Blog Entries

I just did my first workout of 2006, which is neither as bad, nor as good as it sounds. I’ve had a bad cold for the last couple of weeks, with barely enough energy to nap properly, so that’s why it took so long. The reason it took even longer than that, though, is what’s partucularly shaming.

I haven’t really hit the floor since October, 2005. Back in the fall, see, in order to deal with something important for work, I all but canceled every last bit of personal time I had, including dancing and workouts of any kind. I wish I hadn’t done that because as it turned out, the end user of my services was unnapreciative to the point where I could have done just as well to drop everything and become one of those yoga people who does nothing but stretch and drink lattes all day for all the difference it made.

So, lesson learned. I don’t even need to make a resolution not to repeat that BS.

Tonight was the first session of the winter shebang! b-girl classes but I did not go. While a nice old-fashioned Maehem-style ass kicking might have done me a world of good, and it would be great to get out among the b-people, I have developed a trembling aversion to the gym at Trinity St. Paul’s. I can’t make myself spend twelve of my hard-won earned-at-home dollars to practice on a possibly unwashed floor, without mirrors, when I have a perfectly good, clean, somewhat mirrorful dance floor in my apartment, and a list of moves to work on as long as my arm.

This list includes:

• Completely re-do the way I do my six-step. I have chunky calves that get in the way and cause knee strain when I six-step the wrong, wrong, wrong way I’ve been doing it all along. I need to drop faster into 2 and 4 and just let that free leg sit there.
• Re-learn crab to chair freeze transitions. This is how I broke my toe last February. I’ve since lost the move completely from fearful disuse.
• Re-build strength and stamina
• Improve headstands
• Improve handstands
• Y-kick

I rather feel like there’s not much purpose to subjecting myself to further instruction until I fix everything that’s already broken.

So that’s what I’m going to do. Tonight, I kept it short and sweet. First I reminded myself what warming up is like. Then, drawing on my classical music training, got out the metronome and got to work on the six-step. Most people I’ve met hate metronomes, but they are my friend and always have been.

I did 10 6-steps at 54 and then 10 more at 56. You might be forgiven for thinking it’s easier to do the step slower, but much like music, it’s actually more demanding. It’s an excellent strength builder, yet gentle on the joints, which is just what I need for my trick shoulders at this out-of-shape stage in the game.

6-step out of the way, I did a couple of baby freezes to get my face reacquainted with the floor, and a whole two crab-to-chair transitions on each side. Those things hurt. I used to be able to just flip through them, but that was when I just flung my feet over and hoped for the best (ie: not breaking anything)

That was pretty much it, plus some stretching and bridges. I feel good. In two days, I ride again. I’ll work a little harder next time.

Related posts

• "It's called Two-step because it has two steps"
• Solid State Breakdance Takes It Back to Toronto
• This just in: B-girling is easy!
• NYC: Curfew Breaking of all kinds, part I
• B-girl or Breaker: What's in a name?
• B.O.T.Y. Canada
• I did it!
• Chill new krew on the scene
• Stick It
• Step on over to Torontoist