stretching

Monday Musings on A Tuesday

I do always have the best intentions when it comes to writing. However, sometimes stuff (read work) gets in the way.

Did I accomplish every goal from last week? Nope. Am I going to beat myself up about it? Nope. Actively realizing that I don’t need to attain perfection is something else I’m working on this year.

So, let’s have some positives.  I worked out a plenty. Didn’t stretch enough. I blogged a plenty. Didn’t work on the book enough. I GOT MY JANUARY POLE MOVE! I got my January pole move. I was able to be a pole student, which is always fantastic. (Many thanks to the lovely Jen W. over at Studio 3SixT!) I got pushed hard and learned a few new things on top of Brass Monkey.  Success!

This week, I’ll try to continue working out a fair amount, stretching, writing, being the goofball that I am, choreographing two showcase routines (but only performing one), and running errands like a maniac Wed – Sat whilst trying to stay warm and beat the snow. Even though it’s winter, and it’s Colorado, apparently, it doesn’t typically get as cold as it’s about to out here. Going to that Broncos game on Saturday? Good effing luck. It isn’t supposed to be above 20 for the entire game. Is my team playing? No. And you know what? Even if they were, I would be hard pressed to go sit out there in that sort of weather, even for my beloved Steelers.  Hell, if the Super Bowl were here (which Denver wants but I just don’t see happening simply on the CHANCE that this upcoming weather could reoccur), I still think I’d watch from home. I don’t know that I have enough snowboard gear to justify sitting outside for 3 or 4 hours in below freezing temperatures when I’m not actually snowboarding.

Sidebar: I don’t necessarily want to see it happen, but I feel that the Ravens at least get to, if not win the Super Bowl. Ray Ray is done. He is a legend. The NFL will have him go out on top. Just like Jerome did. Go ahead, NFL, prove me wrong with not one questionable call for or against the Ravens as long as they keep playing.

Backing up for a moment, how about success? There are times when I see others and feel that they are successful. I don’t necessarily feel that way about myself. BUT, just this morning, I started thinking to myself and came to the conclusion that, by MY standards, which are the only ones that matter to me, I AM successful. I am gainfully employed making a decent salary. I don’t live in fear of my car dying (any more). I have a roof over my head (a pretty decent one to boot). I have activities that I enjoy and someone with whom to share them. And most importantly, to me, I get the opportunity, on a weekly basis, to interact with and encourage my fellow dancers.  I hope that I get to inspire them. But even if I don’t, I know that I enjoy their company and the joie de vivre (how bout that French) that each dancer brings to the studio. Sooooo, successful? Me? Yes. I. AM.

Last thing before I take off here. I added one more weekly goal. Spanish Sunday. Having taken 4 years of high school Spanish, having lived in Mexico for nearly 2 years, and having a fluent Spanish speaker in the house, there is really no reason for me not to be speaking considerably better Spanish than I do.  So Hubby has agreed to do Spanish Sunday with me wherein he will only speak to me in Spanish and only reply to me if I have spoken to him in Spanish. It’s immersion without leaving the house! Boy there are lot’s of things I want to accomplish this year. How about you? How are your goals/resolutions coming?

Shower Dog? Yoga Around The House

Down Shower? Down Shower Dog? Drown Dog? (No, that one sounds pretty bad.) OK, Shower Dog.

What the hell am I talking about? An adapted downward facing dog in the shower. Obviously, regular down dog in the shower isn’t gonna cut it…unless you shower in a snorkel and mask. Personally, I leave those items for the ocean, so being in a position trying to stretch where water can run up my nose (yeah) doesn’t really interest me. Realize that I’m no yogi; I’m a recreational yoga class attendee. When I say class, I mean P90X in the basement. So, I’m sure it’s understandable that perhaps Down Dog isn’t even the most appropriate way to describe this. Perhaps a shower dolphin is better. Let’s just talk about it and you can decide for yourself.

The other day, I ate like an absolute pig. Way too much. As punishment, I was the recipient of a gas bubble that was as hard as a rock, sitting beneath my ample bosom. Ha! I tried to get rid of it by massaging it down, but this sucker was stubborn. It’s like it was just giving me the finger and saying, “Why’d you eat that if you weren’t even hungry?!?!” I decided to take me and my new gas bubble friend to the shower. After just enjoying the hot water for a little bit, I thought that I would try elongating the bubble thinking that maybe it just couldn’t move because it was too big.

Enter Shower Dog.  This would be a lot easier if I just took a picture, but I’m not getting in the shower fully clothed and I can’t see the hubby being thrilled about taking that photo. Anywho, here’s the position: I place my hands on the back wall of the shower, fully extending my arms over my head. Now, I arch pretty hard and move my face and ample bosom (Ha!) towards the back wall as well so that I am getting a lovely shoulder stretch. To take full advantage of the space, I also engage my quads and hammies and think about getting my hammies up against the wall that the shower head is on. Hopefully you can picture this. I held the “pose” for a little bit, released, did it again without the leg engagement, released, did it again with the legs engaged.

You know what’s crazy? It worked. The gas bubble of death moved along its merry way. Bonus that I got some nice stretching in as well. I think I’ll keep doing random, adapted yoga all over the house. Makes it kinda fun. Of course I’ll share all of my fun with you! Thanks for asking, lol.

Anonymous Letter

Dear Hip:

Our relationship is rapidly deteriorating. I want to like you, but you are making it very difficult. Maybe it isn’t you specifically, but it’s in your house. I stretch you on a very regular basis and how do you repay me? With even more pain?!? You’re a jerk. Sure, I must have done something to make you angry, at some point, some time ago, but why must you hold a grudge? Now everything around you must suffer with the dreaded foam roller to attempt to reach the real issue that’s hiding deep inside of a yucky piriformis and more than likely a bursa that’s getting squished. But, I refuse to give in to you, hip! You will get rolled and adjusted and you’ll get physical therapy because the mind is stronger than you, hip! You cannot win! Surrender!

Kind regards,

The One Who Is In Pain

Anywho, here’s your P90X 2 recap: Wednesday was Total Body and Ab Ripper X. Lots of core and shoulders, which is perfect as far as I’m concerned, for stronger poling.  It is just SO MUCH DIFFERENT than P90X. In the first one, Tony just threw you in there and tried to kill you on day one. This time, he’s easing you in. Much better, Tony. It’s giving me the opportunity to get the workout done and feel good about it while still leaving me lots of room to push myself harder, stretch myself deeper. Foam roller, baby.

Today, Friday, is Yoga X. Also scaled back from the first series. A mere 66 minutes, which is much better than the near 90 in the first. I found that it starts off pretty yoga heavy but ends up more stretchy conditioning. Now, I realize that yoga IS stretchy conditioning, but he throws in a lot of things that I’ve not seen in a yoga class, so I don’t really consider them yoga. BUT, I’m no yogi so I don’t know for sure. I know that I  like it.

We are coming down to crunch time. The showcase is in a mere 8 days and I really need to get to work. I have a song and I have a few moves that I know that I consistently get into without looking like an elephant with a broken leg. I just need to put them together and find some transitions. I am a lot less stressed about the showcase this time as compared to last time. Perhaps that means that I’m getting (re)accustomed to being “on stage”. Oh, the Club Med years.

So, it looks like a good bit of pole work on Saturday. Teaching/supervising a pole party on Sunday. Fun! Welcome to my addiction, ladies! Teaching a different class rather than my usual Level 2 these days. Switched on over to teaching a mixed level/spin pole class on Monday nights. Aaaaaand, in a few weeks after that, I’ll be teaching a more choreographed, one and a half minute routine type of class. That’s gonna be fun. Grab you glasses and shake your asses!

It’s Friday, tricks! Go out and get some! But be safe. Have a great weekend!

ROCO Friday – The Playoff Edition

OMG is it Sunday yet?!?!?!  Let’s have a little warm-up.

Ok! Ready to goooooooo! (Sad face that the video is wider than my notebook. Oh well, I don’t feel like fixing it.)

So here we are, a week into the new year. I’ve been sore every day this year. Fortunately, it is due to be active rather than inactive. Hopefully, by the end of next week, my body will stop crying. But I know that won’t happen. I’ve been good with my daily morning stretching, but now I have to start working on the afternoon workout. I will have the rockin bod that I had back when we went to Mexico the first time.

The last couple of nights I’ve been sleeping like absolute crap. Excited to go to the game much? Nah, not me.

Today is wear your Broncos gear to work day. Of course, I’ll be in all black everything. It’s take your Ward to work day. #86  I want to take my Terrible Towel, but I only have one and I’m not having some hater at work make it disappear.

Stretching really cuts into my writing time. I may have to back the alarm clock up 15 minutes. But you don’t care about that. Let’s get hyped for the game!

HERE WE GO, STEELERS. HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

My neck AND my back

Aaaand it’s time to go to the chiropractor. I’ve tried the tennis ball and I’ve tried the foam roller, but neither of them gets this damn knot in my neck. I’m so used to going now, that I can feel the stupid vertebrae that’s out of place. Get back in your home!! Ugh!

I felt so accomplished when I had all of my choreography down on paper for my performance later this month. And then I took it to the studio. Sometimes I forget what I can do and what I cannot. Time to make some changes. Not all bad, though. There were 2 moves I had in my routine that I am not going to have performance-ready before the end of the month, but I found three other moves that I can put in there. Thank goodness for strength moves! That’s how I roll.

Did you know that I live in Colorado? Did you know that it is January? Did you know that it’s been in the mid-sixties all week? WTH, Nature?!?! I’m not complaining, but couldn’t you hang on until Sunday? Yeah, Sunday for the game it’ll be 20 degrees colder than it’s been all week. (HA! Just saw there’s going to be a story on the news about how STEELER NATION is taking over Denver.) But a little chilly weather ain’t gonna stop me from going and screaming my head off for the boys. Mainly because at any time that I get cold, I can go inside. Spoiled rotten I am. 🙂

Short post. Stretching takes forever. I will own those damn splits by the end of the month. Ciao!