My Russian ballet teacher Elena is really unique when it comes to dance teachers. She knows that the almost all of the children and adults who take her classes do not have their sights set on a professional career in ballet or dance. She teaches our class with a view toward increasing one's body awareness and for the sheer pleasure of dancing and challenging her students with new ballet skills. As any dance teacher, including Elena, will tell you --- I'm actually not ready to go en pointe. In fact, I'm nowhere near it. (You're supposed to have a certain amount of demonstrated strength, turnout, alignment and balance before you qualify for pointe work.) She has encouraged me, however, to buy pointe shoes so she can have me and some of the other students do about 10 minutes of pointe work in each class so we can slowly build up to it. She doesn't recommend it for everyone, but she's allowed me to buy pointe shoes because she knows I'm not going to try and go en pointe at home, without her supervision or do anything that might result in me breaking my neck. I guarantee you, no other dance instructor would be so liberal when it comes to pointe shoes.

Buying pointe shoes involves visiting a trained professional (mine was a former professional level ballet dancer from the Royal Academy in London), who looks at the shape of your foot while your toes are pointed. I spent an hour trying on about 10 pairs of pointe shoes (each are handmade and the fit can vary dramatically even in the same size). I went en pointe near a barre built for 3 year olds (it literally went to my knees), and did demi plies in second position in each pair before she finally picked out the "right" (i.e. most forgiving) pair of pointe shoes for me.

*Note: In this picture, I'm not en pointe, but am positioning my foot so you'd get an idea as to what being en pointe looks like.

Last week, Elena marked on my pointe shoes where I should sew my elastic and ribbons (the stuff that keeps the shoe attached to your foot). As each person's foot is as individual as your thumbprint, sewing your pointe shoes is a very individual thing, and you will need a professional opinion as to where to sew what. Having finished my sewing last week, I was finally ready for my first ballet class with pointe work tonight. After padding my toes with protective silk pads, we spent about 15 minutes doing various pointe exercises. It was really exhilarating doing pointe work for that tiny span of time. It's definitely the next level up and it's given me a new incentive to work much harder. It's also increased my body awareness dramatically. En pointe, you have to concentrate a lot harder and think about what every muscle in your body is doing in order to keep your alignment and balance all your weight on your toes. Suck in the stomach ("more, more, more" Elena barks at me), squeeze the cheeks hard, pull the knees up all the way, relax the shoulders, raise and elongate the arm but break the wrist, pull up your chin and neck but keep them relaxed. There's so much to think about, but it's an exciting new chapter in my ballet hobby. For my own sake, Elena is also cracking down on improving my technique when it comes to the barre exercises. When they're actually done correctly, you feel every muscle working to the pointe of exhaustion. "Oh, it's supposed to hurt like that" was my latest revelation tonight. "Chin up! Chin up! Pull up your knees! Correct your sous sous! Fourth position!" Elena barks. As we're all trembling on our tippie toes, barely hanging onto our balance, Elena purrs "Enjooooy the pain, ladies!" while we wobble and sway like buildings in an earthquake.

The Temptations of Toast

I have been pretty loyal to my twice a week Pilates and twice a week walks. I have been taking all the vitamins I'm supposed to take and some. I've cut the coffee down to one or two excellent daily cups and have upped the fiber intake to make sure the plumbing is working well (sorry). I still have one incredibly evil force working against me. It is the force of toast. I try to limit it to brown breads, of course. I even try to toast it to within an inch of burning, since it is nearly carbon already I'm thinking it will digest easier and cost fewer calories. I think of the thin elegant toast on sliced european bread. I like the thick sliced Sanrio-style Japanese 'Pan' stuff (so 'bread' is the same in Spanish and Japanese? go figure!). I like anything toasted in the oven with butter and or cheese on top. Pumpernickel bagels toasted with cream cheese and lox...sooo good. I can't get these images out of my head. I think it is the crunch followed by the warm soft dough. I have not found a low carb replacement and I am opening up the floor here to ask: what suitable crunch/toast replacement can satisfying this unique texture craving?

Measuring up

It's been about 6 weeks since I started exercising again. When I started out, I measured my arms, my thighs, my waist, my hips and my calves. I've been lifting weights and doing various types of cardio --- swimming, running, and ballet. So far, I've lost 3.5 pounds and it's all probably water. While that might seem discouraging, I decided to measure myself and see if there was a difference. The difference was amazing. I lost about an inch on my arms and a 1/2 inch everywhere else. I can see the improved muscle tone in my arms, so I knew that regardless of the weight number, I was improving my body.

Pilates on the Ball

Last night I was doing my walk in my neighborhood. I was on the phone with my brother. He was getting nervous because it was already dark and he wanted me to turn back and go back home. I did, but I felt like I needed more exercise so I tried one of my DVDs. It's called "Pilates On the Ball." It's difficult but it's also fun. The ball helps to stabilize me and allows me to do movements that are normally too difficult to do without the ball. You really work up a sweat. I made it halfway through the workout and then turned CNN on. My goal is too get better and better at this particular workout.

Keep On Keeping On...

Wednesday night I went swimming. I started with 20 minutes of water aerobics and then I launched into laps. I am staying at a friend's house in the Palisades; they have a good sized pool along with a jacuzzi. Sitting under the stars in the jacuzzi after my swim was really relaxing.

Yesterday I did the Sand Dunes again. I went with my friends Linda and Chad. First we do the stairs adjacent to the Dunes. Then we walk down to the beach and have to walk a good incline back. We go back down the stairs after we return from the beach walk. After the stairs we do the Dune. The Dune is really hard to do. I don't even look up. I only look in front of me. If I looked up I'd be overwhelmed by the distance that I have to cover. Once you get to the top of Dunes, you really feel that you've accomplished something. I don't think that any of this would be possible without the use of an ipod. I need a soundtrack to motivate me and I have one playing in my ear the whole time.

What's going to motivate us this week?

That hike must have gotten us tired. It's quiet out there! Anyone have an interesting workout that they can motivate us with?
Last week was tough. My calves were very sore on wednesday, so my instructor gave my arms and shoulders a work out instead with just a little knee work. I am always looking for a good arm toner. One of those Gilad sessions I tried last week had him doing an exercise that I just could not handle. It looked like a push-up (not the girl kind), but you stay rigid like a plank as you lean in to your feet and keep your elbows on the floor. You stay that way for 60 seconds as you suck in your gut. I think I could only do it for 10 seconds. I am going to challenge myself to get to tht 60 second mark in two weeks. Lets see if I can do it. For more ideas for exercises to do at home I found this show/website: http://fittv.discovery.com/fansites/housecalls/trainertips/trainertips.html
feel motivated?

Pacific Palisades hike 9/3/07

That hike in the Palisades was not as nice as I last remembered it before. I don't think I have had so much dirt in my socks and that was definitely the hottest, most stifling atmosphere I've hiked in a long time. My knees are feeling their age today, but I think everyone did well, though. Even the kids at the back complained more of the flies than of the heat and hike. I stayed at a regular pace and cherished every log or rock stop. I was wondering exactly how long that Temescal trail is, so I looked it up. The website reported 5 miles for that particular trail (you can double check) and a peak at 1000 feet. I think I would like to try it again in cooler weather. The green tea helped. Here is a small photo of the group. Tonight is my 37th Pilate session. I will ask for some mercy from my trainer. We'll see.

Hot Hot Heat

This heat has been killing me. I've had a few migraines in the past few days. I think that it may be due to not drinking enough water. I thought that I had been, but obviously not. This past week I tried the sand dunes in Manhattan Beach with my friend Linda. This sand dune was nearly double the height that I thought it was going to be. I actually really enjoyed walking up it. It's difficult, but it really gives you a sense of achievement getting to the top of it.