Georgeous weather today. Headed out to Clapham Common as usual and did a full lap plus a bit of road running. The tracks on the Common are still a challenge - lots of twigs and stones. The smooth-ish concrete at the end was very refreshing!
Also did some "playing". I practised some balancing on "the log" (a big piece of tree trunk lying horizontal with handy taller and shorter sections for varying challenges) but couldn't do my usual jumps onto it as someone had left their clothes right at my "jump point". I did cartwheeling (not on the log - yet!) and was endeavouring to be as good on my left side as I am on my right. Years of favouring my right side has quite literally done me no favours! One thing that horrifies me - I used to be able to do forward and backward rolls. I never dreamt that one day I wouldn't be able to do them anymore, but the technique now eludes me. However, today David showed me how to do a break fall type roll, where you sort of roll diagonally on your shoulder. I couldn't get my head around how to do it at first, but then suddenly, I did it! I immediately tried it on the other shoulder and managed that too.
When I was a kid I could do all sorts of acrobatics and this is what movement therapy and barefoot running are about. Being able to move your body in many different, natural ways and having the confidence to do so. We really do forget how to move - sounds bizarre, but it's true.
And, as usual today when I was playing, I felt like a kid again with no reservations. There was a group of people near us doing their "military fitness" session and the contrast between us was huge. They were pushing their bodies but were also extremely self-conscious - this made for a very restricted, wound up group of people. I was too busy enjoying my movement to care what anyone else thought about how I looked and as a result, I felt relaxed. This is how we feel as kids when playing and is unfortunately what we lose as we become self-conscious, socially restrained adults.....
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