GTT – Embarrassing Moments

Oh joy! I need to begin this post by admitting that I am not easily embarrassed. It’s not that I am impervious to my own stupidity. Far from it. But I am not modest nor prudish, so crude humor or mooning or pulling down my pants doesn’t really ‘get’ me. Likewise, whipping out old, ugly pictures of me is just kind of a giggle-worthy. A visceral moment of remembering bad make-up and bad hair days. Occasionally a social faux-pas gets me a little blushed, but that is about it.

This, of course, is the adult me talking. The teenage me was not so hardened. Thus, my story here is one of mortifying embarrassment in high school.

I was an athlete in high school. Not the star athlete, mind you. But I did gymnastics, ran track, was a cheerleader, etc. My hero in high school was a gorgeous girl named Sheenagh (not a pseudonym; isn’t that an AWESOME hero name!?). I worshiped her. She was naturally gorgeous, friendly, talented, and a great track athlete. When I discovered that she was on the track team, I tried out. When I found out she ran hurdles, I asked coach to let me train in hurdles. Some lunkhead decided that I had potential, so they started training me.

We had a short practice track right next to our baseball field at my high school. We often practiced there because it was less distracting than the regular track around the football field.  Coach told me one day that we were having a special training practice on Saturday morning; we were going to work on technique and timing. AND Sheenagh was assisting. Heaven!

I arrive Saturday morning to find that there is a 10-team baseball tournament going on at our school all day Saturday. The teenage girl in me thought, “Oooohhh… cute boys in cute baseball unis watching ME while I practice. Score!”

Coach, Sheenagh, and about 5 other members of the track team were on the practice track. After a warm-up and stretch, we started working on a specific hurdle drill. It was very old school. The idea was to develop your hurdle technique while simultaneously working to keep as little amount of space between you and the hurdle as possible. So, the drill consisted of putting a fairly small rock on the top of the hurdle, which we were to knock off without hitting the hurdle as we went over said hurdle. *blank stare*

Oh, ok. “Can I get a demonstration?” I asked. “Sure” said coach, who then summoned my super hero for a demonstration. Like a graceful gazelle, Sheenagh leapt over the hurdle, skimming the rock off yet avoiding touching the hurdle AT ALL. *swoon*

Then he asked Sheenagh to help me with my training. *double large swoon*

So, we began to work on our drill. She was a great trainer, I was doing well. It took me awhile to get the rock off the hurdle (at least by kicking it, I knocked it off several other creative ways). Then, finally, with much pride, I did it! I made it over the hurdle, good form, good timing, AND I kicked off the rock without turning over the hurdle. WIN!!

Coach and Sheenagh both gave me fantastic praise. I was in heaven. Until… Coach said that the next step (wait … what next step? I am perfection. I kicked the rock. I RULE. What can I do to beat that?) was to do the drill on three consecutive hurdles. *faints*

See, when training in hurdles, your rhythm and timing of steps is crucial. Even if your technique is perfect, it won’t matter if you studder-step or miss your timing. Moreover, 2 hurdles in a row will not get a rhythm going, so you have to start with 3. Once you have mastered 3, Coach reasoned, you should be able to do the entire lap (from a timing perspective). With a bit of encouragement from Sheenagh, I sucked it up and set up the 3 hurdles for the drill.

Meanwhile, all 10 of the baseball teams had come out onto the baseball field for some announcements or awards or something, I don’t know. I just know there were a gazillion baseball players out there. *pressure*

Hurdle 1 has a rock, hurdle 2 has no rock, hurdle 3 has a rock. Don’t EVEN understand that logic, but whatevs. I find my starter mark, I mentally picture successfully making it through the drill, I glance over at Sheenagh for some last minute moral support. She winks and gestures for me to go.

Hurdle 1 – I make it over but miss the rock. (Coach yells “Keep going!”)

Hurdle 2 – I clear it well, I am almost there!!! I gotta get this rock on #3! (Sheenagh yells “You can do this!”)

Hurdle 3 – front leg makes it over, back knee catches hurdle. FACEPLANT.

Mortifying. I’m pretty sure I blacked out for a minute, probably from overwhelming embarrassment. I remember a very loud round of “oooooooo” coming from the baseball field. I never looked that direction, so I can’t be sure. I scraped myself off the pavement and went to lay in the grass. I stared up at the sky and cursed the Gods of Embarrasment. ‘Why? Why did you do this to me?’

I am still waiting on that answer. *sigh*

I might have also ranted about this here:

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• Girl Talk Thursday – Seriously? Attractive?
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Tags: embarrassing moments, Girl Talk Thursday, GTT