Project Flexibility

Tags

dance, flexibility, flexibility challenge, front splits fast, improving flexibility, stretching

Last Thursday I danced again for the first time since before the holidays, and since we for our summer classes rent a room that actually has mirrors on the walls, I realised that, well, my dancing wasn’t good. I had lost quite a bit of flexibility, and it was technically never where it needed to be.

Let’s be honest. There’s more than a couple of things I really need to improve.

However, I feel like my lack of flexibility is holding me more and more back. I constantly have to fight myself when dancing, either because I can’t get my legs high enough, I struggle having a straight enough back, and I feel like my movements don’t flow whatsoever.

I came across The Ballet Blog’s Front Splits Fast Program, and purchased it, so that’s my project for the next two months. I’ll be doing the program three times a week, and doing the neck stretches/massages every day (my neck is really, really, really bad at the moment). I’ll also note my progress every week, which is where this blog comes into play.

My main goal is to have a marked improvement by the time our dance instructor comes back in the middle of September (she comes over from the UK six times a year; the rest of the time we train ourselves). That’s a bit of a vague goal, though, so the first point of my agenda is to be able to put my whole hand flat on the floor when bending forwards, and to improve my stiff and sore neck muscles. I’ve had more days with tension headaches than without this year, so that’s important.

We’ll see how it goes! I’ll write another update in a week 🙂

The week of not-so-much

Tags

change, dance, diet, health, irish dance, life, mental health, running, struggle, update

Sometimes I really hate my health. I’m not just talking about my physical health here, though that’s acted up this week as well, but mental health too. This week I have only attended dance class and done absolutely no other exercise. I had planned to go running today, but it’s so much wind that I know it’ll be a struggle from start to finish. I don’t want to ruin my Sunday by getting frustrated and angry with myself. Tomorrow’s dancing, and my running program starts on Tuesday, so perhaps I’ll be nice to myself and do one of my workout videos or barre instead.

On Monday we worked on our figure dance in dance class. My brain was on strike from the first minute of it, and I had a mental breakdown before we even got started. I’ve been ridiculously stressed this week, and I don’t know why. It got better further into the class, but still.

On Thursday there was a new dance class. The beginner’s class went fine, as I’m not a student there but helped a new dancer with her steps. My own class… not so much. I did learn a new dance, but I just couldn’t piece together the rhythm and when I was supposed to dance it to music… well, it was about three times faster than the fastest speed I had managed when practicing it, and so I couldn’t even do a tiny fraction of it. I did remember my slipjig (at least the lead), so that was good, but I didn’t leave class with a good feeling. I was stressed out on Thursday too, because I had three translations to do and very little time to do them, but I wish I was able not to let it affect me so much.

Logically I know it’s because it’s winter and I’m not taking antidepressiva any longer. Also I haven’t been good at doing the mental exercises I know I need to do, I haven’t exercised outside of dance class, my diet’s been really bad (well, not so bad this week, actually, so I can’t use that excuse this time), I’ve felt like crap because I haven’t been able to stay away from soda and snacks, and I’ve had far too much on my plate. And because I’m so stressed and tired, I don’t eat well (my food habits are horrible when I’m not feeling well), I feel too tired to exercise so I become even more tired, and things just spiral out of control.

I know I need to take charge now and change it, but I haven’t been able to so far. It says a lot that I’ve considered my dance classes a failure even if I should see it as a victory that I’ve attended both classes even if I’ve been tired and stressed and frustrated and in pain and whatnot. It’s not that long ago since I would have stayed home and ignored the entire world.

Frankly I don’t have reason to be stressed. I’m ahead of schedule on my writing. I’m way ahead of schedule in my studies, since I’ve read the entire curriculum, finished the latest mandatory assignment a month before the deadline and feel tentatively confident. I’m relatively on track at work. I have planned my lessons for next week. My apartment isn’t squeaky clean, but it isn’t messy either. Well, apart from my desk, but still. I haven’t been secluded in my apartment either. I met a writing friend of mine yesterday, and went to Starbucks with another on Tuesday. Then I saw my dancing friends in dance class on Monday and Thursday. I think that’s quite reasonable, given that I had a lot I needed to get done. And everything important did get done. So at this moment there is absolutely no reason to be stressed. (Do you hear that, self?)

Of course it’s hard to exercise and eat healthy foods instead of snacks when your insides feel like they’re trying to kill you. But that’s perhaps a reason to accept that life’s sometimes like that, and not feel bad about it. Believe me when I say that feeling bad about it only makes everything worse, especially when you’re a comfort eater, because then you suddenly have another reason to need to be comforted.

This got pretty long for a short update, but I’m aiming for a more positive update next week. I started a new training program on polarpersonaltrainer.com, since it syncs with my heart rate monitor, so I’ll keep you updated how it goes!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Entrechats and improvement

Tags

dance, dance class, entrechat, irish dance, irish dancing, practice, slipjig, technique

Around six times per year, my dance group’s official TCRG (certified dance teacher) comes over to teach us, through some fairly intensive weekend classes. This is mainly because there aren’t many TCRGs here in Norway, except one or two on the other side of the country, but in order to compete, you need to dance under a registered teacher.

This weekend is the first such visit of the year. Even if I’m not technically at intermediate level yet, I got to learn a new intermediate slipjig today. I really love slipjigs, even if I have a love/hate relationship with my primary slipjig (which I’m stuck with until I place in it), and while I did learn another intermediate slipjig previously, I like this one even better.

Partially I probably like it because I could actually do it. I cannot do it well yet, there are too many new things for that, but I wasn’t all that much worse than the other two, who have already moved up into intermediate a few years ago. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared. At one point it was pointed out that I was the only one who pointed (oooh, the pun), even if I’m the one with the bad feet. (If only that had lasted the entire class!)

Also the dance had a lot of fiddly bits, with twists and crosskeys and diddly-dums (whatever they are really called) and other little things, but it also has lots of movement and leaps and overs. I have really grown fond of dances with that kind of movement where you can just go. I used to struggle with it, but somewhere along the way things changed.

Another thing I am excited about (at least I am now, but I was rather apprehensive when she showed us the steps) are entrechats, those jumps where the front and back foot switch places twice before landing. I have never done them before, and still cannot really, but when we used the wall bars to help us practice, I got a few really good ones. I cannot wait to master them.

Really I cannot wait to master the whole dance. I haven’t been too good at little fiddly steps in dances, but you have to start somewhere, and this one is the perfect blend of challenging and natural. I really, really like our teacher’s steps, even the primary dances. I am trying not to get too frustrated that I am still in primary, but after illness and injury and whatnot it’s just the way it is. At least my feet, which are normally very bad nowadays, behaved. I didn’t really feel much pain until just now. For those who wonder, it’s not a dance injury, and resting doesn’t seem to help. Dancing doesn’t seem to harm it either, fortunately, even if I cannot wear proper dance shoes at the moment. I won’t say that I haven’t been frustrated, but I am trying to be patient and at least not let it stress me out. That won’t accomplish anything good.

Well, that was all for today. Tomorrow’s another class, and we’ll see if my feet and head behave. I don’t deal well with not being able to do a step, and sometimes I overthink things. Well, I almost always overthink things, but sometimes I take it to extremes… I’m going to use my new foam roller, then I’m going to read or paint a little and then go to bed. I’ve slept really badly, so I need all the sleep I can get…

12-week challenge + revised resolutions

Tags

12-week challenge, challenge, exercise, habits, health, mystudylife.com, resolutions, update, weekplan.net, workout plan

I always do this. Every January I get so caught up in whatever I want or need to do that I make a whole heap of resolutions and goals, and forget that planning your life from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep seldom go well. Besides, some of them are really unnecessary.

For example, do I really need a resolution about going to dance class once per week? I’m helping out as an instructor; it’s not like I can randomly stay home from the Thursday classes anyway. Also, do I really need to specify how many times to do what per week? Some weeks I have the energy and time to do more, some weeks are the opposite, and some weeks are so hectic that I won’t have a chance following my resolutions. Having goals that I cannot meet is really just a recipe for failure.

Then there’s of course the point that if I combine the resolutions from this blog, my art/writing blog AND my book blog, there are far too many to even remember. Hardly very productive. So here are the revised resolutions:

1. Quit drinking soda (change: no fixed deadline)
2. Work out at least 200 days this year. This should include running, dancing, stretching and strength.
3. Be under my calorie limit in MyFitnessPal at least 200 days this year.
4. Keep weekends free for creative pursuits, working out or simply relaxing, with the exception of some housework.
5. Blog once a week.

So, down from 10 to 5! Could probably be less, but at least it’s an improvement. I have started using weekplan.net and mystudylife.com in order to make sure that I stay on top of everything that needs to get done, and get things done so that I can have the weekend completely off without feeling stressed about it.

I’m only half a week into that particular project, but it’s going well. I managed to not overdo it – for example I have a multi-step housework task for every Saturday (which can be completed earlier if I want), but I’ve realised that I don’t have to do the full shebang every week as long as the garbage is emptied, clothes and utensils are cleaned and the clutter is kept at bay. The task is very flexible with regards to when I do it, and small enough that it’s not overwhelming.

I also enter when I’m going to read a particular chapter in my textbook, but also work-related tasks (so I don’t have to try to remember them until I get to work again) and blog-related tasks so that I don’t neglect my blogs. I have a thousand topics swirling around in my head at all times, but I frequently simply forget to actually write them.

Anyway! I will probably update a little along the way.

12-week challenge

So, to the other main topic of this post. Because I couldn’t just have made two separate posts, apparently… I follow Kathryn Morgan’s ballet blog and videos – I’ve taken some of her classes on Powhow as well, and have purchased a few of the lessons – and recently she started a 12-week challenge.

I always like a challenge, and this can be easily customised to my own goals. For example, she doesn’t have specific workouts for each day, nor a specific time frame, just general types of exercise. For example, this first week there was barre/center on Monday, cardio on Tuesday, barre/center again on Wednesday, yoga on Thursday, barre/center on Friday, and leg workout and cardio on Saturday. Every day there’s an additional, optional workout. Today there was an option to do a stretching routine, for example, which I really needed after the leg workout yesterday.

I have to say that I feel really good today. I’ve followed the plan – on the barre/centre days I use the first 30 minutes of a Powhow beginner’s class (they feel the most useful to me), except on Friday when I had time to do the whole class. On Thursday I had very little time, so I just did a 15-minute yoga for dancers youtube video. Yesterday I did Kathryn’s leg workout video plus a Les Mills Combat video for the cardio part. I forgot that there’s quite a bit of kicking in that particular video, so I think I ended up with double the leg workout really… My legs barely worked afterwards!

I might have to adjust it a little bit now that dance classes start again. The Monday classes will have to substitute the barre/center part, as I don’t have time for more. I guess I’ll just focus as much on my technique as possible during class.

Thursdays are yoga days, which I sorely need, but also the insane double dance class day (4 hours usually). I’m not sure it’s smart to do even more than that when the muscles are so exhausted. Perhaps I’ll do a short yoga routine at the end of barre/center the day before, or I’ll just have to skip it altogether.

Aaaanyway, this post has become far too long now, so I’ll stop now. Hope you all have a good week ahead!

 

Shoes, shoes and more shoes

Tags

breaking in shoes, corrs, dancing shoes, irish dance, softshoe

If there’s one thing you’re concerned with as an Irish dancer, it’s shoes. It’s pretty much the only wearable item that I spend a lot of money on. Not only is it simply heaven to step into a pair of comfy sneakers after a long day dancing, but if your dancing shoes aren’t up to par, you won’t be either.

When you have oddly shaped feet, the quest for Irish dancing shoes that fit well – and remain well-fitting – is neverending. I have found a decent pair of hard shoes – the type that make sound when you dance – but soft shoes? Nah.

A few years ago I bought the Corrs Champion Split-Sole, but I never ended up using it. I tried and tried in vain to break them in enough to be able to dance in them, but it never worked. The breaking point came when I walked on demi-pointe for a little while – just to stretch them a little – and there was a sound from my big toe, leading to toe problems for well over a year. (However, judging from later development that might have happened anyway.) And so I ended up buying another pair, the Elite by Antonio Pacelli. They are very, very soft, so breaking them in wasn’t a problem at all.

Turned out that remaining well-fitting was a problem, though. The leather never quite stopped stretching, and the heel stretched at the wrong place and kept nearly falling off. It was quite the distraction from, well, dancing. Not to mention the fact that they really were too narrow, and completely out of shape despite not having used them all that much. I’m terrible at using my shoes…

Yesterday I tried on the Corrs again, just for fun, and they were very nearly possible to dance in! I would never have expected it. They were tight, of course, and slightly painful around the toes, but not nearly as much as I remembered. Some walking around the house with them and using them for at least a dance or two for some dance classes, and I think I’m set. It’s definitely the best solution for my wallet, and while I might soon have to buy new shoes anyway and the heel is kind of too low for me, I don’t have to hurry anymore.

Of course, what will be my excuse for getting the new Hullachan Pro now?

On another note, a friend of mine and I did interval running yesterday. Uphill. Do I feel sporty or do I feel sporty?

Summer dancing

Tags

dancing, improvement, irish dance, strength, summer dance, turnout

During the summer holidays, the school where we usually have dance class is closed, and we rent the space of a local dance school once a week. This is a vast difference from the school gym that we usually use. It is a proper dance space, with a good floor, barres and floor-to-ceiling mirrors on two walls.

It’s a new and slightly strange experience. We’re not used to being able to see how we look when we dance, at least not without some effort. I was surprised at how scary it felt. Probably it is different when you are used to it, but I messed up absolutely everything on the first day. The fact that everyone can see what you’re doing is unnerving.

On the other hand, it has been quite useful so far. The most important one: I forget my turnout SO OFTEN. My feet can turn out without problem, but perhaps I’m not strong enough to do so when I’m dancing. Or perhaps I am so used to forgetting that it just feels weird or wrong when I actually do it. But it also depends on the dance. In my heavy jig I have far better turnout and crossing than in any of my other dances. Although not exactly without room for improvement…

Other useful realisations has been that my points aren’t quite good, mostly because of the turnout, and that my soft shoes do not fit me well. I will order new ones, but I have to wait until I can afford it.

There are probably countless little (and not-so-little) things that I need to fix in my dancing. Still, it’s nice to be able to see them for myself, since some things were far worse than I thought. I really want to move on from primary to intermediate soon(ish), so, well, I’ll have to work. Hard.

So that’s my project for the spring. Improving my general fitness and drilling dance technique (focusing on quality) and other exercises that improve my dancing far, far more. I’m thinking of doing more ballet again, since that helps with my technique even if I don’t do the same dance form. And strength training, cardio and quite a bit of flexibility training. We’ll see!

Fiiiinally…!

Tags

ballet, dance, dance technique, health, irish dance, irish dancing, kathryn morgan, update

It’s been weeks of almost no exercise, combined with far too much food/snacks. As a result, the blog has been sorely neglected – I’m not good at dealing with things not going exactly according to plan, far less actually writing about it. I’ve had headaches for nearly two months, which of course meant that there was very little I had the energy to do, and being a comfort eater, I lost most of my self-restraint in the food department. And being that I didn’t know what it was, I guess I didn’t really dare to work out a lot either. It turned out to be related to my vision, and after a couple of weeks of adjusting to new glasses and de-stressing (it’s been quite stressful at work these past few months), things are improving.

I haven’t really gotten my bad eating habits quite under control yet. However, I am turning over a new leaf and doing one thing at a time instead of doing absolutely everything at once. It would perhaps be more sensible to adjust my diet first and THEN start exercising, but I know from before that if I don’t exercise, my mind won’t be in the right place to be able to keep up good eating habits. I’ve got a plan and everything:

1. Get into the habit of exercising again, but without overdoing it (it will be a new experience!)

2. Start tracking everything I eat, no matter if I go over my limit or not. Aim for a calorie amount that will keep my weight where it is, at least not gain weight.

3. Adjust the calorie limit down a bit, but not too much at a time.

I’m already working on step one. I went to both dance classes last week, plus the weekend class with our instructor from London (she comes over about six times per year to have classes with us). I almost did not go, but it turned out to be a good experience. I’ve hardly danced since the last competition in November, and for quite a few weeks I didn’t exercise at all. I can’t really keep up an entire dance class at the moment, but the teacher said I hadn’t really lost that much. I got good feedback on my first few dances as well, before my lack of stamina made my technique worsen.

I think doing ballet, even if it’s only via videos and rather sporadically these past two months, has helped a lot. My extensions and pointing are better, and I’m working on improving them further. I tend to forget to point here and there (still a vast improvement from the super-flexed back foot I used to have), particularly during changes and skips.

I’ve followed Kathryn Morgan’s beginner video classes, which are really helpful. I’ve never done ballet before, and I’ve never really consciously worked on my technique – since I’ve been absent from a lot of dance classes over the years, because of various illnesses, most of the time has been spent learning and practicing steps, not technique in general. I really like her ballet classes, and they’re a really great substitute for actual classes (which are faaaar to expensive for me). While Irish dancing and ballet is quite different in the way it looks, a lot of ballet technique is extremely useful.

Yesterday I tried one of her strength and stretch for dancers videos. Ouch! I don’t think my ankles/calves/feet have gotten such a workout in a long time, at least not when not actually dancing. I have problems keeping my heels off the floor, particularly when dancing in hard shoes (which have heels on them), and it seems these classes will really help. I think my running will benefit from it, too. I wish she had more stretching though – I’m not very flexible and find that even 10-15 minutes after class isn’t really enough. I could easily have stretched more on my own, of course, it’s not that I don’t know the necessary stretches. But I have very little patience for things like stretching when not actually following along with a video. It’s not really any excuse, I should stretch far more.

I’m thinking of doing the strength and stretch videos once a week, at least nowadays. Perhaps the Les Mills Combat workouts will have to be put on hold for a while, because I simply don’t have time. Or perhaps I can do them as warmup before the strength and stretch – I do love doing them. But with a half marathon coming up (why couldn’t my health have cooperated so I was at least somewhat prepared?) I have to focus on running in addition to dancing. I really, really, really want to move at least one or two of my dances from primary to intermediate this year, and for that I really need to improve my technique and fitness. I won’t really be in shape for the half marathon anyway, so I might as well focus on dance first.