Skip to main content

Shake What Your Mama Gave You!

In the same way that I was right about bloggers being self-involved, I was also right about one other thing:  All runners are masochists.

In my journey of self-discovery (a pretty way to say "my quarter-life crisis"), I got addicted to working out.  Now, I have never been a traditional athlete by ANY stretch of the imagination (unless you call running away from the ball a sport), but I have always been active.  One thing I swore up and down that I would never be able to get into was running.  Here I am, in my mid-twenties, signing up for local races.  What happened?

First, there was walking around my neighborhood in a leisurely way.  Strolling became brisk walking until last fall when my husband and I joined a gym.  As it began to get colder outside, I opted for the treadmill at the gym over my walks outside.  Treadmills led to Zumba and consequently to kickboxing, vigorous elliptical workouts, Turbo Kick and eventually to running.  I had no idea as I was doing all of these things that I had been conditioning my body and building my endurance up to this point.  I went for a jog one day before work (since I hate going to the gym after work) and I actually kind of liked it!  Weird.

Make no mistake, I am not a marathon runner, but one day when I was feeling particularly "beige," I thought, Maybe some day I'll run a half marathon.  I figured before I started that route, though, I had better build up to it slowly.  At that point, I began researching local 5Ks and other races.  I plan to participate in three of them between now and mid-December.  I suppose at that point, I'll bring my workouts back inside, but until then, I am going to enjoy every mile until I get bored with running.

As a former dancer (hence, the title of this page), I never imagined I'd really get into other forms of working out in the way that I have.  After 16 years in the studio and onstage, I took a three year hiatus during college.  Upon graduation, I returned to my hometown for a job and called up my old studio to see if there were any teaching positions needing to be filled.  Oh, Mama giveth and Mama taketh away!!!  I danced and taught for one more year.  However, it didn't take me long to realize that although I was still able to do most of the things that I had been able to do in my prime dancing years, I was having to work much harder to accomplish them.  After that year, I decided to wipe the rosin off my shoes and retire gracefully.

I will always love dance, but now, it will be on my own terms.  As I have no plans to pursue a career in a studio, I have opted to enjoy the practice in the privacy of my own home (where only my poor husband will be my audience), recreationally, or as a critical spectator.  Just because my body is out of practice doesn't mean that my mind is!  I still know all of the technique in my head enough to point out other people's faults, you see.  However, I imagine age will only magnify this issue for me in the future:  the mind and the body do not seem to operate in perfect synchronization.

From dancing to walking to the gym, my workout routine seems to have come to another milestone in the forms of running, kickboxing and PiYo.  (I have a tendency toward the "Yo" part, but will take the "Pi" any ol' time!)

Does anyone have any suggestions for fun ways to mix up a workout?  What do YOU like to do?

Finally, a question for all the lady runners out there:  How do you keep your undercrackers from riding up your butt when you're trying to keep a pace?

Comments

  1. Anouchka! I looove your blog. It has such a "Krissy" feel to it!

    My sister just started a running group called "Healing Through Running." They meet once a week just to run, and I think you would love it.

    She might know about the "undercrackers." Lol. I'll send you something on facebook!

    Much Love, Kelly "Simone"

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I work out, I have the worst time with my undercrackers. So, I wear yoga pants or yoga capris....without undercrackers. Works for me!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comment if you wish. Or don't.

Popular posts from this blog

Let's be frank...

Habibi and I are not at all fanciful.  In fact, every time I try to do something cute (and/or Pinterest-y), I end up frustrated and with egg on my face.  So, we've just decided to embrace our straightforward, blunt way of doing things.  To give you an idea of how we roll, let me tell you a little bit about our life journey together... On our second date, I told Habibi that I really wasn't interested in ever getting married.  Sure I like liked  him ("like liking" would soon change to love), but it just wasn't something I planned for my future.  Seven months later when he proposed (see how that went for me?), I simply said yes.  There was no video, no fireworks, no wild story, no pictures.  He told me to close my eyes (I insisted on sitting on the floor if I had to close my eyes because I was afraid he'd push me on the ground) and when I opened them, there he was, on one knee, holding a ring.  Afterwards, we kissed and he told me I had co...

I Am So A Hipster: The Hipster's Way of Letting You Know That He/She Is Not, In Fact, A Hipster

I just got home from having a great coffee date with a great friend. For those of you who know me personally, you will recall that I am somewhat awkward socially.  A few weeks back, my friend and I decided we wanted to meet for coffee at a local chocolaterie .  (We both lived/studied in France and anything with a European flair makes us nostalgic.)  Now, this may be news to her if she is reading this post, but my first awkward moment was when she walked in the door.   Do I get up and give her a hug since I haven't seen her in nearly two years?   (A normally functioning person would have done so.)   Do I give her a high five?   ( Not  what higher thinkers typically do.)   What????   (Yes, these are the things that plague my brilliant mind.)  Fortunately, she was graceful enough to have seemingly overlooked my stiff greeting and we were able to begin reminiscing. After a wonderful and uplifting chat about France, running, gossipin...

The Joys of Fall and Eating Dinner

When I was just a little tike, I learned a song about Halloween.  The lyrics went something like this: Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern, You are such a pretty sight, As you sit there in the window, Looking out on the night! You were once a yellow pumpkin, Growing on a sturdy vine. Now you are a Jack-O-Lantern, See the candlelight shine! I know it isn't exactly Hemingway (thank goodness), but poor Habibi found me singing it to myself in the bathroom this morning as I was getting ready for the day.  (Oh, shut up.)  For your enjoyment (obviously) I've included the inspiration for my morning concert below: WE GOT TO CARVE OUR PUMPKIN LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! I love Halloween.  Every year around this time I start to get the jitters as though something terribly exciting and adventurous is about to happen.  I love the crunch of fall leaves, crispy mornings, eerie evenings and smoky nights.  Spooky stories, haunted houses, the s...