Probably TMI about all my physical practices
*groan*
I CANNOT seem to get my personal email taken care of this weekend. All of it is hard. All of it involves either trip planning or technical discussion. (Guiltily goes and answers the one that requires technical discussion.)
My week has been tainted by the acrobatic scene in Boston getting kind of fraught. I think the acrotastic training last month really opened my eyes to how many people at my level have regular, dedicated partnerships; I experienced a lot of loneliness. Then I came back home and tried to set up a trio practice with two people I'm quite well matched with, and the response was very weirdly hot and cold. Basically "maybe, if more bases show up, but there's already another flier coming and I'm not willing to share my base three ways." The sender felt bad, I felt bad (partly at being misunderstood, partly at the ninth-grade "only wanted under some circumstances" vibe). I started getting a really horrible feeling that everyone had sort of coupled off in an exclusive way, and that I had missed all the signals saying this was happening, and I was therefore doomed to be alone forever due to stupid social idiocy of a kind that felt classic even to 13-year-old me. Not a good feeling. Mercifully, nobody in question is actually going through puberty right now -- so she and I ended up having lunch together and talking about things, and I now understand where she's coming from: some events being dedicated practice time with specific people, other events being open jams, and those two things being different. I'm actually down with that, and I had been proposing dedicated trio work rather than "time for me to leap on the base no matter what it does to other people's practice", which in person I was finally able to make clear.
(Then there's class, which we both have to find ways to put up with / enjoy now that it's SO freaking basic in comparison to where we are. I had another wake-up call with that a couple of weeks ago, when I worked with someone briefly -- she wasn't very good, and I thought it was her first time until soong told me she'd been coming for a couple of months. Eek! Have I lost my focus on contributing to the community? Obviously so... I've been getting too in-groupy. I don't want to be that way. I used to be so good about working with new people all the time.)
I also don't want to be some kind of weird cougar-lady in desperate search of a dedicated base. I don't even WANT to only work with one person. I'd rather have several acrobatic relationships that all last a long time. So, the good news is that I do have options. It's not like everyone in Boston coupled off without telling me about it (it only felt that way, for a few days there). My once-favorite base, who I think I'll call SteRo, has decided recently that the acro culture is annoying but she doesn't want to let that cut her off from practicing, and she just moved rather close to my new place. I can team back up with her easily, and I also want to line up practices with the another unattached base. That leaves only a regular flier. I can wait. I can rededicate. I can make this a good part of my life again. It's just going to take more effort than it used to when everything was done in big groups, and when every week automatically brought something new.
A couple of days ago when I was thinking about quitting partner acro due to all the above, I was also getting re-pissed-off at myself for my lack of focus on solo handbalancing and related things. I must be in the middle of one of those "go crazy and try everything" phases, as I've ALSO been learning how to use kettlebells from a personal trainer and I've ALSO signed up for a short obstacle course race in June just for the hell of it. Dissatisfied. Don't know what I'm working toward, pretty sure it hasn't been the right stuff lately. I'm taking a look at doing online coaching with Ido Portal.
In the midst of all this, though, I've been meaning to write a little ode to kettlebell training. I've had two sessions now; I really like it and have decided to let May be the Month of Kettlebells (and the month of not doing regular weightlifting). I think the dynamic, swingy movements are helping to loosen up the knots in my back, and at the same time they definitely make my butt and my shoulders sore. Unlike with regular weightlifting, all the moves have a rhythm... everything includes the whole body... there's a little bit of bouncing, twisting, and movement to keep me from freezing up in one position and to distract me from the 40,000 squats I'm doing in the process of swinging and tossing the little things around.
There really aren't any excuses. I'm not injured, just improperly focused and having trouble finding the right way to make progress.
I want my press handstand. This woman can do it and she has long arms and legs, so I guess I have to stop blaming mine...
And I want my yoga jumpback. This girl can do it and she has a booty, so I guess I have to stop blaming mine.
I CANNOT seem to get my personal email taken care of this weekend. All of it is hard. All of it involves either trip planning or technical discussion. (Guiltily goes and answers the one that requires technical discussion.)
My week has been tainted by the acrobatic scene in Boston getting kind of fraught. I think the acrotastic training last month really opened my eyes to how many people at my level have regular, dedicated partnerships; I experienced a lot of loneliness. Then I came back home and tried to set up a trio practice with two people I'm quite well matched with, and the response was very weirdly hot and cold. Basically "maybe, if more bases show up, but there's already another flier coming and I'm not willing to share my base three ways." The sender felt bad, I felt bad (partly at being misunderstood, partly at the ninth-grade "only wanted under some circumstances" vibe). I started getting a really horrible feeling that everyone had sort of coupled off in an exclusive way, and that I had missed all the signals saying this was happening, and I was therefore doomed to be alone forever due to stupid social idiocy of a kind that felt classic even to 13-year-old me. Not a good feeling. Mercifully, nobody in question is actually going through puberty right now -- so she and I ended up having lunch together and talking about things, and I now understand where she's coming from: some events being dedicated practice time with specific people, other events being open jams, and those two things being different. I'm actually down with that, and I had been proposing dedicated trio work rather than "time for me to leap on the base no matter what it does to other people's practice", which in person I was finally able to make clear.
(Then there's class, which we both have to find ways to put up with / enjoy now that it's SO freaking basic in comparison to where we are. I had another wake-up call with that a couple of weeks ago, when I worked with someone briefly -- she wasn't very good, and I thought it was her first time until soong told me she'd been coming for a couple of months. Eek! Have I lost my focus on contributing to the community? Obviously so... I've been getting too in-groupy. I don't want to be that way. I used to be so good about working with new people all the time.)
I also don't want to be some kind of weird cougar-lady in desperate search of a dedicated base. I don't even WANT to only work with one person. I'd rather have several acrobatic relationships that all last a long time. So, the good news is that I do have options. It's not like everyone in Boston coupled off without telling me about it (it only felt that way, for a few days there). My once-favorite base, who I think I'll call SteRo, has decided recently that the acro culture is annoying but she doesn't want to let that cut her off from practicing, and she just moved rather close to my new place. I can team back up with her easily, and I also want to line up practices with the another unattached base. That leaves only a regular flier. I can wait. I can rededicate. I can make this a good part of my life again. It's just going to take more effort than it used to when everything was done in big groups, and when every week automatically brought something new.
A couple of days ago when I was thinking about quitting partner acro due to all the above, I was also getting re-pissed-off at myself for my lack of focus on solo handbalancing and related things. I must be in the middle of one of those "go crazy and try everything" phases, as I've ALSO been learning how to use kettlebells from a personal trainer and I've ALSO signed up for a short obstacle course race in June just for the hell of it. Dissatisfied. Don't know what I'm working toward, pretty sure it hasn't been the right stuff lately. I'm taking a look at doing online coaching with Ido Portal.
In the midst of all this, though, I've been meaning to write a little ode to kettlebell training. I've had two sessions now; I really like it and have decided to let May be the Month of Kettlebells (and the month of not doing regular weightlifting). I think the dynamic, swingy movements are helping to loosen up the knots in my back, and at the same time they definitely make my butt and my shoulders sore. Unlike with regular weightlifting, all the moves have a rhythm... everything includes the whole body... there's a little bit of bouncing, twisting, and movement to keep me from freezing up in one position and to distract me from the 40,000 squats I'm doing in the process of swinging and tossing the little things around.
There really aren't any excuses. I'm not injured, just improperly focused and having trouble finding the right way to make progress.
I want my press handstand. This woman can do it and she has long arms and legs, so I guess I have to stop blaming mine...
Click to viewAnd I want my yoga jumpback. This girl can do it and she has a booty, so I guess I have to stop blaming mine.