Win of the Week: Rope Climb

Made it more than halfway! Photo from my friend Aly (who climbed all the way to the top!)

Only on my second day back at CrossFit Greenhills (after a month-long hiatus,) and I conquered the rope! I tried this once late last year, and couldn't understand the footwork; but took a mental note to pursue it as a new goal. Earlier today, with my Morning Crew, and with the help of "unusually-perky" Coach Stephen, I managed a few squat breaks (will double check this term) and almost made it to the top! I probably could've done it, but I belatedly realized that it was a bad day to wear shorts. 🔥 I got rope burn on my thighs! 

As with many skills, this can't be done by anyone at just any point in time; but it can be done after some training. I'm proof of that, and that's why I love CrossFit so much: I always win at something after I put in the work. 

Wanna try the rope climb? Here are some of my tips as a newbie climber.

1) Wear pants!

2) Put the rope between your legs, and twist it around one leg once (refer to picture.)

3) Clamp the lower end of the rope with the other foot.

4) Position your hands slightly higher than your head and engage your arms for a pull. (The boys said they engaged their lats.)

5) Scooch your legs up closer to your butt, like a reverse squat (or a ballet plié!) without losing your feet's clamp on the rope.

6) Stand up from the squatting position to hoist yourself upward.

7) Repeat from #4.

That's it for my Win of the Week (I should launch this as recurring theme.) Off to work! Happy Tuesday!

P.S. It's my first time to post from my iPad, and there aren't many formatting options!

Grandparents Day

My sister requested to have dimsum for brunch, at this cart-serviced Chinese joint we frequent only on Sunday mornings, because it's her last weekend in the country for a while. After a giant bowl of congee, and several plates of our usuals doused in chili oil, we headed to the shopping centre to run some errands. While waiting for her number to be called at a certain telecom's customer service, she wanted to grab some Rita's from a couple of shops down. We both quickly chose Gelatis, then noticed a promo: free kiddie cups when accompanied by grandparents. I grabbed my dad from next door, hurriedly and poorly explaining why, but he smiled when he got to choose Tangerine from the sugar-free selection. 

Yeap, I pretended my dad was my lolo, and who would contest that hair?

My sister and my dad went to the dentist and the barber, respectively, while I met up with friends this afternoon. A friend whom I met 11 years ago, during an exchange program in UP, arranged for us to sing for her lola who suffered from a stroke. We spent a few hours with their family, reading verses, praying, singing, and then eating. She'll be flying back to the bay area tomorrow night, and wanted to leave her lola with a small blessing. 

I never met my mom's parents, and hardly got to know my father's, who lived in Bicol all their lives. I felt a tinge of envy watching Heidi's devotion to her lola, and wondered what it would've been like to know mine. My parents are now grandparents, but miles away from their two apo living in Washington; but I pray that the kids know how wonderful their grandparents are, and someday be as loving and sensitive to their needs as I had witnessed my friend be to hers.