Ballet and Jazz Classes

I just started a 6-week session of Ballet and Jazz classes on Tuesday nights. I went to my first classes yesterday. They were fun, although hard on the feet. But, this will be a good activity for me for the beginning of the summer - not too intense, but a fun moderate/light exercise.

Link to Latest Trapeze Video!

http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezeLevel2Practice/Video/Level+2+Trapeze+Performance.flv.html

Trapeze Private Lesson

I finally got the video of my trapeze routine that I wanted. On the performance night my costume got wrapped around the bar when I did my hip circle, so I was stuck for a few seconds before I could untangle myself. But, last night I went to a private lesson and hit my routine the way I had wanted. So, now I have video. My gallery site is also back online, so I was able to upload the pics from the performance. I'll get the video online asap. Here are the links to some new pics.

http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezeFavorites/
http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezeLevel2Practice/

Also, during the private lesson I did some tricks on the Spanish Web for the first time. Essentially, it is a thick rope. I caught on more quickly than I figured I would. It was a lot of fun. I learned 2 sequences that both left me twisted and hanging from the web - one with the rope wrapped around my thigh and the other with the rope wrapped around my waist. It was fun.

I also learned a few new trapeze tricks as well, and progressed with some tricks that I had done before. I learned Standing Flag, Split on the Ropes (which I learned won't work for me with my feet), Rogue Drop (really cool drop, but somewhat dangerous). And, then I practiced Fairy Pose and Toe Hangs.

So, I got a lot fit into the 60 minutes, and I can feel the workout my muscles got. I do have to say that I won't miss the feeling of doing the zip drop so often. That one was pretty hard on the body. It was very dramatic, though. I'm sure I'll do it again sometime, but just not every week.

This summer, there are 2 mini-sessions of classes, but my instructor is only teaching 1 of them because she's going to a 2 week aerial training camp (which sounded amazing!). So, I'll only get my trapeze fix for 4 weeks this summer. I'm definitely going to take the Aerial Combo class (combo of lyra, Spanish Web, Silks, and Single Point Trapeze). And, I might also take the Trapeze Level 2 class as well. Not sure, though. Twice a week might be too hard on my body. I need to decide soon, though.

Pics from My Trapeze Performance

Thread the Needle Trapeze Picture

Link to Trapeze Pics

Here's a link to my trapeze pics from my private lesson this morning! It was a great practice. I ran through my routine 3 times. It's coming together really nicely, and the performance should be awesome on Friday night!

http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezeLevel2Practice/
http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezeFavorites/

P90X Week 1 in Review

My first week doing P90X was a success. Even after just a week, I feel stronger and leaner. My favorite workouts were Plyometrics, Legs and Back, YogaX, KenpoX, and Ab RipperX. Plyometrics (jump training) is something I've never done before, and I think it really brings great results. The intensity is extremely challenging. But, it is well worth the effort and struggle.

The good thing about P90X is that the strength training workouts train different muscles that what I'm used to working. There are a lot of moves that utilize your own body weight, which is great since that's what I have to work with on the trapeze - my own body weight.

Week 2 is going to be a bit different, though, since I'm off to Dallas for work on Sunday. I'm bringing my P90X dvds with me and will do some of the workouts that don't require weights (Plyometrics here I come again!).

My main goal for Week 2 is to be fully prepared for my Trapeze performance next Friday. This is what I've been working towards for the past several months. I want to be at full strength and able to do my best.

Friday Post - Trapeze Class

Friday morning, I actually slept in a bit (in comparison to Wed and Thurs where I did over an hour workout in the morning before work). So, that was pretty nice. All I did in the morning was some easy stretching. Plus, I had my Kashi Lean cereal for breakfast.

At work, after my lunch of leftover pork and veggies, I was still really hungry (which is fairly unusual for me). So, I figured I would listen to my body, and I had an 8oz bowl of black bean soup from the cafeteria at work. It was 150 calories and 8g of protein (they posted the nutrition info online). I figured the extra carbs would be good and would help sustain me for my trapeze class.

My trapeze class was good, but I was disappointed that we only got to run through our routines once. There were only 6 of us, with our routines being 4-5 minutes long. With a 90 minute class, we should have gotten to do it twice. But, that was not to be. I did ok on my run-through. I did the Wrapped Angel straight into the Bird's Nest. But, I had a bit of struggle getting into Amazon, and I had some struggle getting into the Zip Drop. I would not have been satisfied if that had been my performance routine. I had all these mental notes of what to change for the second time. But, that never came. It's a good thing I have the private lesson scheduled for Sunday. It's only 60 minutes, but I should be able to go through my routine 3 times. I did get to practice the zip drop once separately, though, and I got a feel for the correct way to wrap my feet. I just need more repetition with that. Hopefully, Sunday I'll be able to carry over the feel of it and do it right the first time.

We also spent a LOT of time rehearsing the curtain call. During the last session's performance, we did almost the same amount of rehearsal time on it, but most people forgot the hand motions. This curtain call was even more cheoreographed. So, it will be interesting to see if people remember.

We still don't know our performance order. In the last performance, I was first. That was a nice position to be in. This time around, I had assumed that the guy with the blindfolded routine would be last. But, my instructor said that his act wasn't a closing act because they want something to pump up the audience at the end. I don't quite understand how his act isn't a closer, but I'm certainly not an expert at trapeze shows. One guy in our class chimed in that my zip drop was a dramatic finale trick. I thought that was pretty nice of him. So, who knows. Maybe I'll be going last. I suppose it doesn't really matter. I would just prefer to NOT go right after the guy. Any other spot should be fine.

Thurs Post - Back and Legs Review P90X Week 1

I had an awesome workout this morning - Back and Legs, and Ab RipperX. My worksheet was off for the Back and Legs dvd, though, so I had to cross out all the names of the exercises on the sheet and write in the correct things. It made the record keeping a bit more difficult (plus, I didn't know what was coming next). But, it will be easy next time since it's done.

I think I enjoyed this strength training P90X dvd the most so far. It had a variety of pull-up exercises, and lots of different leg exercises - many of which I hadn't done before. I also liked the fact that only a couple of the exercises were repeated. Almost everything was different, so it made the workout more interesting and fun.

Then, Ab RipperX came on, and I impressed myself in that I did everything without stopping the dvd even once! I still have room for improvement, though. There are harder versions of some of the exercises that I can do. And, I was behind on a couple of the moves (but I finished all my reps during the short break between exercises). And, I can always lift higher. So, still a lot of room left for improvement. But, this is definitely progress. And, it's only the 3rd time that I've done Ab RipperX.

After work I scheduled an hour long massage. The timing worked out perfectly. I'll go there straight from work. I think this will be perfect for my muscles. And, hopefully it will have me refreshed for trapeze tomorrow. I've really pushed myself this week. I'm not used to such long or so many strength training sessions. I think normally my weight sessions are 35-40 minutes. Hopefully I'm gaining endurance, too. I can't wait to see if there are improvements for the trapeze.

Bowling!

I had a lot of fun bowling last night. We bowled 2 1/2 games. I did better than I've ever done before bowling, too. My first game I hit 99. I was soooo close to breaking 100 (which I've never done before), but my last frame I only hit 5 pins. Doh! Oh well. It was still good.

I got quite a few strikes and spares. That was extremely exciting.

I had to watch my wrist with bowling, though. Even though I supplement with glucosamine, my fingers and wrist were not super happy. But, this morning all was well.

I even found some food that I could eat there. I had a grilled chicken breast with grilled onions and lettuce. It was yummy. I also had 3 cups of diet soda (which was not so good, but better than beer). The soda (I think it was the soda) wreaked a little bit of havoc with my stomach. I am NOT used to drinking diet soda anymore.

Regardless, it was tons of fun and a great way to spend the evening after work.

Scheduling Dilemmas

Since I didn't do YogaX today (Wed), I now have a dilemma as to what workout to do tomorrow (Thurs). Friday is my trapeze class, so my muscles need to be decently fresh for that. And, then I have my private trapeze lesson Sunday morning, where I'm going to have some picture and video taken of my routine. So, I really need to be fresh for that.

So, my options are as follows. According to the schedule, tomorrow I could do Legs and Back (And Ab Ripper X). But, then will I be able to do well on Friday? So far my leg muscles are already still somewhat sore from Plyometrics. Or, I could do YogaX instead. But, if I do YogaX, then I'm not sure that I'll get to do the Legs and Back dvd for a while. I don't think that I'll want to do it on Saturday, since I'll probably be sore from trapeze class (which is pretty decent strength training). And, I really need to be recovered on Sunday for the video and pictures during my private lesson.

I wonder how taxing the Legs and Back dvd is. Friday is not as important as Sunday to be at full strength. I noticed that the Legs and Back is also on the "Lean" version, so I think I definitely want to get that in.

So, my schedule:
Wed: KenpoX
Thurs: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Fri: Trapeze
Sat: YogaX
Sun: Trapeze

Then, I'm off to Dallas. I'm brining my P90X dvds with me, but I won't have my dumb bells. I'm going to go off schedule for Week 2 because I want to be primed for my trapeze performance the next Friday. I'm thinking this will be my schedule:

Mon: Plyometrics
Tues: Full Upper Body Strength Training - using weights in the hotel gym
Wed: YogaX
Thurs: (morning) CardioX - flying home
Friday: (morning) Namaste Yoga/Stretching, Trapeze Performance
Sat: StretchX or Rest/Namaste Yoga/Stretching

Then, Sunday I'll get back on schedule for Week 3.

I think that's a good plan. Anyone have any other suggestions? After Week 3, I'll have to decide if I want to repeat the week (since I didn't really follow the schedule for Week 2) or if I'll want to keep moving on to the recovery week.

Wednesday Post - KenpoX Review - Week 1

So, according to the P90X Classic schedule, I was supposed to do YogaX today. But, I had plans to go bowling tonight, so I figured I'd better get my workout done in the morning. But, I didn't figure that I had 90 minutes in the morning, so I decided to do KenpoX instead, which is just under and hour.

Granted, KenpoX is a different workout from YogaX, but I figured at least it was cardio and not more strength training. So, hopefully the substitution is ok.

KenpoX was a lot of fun. I worked up quite a sweat, which was good. But, my Tae Bo and Boxing Gym workouts in the past were good preparation, so I was able to keep up with the workout quite nicely. I even did all the cardio that they did - running in place, jumping rope without the rope, jumping jacks, and X jumps - during each "break". I knew how to do a lot of the moves, so the learning curve wasn't too bad. There were a lot of new moves, though, too.

I had my recovery drink during and after the workout, and then I went and got my shower. Then, I had some leftover Hibachi food for breakfast (salmon, veggies, and a few noodles). I figure I need to eat up all the leftover and such by Sunday before my husband and I go to Dallas (they're sending me to a 4 day training class for work, and my husband is coming along for a vacation).

Tonight should be a lot of fun. A friend invited us bowling. He won a bowling party with his work, so that should be fun. I haven't been bowling in years. It's good to get out and do different things. They are providing "snacks", though, so I'll need to watch out for that. I brought some extra food to work today, though (some leftover pork and veggies), so I'm going to eat that around 5pm, right before we leave to go bowling so that I won't be starving and eat bad things.

Tuesday Post - P90X Chest and Arms Review - Week 1

Tuesday was a good day. My legs were still sore from plyometrics, and my back and chest were still sore as well. But, in a good way. I woke up and did my easy 25 minute Namaste Yoga program to get my body loosened up. I was really hungry in the morning, so I had my Kashi Lean cereal, but then at work they had a free breakfast buffet, so I had small portions of some of that as well (a little scrambled egg, a sausage patty that I blotted the grease off of, a little hashbrowns, and a little fruit). At lunch time I went for a leisurely 30 minute walk outside. It was such a beautiful day.

After work, my husband suggested going to a new restaurant for dinner - Oishi Sushi Bar and Steakhouse. We ate at the Hibachi grill side, since I don't like sushi. It was a spectacular show! The hibachi gill chef was awesome. At one point he even threw small pieces of chicken into everyone's mouths. I was amazed that I caught mine (after like 4 tries). My husband caught his on the first try. The food was so fresh, and everything tasted awesome - even the mushrooms that he grilled (normally I'm not a fan of mushrooms). But, it was good. So, I think that might be my new favorite restaurant. It was more like an experience than just dinner. We wrote the chef's name down so that we could request him the next time we go. There was a lot of food, but luckily they came out with boxes automatically. I guess they realize that no one could possibly eat it all.

After we got home, we watched American Idol. And, then I told my husband that I needed an hour to get my workout in. He seemed really surprised that I was working out after all that. It was pretty late, but I knew I needed to get it done. So, I popped in the Shoulders and Arms dvd.

It was a good workout - so much easier than plyometrics. It alternated between shoulder, bicep, and tricep strength training exercises. There were a lot of dumb bell moves. By the end, my muscles were worked out quite nicely. I think I might need to get 3 more dumbbell sizes, though - 7, 12, and 17 lb. That would make for a nice progression. But the 5, 10, and 15 lb ones worked well enough. But, I didn't sweat very much during it. The people in the video seemed to be sweating more. Maybe I need to up my intensity next time. It's tough to know what weights to use the first time doing each video, though. An hour is a long time for strength training, and I wanted to pace myself somewhat.

Then came Ab Ripper X. I think I only had to pause the dvd 3 times. So, I think I'm improving on that.

After exercising, I did some extra stretching on my own. Then, I got my husband and we watched Fringe while finishing my recovery drink. I've started adding in a bit of orange juice along with the IsoPure. It gives it a nice flavor. I fell asleep before the show was over, though, which was good. I knew I had to get up early to do my workout in the morning, since I had plans to go bowling after work.

Monday - Plyometrics - Week 1

Plyometrics half killed me tonight. I think I came the closest to puking from exercise that I ever have. Luckily, I didn't hurl, though. But, when he said to take a water break, all I could do was collapse on the sofa for the 30 seconds. I was taking water at first, but then my stomach was not doing so well.

It was an intense, extreme workout. He got to one point where he said, ok, half way through. And, I was like, what?!?! But, I kept on going. Some of the moves were fun. I liked the lateral jumping ones the best. The worst one was "hot feet" where you're jumping on one foot. I could not do that for the 30 seconds and had to switch to the modified version. Of course this was towards the end of the workout. I need to build up more stamina. Oh yeah, and there was one where you run around in a circle. That one made me dizzy. Very different moves. And lots of them.

My workout setting was pretty ideal. I was in the theater room of the basement, and although the floor is cement, I had my cushioning gymnastics mat that I laid out. So, I was in good shape there. I had an area of about 8 feet by 4 feet. The ceiling was a bit low, but it wasn't really a problem.

But, it was a tough workout - in a good way, though. I'm happy that I stuck with it. I'm glad that's just once a week, though. I have a feeling my body will be hurting tomorrow.

Sunday Post and P90X Chest and Back review - Week 1

It was a good day Sunday. I did my first ever P90X strength training dvd - Chest and Back. I hadn't really been sure of what to expect. I had my exercise worksheets to fill out as I went along, so I knew the names of all the exercises. But, I didn't know what all of them were.

There were about 12 different exercises in total, alternating between chest and back exercises. And, once I had finished one set of each, we went through the whole series a second time. I was happy that there was a warm-up and cool-down on the dvd, as well. There were 3 different grips of pull-up versions (wide grip palms out, close grip palms in, and close grip palms out), so that was pretty neat, I thought. When they started the pull-ups, I just paused the dvd, went into the other room where my assisted pull up machine is, and did mine on my own. So, that worked out fine.

There were a LOT of different push-up variations - normal, military, diamond, wide, under the fence, etc. I don't remember all of them. The diamond ones were the hardest for me because he said that the idea was to go all the way down so that your elbows actually touch the floor. He said that after I was almost done with mine, so I tried it. But, I couldn't actually get back up after going all the way down. So, the second round I did from my knees so that I could get the full range of motion on it.

And, there there were a couple of weight exercises for the back. I'm not sure that I was using the correct weights, though. I think I was too light on one but too heavy on another. I guess it will just take a while to figure out how to do everything correctly.

The people on the dvd did so many reps of the different exercises - even the female on the dvd. I felt wimpy. But, this was my first time, so I think I did pretty decently all things considered. A lot of these exercises I had never really done before. The session lasted almost an hour, and then Ab RipperX was on the same dvd right after it, so I did that too.

Ab Ripper X had about the same challenge to it as it did the first time. I wound up doing all the reps again, and I still had to pause the dvd a number of times throughout the session, although maybe not quite as many times. It's hard to keep track.

Aside from all the exercising, Sunday was a good nutrition day - lots of protein, low carbs, low fat. And, I got to have some fun, too. My husband and I went out to see X-Men Origins at the movie theater, which was a lot of fun.

Saturday Post and YogaX Review

This morning I got up and did my run. 6.6mph for 30 minutes (so over 3.25miles total). Then, I did a full routine of stretching.

After a couple of hours I was ready to try my YogaX P90X dvd. It was 90 minutes of yoga, and it was definitely extreme. I had done a lot of the poses before, so it was easy for me to follow along. However, the first 40 minutes or so were extremely difficult. I found sweat pouring down my face, which is the first time that's happened in a yoga workout. I do have room to improve, though. There is the option to do a push up in between plank pose and down dog (which was done probably over 20 times total in the routine). I did push ups maybe 3 of the times, and then I stopped doing that. There were a lot of warrior poses, so lots of lower body strength moves. There was this one where you're in a warrior pose and you twist and clasp your hands around the back of your body. It required a lot of hip flexor strength (I think). I could not hold that pose very long at all. It started burning immediately.

After that long series, it went into a series of balance poses - tree pose, dancer, leg extension. Luckily I was in close quarters, so when I was about to topple, I was able to steady myself. Then, there was this one pose - Crane (I think), where you balance only on your hands. It was definitely extreme, and I'll have to work up to it.

Then, after that was a series of abdominal strength poses, which were tough.

After all that, there was some stretching and then relaxation for the last few minutes. Overall, I'd say it was the most intense yoga session I've ever had. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it will help with overall conditioning, flexibility, and balance. So, definitely an awesome workout.

Getting Down to Business

After a week of being fairly unfocused fitness-wise, I'm ready to get down to business. I have 2 weeks until my trapeze performance, so I need to really get my body into top shape. To that end, I'm planning out a schedule for the week which will also get me started with a lot of the P90X workouts. Here goes:

Saturday (today): Run in morning, YogaX in afternoon/night
Sunday: Ab Ripper X, Chest and Back
Monday: Namaste Yoga or Stretching in morning, Plyometrics after work
Tuesday: Ab Ripper X in morning, Shoulders and Arms after work
Wednesday: Namaste Yoga or Stretching in morning, YogaX/CardioX/KempoX or Running after work
Thursday: Namaste Yoga or Stretching in morning, CardioX/KempoX or Running after work
Friday: Namaste Yoga or Stretching in morning, Trapeze class after work

Saturday: Run in morning, YogaX/CardioX/KempoX in afternoon/night
Sunday: Trapeze private lesson at 8am - off to Dallas in afternoon for work

I'm going to Dallas for a training class for work - from Sunday night to Thursday. I'm going to bring my P90X dvds and will do the ones that don't require weights. Also, there will be a fitness room where I'll do strength training on Tuesday. Wednesday will be heavy cardio. Thursday will be mainly just stretching in the morning. And, then that brings me to the performance day on Friday.

Trapeze Class and Update

Only 1 more official trapeze class (and 1 private lesson) before my performance. This trapeze class was good. I finally got from Wrapped Angel directly into Crow's Nest. It honestly wasn't that physically difficult. It was really more of a mental thing that I had to conquer. I didn't get it on my 1st run-through, but I decided on the 2nd one that I was going to do it, and I did. Also, I was able to complete the zip drop both times, which was good, although I still need some work on the setup for it. My hip circle was really good both times, as was my front pull-over. So, it's coming together.

One thing, though. After today's class, my performance is NOT going to be the best one in the show. The guy from my previous class is in this one, too. His performance is by far going to be the best - both in terms of physicality and in terms of artistry. He's doing his routine blindfolded. It absolutely blew me away. I've never seen anything like it. He's probably 90-95% there as well with getting it all perfected. He was essentially performance ready tonight.

But, luckily I'm female, and my performance is very different from his, so I'm still extremely excited about mine. I can't really compare mine to his. I'm more focused on doing mine as well as I can. I'm hoping to have a good next 2 weeks regarding fitness. I have a plan for this week regarding the P90X workouts, so hopefully that will go well. And, perhaps I can drop a bit more weight before the show to make everything easier. With 2 more practices, I should be ready for the performance. Granted, it may not be perfect, but I think I'll be happy with it. I'm very excited and think it's going to be an awesome show.

Trapeze Class, Weekend Trip, and Getting Sick

So, it's been a little while since my last post. My trapeze class on Friday was good. I got my front pullover down, which was good. I did not get directly from the wrapped angel into the Crow's Nest. But, that's ok. I can still work on that for next week. I ran through my routine 3 times, and my endurance was much better this time. I was able to get through the entire routine each time. Definitely good progress. And, I think my performance quality is improving as well.

On Saturday morning, I got up early and did some running and then stretching. My performance was lower than I felt it should have been. My body seemed worn down. But, I figured it would be good to take it easy for the rest of the weekend. I was going to Branson, MO with my husband and our friend for my husband's birthday. It was an awesome trip. I splurged on some extra calories, but I didn't go crazy. It was just one night away, but it was such a nice trip. We also saw a Chinese Acrobatic show there, which was awesome. Sunday, I did a bit of stretching and walked the nature trail in the morning.

Then, once we got home I did my P90X StretchX dvd. It was interesting. It was almost an hour of different stretches. It did not include splits, though, so I had to do them separately. It did do a couple of contortionistic stretches, though, which I've never done before. So, perhaps that will help with my back flexibility. Overall, it was good, but it spent a lot of time on stretches that I don't really need to concentrate on for the trapeze. It will be good to do every so often. I suppose I was hoping for more from this dvd, though. I guess it's because I'm trying to achieve specific types of flexibility for the trapeze, though. For overall general flexibility, though, it's really good (although I think normal people could hurt themselves trying to do the 2 contortionistic stretches).

Sunday on the way home I could tell that I was getting sick. When I woke up on Monday morning, I was out for the count. So, I spent most of Monday sleeping or resting in bed. I did call in for a couple of meetings at work, though. Yesterday I was feeling better, although no where near 100%. I took some DayQuil and was good until around 5pm, at which time I was feeling really worn down. This morning I'm off from work on vacation, which is good. I slept late (for me), took some DayQuil, and am having some "To Life" teavanna tea. I'm hoping to do a little bit of strength training today. I'm thinking of trying my Abdominal P90X video and then maybe doing some upper body weights. I need some strength training for the week, but I don't want to push too hard while I'm sick. I need to be well for Friday's trapeze class.

Mid-Week Update

It's been a busy, busy week for me regarding fitness so far this week. I had the day off from work on Wednesday, so I crammed the day will all kinds of fun things.

I started the day doing some yoga and taking the pups for a 25 minute walk. In the afternoon I decided to go to the rock climbing gym. It had been ages since I had last gone, and I had bought that 10 time pass, so I needed to start using it.

The rock climbing was awesome. After the first climb, my forearms started burning. I suppose I don't really work those specific muscles with anything other than climbing. I easily made it to the top. Of the 3 courses that had the auto-belay device, I was actually able to successfully complete all 3. In the past, I had only ever been able to make it to the top. I did 13 climbs total (all of them all the way to the top). It was a ton of fun, and it seemed a lot easier and faster to climb the routes than in the past. After the 13th climb, I decided to call it quits and head home. I didn't want to burn myself out. I definitely got a good workout.

Then, later in the day I did some interval running on the treadmill and had an awesome stretching session.

Yesterday my body felt pretty worn out, so I made it mostly a rest day. I did yoga in the morning, though, and stretching throughout the day. This morning, I did a quick run (only 1.5 miles) and then a thorough stretching session. I'm going to take a walk during lunch and will stretch some more. And, then tonight I have my trapeze class. I'm very excited to see how I can do. I know I've gained some more strength. And, I've lost some more fat. So, things are looking good. I'm hoping to have my front pull-over correct this time, and I might try to do the wrapped angel to Crow's Nest in one movement. But, I'll have to see. That might be over-ambitious. I brought my costume with me, though, so I hope it works well with my routine.

My trapeze performance is going to be Friday night, May 15th at 7pm. So, I only have 3 weeks to go until the performance. I've made excellent progress so far, and I should be ready by then.

P90X Fitness Test

I ordered P90X from Beach Body yesterday, so hopefully it will arrive soon. Last night I did the fitness test before my upper body workout, and here are my results:

Resting Heart Rate: 72 (did that this morning, since you're supposed to do it first thing before getting out of bed)
1. Pull Ups (palms facing forward away from body, 2 fists wider than shoulders): 1.5
2. Vertical Leap: 13 inches
3. Push Ups: 23
4. Toe Touch: +9.75 inches (so, way beyond my toes)
5. Wall Squat: 2 min 25 sec (was a killer, quads were burning)
6. Bicep Curls: 12 reps w/ 15 lb dumbbells
7. In & Outs (abdominal): 40
8. Heart Rate Maximizer (jumping jacks for 2 minutes, last 30 seconds as fast as possible)
-Immediately After: 154
-After 1 Minute Rest: 132
-After 2 Minutes Rest: 104
-After 3 Minutes Rest: 96
-After 4 Minutes Rest: 86

Base Measurements (as of this morning - 4/21):
Weight: 116.2 lbs
Chest: 33 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Hips: 32.75 inches
Right Thigh: 20 inches
Left Thigh: 20 inches
Right Arm: 10.25 inches
Left Arm: 10.5 inches

So, I'm all set to start once my kit arrives. I'll do my before pictures on Day 1 to get a truly accurate idea of the change from the system. Granted, I probably took the fitness test too early, since I don't actually have the system yet, but it should be good enough.

I was pleased that I met all of the minimum requirements for the program. It's advertised as very advanced, but I think I'm up for the challenge. I hope to see the most improvement in my pull ups, push ups, bicep curls, and In and Outs (so, everything arms and abs).

Weekly Post (with Progress Update)

It's been another good week for fitness for me. To recap, I had 2 trapeze lessons this past week (Tues and Friday). I concentrated more on strength training/endurance this week. On Sunday I did my lower body/abdominal strength training session, and today is upper body. I wanted to do my upper body strength training yesterday, but my muscles weren't recovered enough from the trapeze workout on Friday. I did my long run on Saturday, as well as other cardio/yoga throughout the week. My flexibility remains as good as it has ever been. I'm doing hyper splits at home now and am stretching at least 20 minutes per day (probably more).

As for results, I didn't lose much weight this week. I'm down to 117.8 lbs (for a loss of 0.2 lbs). But, I lost 0.5 inch from my waist, giving me a waist measurement of 26.5 inches. So, it looks like I've gained some muscle and lost some fat. Overall, I'm pleased with my progress.

This week I'm going to be going for some major strength training again. I want to build more muscle. I think that this will help me overall with my body's metabolism and it's ability to burn fat, which in turn will help me to lose the remaining weight. Also, I'm going to try to cut down a bit on carbs. I've been eating a lot of Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal this weekend when I discovered a box that is expiring in a few days. But, I figure that's probably not in my best interest. And, after seeing high fructose corn syrup as one of the ingredients, I decided to throw the expiring box of cereal away. So, now that pressure is off.

So, my tentative plan for the week is as follows:
Mon - Upper Body Weights
Tues - Speed Work Treadmill
Wed - Upper Body Weights/Rock Climbing, Abdominal
Thurs- 3.1 mile run 6.5mph
Fri - Trapeze
Sat - Long Run
Sun - ?

And, it goes without saying, I will do stretching every day.

Also, I just purchased Beach Body's P90X system. I might start that on Sunday, depending on when it arrives. It will be interesting to see how that will fit in with my trapeze schedule.

Adult Level 2 Trapeze Class

My class today was awesome. I was able to build on what I learned in my private lesson to improve even more. The 2nd instructor gave me some really good ideas regarding my entrance. Rather than being timid and hesitant, I will be powerful and watchful. He showed me an awesome pose that was sort of martial arts like that really fits in with my Aikido roll. So, there's progress there. He and my regular instructor both gave me some good tips regarding my arm extensions in some of my tricks.

So, during class, I ran through my routine 3 times in total. I also worked several tricks in between, and I even did conditioning - as well as LOTS of stretching at the start and end of practice. I had an advantage over the other people because I know what I have to practice now, so it makes me really able to focus. I was really worn out by the end of the class, which was when my instructor asked me if I wanted to go through my routine again (this made the 3rd time). I said sure. I definitely wasn't going to turn down the opportunity. I did everything except I left off the zip drop at the end. I was worn out! It was a good practice.

My poor body, though. Two trapeze classes in one week makes for lots of bruises. My hands are torn up, and I have some massive bruises now. I think next week I'll wear long sleeves to protect my arms from the iron cross.

That's it for now!

Trapeze Private Lesson and Update

This has been another pretty fabulous week for fitness for me. My flexibility is really coming along and is at a higher level than it was at the time of my first trapeze performance. I've been stretching in the morning, throughout the day, and then also at night. At my private trapeze lesson, my instructor had me doing hyper-splits! That means that one of my legs was positioned on a mat that was several inches off the ground, so I was actually splitting beyond even. My straddle split, though, is still not great. It never has been. I suppose my body isn't quite built as well for that type of flexibility. I will continue to work on it, though.

And, then finally, I really need to focus on the flexibility in my back. For the thread the needle trick in my routine, it's my back flexibility that is a hold up on that. But, my instructor showed me a way to stretch out my back (although it requires a partner). So, I'm going to have to recruit my husband for it. You actually get pretty close and personal.

Essentially the partner stands against a wall. I stand right in front of the partner and bend forward pushing my shoulder against the partner's chest/waist (depending on the height of the partner). Then, I lift my leg up into a split in the air (mimicing the trick). The partner grabs the leg in the air and pulls it up and towards him/her. The arch in the back is where the flexibility really comes into play for the stretch.

So, I didn't really have time to write about my private trapeze lesson from Tuesday. It was amazing. The progress I made in just a week and a half was incredible. I brought in my music and had an idea for my intro already, although I was hoping for some advice on it from my instructor. She gave me some great ideas regarding my first contact with the audience (coming out very hesitantly/cautiously at first). Also, she gave good suggestions regarding utilizing the entire spectrum of the audience (I was concentrating on the right side for some reason).

And, she liked my Aikido roll instead of the tumbleset roll. So, all of that was very helpful. My instructor loved my music as well as the concept of my intro. She also loved the fact that I had put so much thought into the routine. As we listened to the song, I pointed out parts in the song where I wanted to remain on track with the timing of the music.

After stretching, we discussed the plan for the session. I would attempt to run through the entire routine with the music. Then, we would work on individual tricks, and then I would attempt the entire routine to the music again.

The first run-through went better than I expected. I made it up on my own for the front pull-over (although I did the "cheating" that I used to do to make it over - but with a few more weeks of getting a better level of fitness, this will be no problem). I also made it on my own for the first time with the hip circle on the the trapeze that I'll use for the performance.

Previously, I had only been able to do it on the other bar. Granted, again, I have some work to do on it, but it is certainly within my grasp. The other tricks went pretty well, too. My amazon and sea horse tricks were much improved (I had sort of forgotten how to do them in past practices, so visualizing them really cemented what I had to do in my head. It made it much easier in person.). All the tricks under the bar were fine as well. And, then the zip drop finale trick was good. I was too low wrapping my feet, but I was able to complete the trick, and I took the full impact of the drop all on my own.

I think she and I both were impressed that I was able to make it through my routine so well the first time. One thing that I noticed was that the tricks took longer to do in actuality than they did in my head. I got behind in my music a bit and didn't hit the Iron Cross at the point in the music where I wanted. But, my instructor gave me some tips, and I think I will be able to hit it. Some things I'm going to do - mount the bar a tad bit earlier, only have 2 swings before the front pull over, when coming out of the wrapped angel skip standing on the bar but instead go up and kick my feet a bit dramatically and then head straight into the Crow's Nest (this will take some additional strength, but I think I can get there). She also gave me some tips regarding the hip circle, and we talked about the positioning of my body at the end of the zip drop. Then, I worked on the opening front pullover/hip circle sequence, the thread the needle, did the new back stretch and then the thread the needle again, the fall back angel, and the zip drop. After doing the back stretch, my thread the needle got pretty cool. She also recommended experimenting with pushing the ropes out to emphasize my split. I did that, and I'll have to experiment with it more. She showed me how to get more drama out of the fallback angel, and I definitely did - although it tinged my back a bit (although nothing serious). I'll have to be careful of that in the future. Also, she showed me a way to do my arms for the tricks in the angel sequence - running them along my body and then straight down dramatically. Then, we worked on the zip drop, and she showed me different options for my body position for the very end when the ropes are un-twisting.

After all that, I ran through the entire routine again. I made it through everything to the very end, but I ran out of gas on the zip drop and didn't make it anywhere near high enough. So, I wound up sliding down the ropes with my hands (although it didn't tear them up too bad as I would have expected) into a straddle back balance. So, I didn't quite complete the entire routine that second time, but I was exceptionally pleased with everything I accomplished during the lesson. It was miles and miles ahead of where I had been during the last class.

I can't wait until tomorrow night's trapeze class. Granted, I won't get as much one-on-one attention, but I should be able to work my routine at least once and then work some of my tricks on my own. I need to work coming out of the wrapped angel. I need to be able to come out of the wrap smoothly. Right now I'm sort of fumbling to get my feet/legs unwrapped. That makes me use up my upper body strength while I'm getting unwrapped, which requires the resting before going into Crow's Nest. But, if I can unwrap smoothly, then I won't waste my strength there, so I'll have it to be able to go straight into the Crow's Nest. Also, I need to work on my seahorse.

It's still a bit of a struggle pulling/wrapping up. But, again, extra upper body strength will help with that, too. So, there's a lot I can work on my own. My instructor said that she felt comfortable with me working all my tricks on my own. She felt like I wouldn't fall and injure myself. So, that was a good compliment.

She also questioned me about my feelings regarding actually performing versus what I had expected. So, I talked to her a bit about that. Then, she started to say something else, but then hesitated and said let me think about this. I got the impression that maybe she was going to think about adding me with this routine to some of the regular circus shows that they have. I don't know. I could be completely wrong, but there was definitely some motivation to the conversation that she didn't reveal. So, granted, I might be thinking more into this than there really is, but I think it's possible that this routine could be good enough to put into one of there real shows. I just have to get it performance ready first, which means quite a bit more work. It's exciting to think about, though, being a trapeze star! (Ok, perhaps a bit on the dramatic side.)

Regardless, everything is coming along really well. Once the motivation inside me clicked, it's been an awesome ride. I can't wait to be back into performance ready shape!

Traditional Styled Post

Today I thought I'd get back to my roots and do a traditional styled post. I'm not going to do this every day, but I figured I would post this today to give a sense of my nutrition for the past week. As always, I'm going for high protein, controlled calories, low fat/sodium, and low carb at night. The main thing is a good balance.

Food:
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: IsoPure (90/20), Pear (100/0)
Lunch: Pork/Red Pot/Veggies (220/21)
Snack: Fresh Spinach/Turkey (60/4)
Pre-Trapeze: South Beach bar (140/10)
Post-Trapeze: IsoPure (90/20)
Dinner: Barramundi fish/Shrimp/Veggies (300/25)
Dessert: Sweet Freedom bar (35/2)

Total: 1145 calories / 112.5 protein

Exercise:
Morning - 10 pushups, 20 4-point crunches, 30 min yoga
Lunch time - 30 minute walk/stairs
60 minute Trapeze private lesson

1st Week Fitness Kickoff Success

I had an excellent fitness kickstart last week, and I am planning to continue my momentum this week as well. Because trapeze class was on break last Friday, I had scheduled a private lesson for Tuesday. And, then trapeze goes back to it's normal schedule on Friday. So, I have 2 trapeze sessions this week.

This morning I was down to 118 lbs (from over 121 last week), and my waist is 27 inches. Also, yesterday I was able to do 2 pull ups unassisted (which I had only been able to do 1 - 1.5 the past couple of weeks). I think my added strength training and healthier nutrition has been helping.

So, here's what's in store for this week:

Mon - interval speed running
Tues - trapeze private lesson
Wed - 30 minute tempo run (6.5mph)
Thurs - 30 minute tempo run (6.5mph)
Fri - trapeze class
Sat - 5 mile long run (6.2mph)
Sun - upper body, lower body, abdominal strength training

I'll also add in some yoga and lots of stretching (of course). And, I'll probably do some walks/stairs at lunch as well and some 4 point crunches or pushups in the morning.

Back on the Fitness Wagon

Ever since Tuesday, I've been back focused on fitness. I think I'm finally re-motivated since I have my trapeze choreography and music. I want to be able to have an awesome performance at the end of May.

I had been hovering around 121 lbs, but as of this morning, I'm down to 118.2 lbs. I have about 6 weeks until my performance, so I'd like to be down to at least 112 lbs. During the last performance, I was down to 109 lbs on the performance day. So, I have a ways to go, but I'm on the right track.

Here's been my week:
Mon: Rest
Tues: Back/Bicep, 3.3mph tempo run 31 min, stretch, 30 min yoga, dog walk
Wed: 30 min Yoga, 3.4mph tempo run 31 min, stretch, dog walk
Thurs: Chest/Tricep, stretch
Fri: 30 min yoga, 30 min steps/walk, stretch throughout day

Plan for the weekend:
Sat: 5 mile long run (6.1mph), stretch, abdominal strength, lower body strength
Sun: Upper Body Strength, stretch, elliptical/treadmill (easy)

Thursday morning, my right knee was acting up again. I think I need to do some strength training for my legs to help strengthen my knees. So, I'm going to be adding some light lower body strength training once a week. Also, that's why I laid off the running Thurs and Friday.

I've also been extremely focused on my diet ever since Tuesday morning. I've been getting about 1150 calories/90+ protein per day (although last night I had the 8 oz renegade, salad, and broccoli from Long Horn, so I'm not really sure how much that is - but I wound up losing a pound since the morning before, so it obviously did well for me). I think the trick to restaurant eating is to cut out the unhealthy appetizer, go for high protein, and don't get any kind of mashed potatoes or fries. A steak, veggies, and dry salad is actually probably a good balance of protein and fat and is light on carbs. Carbohydrates are certainly necessary - especially when doing a lot of activity. But, it's best to have them in the morning/afternoon and go lighter on them in the evening (at least that's what I've found based on my previous research).

So, I'm extremely excited about fitness again. Next week will be awesome. I have a private trapeze lesson on Tuesday after work, and then I have my normal trapeze class on Friday after work. So, that will be 2 awesome strength training sessions. In between them, I'll have a lower body/abdominal strength training session on my own, and then I think from then on, I'll make Sunday and Tuesday my regular upper body strength training days.

I need to really focus on gaining strength and endurance. My flexibility is good, so I need to at least maintain that. And, then if I can drop some fat, I'll be golden for my performance.

5th Adult Trapeze Class Level 2

This was the class where we started building our routines. I already knew what I wanted to do. I already had it written out, too. So, I just had to copy it over. The two instructors really seemed to like the tricks and the order that I came up with. They were even talking about it to themselves, and I caught the end of the conversation. So, that was kind of cool.

So, during class, I ran through all the tricks in my routine in order twice. I was able to do all of the tricks (although I have a LOT of improvement to do - it was really rough). But, I think it's going to be a good routine.

Front Pullover
Front Balance
Hip Circle
Catcher's Hang
Wrapped Angel - exit to stand

Crow's Nest
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Forward Roll

Amazon
Seahorse

Fallback Angel Sequence
Split Under the Bar
1 Knee Hang
1 Knee Roll-up

Zip Drop

So, that's my routine. I might add mermaid under the bar after the Angel Sequence, depending on the timing. But, I think it's mostly set.

On the way home, I heard a song that I think will fit perfectly with my routine - Stand My Ground by Within Temptation. I went through the song 3-4 times, each time envisioning my tricks along with the music, and it was perfect.

Next week is Easter break from trapeze. I'm going to see if I can set up a private lesson, but my instructor is going out of town. So, I'm not sure if that will happen. Regardless, I think this is going to be a really awesome routine. Now I just need to figure out my entrance and exit. My previous ideas for that have been nullified with the music change. So, I'll need to figure something out.

5K Training - Week 1 Recap

My first week of training for the 5K race has gone well. Including today, I will have done 4 running sessions this week. I missed Thurday's tempo run, but still, it's a good first week training start. I did my speed work on Monday, a 2 mile run on Wednesday, and I did my long run (5 miles at 6mph - 50 minutes) yesterday. The long run half killed me. Maybe I ran too fast for my current cardiovascular ability. I think a lot of running involves mental discipline, though. Today, is my 30 minute easy run. It's supposed to be an active recovery day. So, that will wind down the week of training.

4th Adult Level 2 Trapeze Class

Trapeze class was good tonight. Overall, it started off pretty slow, but I really got excited about the last trick and am going to use it to start off my performance.

Here's what we did:
1. Fairy Pose - did this twice, still not very good at this one.
2. Double knee roll-up - (twice) I'm getting pretty good at this one.
3. Sea Horse - When I did this, I turned the wrong way, which messed me up. I have to remember to turn into the wrap to wrap some more. Otherwise, this was good.
4. Amazon - (three times) sit sideways on the bar, left hand goes in the middle of the bar, right hand reaches up on the ropes, left hand is locked, lift hips off the bar and back, rope goes along the right side of the neck, let go with right hand
5. Shoulder Stand, Straddle back balance, bird's nest. - I did the first 2 in this sequence in my performance last time around, so this was no problem.
6. Front Pullover, Front Balance, Hip Circle into Catcher's Hang, Wrapped Angel, pulling out into a stand - (3 times), This is where I actually got excited about the class. I was able to do the hip circle pretty well this week. I did it successfully into the catcher's hang as well. I'm thinking this will be a good opening for my performance. It will be similar to the opening of the last performance, but it will be even more thrilling. The hip circle is a really cool trick. It's the one where I essentially hurl myself around the bar in a tucked position.

I also did quite a bit of conditioning. One of the worker's there recommended that I do my pushups with a close in hand position. It was much more difficult, as I typically have a wide position. It works different muscles. So, I'm going to try that for a while from now on. I definitely need to build up some more strength.

Hashbrowns

This is a recipe that my mom used to make when I was little. Granted, my version is probably a bit different (smart balance instead of butter, salt sense instead of salt, and I use red potatoes - I don't remember what she used to use). But, the essence is the same. It's not even really hashbrowns, but that's what she used to call it. Also, she used to make it in the pan after cooking eggs, which added some additional flavor. But, enough of that history. Onto my version.

I chopped up 2 medium red potatoes into cubes. Sprayed a pan with non-stick pam spray. Added some smart balance. Set the heat on the stove to medium. Once the smart balance is melted, shake in some salt sense. Then, add the chopped up potatoes. Use a spoon to move the potatoes around so that they don't burn or stick to the pan. Heat until the potatoes are just a little crunchy. Then, serve.

It's a really tasty dish, and not bad health-wise. Red potatoes are very healthy. Plus, they're an excellent source of potassium (better than bananas for that). The smart balance gives it a good fatty acid omega 3 ratio, and the salt sense isn't too bad sodium wise. All in all, it's a great dish when you're in the mood for potatoes or comfort food.

5K Training

I've decided to also focus on my running. I'm now starting to train for a 5K race on May 23rd, which gives me 9 weeks. I have an 8 week training schedule that I got online. So, I'll be following that. One of my friends is also training to do the 5K, too, so that will be awesome. My training has me running 5 days a week. Monday is speed work (speed intervals of .25 miles), Wed is a low mileage run day, Thursday is a tempo run day "running at a sustained comfortably hard pace". Saturday is the long run day. And Sunday is the easy run day. Each week builds extra mileage/speed, etc.

It looks like a good schedule. Plus, it gives me Tuesdays and Fridays off, which will let me do the gymnastics open gym if I want and the trapeze. Plus, on the Low mileage Wednesday day or the easy run Sunday, I can do strength training. I'm hoping to do more running outside, especially for Sundays, where I can run with my dogs, since it's a timed run rather than a distance run. I'll probably need to do some of my long runs outside as well. I'll need to look into finding a nice park to run at.

2nd and 3rd Adult Trapeze Level 2 Classes

I missed posting about my 2nd class. Essentially it was just ok. My instructor was sick, so we had a substitute. We were told to work on combinations of tricks. I worked a sequence of Split Under the Bar, 1 knee roll-up, Straight Up and Down, and Thread the Needle. I also practiced the Angel Sequence, Back Balance, Double Arm Flag, and Free Handed Hammock. I learned 1 new trick - 1/2 Angel on the Ropes. I was on the trapeze 5 times. A lot of the other people were just sitting around, so there was a lot of trapeze time open. But, there was little instruction. I also did some conditioning. All in all, it was a fairly uninspired practice.

Last Friday (my 3rd class) actually had the feel of the lessons the first time around. Only 5 of us showed up, which was nice. My instructor was there as well (along with the 2nd instructor). It was a good class.

1) We started with a combination - Double knee roll-up, Pull to Stand, Iron Cross, and Forward Roll. I was at the trapeze with the 2nd instructor. He was very impressed with my Iron Cross. I actually was able to get my arms completely perpendicular to my body. Also, with the Forward Roll, I had complete control. It was a good sequence for me.

2) Then, we learned the Fairy Pose. It was a difficult one for me. I don't even know how to describe it. You're standing, with one hand higher on the ropes than the other. You pull yourself up, upside down and position one leg straight out (the one near your lower hand). The other hand pulls up, and you wind up in a position on the ropes. My position didn't quite look like it was supposed to, though. I tried it twice and didn't quite get it right either time.

3) Seahorse - This was one I had trouble with during my private lesson. It actually went quite well this time, though. Sit to the side, lay back, balance, switch your knee to the other side of the rope, reach up and pull up (twisting your body into the ropes, legs are in a 1/2 split position), head back against the ropes (back arched), balance, unroll, balance, switch knee back, reach up and sit. I think this will probably go into my act.

4) Double-wrapped angel - This one was one that I didn't try 2 weeks ago. I only did the single wrap then. However, I actually did the double wrap this time. Front balance into catcher's hang, reach up and pull body up, push body through and around (wrapping again), move the ropes to the inside, roll down and out twice into catcher's hang. My roll down was less than graceful. I sort of got stuck both times. But, I did it, which was something. It felt like an accomplishment.

5) Zip Drop - We actually got to do the zip drop this week. I was excited because I want to put this into my act. High straddle, wrap both legs in the ropes, cross ropes behind back, handstand, unhook legs at the knee and slide down (zip), hold the bar into position where legs meet body, unhook legs the rest of the way and push them through to a pike (which causes the drop), then the rope untwists, so you spin 1/2 way, you wind up hanging down from the ropes. This could make a good finale trick.

6) Hip Circle - Front pullover to front balance, hurl yourself forward into a ball, circling the bar and reach through. The trick is the hurling part. You need the momentum to make it all the way around. I actually did it the 2nd time (although it looked really ugly).

7) Heels and Toes - this was the first time I did these where I actually felt like there was hope for me to master them. I actually supported my entire weight with both for maybe 10 seconds each. Granted, I have a long way to go, but it was progress.

So, it was a good class, which got me pumped up again about doing the trapeze.

I also did some conditioning. I didn't do as much as I could have, though. I find that I do better on the trapeze if I don't use all my strength doing the conditioning. I can do pushups and such at home. I go to trapeze class to learn and practice the trapeze moves. So, I think I'm going to go light on the conditioning while in class so that I can do my best at the trapeze part. I'll have to make sure I get my conditioning and strength training in at home.

First Trapeze Adult Level 2 Class

I went to my very first adult level 2 trapeze class. It was still down at the City Museum, but it's on Friday rather than Thursday night. The museum is open during the lesson, so that makes parking more of an issue, since we can't just park in the lot without paying $5, which would make my lessons significantly more expensive. They told me about a nearby parking lot, which we can park in for free. So, that's what I did. But, the walk to the lot from after the lesson was slightly intimidating. I kept a close eye out for shady looking people who might be looking to assault me or something. Other than that, though, the lesson was good.

There were a LOT of people in the class - probably almost 10 in total (I didn't count). The guy from my last class was there. And, I think a lady from the other adult level 1 class last time was there. I think I recognized her from the group performance. Other than that, though, I didn't really know anyone else in the class. There were a lot of younger people. I'm not sure of the minimum age to be in the adult class.

Onto the lesson. Because there were so many of us, my instructor had a co-instructor there with her. So, there were 2 trapeze bars open to practice/learn the skills. Also, she had a list of conditioning exercises for us to work on between our turns.

I'll talk about the trapeze skills first.
1. Around the World - You're sitting on the bar. Left hand is gripping the bar palm out. Right hand is gripping the rope near the left hand, gripping up high. Both arms are straight. You tuck your legs into your chest and pull up with your right hand. Your body revolves around the rope that you're holding onto. when fully around, your legs go over the bar, and you wind up sitting in the same position that you started in.

2. Ladybug - already knew this one, as it was the final trick in my performance.

3. Toe Hang and Heel Hang - Oowww, need I say more. I first did these at my private lesson. I did the Heels better than the toes this time and was actually able to hold most of my weight. Toes, I kept skipping off.

4. Wrapped Angel - Start off with the sequence from my routine - front pullover, front balance, catcher's hang. Then, reach up and grab the ropes. Then, pull yourself up so that you are wrapped in the ropes. There's another step where you go under and around again (double wrapped angel), but the ropes were really tight as is, so I just did the wrapped on this time. Better not to kill myself the first night back.

5. Iron Cross - From standing, wrap both arms around ropes, keep arms straight. Make sure the ropes are into your armpits tightly. Lift body off bar to make sure you can support your weight. Then, lift arms out to make the cross shape.

6. Thread the Needle - This is one I've been wanting to learn and will probably put it in my next performance. Stand, wrap your left leg around the rope (still standing), reach down and hold the opposite rope. Lift your right leg up and onto the rope (making a split). Walk your hands up the rope and arch your back into a nice position.

7. 1 Knee Rollup - we did a sequence into this, split under the bar, then arch your back into a deeper split, 1 knee hang, lock legs, reach up with arms, and then do the roll up (described in more detail in my post about the last private lesson)

So, that's it for the tricks for this week. For conditioning, I did 30 pushups, 3 sets of 20 V-crunches, 3 sets of 15 superman lifts, 3-4 climbs up the rope (don't remember), 3 30 second planks on each side, 3 sets of 15 dips, 3 sets of 15 shoulder shrugs, 1 set of 5 chins (assisted). On the list we were supposed to do 3 sets of 5 chins, 3 sets of 5 pull ups (different grip), and 10 climbs up the rope. So, I did most of it. I was working almost the entire 90 minutes, so I think I got farther with the conditioning than most of the people. I think the guy from my last class might have been the only one to get through everything. It was a lot of conditioning. But, it was good. Between the gymnastics and the trapeze, I'm going to get really strong.

Post-Gymnastics

The morning after my gymnastics open gym, my muscles really weren't all that sore. I was actually quite surprised, given the level of intensity of the session.

Now I realize what happened. I woke up this morning (2 mornings after), and pretty much every single muscle in my body started screaming at me. Now, that was what I was expecting. I knew I probably had used muscles that I hadn't used in years. So, this definitely turned out to be one of the single best type of workout. I had tons of strength training, and I had some cardio on the trampoline.

I'm glad I have an extra day until my trapeze class. If it were tonight, I'd be in bad shape. So, today I might walk on the treadmill, but other than that my body needs to rest and recover.

Next time for the open gym session, I'm going to work on a trampoline routine. I had been working on one before I stopped doing gymnastics, and it would be fun to get back into more purposeful trampoline work. The only negative about the open gym session is that you have to be pro-active. There's no one to tell me what I need to do step by step. Of course, this also has its benefits in that you can tailor the intensity of the time to whatever you want.

Gymnastics Open Gym Recap

I think I've just had the most intense workout I've possibly ever had. I did so much at the gymnastics open gym! I started off with stretching. Then, I warmed up with forward rolls, backwards rolls, handstands, handstand to forward rolls, cartwheels on both sides, round-offs, forward walk-overs, more handstands, more cartwheels, etc. Then, one of the coaches spotted me on my back handspring on a wedge mat. After doing a bunch of them, with the coach gradually lightening his spot, I started doing them without a spot. I don't think I had lost much progress on that at all. I did probably 20 back handsprings overall. That took me through the first 30 minutes. Then, the other side of the gym opened up.

I did 3 sessions on the trampoline. I did my tuck jumps, straddle jumps, pike jumps, seat drops, seat drops twisting for a chain of 5 of them, back drops, front drops, back drop into front drop, table drop. Then, I asked for a spot on my back tuck (back flip). I did quite well with that, and after a bunch of them, I was doing them without a spot - no problem. Like I said, I did trampoline 3 times, with easily over 20 back tucks total. I also did a little on the balance beam. I did some on the vault (jumping on the spring board and onto the vault table, then doing a handstand and kind of arching over onto a mat). And, I did some uneven bars work. I was still able to do a pull over. Then, the coach set me up with this attachment which helped me to train for a thing where you rotate backwards around the bar (with the bar touching the pelvis area the whole time - not swinging all the way around with your whole body extended, that's much more advanced and you need a grip thing). Then, I practiced my kip (pushing off the bar), and the coach spotted me to do the revolvy thing without the attachment. I have a ways to go on that one.

After all of that, I ended with some conditioning - pushups and 4 point crunches. And, finally I did a lot of stretching again. All in all, it was an hour and 20 minutes. And, I barely took any breaks. It was essentially non-stop action.

I am going to be sore tomorrow!

Adult Gymnastics Open Gym

Tonight I'm going to an adult gymnastics open gym session in Maryland Heights. It's actually at the very first location where I took my first gymnastics class 4-6 years ago (not sure when exactly). It will be very interesting to see what I can still do.

The open gym sessions are on Tuesdays from 8:30 - 9:50pm (and you can go in to warm-up and stretch before 8:30). There is an instructor there to give tips and do spotting, but it is an unstructured session rather than a structured class. At least since I've done gymnastics before, there are a number of drills that I know that I can practice. So, it should be easy to have things to do for the whole time.

This should be good for me. It will be a fun way to exercise. Plus, the skills/strength-building will carry over with the static trapeze (of which I was able to rejoin the class, so I'll get to start back on Friday). I am a bit nervous, though. I'll just have to make sure that I ease into it and not take risks. Hopefully this instructor is good and safe. It will be strange not having my previous coach there. I trusted him when he was spotting me. With this new person, I'll have to rely on myself not to do anything risky.

I'm planning on mostly drilling with the basics tonight - forward and backwards rolls, hand stands, handstand to forward roll, cartwheels, round-offs. Also, I want to do some basic trampoline work. And, then depending on how I'm doing I might do my back tuck on the trampoline and then start working my standing back handspring again with spot. But, I might wait on those if I don't feel comfortable.

This gym also has all of the apparatus equipment - uneven bars, etc. Maybe I'll try to do some of that, too. I had been learning some very basic skills on the uneven bars - front pull-over. And, I was trying to learn the skill where you rotate around the bar. There are lots of possibilities. Hopefully I don't wind up looking really silly. I'll bet I'm the most novice person there. But, that's how I was when I was taking before, and it didn't bother me. As long as I'm working on improving what I can do, that's all I can ask for.

Sunday, Week 33 (with Progress Update)

I'm exhausted today. I worked overnight last night until 4:45am. Then, I got up at 9:45am and started again. I'm really tired, but there is still so much to do... Here's my progress update from this morning. I needed a break from the coding, so I figured I'd post.

Stats:
Weight: 115lbs (goal weight 110-115)
Waist: 26.5 inches (goal 24 - 27)
Below Waist: 28.5 inches (goal 26 - 29)

Sunday, Week 32 (with Progress Update)

So, here's my first progress update in a while. Like I said, I did have some back-sliding, but mostly I'm still within my maintenance ranges.

Stats:
Weight: 116.2lbs (goal weight 110-115)
Waist: 26.75 inches (goal 24 - 27)
Below Waist: 28.75 inches (goal 26 - 29)

Today my muscles are a tad sore - the first time in a while. So, that's a good thing. I need to start re-conditioning my body if I'm going to re-join the trapeze class. Perhaps that will really motivate me to get back into things.

I suppose there have been a few stumbling blocks for fitness lately. Obviously, the surgery is one. Exercise had been my main hobby and stress-relief. Cutting that out has been difficult mentally. Couple that with physical pain from surgery recovery, and it was a huge hit.

A second one is that work has become pretty crazy lately. I feel like I'm behind. I have 2 major projects, one of which is truly starting up this week. But, even the one that hasn't really started yet is behind in a sense. So, I've been putting in lots of extra hours. Also, with impending layoffs by the end of March at my company, I need to do everything possible to ensure that I can keep my job.

And, a third one is that I keep falling victim to comfort food for stress-relief. Now that I can start exercising a little again, though, perhaps this will be easier for me.

Today will be a decently active day. I have to go to PetSmart to buy food for my dogs. Also, I have to go to the grocery store to buy food for myself. So, that will be some walking around. I'll also get some other exercising in, too.

Exercise:
Stretching - comprehensive, also did splits
Treadmill: 2.5 miles, 28:45 (.5 mi warm-up, 1.5 mi running at 6mph, .5 mi cooldown)

Strategy for 2009

I'll post my progress update tomorrow morning. I've had a bit of a back-slide since my trapeze performance, which I expected, but it's time to get back into health again.

I e-mailed my trapeze instructor, so I'll see if I can rejoin the trapeze class in March like she said I would be able to. That gives me an extra week over and above the 4 weeks, but I figured it was better to give myself the week, since otherwise I'd be at trapeze class at the exact 4 week mark. I want to make sure my ear is completely cleared.

Other goals for 2009 - I'd like to train for another 5K run in the Spring. This time I want to make it under the 30 minute mark. After that, maybe I can try a 10K run perhaps by mid-summer. So, running will be a big focus for my exercising. Since the weather is getting better, I'll start taking my dogs for runs outside to gain some outdoor running experience, too.

So, my training schedule will be weights, running on the treadmill, running outside, trapeze, stretching, and some exercise dvds (like Tae Bo and perhaps yoga). I'll have to come up with a training schedule once I've figured out when I'm going to do my 5K race.

Saturday, Week 31

It's been a difficult week for me. My surgery recovery is going well, I suppose, but it's hard not being at 100%. Plus, work has been very demanding. I've been putting in a lot of extra hours, which has been tiring. My nutrition has been so-so. I've had a fair amount of fast food and far too many desserts. But, I've had some good nutrition moments, too - fruit, grilled chicken, yogurt, etc.

But, it's time to get back into things. This is my 3rd week since the surgery, so I'm easing back into exercising. I'm still restricted from lifting heavy weights and hard running. So, I'm starting back slowly.

Food:
Breakfast: Salmon burger (130/22) and wheat bun (80/4)
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Snack:
Total: Calories: , Protein:

Exercise:
For my exercise, I had 2 treadmill sessions, with some stretching and very light strength training in between. I also did stretching after the exercise session and throughout the day.
Treadmill: 26 minutes/2 miles total
Weights: 5 lb dumbells - Bicep Curls, Shoulder Work, 20 lb Chest Press and 20 lb Leg Extensions.

Saturday, Week 30

It's been a busy week. My life has essentially become work and recovery rest. I have 2 projects at work, one of which is extremely demanding. Hopefully, the other won't hit full steam for a while so that I can finish up the first one.

But, that's not really fitness related. Regarding fitness, I'm still not allowed to exercise yet. I'll have my follow-up with my ear doctor on Tuesday, so that will be interesting. I'm not recovered yet. I have a continual ringing in my ear. And, then pain is better or worse, fluctuating throughout the day.

I've been doing decently with my diet - not perfect by any means, but not too horrible. I weighed in at 115.4 lbs this morning, which is not bad. Hopefully, I'm not losing too much muscle mass, though.

Overall, though, I'm just pretty fatigued, physically and mentally. But, it's good that I have a lot to do at work. My company is going to be doing another round of layoffs in April, which I should be safe from.

Sunday, Week 30

I made it through the surgery alright. The doctor didn't find a cholesteatoma, which is good. He did find a lot of scar tissue, which he was able to remove. He thinks that was causing the pain. Hopefully, it will fix me.

I worked from home 1/2 days on Wed and Thurs and then went into the office on Friday. I've been working this weekend from home, too. There's a lot of work to catch up on. I'd rather be resting, as my head is killing me sometimes.

As for food, I've eaten mostly soups and cabbage this past week. Also, yogurt, clementines, and Kashi Lean Cereal. All easy to fix things. And, Eddy's Light ice cream. I've put on a little weight, but not too bad. I'll be glad when I'm finished recovering.

Surgery Day

I'm about to head off to my ear surgery. I weighed in at 113.4 lbs this morning, so hopefully I won't gain more than 5 lbs in the 4 weeks.

I had my last round of upper body weights and abdominal strength session Wednesday. Also, I did some running. Last night I went to the grocery store, and then I cooked a pot of cabbage and a huge pot of leek soup (but I added turkey roast to it so that it can be full meals for me). I also bought about 6-7 bag meals. So, I won't have to be cooking for quite a while.

I'm thirsty (no food or water after midnight), and I'm a tad nervous. At least I slept decently, though, last night.

Wish me luck. I'll let you (if anyone is actually reading this) know how it goes.

Trapeze Private Lesson - Level 2

I had my private trapeze lesson to start learning level 2 tricks last night. It started snowing, so the drive there and back wasn't all that great. But, it was well worth it. I did 12 new tricks!

I started out with stretching. My instructor said that now that I have my front splits, that I should try to do hyper-extended splits (putting a book or something under my front leg so that it stretches even more).

Then, we got right to the tricks!

1. Mermaid Under the Bar - this was a beautiful position. You have your 2 hands holding onto the bar. Then, you go into the split under the bar trick. From that, you twist your body so that one arm goes down the middle of your back. Your legs are one on each side of the arm and extend outward, parallel to the ground. So, you wind up looking like a mermaid. Your feet are together to make up the main fish part of the mermaid.

2. 1 Knee Roll-Up. This is a cool transition from underneath the bar to sitting. Again, you start from the split under the bar position. Then, you go into a 1 knee hang. You lock your free leg around the leg with the knee on the bar, and then you place your hands on the ropes so that the bar is in the crook of your elbows, with your arms extending up as high as you can, holding onto the ropes. Then, you unlock your free leg, swing it down to gain momentum. Then, you swing it up and around the bar. Your body remains tucked in a ball as much as possible. Also, you try to keep the bar at your knee rather than letting it slide down. You wind up on top of the bar. Then, you bring the free leg up and over so that you're fully sitting.

3. 2 Knee Roll-Up. This is just like the 1 knee roll-up except that both knees are on the bar when you roll up and around. It's harder in that you don't have the momentum from the swing like you do in the 1 knee roll up. But, it's easier in that it's easier to remain tucked. Also, it's easier to keep the bar in the position at your knees. Both are very cool transitions, though.

4. Forward Straddle Drop. This was extremely terrifying to try. However, once I did it, it actually was pretty easy. I just had to have faith in myself. Essentially, you sit on the trapeze bar, with your legs straddled wide in front of the bar. There's just enough room on the bar between your legs to grab on with both hands. You have to balance for a bit in this position until you go. Then, you fall forward, rolling over, and wind up hanging down from the bar by your 2 hands. The scary part is that it feels like you're going to fall forward, your hands will slip off the bar, and you'll fall face first onto the ground. My instructor had me do a countdown from 3. I said, 3...2...1... And, I sort of moved, but didn't go. Lol! Then, I counted again and took that leap of faith and just went. I actually controlled my descent down, and it wound up being pretty easy. All you have to do is make sure you control yourself and not just flop around. I did this trick again and had no problems with it. This one reminded me of the scare factor in the forward roll trick from my performance. It looks really cool, though, and is very dramatic. I can see putting this into my next performance.

5. Fall Back Angel. This is simply a dramatic way to get into the angel sequence. You start sitting on the bar. You grab the bar with your left hand, and spread your right leg open wide with your foot flexed. You fall backwards, letting the rope slide down your leg, catching on your flexed foot.

6 & 7. Scissor Roll-Up & Seahorse. These are tricks where you wrap your legs up in the ropes while doing a half split. Then, you roll up with the ropes rolling around you. It was actually quite difficult to do, and it was actually fairly painful where the ropes cut into your legs. I forgot how to exactly do them. The Seahorse was easier I think. In the scissor one, it was hard to get the bar along my butt crack so that I could roll up and around it to the 2nd half of the trick. These definitely look dramatic, though. So, I can see doing this in my next act. They will take some work, though, to perfect.

8. Zip Drop. This was my favorite trick. It starts like the shoulder stand (standing on the bar, doing a straddle upside down and wrapping my feet around the ropes). But, it's done higher up on the ropes. And, instead of sliding down the ropes to my shoulders, I had to criss cross the ropes behind my back and then have my hands down to the bar - like doing a hand stand. Then, I had to bring the bar up to just below my pelvis bones. So, I'm only hanging on by my legs. Then, I had to unwrap the part of my legs below the knee, so my toes are pointed towards each other with my knees bent. Then, I had to unwrap my legs the rest of the way, releasing me into the drop. I dropped a couple of feet before catching with the bar just below my pelvis bones. It actually makes a pretty loud noise, which is why I had my instructor reach up to my shoulders to slow my descent. From there, I unwrap my body and finally get right-side up. It's an awesome trick, although you're upside down for quite a while. I guess it won't take so long when I fully know what I'm doing. This was so cool.

9 & 10. Toe Hang & Heel Hang. These tricks are ridiculous. My instructor introduced me to them, although I can see these as tricks that I may not ever do. For one, they're painful, especially the toe hang. 2, They're extremely difficult and would be very easy to fall out of. 3. They're very dangerous in that if you fall, you're going to land right on your head. For the toe hang, you flex your feet and hang from the bar, with the bar at the part where your foot meets your leg. You have to try to bunch the skin up so that there's something to grip so that you don't slide. For the heel hang, you point your toes and hang from the back of your heels. Yeah. Crazy. She had me do them but with heavy spot. I was not holding my entire weight at all. It was an introduction to the tricks, though. They don't let you put that in a show until you can hold it for like 5 minutes and with swinging.

11. Back Balance. This was similar to my straddle back balance trick that I did in my performance (right after the shoulder stand). Only your legs aren't straddled on the ropes. So, it's more of a difficult balance. One leg is out straight, and the other is bent. The bent leg is where you can control your center of gravity to balance.

12. Straight Up and Down. This is a strength move that looks really cool. You're standing on the bar. You pull up into the egg position. Then, you extend your body fully straight, so that your whole body is in line with the ropes. It requires the strength to hold the position as well as the body control/balance to hold yourself upright in that straight line.

So, that was my lesson. I got through learning a LOT. I have some fun new bruises in places that I've never had before. But, I felt very accomplished. I can't wait to do a level 2 routine. It will be so much fun. This is it for the trapeze for me for at least 4 weeks, though. My surgery is in 3 days.

Sunday, Week 29

This is my last weekend before my ear surgery. My ear has definitely felt worse these past several days. I'll be glad to get the surgery over and done. So, my fitness world will be coming to a screeching halt Friday morning. I'm hoping to get some decent exercise in this week before Friday, though. I did some light upper body strength training yesterday morning - not very strenuous, though. I'm not sore today.

Sun - not sure, maybe some cardio, maybe either a fitness dvd or the elliptical machine, nothing too intense
Mon - 1 hour Trapeze private lesson
Tues - Abdominal Strength training and Cardio
Wed - Upper Body Strength training
Thur - something not too strenuous

Friday - surgery, need to be at the hospital for 7:30am
No exercise for 4 weeks

Friday, Week 28

I recruited 2 of my co-workers to go to Zumba with me during lunch! I'm really looking forward to that. It was a lot of fun last Friday. It's $6 for each drop-in class or $5 per class if you sign up for the whole session. But, with my ear surgery next week, I definitely can't sign up for any full sessions.

Last night was a doozy regarding my ear. It was one of the worst nights - definitely the worst one in a while. I'll be glad when the surgery is over and I'm finished with recouperating. It will be good to have this problem fixed. And, hopefully the tube that he puts in will keep this problem from recurring next year.

I've signed up for one final private trapeze lesson with my instructor for Monday at 6pm. So, I'll get a start with learning the level 2 tricks, and hopefully I won't get too behind while I'm out for the 4 weeks.

I received my packet from the ear doctor's office about my surgery, and it is 4 full weeks of no exercise - specifically no running, no lifting weights, no lifting anything more than 10-20 pounds at all, no sports, nothing to get myself out of breath or straining. Perhaps I'll be able to do some slow walking in the 3rd or 4th week, maybe something like that. The most important thing is that I'll need to try to maintain a positive outlook - and keep my stress level low.

Also, I can monitor my nutrition and keep that decent. I expect I'll put on a little weight in the 4 weeks, but that's ok. My goal is to keep my weight below 118lbs. And, maybe I won't really gain all that much. But, at least this goal should keep me in check with my nutrition and health. And, eating right might actually help my body recouperate faster.

Sunday, Week 28 (with Progress Update)

It's been another good maintenance week. Even with a splurge last night of Chevy's food and spiced apples and light ice cream at home, my weight is at an awesome level. Here's my official weigh-in to kick off this week. Make sure to read about my trapeze performance below. It truly was a night to remember.

Progress:
Weight: 110.4lbs (goal weight 110-115)
Waist: 25.25 inches (goal 24 - 27)
Below Waist: 27.5 inches (goal (26 - 29)

Exercise:
Upper Body Weights
Stretching

Trapeze Picture

Here's a picture of my Crow's Nest trick. You can see the rest of my trapeze pictures at my gallery site:

http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/TrapezePerformanceAdultLevel1/

The Trapeze Perfromance!!!!!

I am so excited to report that my trapeze performance was everything that I had hoped it could possibly be. From the moment I arrived at the City Museum, I started getting that jittery, excited feeling. I got dressed in my costume and put the finishing touches on my make-up. Then, I spent about 12-20 minutes stretching out with one of my fellow performers. The time backstage before the show just flew. Soon, our instructor had us take hands in a circle and was giving us a pep talk. She had us take 3 big deep breaths in and emphasized that we should enjoy the moment and have fun out there.

She went into the circus ring (as she was the announcer), and the show had begun. I was up first. I heard her call my name. The guy backstage pressed play on my music. I couldn't really hear my music at first. The crowd was cheering in the ring, and I was still backstage. So, I just went right on out. As I was doing my first style (a bow to the audience), I started to hear my music, so that was good. But, when I first stepped out from behind the curtains, I could hear the cheering, and I could see the audience. It was such a rush! There's nothing like it. It was so much different from practice.

I made my way to the bar and jumped and grabbed it. There's always a small part of me that is nervous that I'll miss the bar when jumping up at first, but my hands found it with no problem. When I did my front pull over onto the bar, I heard these "oooooohhhhs" from the audience, which energized me even more. Then, I went into my front balance, and people started clapping! Then, when I dropped into my catcher's hang, the audience went crazy. I suppose it is a dramatic trick, so the constant bruises from it each week were worth it. That was definitely a crowd pleaser.

I continued my routine, with the audience clapping at a lot of my tricks. Then, I got to the shoulder stand trick, and I realized that I was way ahead of my music. For just a second, I wondered if I had forgotten a trick! But, no, I must have just been going through my routine fast. It didn't feel like it, since I was pausing whenever the audience was clapping and such. But, I must have been going fast. So, I slowed it down from there on and made sure to hold my tricks longer.

Then, I came towards the end of the performance. It was time for my new Crow's Nest trick, the Arabesque, Forward Roll, and Ladybug - all my heavy hitter strength tricks. I got into the Crow's Nest with no problem. My feet found the correct position right away. I remebered my instructor had said to look around at the audience while in that trick, so I held it while I looked forward and then all the way to the opposite end of the audience. It was perfect. Then, I came down back to a stand and styled, giving my hands a brief respite. I went into my arabesque, making sure to have good extension, and then I came out of it and into the forward roll. Then, I did my lady bug, and dismounted the bar.

I wound up ending at a good place in my music - almost at the very end. So, I had succeeded in getting back to a normal pace once I realized that I was going too fast. All in all, I did as well as I could have possibly hoped for. I hit all my tricks. I smiled a lot. Granted, my music wasn't necessarily smiley music, but I think it worked well.

Once I was back stage, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I still felt a bundle of nerves - as if thinking, did this really happen? Did I actually do it? The time had passed in a blink of an eye.

It was a packed house. The stands were almost completely full. Plus, people were watching from outside the ring behind the glass, too. There were easily over 100 people in attendance. There were people of all ages - young kids to the elderly.

The rest of the show went by in the blink of an eye. The show was about a 1/2 hour long total, but it seemed even shorter than that. We were all talking about our experiences backstage, and we got to watch some of the performances through the side glass.

It was a night to remember. It's probably the most exciting thing that I've ever been a part of.

Saturday, Week 27 - Trapeze Performance Day!

The day is finally here!

It's been a journey. When I started trapeze class back in September, I weighed about 125 lbs. This morning, I weighed in at 109.4 lbs. Plus, I've gained a ton of strength and stamina. I've push through being sick. I've pushed past my ear troubles. It's been a battle of mind and will over body. I'm so happy that I've made it this far.

I'm actually feeling really good today. My ear has been decent both yesterday and today. Maybe I'm getting well from it. It would be great to not have to have the surgery. Time will tell. I still have the hole in my ear drum. Maybe that's all that was needed to get it to drain. Better not get my hopes up, though. I can just be happy that I'm feeling good today. Not perfect, but so much better than some of the days.

Stay tuned. I'll definitely post about the performance tonight.

Food:
Breakfast: 3/4 Kashi (100/11), 3/4 Milk (60/6)
Snack: Clementine (55/1), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Chicken (150/27), Veggies (60/2)
Snack: Small Muscle Punch Smoothie (264/5), Salmon (130/23)
Pre-Trapeze Performance: South Beach Bar (140/10)
Post-Trapeze: IsoPure w/ Milk (100/20)
Dinner: Chevy's Mixed Grill (didn't eat it all) ?
Dessert: Spiced Apples and Light Vanilla Ice Cream

Total Calories: 1114 + ?
Total Protein: 110.5 + ?

Exercise:
20 minutes walking on treadmill
Stretching
Trapeze Performance!

Hair Appointment Set

I'm all set with a hair appointment for tomorrow at 4pm. This will be nice to have something better than my standard pony tail for my trapeze performance tomorrow. Maybe I can go out tomorrow during the day to find some kind of hair ribbon or something to go in it. I'm terrible at doing hair, so I figured that this would be something good to splurge on. Hopefully, it will complete my trapeze look. At least I'm good with make-up. I can do my own for that.

I need to concentrate on the positives for tomorrow rather than the possibilities of people being sick and not being able to come watch. This should be a fun experience, not a stressful one. I think this hair appointment will help with getting me in the mood of this special day tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get a hair-do that's elegant, yet very secure.

Friday, Week 27

I still weighed in the morning at 111.2 lbs. So, that's excellent. Only one more day until my trapeze performance. I'm keeping it super low sodium today and tomorrow, as well as high protein. My muscles recovered from trapeze practice fairly decently. I want to keep it that way.

Food:
Breakfast: 3/4 Kashi (100/11), 3/4 Milk (60/6)
Snack: Clementine (55/1), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Chicken (150/27), Veggies (60/2)
Snack: Clementines (55/1), Soy Beans (100/8)
Snack: Choc IsoPure w/ milk (100/20)
Dinner: Salmon Filet (140/21), Red Potato (60/3), Veggies (60/2)
Snack: 3/4 Kashi (100/11), 3/4 Milk (60/6)

Total Calories: 1155
Total Protein: 124.5

Exercise:
50 min Free Zumba Class at work
Stretching

Final Trapeze Adult Level 1 Class!

Last night was my final practice before the performance tomorrow night. Everyone wore their costumes, and we each ran through our performances twice. We also practiced the curtain call (what we do at the end after everyone has finished). We'll each come out and get a final bow.

It was a strange rehearsal. Everyone - except for the guy - seemed to have some problems with their first run through. Mine wasn't so terrible, but I made 2 fairly big errors. First, I wrapped my arms for the double arm flag. I was all set to do the trick when I realized that I was sitting rather than squatting. So, it was pretty awkward getting my legs up and behind the bar to do the trick. But, at least I made it work. So, that was the first problem. Then, the second problem was when I was about to do the Crow's Nest. I was upside down, all set to go. But, I wrapped my feet instead of just hooking them. So, I did some kind of trick, but it wasn't the Crow's Nest. But, at least I did something and then kept going and finished the routine. So, there were some problems. Also, at the beginning, when I was sliding down onto the bar for the fetal balance and free handed hammock trick, it felt like there was a ton of wobbling on the bar. It was less than graceful.

After that run through, my instructor showed me how to do the Crow's Nest again. I practiced it and got it right.

My second run through was much improved. There was less wobbling in the transition to the fetal balance/free handed hammock. I didn't mess up on the setup for the free handed hammock. And, I did the Crow's Nest correctly. So, it was much better. I still didn't get the arabesque into the forward roll without putting my foot down. But, I don't think that matters. It can just be 2 separate tricks.

Then, at the very end of practice, I practiced my Crow's Nest/Arabesque/Forward Roll sequence again and got it right.

So, overall it was a good rehearsal. It's troubling that my first run-through was so rough because we are NOT going to practice before the show. We'll be stretching only. So, I have to walk in there on Saturday ready to go and nail it the first time.

After the rehearsal, I was feeling pretty bad. My headache/ear ache was in full swing, and I was just beat. Then, when we got home we found out that my husband had 102 degree fever! He's out from work today. I'm really hoping I don't catch whatever it is that he has. I'm drinking lots of green tea and eating oranges and am taking my vitamins. This morning, his temperature was back to normal, but he's off from work today. I'm really hoping it doesn't go back up. So, hopefully he will still be able to watch me perform. But, if he's still sick, I can't see him going. The stands for the audience are packed really close together. It wouldn't be right for him to go there with a fever and contaminate everyone around him. I just have to stay well until after the show (well, not actually well - I still have this ear problem, but I have to not get sick with anything else). If he can't go, at least he'll be able to see the video. I wanted video and pictures, but I suppose we can get pictures off of the video. I really wanted a picture of the Crow's Nest trick, since that's the new one that I don't have pictures of. But, people don't always get everything they want. At least I will have pushed through. Tomorrow can't get here soon enough.