Four! I made it to Four!

After a good start to the month things went to hell. Two weeks sick, two kidney stone attacks (and a half day in the ER), and over 30 inches of snow has kept me out of class until this weekend.

I thought I'd ease my way back in with a Beginner 2 class, but the regular instructor is out and this class was more like 2.5. I started off strong but by the end of barre my energy was fading. I did some center exercises and skipped others, going from feeling hot to chilled by the end even with my sweatshirt on. Then during Reverence, of all times, I overstretched a muscle in my side and it went into full spasm. Damn that hurt! Now, an hour later and with lunch in my belly, I think it's finally calmed down enough for me to drive home.

That was TWO classes in December and FOUR in January. Not exactly a major achievement, given that not long ago I was taking four classes a WEEK. But at least I'm back in class.

Oh! I almost forgot. There was a seriously funny moment in class today. The instructor was giving feedback on petit battement, saying the foot should just touch the front of the standing leg and then the back. The woman she was talking to innocently asked, "So we should touch ourselves?" Silently I covered my ears with my hands and the class broke up into gales of laughter.

Don't want to Adult today

The 2.5 feet (78cm) of snow that fell on this area over the last couple of days has put a damper on things. I really want to just pull the blankets over my head and go back to sleep, but I need to go dig my car out. I have appointments scheduled for Monday afternoon.

On average we only get a storm like this once every few years while some years we barely get any snow. And when it does snow heavily it usually disappears within a few weeks. But that doesn't mean I haven't started wishing I lived somewhere with warm winters.

Another word: sick

Seems like staying home from class last night was a good idea for another reason: I woke up this morning coughing and feeling congested. Rather than bring whatever bug I caught into work and sharing it with my co-workers I decided to stay home. I gave proper notifications, then climbed back into bed and slept until early afternoon.

Right now I'm running a temperature of 99.3F (37.4C), so I suspect I'm going to be home tomorrow as well. I had been trying to figure out how to juggle various obligations this weekend, but I think class just dropped off the schedule until I'm back to 100%.

One word: owww!

The conflict I had for tonight's class resolved itself, and yesterday I entertained thoughts of going to class. Yet two days after the nasty cramp in my adductor my legs still hurt. Last night I was seriously concerned that one or the other would cramp, and this morning they still occasionally twitch in certain positions.

Perhaps it'd be best if I took it easy this evening, and snuggle up with a nice jug of Gatorade.

January is a different month

Ten days into the new month I've already gotten to more classes than I did all last month: a Saturday and a Tuesday of the Beginner 2.75 flavor, and today's true Beginner 2. The Saturday and Tuesday classes were mentally challenging due to the long combinations. Today's class felt markedly easier, allowing me time to really focus on form, at least until the last couple of exercises when I just felt tired. The combinations at the end weren't complex, but I was tired and I still sometimes have trouble stitching phrases together into a continuous movement.

I though I'd done quite well, getting only a few minor spasms in my feet and calf muscles during barre and feeling quite mobile this afternoon and evening. However, while getting up out of my chair this evening, I was hit with a horrific cramp in my left adductor. After some minutes (hours, it seemed) the cramp loosened enough for me to hobble to the kitchen and get some water, vitamin and mineral supplements, and Gatorade. Now, lying in bed with the laptop on my legs, I have to be careful of my position as both adductors are still twitching and acting like they may cramp again.

At first I couldn't figure out why I'd gotten the cramp. Then a possible cause occurred to me. The weather here has been balmy, with temps in the 50s and 60s. It's also rained a lot, making it quite humid. Since this is nominally winter the thermostats are set to keep the classrooms above 72F, but the actual temperature half way through class was 76F. All through class I felt hot and sticky, and I sweated a lot more than usual. I guess I allowed my electrolytes to get out of balance.

I'm going to have to miss Tuesday evening's class because of a conflict. There used to be a Beginner 2 class Monday nights, but it's now an Advanced Beginner class and I'm not ready for that yet. Wednesday is Beginner 1, which is now agonizingly slow, Thursday is another AB, and there are no classes Friday evening. So it may be next weekend before I get another class.

It's a New Year

So I made it to two classes in December. Two whole classes. I guess that's better than one or none.

I have an appointment tomorrow so I started the year with a Beginner 2 class this morning. I'd had nasty cramps in my feet and calf muscles the previous two classes and made a point of drinking some Gatorade in advance to forestall a repeat. That seems to have worked to some extent, with just some minor cramping in the longitudinal arches during barre.

I felt pretty good through most of class. The jump combo was 4 changements, 2 quick step-piqué thingies, and 2 even faster pas de bourrées. I must be out of practice because I couldn't keep up; I'll console myself by noting that neither could 2/3rds of the other students. But I tried. I guess I'll go back to practicing PDBs when I'm standing around waiting.

The last exercise was a jumpy twisty thing that I normally would have enjoyed, but I just couldn't wrap my head around the sequence. I watched the others for a while trying to pick up the pattern but never did. I'm sure it'll seem trivially easy next time I see it.