Bananana: Coriande Splits

[Coriande]

Main Quest

Be comfortable in full centre, left and right splits with proper form.

 

Sub Quests

Prepare body for exercise. It has been a while.

I. 5x/week : Half Hour of Pilates (focused on thigh flexibility and core strength).

II. 3x/week : Beginner Body Weight Workout. 

III. 7x/week : Half Hour of Stretching (focused on alignment and correct form).
IV. 2x/week : Hour at gym in morning (BBBBonnnusssss!)

 

Life Quest

Read three new novels for pleasure.

I. Wolf In White Van - John Darnielle

II. On Film Directing - David Mamet

III. Free Book

 

Motivation

My body is making me miserable, and I am making my body miserable. This has to change.

I. I want to feel good with my partner, not to be ashamed to be naked.

II. I want to feel energetic, not sore and painful when we do dance work in class.

III. I want to prove to myself that I can do this. That my history of bad body choices is not a destiny.

 

Progress

Will come as it comes, in the battle log and here.

 

Morning Pilates - 16/30

54%

54%

Body Weight Workouts - 6/18

33%

33%

Evening Stretches - 10/40

25%

25%

Gym Visits - 4/25

15%

15%

 

[Alocin]

Hey there... I'm a newbie too. What sort of dance do you do? I'm just getting back into ballet for the first time in 20 years which is a bit daunting!

[Coriande]

Hullo, Alocin!

 

I'm part of a musical improv group - we do long-form made-up musicals, which means spontaneous group and partnered dancing.  I'm just horribly awkward at it and get tired super fast. I was never professional or anything.  I love ballet - it is such a technical and beautiful art form!

 

Thanks for saying hi, it's so nice to meet other people who are trying to figure this stuff out too. What made you want to pick ballet back up?

[alienjenn]

my thoughts about your pilates goal... if you are starting at 0 days a week then 7 days a week @ 30 minutes might be too big of a jump? (especially since you are also adding 30 min of stretching 7 days a week that could be going from 0 to 60 too quickly) 

 

otherwise... looks good

[Alocin]

Hullo, Alocin!

 

I'm part of a musical improv group - we do long-form made-up musicals, which means spontaneous group and partnered dancing.  I'm just horribly awkward at it and get tired super fast. I was never professional or anything.  I love ballet - it is such a technical and beautiful art form!

 

Thanks for saying hi, it's so nice to meet other people who are trying to figure this stuff out too. What made you want to pick ballet back up?

 

I did ballet for years and years - until I was about 17. I stopped when I went off to university (which possibly not coincidentally was when I began to gain weight!) I was never going to be a prima ballerina but I did enjoy it. Every time in recent years I'd see dancers on TV on So You Think You Can Dance or I went to a live performance, I'd say to myself 'Oh, I'd love to do that again, but I'd feel self-conscious because I'm so much bigger than I used to be.'

 

So over the last couple of years I've lost quite a bit of weight (25ish kilos) and I'm much fitter than I used to be so I figured it was time to give it another go. And also I think it's going to be helpful to my quest to lose the last 10 kilos.

 

I've never heard of musical improv in that way - a mate of mine does a lot of improv/theatre sports...

[Coriande]

my thoughts about your pilates goal... if you are starting at 0 days a week then 7 days a week @ 30 minutes might be too big of a jump? (especially since you are also adding 30 min of stretching 7 days a week that could be going from 0 to 60 too quickly) 

 

otherwise... looks good

 

Perhaps I will change it to five days/week (in the morning before my desk job, I find it helps keep my legs from falling asleep) and just do stretches and the Body Weight routines on the weekend.  I know how disheartening overambition can be... I just got so excited finding this forum!

 

Thanks for the advice : )

[alienjenn]

I just know that if I make a goal TOO ambitious then I tend to get all reboundy (like I go in the OPPOSITE direction) when I fail... 

[Coriande]

I just know that if I make a goal TOO ambitious then I tend to get all reboundy (like I go in the OPPOSITE direction) when I fail... 

 

Totally. I'd really like to be done with fasting, bingeing, and purging - and I don't just mean with food.

[alienjenn]

it took me a LONG time to get to where I am... I eat when I am hungry until I am full... and only when I am hungry... if people are having celebratory foodz I can join them and sit with them and have funs with them... and I don't have to partake of the foodz...  

 

(I never did it with anything other than food...)

 

 

you'll get there... it will take a while to figure out the language of your body and be able to listen to it... but once you do it will be so awesome

[Coriande]

I can now put my palms flat on the floor with my legs straight...

 

BOO YEAH TINY VICTORIES.

[Alocin]

That's great! Your hamstrings are getting stretchier!

[Coriande]

So here is my first level-up. Since I started late, I am only allocating half-points.

Goal allocation

• Q1. Half Hour of Pilates 5x/week. +1 DEX +1 STR +1 STA
  
• Q2. Beginner Body Weight Workout 3x/week. +2 STR +1 CON
  
• Q3. Half Hour of Stretching (focused on alignment and correct form). +2 DEX
  
• LQ. Read three books for pleasure. +1 WIS +1 CHA
  

Mid-challenge summary

• Q1. Half Hour of Pilates 5x/week. 100% - A
  
• Q2. Beginner Body Weight Workout 3x/week. 33% - F
  
• Q3. Half Hour of Stretching (focused on alignment and correct form) 7x/week. 83% - B
  
• LQ. Read three books for pleasure. 50% - F
  

Challenge allocation

• Q1. 100% = +.5 STR +.5 DEX +.5 STA
  
• Q2. 33% = + .3 STR + .1 CON
  
• Q3. 83% = + .8 DEX
  
• LQ. 50% = +.25 WIS
  

The numbers look small (well, they are small) but to me they represent accountability and a step in the right direction : )

[Musuku]

Always great to see new people with flexy goals joining the rebellion ^^

 

What do you do for Pilates and stretching?

[Coriande]

Always great to see new people with flexy goals joining the rebellion ^^

 

What do you do for Pilates and stretching?

For Pilates, I mostly follow the instructions of the woman who runs the class, so it's a mix of stretch and strength with a focus on core isolations and fixing my appalling pigeon-toedness (my hips are quite misrotated, unfortunately).

 

The stretches are very simple, variations on Mountain, Lizard, Pigeon and Straddle yoga poses. I also usually stretch out my IT band at night because it helps keep my legs from aching.

 

Is there somewhere on the boards dedicated to people who want to be stretchier? I'd be interested in coming and saying hello.

[Musuku]

I love Lizard pose.

 

Assassins has a lot of really flexible people, so you could check out some challenge threads or come say hi in the Den

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/52517-splits-backbends-extreme-flexibility/ is the flexibility/contortion thread.

[Coriande]

I love Lizard pose.

 

Assassins has a lot of really flexible people, so you could check out some challenge threads or come say hi in the Den

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/52517-splits-backbends-extreme-flexibility/ is the flexibility/contortion thread.

I think I will! I want to learn more about different ways to move my body.

[Coriande]

And... we're back.

I'm leaving the challenge markers up, but removing the dates. I will complete the allotted markers in the time it takes to complete them. Not ready to jump back into a challenge yet, but it's good to track workouts.