Lucky #13

This weekend I finally got back into the sky – and it felt great!

After taking two weeks off – due to wind and a minor elbow injury, as you may recall – my level of nervousness was a little higher than usual, but as soon as that door opened at 10,000 I was right back in the game.

(That would be my nervous smile.)

I finally got to fly my new jumpsuit that came in the mail last week (and was taunting me for days as it hung from my closet door). Since I’m still new to the sport I strapped the booties to my legs rather than using them in free fall. Once I’m an expert at flying my body, you best believe I’ll be giving those booties a try!

Jump #12 – My first diving exit.

I felt like Superwoman. That is, until I was backflying – unintentionally. Oh look, there’s the plane! I stabilized belly to Earth with enough time to get in a back flip and attempt a front flip. Winds were mild, maybe 5 mph and variable. Soft landing that I rolled out but really should have stood up.

(Mid-front flip!)

Jump #13 – Lucky #13, and that it was. Our plane was full, VERY full. Clouds rolled in and we had to circle for almost an hour before the skies allowed us to jump. But it was worth the wait as we got about 1,500 feet more than we typically would. More free fall time, woot! I asked Lonnie to jump with me for some new solo pictures, video, and a little coaching. Check out his work at VelocityPhoto.com. I see now that I need to get my head up and quit looking at the ground.

(All smiles!)

You can find more pictures on my Flickr and Facebook pages.

Overall my jumps went well and more importantly I had a blast! My AFF friends graduated on to solo this weekend too. It’s always great to hear their stories. And I even got to watch my friend Jessica come down from her first tandem – which she loved, naturally. I left the drop zone feeling pretty great last night. Can’t wait till next weekend!

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Yoga and Skydiving

As a former competitive runner, I always felt that yoga complemented the sport so well. It helps elongate and strengthen muscles to help prevent injuries. Which is ultimately the reason I slowed down my running in the first place.

I’ve kept practicing yoga ever since and have found that it’s the perfect complement to skydiving.

Yoga involves not only strength but focus and body awareness. It forces you to pay close attention to your body, how it feels in certain positions, all the while strengthening your mind and your muscles.

As any skydiver knows, free fall takes body awareness. Strengthening this focus during yoga can be highly beneficial to any skydiver.

Of course, we can’t forget that stronger, leaner muscles will only help protect us during hard openings and landing falls.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out this article on Dropzone.com for a similar opinion and tips on how and when to practice.

Blue Skies!

Ashley