Training Log Archive: FifthofMay

Running at Heard Farm. Not sure on the temp, probably around 35F. Warm enough with an ear fuzzy and a neck warmer, long CSU shirt with a tee-shirt over and my snazzy iO pants. Got into a focused state deep into the run. I can try to focus sooner, or maybe I needed to warm up for that to happen sooner.

Ankles felt basically fine. I have been massaging the ankles and the quads. Dance and yoga clearly make my quads feel tougher and stuffier. Not sure what the remedy is yet. Opening the hips will probably help. Quick strokes of massage will probably help. I'm not clear what is going on in this area. I would like a physical therapist to be like "Alright, here's why it's almost impossible for you to sit in a giant V and sit up straight, let alone fold forward". And also would like information about hammies and quads.

Warm-up like a dance class warm-up. The basement is cold, so starting with floor exercises might not work. Instead, stand and then sit where you were standing, for a little heat. Opened up hips, did foot stretching and practiced tondus and demi-plies.

Than drilled the dog days are coming. I know it by heart now. I felt more fluid between the postures. Once you know it by heart, you can forget about counting and then try it out with freedom.

I videotaped the last two runs. It's actually much better than the first few I ran. I need to relax even more and have even more grace and fluidity. Then I can also express myself. There are no pretenses you just give it all up. It's really great to have the video of the dance routine, having the teacher's example to see (in the routine's entirety) and then be able to practice and record myself at home.

Danced at home, including warm-up and practicing the routine for the dog days are over. I must have drilled it more than 20 times. There is still more to learn, but doing it over like this I realized how the movement connects from one to the next. It is about more than being in point A and then being in point B. It's much easier to go from A to B fluidly when you carry the movement.

For example, when you tondu and when you plie you use the rebound to bring yourself back up. So once you learn a routine, you must relax and use the movement to connect the postures.