Spring Break
Back to work
Olivia Vivian
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Sports
It's weird how basic human instincts work. We want what we can't have. So while I was training, all I wanted was a break, and now that I'm on a break, all I want is to start training again.
"Time off" is a very uncommon term in the sport of gymnastics. If we take more than a week off, we start losing our orientation and the smaller muscles that we don't use in everyday life. I don't know why this is, but I can tell you that it sucks.
Gymnastics is a sport where you have to be constantly training if you want to maintain your skills. Our training began in fall term, and went non-stop until two weeks ago. We got a week off at Christmas and that was it. We competed through New Year's and trained through spring break. But that's gymnastics.
We gymnasts typically anticipate this time of year, as it's the time we get a break. In fact, towards the end of our season, the days are counted down until the end. It's not like we hate gymnastics, it's just that our bodies get worn out and need the time to recover.
So after Nationals our team gets two weeks off. Due to getting sick before Nationals, I've had around a month off. That's a long break in gymnastics, but it only feels like a few days. It's like the weekend. It just goes by way too fast. But as a gymnast, if we start losing our abilities after a week, image what a month will do!
Our gymnasium is open for optional use this week, so I went into the gym on Monday to do some skills. The result of this was my inability to get out of bed the next day because of muscle soreness. The second I stepped out of bed, I felt like a 90 year old woman who needed a walker to make it to the bathroom.
We all get sore when we start using a muscle that hasn't been used in a while, but it's ridiculous how many we use in gymnastics. And as uncomfortable as it is, the best way to get rid of muscle soreness is to move around and get those muscles moving.
Back in Australia, we used to take ice baths to flush out the lactic acid that caused muscle soreness. I never thought I'd crave an ice bath again until I woke up on Tuesday.
But muscle soreness is just one of many consequences of taking time off in sport. Now this doesn't apply to everyone. OSU's Tasha Smith took nine months off to have a child, then recently returned only to amaze everyone by competing at Nationals and winning Second Team All American! There are no words to describe how incredible Tasha is.
But for the rest, as much as we desire and dream of taking months off to rest, we know what will happen if we do. And that's why the gymnasium is open this week for those who don't want to be too sore next week when our training officially starts again.
Olivia Vivian, OSU gymnastics
sports@dailybarometer.com
"Time off" is a very uncommon term in the sport of gymnastics. If we take more than a week off, we start losing our orientation and the smaller muscles that we don't use in everyday life. I don't know why this is, but I can tell you that it sucks.
Gymnastics is a sport where you have to be constantly training if you want to maintain your skills. Our training began in fall term, and went non-stop until two weeks ago. We got a week off at Christmas and that was it. We competed through New Year's and trained through spring break. But that's gymnastics.
We gymnasts typically anticipate this time of year, as it's the time we get a break. In fact, towards the end of our season, the days are counted down until the end. It's not like we hate gymnastics, it's just that our bodies get worn out and need the time to recover.
So after Nationals our team gets two weeks off. Due to getting sick before Nationals, I've had around a month off. That's a long break in gymnastics, but it only feels like a few days. It's like the weekend. It just goes by way too fast. But as a gymnast, if we start losing our abilities after a week, image what a month will do!
Our gymnasium is open for optional use this week, so I went into the gym on Monday to do some skills. The result of this was my inability to get out of bed the next day because of muscle soreness. The second I stepped out of bed, I felt like a 90 year old woman who needed a walker to make it to the bathroom.
We all get sore when we start using a muscle that hasn't been used in a while, but it's ridiculous how many we use in gymnastics. And as uncomfortable as it is, the best way to get rid of muscle soreness is to move around and get those muscles moving.
Back in Australia, we used to take ice baths to flush out the lactic acid that caused muscle soreness. I never thought I'd crave an ice bath again until I woke up on Tuesday.
But muscle soreness is just one of many consequences of taking time off in sport. Now this doesn't apply to everyone. OSU's Tasha Smith took nine months off to have a child, then recently returned only to amaze everyone by competing at Nationals and winning Second Team All American! There are no words to describe how incredible Tasha is.
But for the rest, as much as we desire and dream of taking months off to rest, we know what will happen if we do. And that's why the gymnasium is open this week for those who don't want to be too sore next week when our training officially starts again.
Olivia Vivian, OSU gymnastics
sports@dailybarometer.com
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