13.1

I started Easter weekend by running a half marathon. 13.1 miles of one foot in front of the other, endless pavement, two+ hours, countess steps… quite the challenge. I was supposed to have been training for weeks leading up to the event but my life is already filled to the brim, so I ran 4-6 miles once a week. I figure training for my dance competition two weeks ago and the fact that I am competitive and stubborn did the rest. I didn’t stop or walk! I actually found it easier than I had anticipated, although my right ankle tends to disagree with me even now. By mile seven I knew I would complete the race without stopping; the miles were flying by. I maintained my slow speed throughout even when I wanted to start going faster at mile ten. I kept thinking about the classic tale of the tortoise and the hare. Finishing was more important than speed. I did “sprint” over the finish line. At least I think I was running fast. I might have just been crawling along with a funny look on my face.

The race was organized through World Vision, a great organization that I have been sponsoring a child with for the past year. They also do disaster relief work and community development. Runners were either running to raise funds for Kenya (like myself) or Haiti. I found out about the race shortly after returning from Kenya so it made a lot of sense.

One of my friends came out to show support and take pictures. It helped a lot knowing that someone was along the path to cheer me on. In addition, a few teens from Grace Chapel in Clifton Park ran. It was great to see them again and I saw their parents at Mile 10- a nice little boost up a hill. Congrats Jordan, Lindsey, Rachel, and Kayla!

Competition

I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday. There were so many observations, thoughts, and feelings from this weekend that I can't process quite yet. So the videos will have to speak for themselves. Sufficient to say, I want to do this again soon though I suspect I'll be riding the competition high for some time.

There are 5 videos: Cha Cha Bronze 1, Rumba Bronze 1, Open Waltz, Open Tango, and Open Foxtrot. The open dances were at a Silver 1 level in terms of steps I think.

Ballroom

“While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance.” ~Hans Bos

There haven’t been many updates to my blog recently; all my limited free time has been spent getting ready for my first ballroom dance competition! Plus, I haven’t figured out how to describe something that is a passion and a therapy at the same time with words that will make everyone who reads this understand just what an amazing thing ballroom dancing can be. I have danced my whole life but nothing compared to the training necessary to compete. And I’m only at Bronze I.

Dancing is one of the only things that got me through graduate school. I realized I can handle the stress of the working world much better when I have ballroom as an outlet. The world just seems more calm and manageable when I’m floating around the dance floor. During the hour practice session (oh, if only I could afford to practice a few hours a week instead of just one) nothing else matters.

I’ve taken private lessons since December. Originally I took a few classes but didn’t think I could afford to go continuously so I had to stop. A few weeks later the instructor called me up to say that he wanted me to take lessons in whatever capacity I could. Since then I’ve figured out how to make it work. I’ve realized it is an outlet I need to have in my life as a stress reducer.

Like any specific skill set, the technicality of ballroom dancing is something that most social dancers and observers can’t comprehend. For a given move there are about 15 different things to worry about before even taking a step. Not to mention that many times parts of my body connected by skin, bones, muscles, and tendons, have to move in opposite directions. Try as I might, my belly button cannot move at a 90 degree angle to my rib cage. Everything matters in competitive ballroom, which toe has weight first, the tilt of my head, the angle between my pointed fingers... and then make the move elegant and effortless.

I like the connection between relationships/communication and dancing. My dance partner, who is a professional dancer competing for over 10 years, can tell what foot I have weight on when I am standing behind him with only one hand on his shoulder. Traditionally, the man is the lead and the female is the follower. This has been changing with the growing acceptance of same-sex ballroom dancing and the fact that often the woman will take a “back-lead” if she is the better of the pair. But there is an interesting thing about the leading. One cannot lead by pulling and pushing at whim. If the women is on the wrong foot for a move the guy can't lead it without risking injury or awkwardness. The choices are to change the desired next move to relate to where the woman is standing or move her to gently to shift her weight. In the same manner, leading is not about pushing and pulling people but working with where they are or gently shifting the direction.

Similar to public speaking, the way you hold your body and use your hands drastically changes the message you are trying to portray. Giggling in the Tango, as I tend to do, doesn’t quite have the same feeling the sultry, passionate dance is supposed to express. Other skills like eye contact and variation of tone and intensity are all important flourishes that set a great dancer and a great speaker apart.

I leave for my first competition tomorrow. I’m nervous and excited. I’ve had to deal with frustrating practices and the fact there will be people who are much better than me on the dance floor. But when it comes down to it, I love getting dressed up, I love social events, I love being the center of attention when I dance, and I love dancing.

Videos of the competition will be forthcoming.

Snowman

This weekend I participated in a SnowDay. I play kickball in the spring with a local group, good old fashioned school yard kickball. As we got a few inches of snow, the group organized a snowman contest, kickball games, and a capture the flag game. Even in NYC where anything goes it is amazing to me the rude comments that get called out about how we are losers playing kickball or making snowman. Not everyone seems to understand the joy of acting like a kid and letting loose. I don't know if it makes them uncomfortable or they are just jealous.

I hope I never get too old to appreciate a good snowman making contest.

The other side of our upside down snowman is a bunny. That's right it is a Rubin's Vase snowman. I'm not sure how we lost.

Unplug

Over MLK weekend I did a un-plug/detox. There were two parts: not using anything that needed a plug for 72 hours, sans lights, and a very modified diet consisting of brown rice, lemon water, and spinach. I was supposed to eat bitter greens but as a girl who hates vegetables spinach was my compromise.

The detox part had its struggles. I crave fried, microwavable, and highly addicting comfort food. I’m lucky I have a fast metabolism. While I was in Kenya, aside from the few times I ate out, everything was (truly) organic and unprocessed. I felt better, had more energy, my skin cleared up, and I promptly went back to my old habits as soon as I returned. The Detox was meant to jump start my eating right. It also is #31 on my Day Zero list. I found that I was less hungry as the food I was eating had more fiber and other nutrients type things that I usually don’t get. But I couldn’t eat when I was bored which I frequently was as TV, music, and movies were all off limits. I tend to multi task usually eating dinner, reading a book, and watching tv all at the same time. For the weekend I attempted to do only one thing at a time. When I was eating dinner, I was eating dinner.

The unplug portion (#29) of the weekend had its own struggles. More than my addiction to processed food I am addicted to noise. When I come home the TV goes on even if I’m not watching it. If not the TV, then the radio or a movie. There is always noise around me. In addition, now that I have internet at my apartment, I’ll read through blogs or check my email more times then necessary. Not having all these safety distractions was harder than I thought it would be. It did give me time to think about the deeper meaning behind my room always being a mess, what I’m chasing after, and my positive characteristics and things I want to change. My journal has a lot of “hmm”, “wow”, and “oooooh” moments.

While not outwardly fun as some of the other things I do in my life, the experience of just being by myself for 72 hours was an adventure too. I’m planning on doing it again in the Spring, working with the natural cycles of the human body.

Favorite quote of the weekend: "Whoever you are, whatever you are, start with that." ~Alice Walker

Concern

Check out Concern Worldwide, an organization I’ve worked with in the past here in the states. They, along with many other organizations, sent staff to Haiti to aid in the relief effort. One staff member, Susan Finucane, left for Haiti within a few hours of the earthquake. On Concern's blog she shares an update of the situation, including the heartache, struggles to get aid through the bottleneck of anarchy, and a story of hope taking the form of a Celinda, a little girl born after the earthquake.

Trapeze

To celebrate the New Year I went with a couple friends to Trapeze School. Yes, “Fly trough the air with the greatest of ease” trapeze school. Why not? It’s one of the perks to living in a cultural mecca- almost anything you can possibly want to do is here. It also happens to be #92 on my DayZero list. I knew I wouldn’t balk once I got up there but climbing the ladder got the adrenalin pumping. Plus, as a child, I was never able to do the monkey bars, a thought prominent in my mind as I leaned over the edge of the platform. Now, not only would I leap from a platform, hang from a bar, pull my knees over my head, and then let go with my hands, I would do so 30-something feet in the air while moving.

Either my arms are stronger than they were when I was a child or I am less willing to accept defeat. It was a fun experience. My friend goes almost every week and I can see why. There is a therapeutic and addictive aspect to overcoming an obstacle and successfully mastering The Catch. A Flyer cannot say they have learned a trick until they make the catch.

When you cliff jump time seems to slow down allowing for a lot of clear, distinct thoughts: “Why did I just leave the safety of the ground? Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. Okay I’m still in the air. Why haven’t I hit water yet? What a pretty water snake. I hope it’s not poisonous.”

However, this is not the case while Flying. Perhaps it is because your mind is so full with all the steps that need to be taken that you don’t have time to think about anything else. “Jump, swing, knees up, hands off, wow I didn’t fall off, reach out, grab bar, legs down, forward, back, kick, eek I’m doing a back flip… net”

The following videos are of the Knee Hang trick with differnet endings. The first is with a backflip, another thing that I was never able to do as a child. Perhaps I should try a Slip-and-Slide again. The second video is Knee Hang with Catch. The squeak is from me being completly surprised that the move actually worked.