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magidSunday afternoon I took an aerial silks class. Not that I thought I'd signed up for a silks class until that morning; I firmly believed I'd signed up for a fabric sling class, despite email in my name showing I knew differently a week ago. Why was I deluding myself? Because the first time I tried both, I was excited to be able to do moves in the sling, then disappointed that I could do nothing in the silks. That class, I didn't really even get into the silks, much less do any moves. And afterward, my arms hurt, a lot, for a week and a half. Obviously, I did something incorrectly, and it brought back all the inadequacies I remember from junior high gym class. In particular, how I never climbed that rope, and the public humiliation of the Mr. Peanut tests (I'm the only one I know who seems to remember these), including the flexed arm hang, one of the pieces I needed for silks, and didn't have.
So last time I took classes, I took the sling. And it was great, doing more moves, feeling I was challenging my body, and managing to do something pretty cool with it. Very satisfying.
And I decided I should try silks again. Well, ok, this time there wasn't a sling class on Sunday, and I did want to take a class (and I didn't want to start trapeze). So. I kept myself from being nervous that I'd fail again by changing it in my head, and that was effective :-). And then I was there, and there were friends in the rank beginner section I put myself in, and it went better. Much, much better. I got up, I got my foot wrapped, I did a side lay-out (I should really pay more attention to what some things are called), I climbed (to the top!)and I sort of got my foot locked. Sort of, because though I did manage it a couple of times, I'm not smooth about it, and not giving myself enough room to do it properly. Which lead to my ankle turning in, twice, bruising the top of my foot (more than the usual foot wrap). And something that's about where I think my heart is started hurting. And I decided that I'd had it for the day, though the rest of the class went on to do two more (much more beautiful) moves, a stag (and a straight-legged version that has another name), and something backwards almost like a backwards cartwheel.
And yet, it feels like a success, even so. There were times that my inability to do the complete class would've been the part I'd focus on, but not now (perhaps I'm growing up?). I accomplished things I'd felt I'd never be able to do, and now I have the possibility of getting better. (Side note: I had help getting into the silks, every time. It still feels like my accomplishment. Hopefully this will encourage me to get in better shape, so I can do it myself...) Luckily, there's a local weekly practice; now that I can get into the silks, I'm much more likely to actually go.
[What ached the next day? The top of the right foot, though the discomfort was mostly gone, even when walking, by the evening, and the swelling gone. The ball of each thumb, more noticeably than the forearms. The shoulders, a bit.]
So last time I took classes, I took the sling. And it was great, doing more moves, feeling I was challenging my body, and managing to do something pretty cool with it. Very satisfying.
And I decided I should try silks again. Well, ok, this time there wasn't a sling class on Sunday, and I did want to take a class (and I didn't want to start trapeze). So. I kept myself from being nervous that I'd fail again by changing it in my head, and that was effective :-). And then I was there, and there were friends in the rank beginner section I put myself in, and it went better. Much, much better. I got up, I got my foot wrapped, I did a side lay-out (I should really pay more attention to what some things are called), I climbed (to the top!)and I sort of got my foot locked. Sort of, because though I did manage it a couple of times, I'm not smooth about it, and not giving myself enough room to do it properly. Which lead to my ankle turning in, twice, bruising the top of my foot (more than the usual foot wrap). And something that's about where I think my heart is started hurting. And I decided that I'd had it for the day, though the rest of the class went on to do two more (much more beautiful) moves, a stag (and a straight-legged version that has another name), and something backwards almost like a backwards cartwheel.
And yet, it feels like a success, even so. There were times that my inability to do the complete class would've been the part I'd focus on, but not now (perhaps I'm growing up?). I accomplished things I'd felt I'd never be able to do, and now I have the possibility of getting better. (Side note: I had help getting into the silks, every time. It still feels like my accomplishment. Hopefully this will encourage me to get in better shape, so I can do it myself...) Luckily, there's a local weekly practice; now that I can get into the silks, I'm much more likely to actually go.
[What ached the next day? The top of the right foot, though the discomfort was mostly gone, even when walking, by the evening, and the swelling gone. The ball of each thumb, more noticeably than the forearms. The shoulders, a bit.]
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Date: 2005-04-19 09:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-19 12:43 pm (UTC)Mr. Peanut tests were annual tests where you got to run a 100 yards and 600 yards, do as many pushups and situps as you could in a minute, and do either pull-ups (boys) or a flexed arm hang (girls). There might've been another test or two, but those are the ones I remember. You'd get a score card afterward, with how you rated against what was officially deemed ok, gold, silver, bronze, copper. And it was in front of everyone. Of course, except perhaps for the running, we didn't prepare for any of these. I think after I'd gone on to the glories of high school these might've morphed into the Presidential Fitness tests or something.
(And though I hated gym in junior high a lot, I think the worst gym activity ever was in grade school, doing some particular set of motions to a record with the song "Chicken Fat" on it. Gym has got to be better now, even if there's less of it...)