Happy handstand Friday! I have challenged myself (and you!) to photograph doing a handstand each Friday in 2013. The handstand can be supported against a wall, object, person or even by yourself using your own strength and balance. My intention with the handstand challenge is to gain upper body strength as well as core strength. Throughout the year I (we) will be able to see our strength increase and our confidence in the handstand soar!
Last week, I had three wisdom teeth extracted. I was given the all clear to resume regular activities (while listening to my body) and resume normal eating patterns. Yay! Although I have not resumed running… walking and strength training have already begun.
Yesterday, I did my handstand Friday photo while at the gym. I did a quick, yet comfortable, 3.5 miles on the treadmill and a quick upper body strength session. After my workout I headed to the racquetball courts to take my photo for the handstand challenge.
I set up my iPhone’s camera app to shoot using the countdown/timer. It is hard holding your handstand for 15 seconds (because the other option, 5 seconds, wasn’t enough time for me to get positioned). After a handful of handstand attempts and photos, I decided to call it a day. I was content with my above photo to share with you today.
Then one of the most embarrassing things happened to me at my gym!
I became that person that you laugh at when you are at the gym. You know the one. The one who does something completely silly and off the wall that you can’t stop starring and wonder what the heck is wrong with them!?
Yeah. That one. That person was me!
I gathered up my belongings (phone, jacket, yurbuds, water) and walked toward the door. I looked at it. Thought to myself, Wow it looks really brown and rusty! Moment passed. I began to try to get out.
I pushed. I pulled. I pried my finger nails in between the little arch (horse shoe shaped lever).
It didn’t move.
I thought to myself, Great! This is why no one was using THIS court. The door is broke! I am stuck in here! I can’t get out!
I worked on the door lever for 5… maybe 10 minutes. No luck. I couldn’t figure out how to GET OUT OF THE RACQUETBALL COURT! I was STUCK!
I began to panic a little. My time was up in the childcare. I needed to pick up the boys.
I look in front of me (the glass door/wall) and see a man on his phone… just texting away to someone special. I talked to him right before I went in to take my handstand photos, asking if he was using this court! I tap on the glass, he casually looks up from his phone… looks at me… then looks back down at his phone.
I think, “Wow! That was rude!?”
A few seconds later a group of about 5 women walk by my court. I furiously tap on the glass.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
They look back at me. I gesture for them to open the door (pointing down at the door knob I have been prying at for 15 minutes). They walk on. Away from me.
A few minutes later (after continuous prying and pushing and attempting to open the door) a mom and her three children walk by my court. I tap more furiously with vigor.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Knock. Knock. Knock.
I see a space between the glass (door/wall) and YELL “Can you get me out of here?! I am stuck!”
The teenage daughter looks at me confused. Then takes about 5 steps towards me to help. But for some reason she changed her mind!! Then began to walk away!!
I tap louder and begin to SHOUT LOUDER between the glass slabs.
Can you help me!? I am locked in here!?
I now have the mom’s attention. She slowly, cautiously walks toward my racquetball court. Looks at me oddly. Then steps 3 feet to my right… and… opens the door!
When she opens the door she just looks at me.
Confused. Stupidly. Oddly.
I sheepishly say, Thank you! and walk quickly away. Trying not to make eye contact. Quickly past the man who has been sitting on the carpeted steps right in front of my court the entire duration of my handstand photos and frantic attempts to get out.
Yes. He was there throughout the whole ordeal. Did not help. Did not look up. Did not make eye contact. I think somewhere in the internet world he was sharing about this one crazy girl in front of him who thinks she is locked in the racquetball court! LOL I bet he and his family are still laughing about this today!
Once out of the court and free to breathe… I couldn’t contain my own giggles. I had to share my idiocy with my facebook friends and say … Oh Em Gee! I was totally THAT girl at the gym today! Yes. Even my husband can’t stop giggling and rehashing my story. He actually wants to reenact the situation… him wearing a brown haired wig and pretending to be me. True Love Right?
As I type this, I can almost hear those ladies (who didn’t help and the one who did) and the man STILL laughing out loud as they retell the story of this chick doing handstands in the racquetball court… then thinking she was locked in there. Sigh.
I am going to plead temporary insanity. I did just get my wisdom teeth out last week. I was doing handstands a few moments before… so all the blood to my brain could have caused me some confusion. Perhaps it was the pain medicine that made me confused. Or as my good friend Amy shared with me on facebook, I am too smart for small details – such as door knobs and openings.
Oh Em Gee… I was totally that girl… totally embarrassed… totally hilarious!
After the gym, I needed MORE fresh air to get out my giggles and the boys wiggles. They participated in this week’s handstand fun! They are getting better and love getting their photos taken.
Yes, as I type this… I am laughing out loud. I can even hear my husband snort and snicker upstairs as he rehashes my hilariously embarrassing gym moment. Ah good times. Anything for a laugh, eh?
Have you had a totally embarrassing gym moment? How did you recover/cope?
Perhaps you are just visiting to link up for handstand Friday! Awesome! Please leave a link to your post, tweet, instagram, or facebook post of your handstand photo share!! I look forward to seeing you (and perhaps your children) in all your upside down glory!
** I want to add that I am very familiar with a racquetball court. My husband and I play together often. It was not the first time I was in a racquetball court. It was however the first time I thought I was locked in. **
** Tomorrow when I get to the gym I will take a photo and share on my facebook page what I thought was the door knob! **
** I hope I made you giggle out loud at least one time while reading my mishap! **
Have a fantastic Friday!
thanks for the giggle. Glad you “made it out alive!”
Haha! Thanks! I think there WAS one point that I wasn’t sure that was going to happen! LOL
Hhah..good times. It’s good to be able to laugh at yourself!
I’m dying. Lol. Totally something I would do.
HAHA, that is pretty funny but I am glad you made it out alive even though it was a little embarrassing.
I love the handstand photo!! Man, I used to do them all the time in H.S. cheerleading… but don’t think I’ve tried since… Hmmm, may have to do that today. Just for kicks.
I think you can do it! 🙂 I too was a cheerleader and was always tumbling around. Now… 15 years later I can still ‘halfway’ do what I was able to do back then. Although my handsprings are NOT pretty.. and my jumps NOT high… I am atleast getting off the ground. 😉
LOL!!! I would totally do the same thing.
You poor thing! I can just imagine the frustration you must have experienced and the following embarrassment. I can’t believe so many just ignored you. Despite the door being right there, it was probably pretty obvious that you weren’t just messing around but in real panic mode! I’ve done so many, ahem, stupid things that I can’t even begin to recount them.