Since I was offered a dance teaching position for next year, I decided it was time to get back into shape. I haven't danced seriously since high school and although I kept dancing in college, I have lost a lot of flexibility. I stopped dancing last January to have more time to work on wedding stuff, so it has been over a year since I've taken any sort of classes. Feeling more motivated than ever, I decided to step it up.
My first step was buying myself some new workout clothes and a pair of bright pink pumas. I have always been a freak about what I wear when I work out -- if it has sleeves, it just isn't going to cut it. I've been getting back into shape by attending a "Y Dance" (aka Zumba) class at the Y. Unfortunately, it's scheduled at a rediculous time of the day so I am usually working, but I try to make it to one or two classes/week. I LOVE it and it's so great just to be "dancing" again. If I can't make it to Y Dance, I get my cardio by playing tennis on the one day it doesn't rain each week, rocking out to Just Dance on the WII (which Benny enjoys with me!), or spending a little time on the elliptical. I've also spent a lot of time in our basement working on short combinations for my classes and practicing barre work. We're looking for a piece of flooring I can put down so I can work on turning, but for now I've been practicing in the utility room.
I've been stretching every day, but recently purchased a yoga mat and started doing yoga videos in the morning. I'm extremely proud to say that I am SO close to being able to do the splits all the way down on my right side .. something I haven't been able to do since I injured my hamstring several years ago. Not that doing the splits is something that is beneficial to me at this point in my life, but it just feels good knowing that I'm not "too old" to still regain some flexibility.
I'm beyond excited to start teaching dance again. It's my true passion and I've realized I'll always be able to help people, but I may not always be able to dance. I'm a little nervous to be teaching the older girls, but I am goin to really prepare over the summer so I'm on top of my game. I am also looking for some workshops/classes I can take this summer just to work on my technique. Most importantly, I feel great. I'm still working on the eating healthy part, but my body doesn't hurt and I just have so much more energy.
Just for the record - outside of dance, I'm the most anti-workout person alive .. I lack serious motivation. That means if I can do it, you can do it .. and trust me, you'll feel great! :)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I'm too Pretty to Do Math!
I know I have blogged about Lauren several times, but I am so overwhelmed at how all of us have made the best of the worst of circumstances. Losing Lauren was a tragedy, but life can and will go on...and we'll all be wearing a little memory of Lauren along the way...
If there's one thing I've learned through this grieving process, it's that Lauren was friends with some of the greatest girls I've ever met and I couldn't be luckier to have them in my life. I was not in Lauren's class. In fact, she is two years younger than me. I was friends with a couple of her good friends through dance or cheerleading, but some of them I never got to know very well until now. Sometimes I get sad thinking about how I know Lauren would have been my friend forever - all the memories we would have made - but then I feel grateful that now I've got a great group of girls who know exactly how I feel and when we all need a little laughter in our lives. I got to spend Sunday with those girls .. and it was exactly what I needed.
Some people might find it a little strange that we went through Lauren's closet and called dibs on tanks, t-shirts, workout pants, jeans, dresses, purses, shoes, sunglasses, socks (yes, very colorful socks), nail polish, jewelry, etc. But if you really think about it, what's the point in having it sit in her closet collecting dust (I know, Lisa is quite the duster, but let's be real). It was such a fun day. Going through Lauren's stuff brought up all sorts of memories -- what kind of trouble she got into wearing a certain shirt, why there was nail polish all over the bottom of a purse, how she could pull off the craziest shirt and look fabulous in it, which articles of clothing in her closet actually belonged to someone else in the room, and how if she loved a shoe it didn't matter what size it was - she would squeeze her foot in it. We also came up with a very special idea that will help each of us have Lauren with us at the biggest events in our lives (but I won't tell you about that..it's a secret).
I'll leave you with my best finds of the day -- A deck of Barbie cards in a Barbie tin AND the "I'm too pretty to do math" socks that I bought her a few years ago and she wore ALL the time (but we hadn't been able to find them since the accident).
If there's one thing I've learned through this grieving process, it's that Lauren was friends with some of the greatest girls I've ever met and I couldn't be luckier to have them in my life. I was not in Lauren's class. In fact, she is two years younger than me. I was friends with a couple of her good friends through dance or cheerleading, but some of them I never got to know very well until now. Sometimes I get sad thinking about how I know Lauren would have been my friend forever - all the memories we would have made - but then I feel grateful that now I've got a great group of girls who know exactly how I feel and when we all need a little laughter in our lives. I got to spend Sunday with those girls .. and it was exactly what I needed.
Some people might find it a little strange that we went through Lauren's closet and called dibs on tanks, t-shirts, workout pants, jeans, dresses, purses, shoes, sunglasses, socks (yes, very colorful socks), nail polish, jewelry, etc. But if you really think about it, what's the point in having it sit in her closet collecting dust (I know, Lisa is quite the duster, but let's be real). It was such a fun day. Going through Lauren's stuff brought up all sorts of memories -- what kind of trouble she got into wearing a certain shirt, why there was nail polish all over the bottom of a purse, how she could pull off the craziest shirt and look fabulous in it, which articles of clothing in her closet actually belonged to someone else in the room, and how if she loved a shoe it didn't matter what size it was - she would squeeze her foot in it. We also came up with a very special idea that will help each of us have Lauren with us at the biggest events in our lives (but I won't tell you about that..it's a secret).
I'll leave you with my best finds of the day -- A deck of Barbie cards in a Barbie tin AND the "I'm too pretty to do math" socks that I bought her a few years ago and she wore ALL the time (but we hadn't been able to find them since the accident).
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