Getting old sucks!

It's a truism that getting old sucks. The problem is that the only alternative to aging doesn't seem that attractive to me.

Yes, I know, it's been a year and a half since I updated this blog. I'm still taking ballet classes. Two years ago I was taking as many as four classes a week. But that was causing an increasing number of issues like tendonitis, so I backed down to two classes a week. For quite a while that seemed like a sustainable number.

Then, in early February of this year, I went to do a simple grand plié during barre. Something felt off. At the bottom of the plié it felt like I had something soft behind my knee, like a pillow, that was preventing it from bending as much as it usually did. There was no noticeable swelling and it didn't hurt, but it limited the depth of my plié in both first and fifth. I figured I might have not gotten enough warm-up before class or something. It didn't seem to affect me other than in class.

Easing back in

Last Friday I was happy to have made it to class, but ended up leaving during adagio. I did take the weekend off, with full intent of going to class Monday.

Monday I tried to go to the noon Advanced Beginner class. I really did try. I hit the road at my normal time (about 11am). As I turned onto the highway entrance ramp I saw nothing but stopped cars on both the entrance ramp and the highway. Google Maps said there was a 5 minute delay. Ten minutes into the 5 minute delay I'd managed to travel about 50 yards on the entrance ramp and hadn't even reached the highway yet.

Back from the dead

After being absent from classes for over three weeks, I made it to class today. Several people commented on how long it had been since they'd seen me, and there was some good-natured ribbing about whether I was lost and wandered in by accident.

I hadn't been in this instructor's classes for even longer, sacrificed in the hope of speeding the recovery of my ankle/foot issues. She offered several valid and helpful corrections, but I was having enough trouble with balance and muscle cramps that I wasn't able to absorb many of them. After barre I approached her and explained that I'd been sick, and although I was much better I probably wouldn't make it as far as petit allegro today.

Sick, but it's not the plague

 

Late last week I started to have seasonal allergy symptoms: itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, etc. This coincided with a few beautiful days with comfortable temperatures that led me to open the windows. The thing is, I don't normally have seasonal allergies.

Sunday I was getting ready to leave my house for class. I had my keys in my hand and was reaching for my dance bag when I realized I didn't feel well. Although I'd been looking forward to class with this instructor, I decided I could just as easily take a class the next day when I was feeling better.

Acupuncture and Pirouettes

Somehow it's been almost ten weeks since I updated this blog. 

After consulting some pain management specialists and researching on the 'net, I've come to the conclusion that there are at least two causes of tendinitis. One is a weakness in the tendon and/or attachment, for which strengthening exercises are an appropriate treatment. Another is excessive tightness in the muscles attaching to the tendons which causes excessive strain on the tendons when the joint flexes.