Tuesday, August 11, 2015

I've Been Gone Awhile and Then, OOPS!

I know it has been a long time since I updated this blog, but I've been (or HAD been) training in my basement gym (The Dungeon) faithfully for the last couple of years, that is, until a few weeks ago. That's when I had a major OOPS!

Back around the beginning of this year, I got interested in Powered Paragliding or PPG. For those who don't know what that is, it's where you strap a motor with a propeller on your back, hook into a paraglider "wing", run into the air and fly like a bird. After much research, back in late June, I spent a full week training, learning mostly how to ground handle or "kite" the wing. A few weeks later, it was time to learn to handle the wing in the air. This is accomplished by hooking up to a ground-based "tow rig" which uses a winch and a small, very strong tow line to pull you up into the air, allowing you to glide down, controlling the wing as you go. This drill is supposed to end with a successful landing, where you land on your feet and take a few steps before turning and gracefully setting your wing on the ground.

Well, things didn't go as planned for me. The video below shows me being towed up for the third time that morning. On this third "flight", I landed on my rear end, put my hand back to catch myself and broke my wrist in the process. I'm now in a cast on my left arm from just below the elbow down. Did I mention that I'm left-handed? This has greatly limited my ability to train. There are still some lower body exercises that I can do, but most of the upper body stuff has been put on hold.

So, watch the video and have a laugh at my expense.


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