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August 27th is the anniversary of my first aerial silks class with Heather, but September 7th was the start date of the first chapter of The Silk Road challenges. There are some beautiful gems from the first chapter of the The Silk Road (http://sowo.socialworkout.com/challenge/showRunning/92). I'd forgotten that when I first tried to wrap a footlock in the air, I used to have to sit my butt on Heather's shoulder. Or that I used to count 20 reps on the Portal to Another World and 20 half-hearted assisted pull-ups on the Gravitron as aerial conditioning. Buffin wouldn't even let me count that as a warm-up now. There's also the time I dangled by my crotch at the New York Trapeze School, and how crazy I thought it was that my pelvis was supposed to go over my head, without the support of a knot. I thought doing an inverted straddle was crazy, and now I'm doing invert crochets and wraps and footlocks and soon I'll do all these things from way up high. I used to be amazed at how sore I was every day, and now my muscles hardly produce lactic acid because they are used so often. I marveled at the idea of sticking to a fitness schedule, and now I wake up in the morning to train with Buffin and schedule my social life AROUND silks classes, not the other way around. Logging your goals is a beautiful thing, not just because it's a daily practice of counting all the efforts you've made that day, but because after some time has passed, you can see all the little stepping stones that have grown into a big Stonehenge of accomplishments. Now I can do more tricks than Pink in her Grammy performance, and if you're coming to my recital on Thursday, you'll see them.
My favorite post, though, from Chapter 1 of the Silk Road was this quote, which I wrote down, and remembered, and I took its advice, and it came true:
"Just show up, just do it. Even if you feel like shit and you think you’re terrible and you’ll never get better and it will never go anywhere, just show up and do it. And, eventually, something happens." ~ Roseanne Cash
*This mantra is borrowed with love from Kaitlyn B.
Silks with Heather. I impressed myself with my knee hook. I even got into the ta-da position! But my hip key was miserable. It was a veritable mat buffet.
No more rest days! I can move again! Rock climbing! Yay :) Unforch, I totally forgot to bring my workout pants so I had to climb in jeans. Yuck.
Catchup: Another rest day :)
Catchup: Couldn't move. Def a rest day.
Catchup: 18 mile tuneup race at Central Park. Holy shizz. My legs. Don't work. Anymore.
I went in with pre-existing arch pain from the night before (lack of stretching in the week preceding the race, I assume). So it was painful from the start. Yippee. I ended up walking a LOT in the 2nd half of the race. In the end, I'm just glad I finished.
I finished in 3:27 which averages out to over 11 minutes a mile. I'm usually between 9:00-10:00 for a race, and I know I have to keep at 10:13 or faster for the Vegas marathon so I am starting to get a little worried about whether or not I can finish in time. The 4:30 time limit for the marathon is going to be a bit rough on me. I'm really excited about the NYRR running classes that I'm starting in a few weeks. I'm sure that will help me out tons. :)
Catchup: Fifth Avenue Mile race. I was aiming for 7:59 for my mile but ended up with 7:14. NOT BAD AT ALL. <3
Then a 2-hr long bike riding lesson. I technically already know how to ride a bike, but I suck at it and have zero confidence. I think the class helped. I think it was also stupid to ride a bike for 2 hours in circles the day before my 18-miler. My quads were totes feeling the burn. Ooooops. :)
Catchup: Rest day... and delicious food.
Catchup: SoWo meetup at the Highline Lot! Roller-skating! Beer! Ice cream! Lobster rolls! It was splendiferous.
Catchup: BKB and Yoga!
PT session with Buffin this morning. We did kettlebell swings and kettlebell burpees with a pushup. Another trainer (who was training a dude) looked over at me and said, "That looks hard." I replied, "Well, I'm totally hardcore." Then Buffin took me over to the big boy barbells. Buffin decided our goal should be deadlifting 135 lbs, so just for kicks, he decided I should start by deadlifting 115 lbs. But first, Buffin lent me his wraps, which means I was awkwardly tied to the barbell, so I had no choice but to lift that thing, because I certainly couldn't run away from it. So yeah, I deadlifted 115 lbs. Which means I basically deadlifted Sassletic or Sila. I can deadlift my friends! Wheee! When the zombie apocalypse comes, I'll totally be able to save them!
After our session, Buffin mapped out an interval running plan for me, because he wants me to do more cardio. Ugh. I hate running. Ugh, men. You give them an inch (a.k.a. five minutes of jogging) and they will literally take a mile. He was so cute writing it all down for me that I think I will actually have to do it.
Have you ever felt like right after a big breakthrough or triumph, you'll have a backslide, and you're just hoping it means that if you just keep trying, you'll have an even bigger breakthrough? That's been my last 3 silks classes. Can't hook anything, can't get my butt over my head, I just keep jumping up and trying to hold on. Remember when after my silks recital, I figured most of my hard work was behind me and I had straight shot towards immediate and steady success? That was cute. And wrong. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess I'll just keep showing up until something happens, just like Rosanne Cash says.
Sunday morning, I dragged my broken heart (see Saturday's post) to a silks workshop with Heather. Because if I go to enough aerial silks classes, I'll be just like Flipper Baby and Redman from Conni's Restaurant and Ian from FUCT will leave their daredevil aerialist girlfriends for a life of slightly-closer-to-the-ground-but-more-champagne-soaked high-flying love with me. Oh, silks. She is a cruel and elusive mistress. The room was super humid, the silks were sticky like super glue, my butt was going nowhere near my head, and I chickened out of the big drop and did a t-catch instead. It was not my finest moment, but I cling tightly to what Roseanne Cash said:
"Just show up, just do it. Even if you feel like shit and you think you’re terrible and you’ll never get better and it will never go anywhere, just show up and do it. And, eventually, something happens."
Saturday night, I saw Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant, which is an amazing theatrical event wherein the avant-garde cast performs while making and serving a delicious 5 course meal to the audience. It was an awesome experience. One of the performers, Flipper Baby, performed an entire aerial silks routine in a snorkel, mask and flippers. Yes, flippers! I fell madly, madly in love with the actor playing Redman. Like so in love, afterwards I gave him my business card and chocolate almonds and asked him to perform at my next birthday party. And then I found out he was dating Flipper Baby. WHY, WHY are all my boyfriends already dating daredevil aerialists??????? Heartbreak. My little von heart is shattered all over that avant garde floor, just like the glitter that exploded from Redman's head when he sang "One is the loneliest number."
Social Workout Meetup at the High Line Rink! It didn't rain, but it was muggy. fatbridesmaid and I are novice roller skaters, but we are earnest! We are also not too proud to ask for help when we need it, and so we employed the use of "skate-mates" - the triangular granny cart on wheels that give uneasy skaters something to support them. We were joined by CJ and Christine N., who were practically pros. We skated round and round, fatbridesmaid and I cheering each other with "Go, granny, go!" and lots of "Wheeee!" All four of us met often in the middle for roller dance parties. I almost fell over during the roller dance parties, even with the aid of my granny cart. After, Fraidy, Kaitlyn and Sassletic joined us for beer and wine on tap and lobster rolls from the Red Hook Lobster Truck. fatbridesmaid and I split an ice cream sandwich, which was so mountainous, just coordinating the eating of it should count as a social workout. CJ, Sassletic and I ended the night with a lovely stroll down the High Line. It was a perfect early fall evening.
I made the big mistake of going to aerial silks class on Friday without being caffeinated. It was also raining like a monsoon, and rainy days feel like snuggle time, not throw your butt over your head time. I tried a new descent - sliding down while in a side lean. Boy, did I eat a lot of mat.
Introducing Year 2 of the The Silk Road!
Join von Hottie for Chapter 11 of her journey to Aerial Silks and redefine "social climbing." In Chapter 11, we continue mastering the art of getting our butts over our head, increase our flexibility, climb higher and stay in the air longer!
A dream is a wish your heart makes, but you have to train the body to make it happen. Every day is an exercise in success, so slip on your ruby slippers, put on your game face and follow me down The Silk Road.
*I know personal training may exclude some. Just do the best you can. Maybe Jillian Michaels on Exercise TV is your personal trainer. Maybe your BFF is your trainer. You decide.
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