World Record Training

I’ve finally decided to make it official and set the world record for jump roping on a unicycle. In case you haven’t been to one of my shows recently (I mention this during the show), I’m aiming to set the record for the most jumps in one minute. I submitted my info to Guinness a while back so I have all the info needed to do it officially, the only thing left? Get in top shape to do it.

I know many of you are thinking, you jump rope for a living, you’re in shape. Well…yes and no. Over the past few years, I have been jumping rope on my unicycle close to every day. The only problem is that I usually do it during a show and then it’s only for 30 seconds or so and I’m doing a bunch of tricks and double unders. None of that really gets you ready to set a World Record. As close as I am to it already, I have found that I need some fine tuning to really make this happen.

A couple weeks ago I decided to set up a training regiment so that I can do the record on every attempt and not just beat it, I want to destroy it. The current record is 220 and was set by Qiu Hongying (don’t ask me how to pronounce it). I will give some updates as things progress, but after 2 weeks of training, I’m hitting over 200 consistently and am quickly approaching the completion of the first stage of training.

Coming from a competitive rope skipping background, I have no problem with the speed jumping aspect. The difficulty in jumping rope on a unicycle has to do with using leg muscles that are not generally worked out. I remember the first time I ever jumped on a unicycle, I ended up with some major bruises on the inside of my thighs. The hip adductors are one of the key muscles needed to hold the unicycle in place when jumping, but is generally a less than strong muscle in most people. I’ve been focusing on strengthening it (along with my abductors) so that I can keep the unicycle in position for the entire minute without it slipping.

Needless to say, any world record attempt is a challenge. I will be hopefully doing the official record sometime in the next 1-2 months, but I will keep you updated as things progress. The thing that is making this training exceptionally fun right now is the fact that I am having some big issues with my lower back right now. Muscle spasms, crippling pain…it’s adding so much to the adventure. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that overcoming obstacles is never fun…but it’s always worth it.