Fri, July 5, 2019: Modern w/ Kevin Bergsma

When: Friday, July 5, 2019 10-11:30
Where: Harbour Dance Centre
What: Modern (yoga, qi gong, focus on the breath, movement that tells a story/use of imagery)
Level: Open - accessible to all - this would be a great class for my students to take if they were interested in trying something new. I left the class feeling grounded, calm, and peaceful.

Link to website

First part of class was walking, breathing, yoga.
Second part was feet and tendus.
Next we went across the floor and then connected all the parts to make one long ATF.
Short combo with a story line.
One final cool down ATF: 5 mannequins, 3 flamingos, and the beach.

It was a pleasant class. I was going to take ballet but decided to take Modern - then when I got there and saw there was only one other person in Modern - I thought maybe I would take ballet - but decided to stick to my plan and I am glad I did. I will take ballet next week when I can drop in during summer school.

Fri. July 5, 2019: 6:15 - 6:45am Run

Run with Lopez part two. I like listening to the story and just running. I ran farther than I did on Sunday. (Same 30 minute time.) My hip is not hurting... as much. It is almost better. It is a cloudy day today. I was smiling when Lopez had his essay chosen and when he got adopted by a family. I was smiling and I think people on the c wall (not that many because it is early,) thought I was crazy. I am a red faced, white girl, with a crazy grin, running around the ocean.

It feels good to run. I am looking forward to part three. I wonder how many of these runs there are and what I will try next. I think I want to try a speed training one again - I liked that last one I did.

Thurs. July 4, 2019: Hip Hop w/ Victor

I had learned this choreo before... what's the song again... I was just looking for it... I can't remember... da da da da dada da... crack... da da da dada da mmmm... step together hands to face elbow elbow ooof... one... you know?

Anyways - felt good - love it when it soaks in. I felt good... but didn't get chosen to dance in the end... but that is ok.. next time! Still, when I watch the kids dancing at the end.. there is no way I was dancing like they were... how do they do it? I think they are just born like that.

Anywho - Jonny has a sandwich and a show for me. Peace out!

Wed. July 3, 2019: Hip Hop w/ Stu

Biggy's first attempt at sitting at Harbour. He did it. I got him a new game on his Ipad and he was sadly glued to the screen for the entire hour. He had grapes and water and I only noticed him move when a grape rolled onto the floor.

Stu is such an amazing teacher. Why? He took a simple choreo and taught the moves in sections always referring to shapes. He goes over the connections between chunks. He gives corrections and pointers to everyone - I really think everyone got a one-on-one pointer to make their movements cleaner. He gave  level options - how to smooth the shapes together and add your own style. He broke down the three main points he was trying to address and he demonstrated. It was the fullest chill class you could have. You know? So much but so laid back and smooth. I hope I get to take his class again this summer.

Tues. July 2 & Wed. July 3: 80 Day Obsession Day 65 & 66

Yesterday and this morning, I got up and did 80 Day Obsession workouts on my patio. Yesterday, I headed straight out and finished right as the workers were arriving. (When I say workers, I mean two workers who didn't actually do any work all day... who came in through the side scaffolding from the alley smoking, continuing to smoke right in front of me, and extinguishing it in the garbage can. Thank-you for that oh so lovely final workout smokey air... sarcasm... ughh... just finish the patio and leave... it has been over a year now. This is my space and I want it back.) Today, I had my breakfast first and only made it through half my workout as they arrived. This morning, there were were three of them and Dave said, "Good morning!" I could not return his joyous good morning, because I don't see anything good about you dicking around on my patio and not getting shit done. It makes me feel sad. I moved inside to finish my workout and closed the curtains.

Whoa... I am mad eh? Anyways, this was meant to be a post about me doing my workouts and it has turned into a rant about the super slow construction workers.

I have taken the cardio workouts out of 80DO and replaced them with running. Although - I might bust out a cardio flow if we are ever pool or beach side. I still like that one - I just want to run now that I can run again and thought slotting it in during the cardio times would be best. I was thinking I might do one of my 80 days after my last run - but I am all sweaty and don't feel like working out then. It was a good idea but didn't happen. Maybe if I did the 80 day and then ran? Nah...

When 80DO is done, I am going to do A Little More Obsessed and then the new 21 Day Fix Lives. They are shorter - so maybe I can add the runs in with them then. That should take me through the summer.

Monday, July 1, 2019: Run with Lopez 1

I felt like running for the last week but have been busy with the 72D7, and walking down to the Inukshuk at different times of the day, to dance and also the last week of school. But now, school is over and I am FREE! YAY!! However, two days ago, I was trying a Nike training workout and it had dynamic hip stretches at the start and I thought it was going to buzz me to change to the next exercise and it didn't. I saw the number twelve and thought it was weird to do this same thing for twelve minutes of a twenty minute workout but... I wasn't really thinking... so I did... and I am pretty sure I overstretched my right hip flexor. ALSO that day, I sat in the park in a double pigeon while Biggy played... that may have also overstretched it... anyways... I woke up with a limpy right hip Sunday morning. This morning, it was there but not as bad, I still wanted to run.. so I ran... I just ran slow and easy pace. I noticed by right ankle had a crick in it too and I had to stop and rotate it a few times... but I kept going. 

As I was leaving my building, connecting the Bluetooth for my headphones, and putting on my run playlist - I realized my run playlist wasn't on my watch. All that was available was the 72D7 tracks. I went to Spotify and was going to try that but remember that the last time I did that it played through my phone and woke up the whole house... because my phone is at home... and the boys were asleep.  I had also downloaded and was planning on running with the Coached Run with Nike Run Club: Run with Lopez Part 1. This would be my second coached run. The first one I played music and there was some talking... this one was more of a story and what an enthralling story. I didn't even notice I was running. But, I had to try and control my emotions, because I was imagining my son, age six being stolen by rebel soldiers in Somolia. It was a beautiful sunny day, I ran an easy pace, and just tried not to cry on the c wall as I went. No music is necessary for this coached run and I can't wait to run again tomorrow to hear the next part of the story. If you felt like running longer than thirty minutes, you can just press the next run and it tells you how to do that at the end of part one. (Just make sure you have it downloaded before you leave the house.) 

Happy Canada Day! 

End of June Update... what a semester! Let' go SUMMER!

Hi everyone... I have been SUPER BUSY this semester. I really feel like I went from one big event to the next... and I did. I am surprised how I was able to handle this semester of life. I think I have gotten a lot more chill over things, now that I am forty-five. I plan, I do my best, and I try not lose sleep over anything. (That last part doesn't always work.)

So here is my workout calendar from the last... when was the last time I really posted? Here are snap shots from March to June. (Maybe I can go back to writing more often this summer! I like after workout/class/run/skate reflection time.)

Let me see if I can go back in my memory and talk about what I have been up to and why....

March 2019 I had ten class to pass to YYoga and I had I think, a 20 class pass for Bikram Delta. I was still doing 80 Day Obsession workouts at school. I also visited Harbour for Ballet, Hip Hop, PBT, Lyrical, and Contemporary. March was a great month.

 In April, I was called in to have surgery. SO, I raced to try and use as many of my Bikram Delta classes as I could. (They had a three month expiry) I also wanted to move and do as much as I could... because I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything for a while. They said it would take me 1-2 weeks before I went back to work and 6 weeks for full recovery. In my mind, I thought, I am fit, I will recover quick and be back to everything faster than the average person. BLAHH HAA HAAA!! Was I wrong. Recovery was a B****. I couldn't sleep because the CO2 was trapped in my body and made my back ache if I didn't get up and expel gas every few hours. I had to walk circles around my apartment farting. Seems funny now... but I was a blubbering, tired, hunched, old feeling person. Just when I thought I would never dance or move normally again.. I was back... phew! I started with just yoga as I wasn't supposed to lift anything over ten pounds for 6 weeks. This is when I created my Harrison Yoga Chill class. I imagined teaching it to the kids around the pool in Harrison Hot Springs. That didn't happen. But - I love the class and I plan on filming it this week and sharing it online. I also want to do it around the city - pop up yogas! Everyone welcome.

 In May, I got back to Bikram and Hip Hop. I was gifted the Nike Apple Watch for graduation and started playing around with workouts on that app and I started running again. I love running! I hadn't run since this time last year because I got the plantar faciitis. I loved getting out on the C wall again and just making up dances in my head as I meet one, greet one, pass them... I love to race around. Thursday's were my favourite day this semester. I had my afternoon free and I was able to go to Victor's class at 1:30. Finally, I had a regular hip hop class to take. I also got to pick up Christian from school that day... mind you... all sweaty... and weirdly practicing the dance moves I just learned... but super small... so no parents noticed?? Hard to run from dance class and just stop dancing... gotta remember the moves and hum the beats... and keep getting it.... can't fight the weird. I am what I am. 

My Bikram Delta classes expired the 24th. I didn't get them all in. I was a little disappointed that I went in and had the recording being played instead of a live teacher. That happened on my birthday too - it put me in a grumpy mood. Who gets up at 5:07am to drive to Delta on their birthday to take a yoga class with a recording? LAME! If I teach at FH again next year, I will get some classes there and visit once or twice a week - it is convenient... but I will voice my opinion about the "bend like hell" Bikram recording. I can do that at school... and I don't have to get up that early. 

This month, June, I did Hip Hop, ran, 80 Day, and yoga. I don't have any yoga studio passes right now. I was going to get the ten class pack from Y again and I was also considering joining their mentorship program... but I think I am going to rent space at the Dance Centre once a week and start building my own dance company/crew; #downed. (stay tuned!) I didn't get to ballet yet - but I have classes planned for the first week of July. My achilles tendon doesn't hurt anymore - I don't know what that was about... back in March... but I haven't been to ballet since then. I miss it.

I tried a coached run through the Nike app that I liked: Level Up, Level Down. It was speed training. It pooped me right out. I plan on trying more of those this summer. I will try to write about each of those after I do them, so I have a record of which ones I liked.

As for summer, I want to keep doing it all. I will bring home my weights, sliders, and bands from school and do 80 Day on my patio. I will do yoga on my patio and around the city with friends. I will dance at Harbour as much as I can. I will run around the C wall and through Stanley Park. I will still film my Dance365 and make my videos... almost everyday.... I want to meet with dance friends at the Dance Centre once a week and collaborate... into creation of something new. Life is good! The goal: to stay fit, happy, and healthy so that when I retire at my surfing beach... I can still have the strength to surf! ONE DAY.. the dream will be real.

Have an awesome summer everyone - happy everythinging!