer at the end of the season. The main reason we want her to go to the tryouts, is she levels up higher and back on the Provincial team, she might have a harder time deciding to exit Gymnastics for Cheer. And we also know that’s she’s having a harder time this year on the Xcel Gold team because they’re only going to 2 competitions and they aren’t until March which is so far off. We know her well enough that come competition time she may be recharged about gymnastics—especially if she places well. Even more-so if she ends up levelling up and/or going to the provincial team.

In the end, all we want is for her to be happy, challenged and to have fun. If she is done Gymnastics this season we might be a little sad for a sport that gave her so much. But, we will also be happy that it gave her the confidence to recognize when it’s time to move on, and the desire to still want to do something that will challenge her and learn new skills and work different muscles. She’s an active girl that challenges herself to be fit and work hard. How can we want anything else for her?

She said

This week was a rougher one for Emelia. As John mentioned gymnastics take quite the toll on athletes’ bodies and this week was no different for Emelia. For the last few months she has been battling lower back pain. We have her in physiotherapy to get things under control. The therapy has been very helpful but she still battles the lower back pain and it has been impacting her training. With impact results in frustration. So it has been harder to get her motivated to go to training because she is so frustrated with some key elements. Add in this week she battled her first winter cold/virus, this took her out of training on Wednesday and kept her home from school.

Emelia’s focus (she is a planner like her mother… and she frets—from her mother) has been prepping for her next adventure. She has been stressing herself about what she wants to do for next season. She has been back and forth on staying in gymnastics for another year or making the leap to cheerleading. To put her mind at ease I chatted with the cheer gym she is interested in trying out at and they have been amazing. Barring Emelia staying focused at gymnastics and her health we are going to let her try some open gyms at the cheer gym to see what it is all about. It will give her an idea of what training looks like and to see if she really wants to make this change next season.

Emelia is growing up so fast, nothing has been made that more apparent than her Christmas wish list this season and how we spent our Saturday. Every year about a month before Christmas, Emelia and I take on the task of a room clean out, taking out things she no longer uses or plays with. On Friday Emelia started the process. She took apart her closet and rearranged everything. She packed up most of the toys she no longer plays with and sadly packed away her American Girls to the office as she wants them around but rarely touches them. She wants to keep them but no longer wants toys around. We spent the rest of Friday night and Saturday making that last flip over from girl room to teen room.

Saturday, Emelia wanted to go to the home design stores and we found an early present thanks to her grandparents, side tables, yes side tables – that is what she wanted for Christmas. Emelia wanted more than anything this year was her teen room. Gone is her little girl room and she has moved to a very grown-up space, fully decorated and chosen by her. She is slowly picking away at the room and it is becoming her perfect zen personal space. Today I found her a couple shelves that she wanted and it is really coming together. Its such a bitter sweet time, I love watching the young woman she is becoming but my heart aches that my baby isn’t a baby anymore.

Leave a Reply