Jump or Skip? February Challenge

As some might know, I have gone back to square one with running, again.  After a conversation with my neurophysiotherapist and coach, I concluded that the only way to get faster was to focus on biomechanics, and specifically improving my ability to push from my calves and glutes.

In January I was given a whole new protocol for rehab.  My coach started to build in killer leg concentric exercises to our track sessions.  And I asked a few questions about other things that may help with rehab – things that would be fun to do.  Things that wouldn’t seem like work.

The answer?  Well, jump rope.  Or skip rope (as they say in the UK).

Now… where to find one.  And where to skip.  And who would I tell about my plans to start skipping again, at age 40…

Twitter, of course.  My friends Laura, Vicky, Lula, and Ann were all game to join in.  A skipping challenge…

But what type of challenge?  Where would we log it?  What would we do?

I mean, no way could I hope to skip like this…

We decided on a two pronged challenge – to jump rope every day in February, and to track the longest (measured in minutes) duration of skipping.

Now… How to log?  And how to keep motivated?

First, I offered to let anyone do a guest post on my blog for the skipping challenge – videos, photos, thoughts, you name it.  During the month of February I am perfectly happy for people to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any contributions they’d like to share for the skipping challenge, and as long as the contributions stay for public consumption (no nude skipping videos please!) I will post them.

Next, we needed a hastag, to file the thoughts, reports, times, tricks and other random skipping tweets.  After a lot of testing different combos, the one that seems to resonate is #FebSkip.  When you post about the challenge and what you are doing on Twitter, add the #FebSkip tag and that will make the tweet searchable – you can read what everyone posting is saying.  It is also a way to make sure that everyone can read about the challenge.

Finally, the motivation.  My hope is that by a bunch of us doing this together that we might find the motivation to do a form of exercise that raises heart rates, that is fun, the is great for biomechanics, and that increasingly the professionals are recommending.  And with any luck we might be able to unearth some professionals to write about the benefits of skipping rope, or to share their thoughts on the challenge during February.

So, hop to it. Find a rope. Do as Kris Kross suggest…  And send me your contributions to #FebSkip which I will publish!

 

One response to “Jump or Skip? February Challenge”

  1. My daughter has recently become enamored, nay OBSESSED, with jumping rope. I’ve posited the idea to her, and she and I are going to be jumpin’ fools right along with you for as much of February as possible. Great idea, Donna!

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