Upside-frickin'-down

I have made my first resolution for 2009. Yeah, I know it's March, but I was focused on March 1st as my one-year anniversary, so there's hardly been any time at all. OK. So you ready? Here it is:

A free-standing handstand.

I have a block against handstands. I've realized I just hate going upside down. It freaks me out, in a way that nothing else we do in CrossFit does. Of course, this means I need to face it down, figure it out, and - in the words of Robb Wolf - embrace it and make it my bitch.

This is a long-term project. Tonight I took some first steps and finally managed my first completely unassisted handstands against the wall - three times. It took half an hour of hops and bouncings OFF the wall before I made it stick, but once I got it I was able to get the others fairly quickly. Of course, the wall is a crutch that most gymnasts recommend AGAINST using, as it trains you against using proper hollow form. I want to be able to kick up to a wall handstand easily for HSPUs, but for this project I'm going to be working freestanding progressions. Forward rolls of varying heights, then handstands facing the wall and rolling out of, then tons and tons of practice figuring out how to kick up into thin air.

Baby steps.

Oh, and I also did a little climbing. Two Jim climbs: a 10b arete that was a nice little puzzler, and a delicate-as-all-hell 10d that involved a great deal of liebacking off holds that really didn't feel substantial enough to lieback on, and shoving my nose into a corner while inching arms and legs up to tiny holds. I fell several times. Definitely want to try that one again.