What's goin down dog?

Yesterday I got back into it!  I showed up for 9:15 tai chi and it felt great.  My favorite yoga teacher was subbing for the 10:30 yoga class, so I stayed.  Oy!
One would think I would have learned last time I did this, that these two classes back to back tend to kick my big white...yeah.
The difference is this time, I didn't collapse.  This time I could make it through.  Yes I was stiff, sore, and generally useless the rest of the day, but still.  I made it through, after taking 6 days off.
Maybe the real lesson there is don't take more than one or two days off.  The sock line in my legs certainly thinks so.

part of learning to dance is falling.

And this weekend I was spectacularly good at falling.  Falling into sweet potato fries and a pork sandwich from Rosedale.  Falling into some fried chicken from Popeyes...Falling into my glorious Easter dinner.  The trouble with all that falling is each time, getting up again comes a little slower.  And I'm wondering if my sluggish semi-migraine today is due to all the excesses over the weekend.  So no, I haven't been to any classes since last Saturday.  Maybe I'll go to bodyshaper tomorrow as penance.  Or beg my husband to let me go to 4:30 yoga today, since dinner is pretty much a no brainer.
Odds are though, that in reality, Thursday will be the day I get up early again.  This is still better than in the past, when I've had a spectacular fall and gone "oh well.  I'm okay the way I am."  because I know I'm not.  Repentance means turning about.  Backsliding is just that, sliding back into our old ways because well, they're comfortable.  It doesn't mean they were right.  So we repent, and get on our feet, and start again.

Saturday morning.

There are a couple of things I like about Saturday morning aqua aerobics.  One is, I'm not the only one under 40 in the class.  The other is, after class the OP farmers market is open.
Early Spring is a refreshing time at the market.  Just looking at all the plants is uplifting.  Then I get to come home with asparagus, fresh greens, and sweet taters this week.  It won't be too long until berries will join in.
Not that the farmers market only has produce.  One of the most enticing scents there is the "Farm to Market" bread.  Mr. M's favorite thing for me to bring home is dark amber honey.  I just wish someone would sell coffee out there.

Today was a double class day.

I DID make it to aqua aerobics at 5:45 this morning...but I wasn't quite awake.  Something just didn't feel "right" in the water.  Then I realized I'd forgotten to take my short off. 
So off they came and I threw them out of the pool, but they still didn't dry before the end of class.  At least I remembered my water shoes today.  They make a HUGE difference in the stability of my footing, and the impact on the balls of my feet.  All in all, a great hour in the water. 
So good, that I came back at 9:30 for yoga.  I still think downward dog is an ancient torture method, but I am able to do it now!  I could hardly believe it.  I even was able to do some of the leg extensions with it.  If you look back, this was the position on day one that I called "the total muscle failure position."  I am truly amazed at how much my abilities have improved in just four weeks.  Yet my yoga abilities are definitely still best described by the "child" position.  I have a long way to go.

Climb back up on that horse again.

Okay, so last week kind of crashed and burned around Wednesday.  I went to "body shaper" at noon, and was easily the most unshaped person there.   I was also the youngest person there by at least a decade.  Somehow, that always gets my determination not to be decrepit to the next level.  Unfortunately, sometimes pushing myself to the next level takes me out completely.  About midway through the class, my body had a "you've got to be kidding me" moment. 
In body shaper, they use free weights and the latest in torture toys, the "bosu."  A bosu is kind like the top third or so of a balance ball attached to a board w/ handles.   I had survived doing squats standing on the bosu,  doing arm exercises on the bosu, and attempting to do ab exercise on the bosu.  The next exercise was to flip the bosu over, so the flat part was up, and do push ups while balancing the bosu.  Just trying to comprehend that exercise had my head spinning, and my arms tingling, literally.  So I had to take a time out.
I did recover and get to do the rest of the class.  I even kind of enjoyed the tug of war around a ring using a giant elastic strap type exercises.  The last one was running across the bosu's lined up, round side up.  Part of the point was moving fast.  I don't move fast on flat ground.  Some finale.  My hips felt like jello. 
I went home and slept the whole afternoon.  I so LOVE my husband.  He even started dinner not to wake me.
On Thursday, I vowed to myself to do better.  Unfortunately no one sent Si Guy that memo.  We were already running late for yoga, and he had a "why should I have to pee in a strange toilet" moment?  Or rather, hour.   I was in yoga for about 30 minutes before the child care people retrieved me.  It took another 30 minutes to convince him he'd feel a lot better if he'd just "get it done."  By then it was too late to rejoin the class, so I hastily retrieved my belongings and took the screamer home.  Once home and in dry clothes he was much better.  Unfortunately I wasn't.  It seems my crash-fest Wednesday wasn't from working out too hard.  It was from being on the verge of getting sick.  So Thursday & Friday were shot...and Saturday I was utterly unmotivated to get out of bed.
So that brought us to Sunday insanity and getting back out there today.
I'm so glad Monday is Tai Chi day.  It's by far my favorite class, and it's at a decent hour.  Yes some of the moves are open targets for humor.  We can-can, chicken dance, and do ballet-like poses.  It's full of spicy, smart mouthed elderly people.  Never a dull moment.  So today was a good day.
Tomorrow at 4:45am, I hope I remember.

Today I didn't get up at 4:30

Therefore I had to pick a different class to attend.  So I chose dancing sneakers.
What I learned.
1) Dance aerobics is much harder at 250+ than 180.  Or maybe it's just harder at 36 than 25....
2) I need an industrial strength bra for this class, unless I want my boobs knocking my glasses off.
3)  I also need newer shoes, with better shock impact.
4) That I can grapevine, rock, and slide.
5) Grapevine diamonds are another story.
6) I'm going to work much harder at getting up early for aqua aerobics...or it's counterpart on my "off" week.

altering the plan for this week.

I can't believe I already feel like I have a routine.  It's only been two weeks.   Yet my body sent me a reminder today that I haven't been at this very long yet...yeah dear ole Auntie has dropped in for her monthlyish visit. 
Part of me says how do I do this?  I can't just take the week off!  Part of me says, be a big girl.  Go look at the schedule.  No aqua aerobics for you this week. period.
I'm so thankful Monday is a planned light day.  Tai Chi is fun, easy, and needs no rescheduling.
Tuesday, it's a 5:45am day.  I check the schedule.  My alternative is body shaper.  Perfect!  I want to try that class anyway.
Wednesday is an off day.  After last week I realize have a second day off midweek is probably a good idea for now.  If the weather allows, I'll walk with the tweedles down to the park.
Thursday, the other 5:45am class is Pilates.  As much as I'd prefer yoga at 9:30, this will depend on Mr. M's work from home plans.
Friday is ballet day!  I get to be a dancing hippo again!
Hopefully by Saturday I'll be able to do the pool thing again.  I hope so. 

I made it!

A lot of things were "special" about going to class today.
1) I was wearing my new, one size smaller, swimsuit.  I can't believe I went down 1 whole size in just 2 weeks.  Woot! 
2) The OP farmer's market launched today, so I really had something fun to do after class.
3) I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm, ready to go, with no child assistance.
4) I used my favorite shower stall after class.  (and I've been to enough classes to feel like I have a favorite!)
5) After class, I had to stop at QT to feed dh's car, and craved a cheese stick instead of a muffin.  (I don't eat breakfast until after class, something I may want to change on Saturday.)
6) I went.  I didn't let missing Thursday throw me off my groove.  I'm learning to be flexible.
7) I wasn't wiped out after class.  I came home to a fun filled day of yard work.  It was a perfect day outside.
It was a pretty perfect day overall.

Dance, hippo, dance

Yes, today I went to my second ballet barre class, and really liked it.  I'm not good at it in any shape, way, or form, but it is fun.  It's also a really, really, good core workout, but since I'm focused so much on where and what angle my hands and feet are at, and learning all the cool french words, I don't really realize it until I think "gee, my butt/abs/back are sore," after class.   I can't spell the french words, but tip-toed frog squats, pointy toe jumps, and hip turns are considered basic in this class.   It's nice to learn a sequence that has flow to it.  The music is pleasant.  (Sometimes yoga & tai chi leave me craving crab rangoon and hot tea.)  The steps we're learning are hard.  Not looking at my feet is harder, but overall it's great fun.  If they add the running scissor split jumps,  I may reconsider.

Yoga, no prefixes, just yoga.

Yesterday was a scrap day.  I tried to go to the noon class, but Si Guy's lack of second pair of pants stopped me.
Thursday is normally going to be an aqua aerobics day, but miss P had a 7:30am dentist appointment, so that didn't happen either.
That left yoga.  Not chair yoga, or gentle yoga, just yoga.  So yoga it was.
I had a little trepidation about going to "regular" yoga.  I mean gentle yoga left me in tears for parts of it a mere thirteen days ago.  But I sucked it in and went anyway.  I'm glad I did.  This class went way better than I thought it would.
Part of the difference was the studio floor.  This class was in the cycle room minus the cycles, but that meant there was a nice cushy rubber mat on the floor over the slick hardwood.  My bones definitely appreciated that.  There's a ledge for leaving shoes and stuff.  I liked that too.
The other difference was the instructor.  While pushed to challenge ourselves, she offered modifications to the poses more readily than the instructor of the gentle yoga did, and this class didn't hold the poses as long.  She's just subbing for this week and next though, but I already know I like E, the one who regularly teaches this class too.   I may have to make Thursday a two class day. 
I'm not saying I fully buy into all aspects of everything yoga.  The room being warm today did help soften my muscles, but I still don't think of sweating as detoxification.  I think of it as air conditioning.  I don't buy the positive/negative energy thing either.  I do believe that controlling our thought life is important though.   I am not trying to empty myself.  I am trying to be filled by Christ.  I do think it's good to be self aware though.  It's the first step to self control.
I just hope I have enough self control to keep moving further on and further in.

Today things went swimmingly

I'm not sure if it's because today was a noodle and board free day, or if I'm starting to get the routine down, but aqua aerobics seemed a bit easier during class today.  Maybe it was because there was a new person, so I wasn't the only one making waves. Maybe it was the waterbell weights.  They really do a good job working and stabilizing.  I like them a lot.  I kind of like the human jello feeling I have after class too.
The only downer today was I forgot my water shoes.  They really make a difference with all that jumping around, twisting, and "skiing."  I intend to upgrade them soon, but first I have a higher priority.
My suits are getting baggier in the behind.  That means I get to buy a smaller size!  This is both a blessing and a curse, because the makers of swimsuits have deemed that large busted fat people who want to be active in their suits must not exist.   I enjoy showing off my cleavage as much as the next busty gal, but a coed aqua aerobics class is not the place to do it.   The girls need to stay put, not make waves of their own.  While some active suits do exist, their makers think we must be made of money, because most of the "suitable" suits I've seen so far are $100+.  I go to aqua aerobics 3x a week.  I really could use two suits.  I cannot afford even one suit at that cost in the here and now.  Not to mention I hope the downward size thing is a trend.  I definitely can't invest that kind of money every couple of months into just one item.  I have six kids.  They have needs too.
So I guess for now I'll "just keep swimming."

There are days when just going is a victory.

I don't care if it was yoga for wimps.  I went.
Part of me whispered "feed the kids lunch first and go to bodyshaper."
 But, it was hard enough going to an eleven o-clock class.  I couldn't imagine my motivation lasting until noon.  Besides, my body has a shape.   It's shaped kind of like an egg on one of those easter-egg holder cylinders, fat side down. 
The way it was, in the parking lot,...after the renegades escaped unassisted, and made it to the drain cover on the edge of the parking spaces...
"Never mind kids.  I can't do this today.  Just get back in the van."
Then I found my card laying in the wood chips.  Part of me was really relieved.  Part of me said "Damn."
So I went.  And it was chair yoga.  I was reminded of how my hips have enough space in them to play guitar w/ the ligaments.  I was reminded breathing is an important skill, one that I often forget w/ the tweedles.  I was reminded to open my ribcage, and suck it all in.  (Okay, "gently draw in your navel to your spine to feel strong."  The word navel still makes me crave oranges.
 As class was dismissed, I could here the music from body shaper next door.  I could "feel" the energy.  Part of me still felt a little guilty for going to a lighter class.
I stuffed that part w/ a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich.

What a big school of fishes today!

This morning when I walked into my 7:30 am aqua aerobics class I was stunned.  The pool had soooo many people in it.  V cracked "what happened today?  Are they having a sale?"  That said, the extra large class made it more fun for me.  It's hard to be self conscious when just one of many.  It's the classes of five to ten that are most intimidating for me.
Our routine today was adapted for the large class size.  Some parts were easier.  Some parts (like the cross country section) were harder.  The extra people made for extra resistance! 
Our new-to-me toy of the day were aqua dumbbells.  I really like them.  They come in various resistance levels, and are easy to maneuver.  We also had the noodles, but no pole dancing positions today.  I think that as long as the teacher is V instead of R I'll be safe.