Cook's trail: Racoon edition

I’m three for three with Sunday morning trail run adventures:
1) wasps
2) getting lost
3) today

The run started off normal enough. Matt and I went to Cook’s trail (current favorite trail because it’s long, flat and pretty. And I’d rather do my long runs on trails, than on the road. Feel like it’s better for my knees.) We get there good and early, and start to run at 7:44 a.m.

It’s not too muddy (it is a little muddy). Matt sees a deer. I don’t see it. We run to the halfway point. 4 miles. I get water. Matt runs while I get water.

We start back. My goal is 10 minute miles (this is a slow run for mileage.) We’re right on pace.

We get back to the car. I run some extra to get to eight miles. Matt stops. He’s done. My goal is nine today, so I head back for another mile. I give Matt the car keys so he can get water and snacks.

I’ve got my headphones in. I got bored around mile 6 or so. And I’m not even a 1/10th of the mile in when I hear noise. It’s digging and grunting, maybe some hissing. I look to the right and see a large raccoon.

AND this week, this story about a rabid raccoon biting a trail runner went viral. Several different people shared it on Facebook.

Not the raccoon I saw. They're not actually CUTE in person. 

So I see a large raccoon, a few feet from me and FREAK OUT.

1. I scream loudly. (I’m sure Matt can hear me.)
2. I sprint away. Pace: 6:20 mile. (which is not bad for having already run 8 miles)

I get at least a quarter mile before I decide it’s not following me (I decide I can probably out run a raccoon). I run .75 mile before I turn around to come back. I grab a stick and call Matt. (I’m hoping he hears his phone since he didn’t run with it.) He doesn’t answer.

I try to text him. Only my phone is covered in sweat. My hands are covered in sweat and there’s nothing to wipe my hands on because my clothes are covered in sweat.

So I try to call him again, only I hit facetime with my sweaty fingers. And the phone doesn’t want to facetime him, so an error message pops up. So it won’t call him.

At this point, I’m considering walking the three miles to Sandy Creek Park and have him pick me up there. I’m not walking past that murderous raccoon again. Is there another trail that goes elsewhere and I can meet him?

I tell Siri to call Matt and she actually calls the right Matt (yay!). I over emote how scared I am of this clearly rabid raccoon. He tells me he’ll walk back to where I am. I start walking, knowing that I’m quite a distance from the raccoon.

And I don’t want the raccoon to attack Matt. We don’t have time for rabies shots.

Matt calls me. Only to hang up. I try to call him back. Only to see him in the distance. He’s also carrying a stick. I think he’s amused that I’m carrying a big stick.

I was worried the raccoon got him. But he didn’t even see the raccoon.

If it ran off when I screamed, that’s a good sign (it’s not rabid.)

So I tentatively walk back, keeping my eye out for where I saw it. I don’t see another trace of it.

Matt actually calls for the raccoon—he wants to see it. I don’t! He keeps trying to tell me that raccoons are out in the daylight, and grunt and dig—this is normal.

But I barely got a glance at the raccoon (I wasn’t wearing my glasses and I glanced so quickly). It was probably two raccoons getting it on. Because of how big it was (two) and all the grunting?

So I survived. No one got rabies. I learned that I can sprint after an 8 mile run. And that raccoons scare the bejeezus out of me. It was yet another Sunday trail run adventure.

Flying Trapeze: One Handed Take Off

I am official in the intermediate trapeze level. Tonight I learned a one-handed take-off.

A few of the staffers have been asking me for weeks if I'm a one-handed take-off yet. And as of tonight I am! Wa-hoo! I am finally getting there.

To prep, I watched videos online. It looks easy. Like when you jump off the board, your second hand comes to the bar, so you're never really hanging one handed off the trapeze. (Could I hold myself with one arm? Kaz said yes, but it would hurt.)

Kaz took me aside at the beginning of the class. We used the practice bar (the kind I caught with my single reverse) and by holding on to one of the rig poles.

You stand on the board like normal. You put your right hand on the bar, like normal. But here's the difference. When you bend your knees on the "ready" command, you're also going to dip the bar down and to the right. On hep, you snap the bar up to center and kind of jump and grab the bar with your other hand at the same time. You want to catch the bar at eye level. (My interpretation. I could be really off!!!) That jump/ arm and bar swing combo will give you more momentum. (In my mind it's sort of jump a gymnastics punch into the air.)

And I was thoroughly confused by the explanation.

It looked so easy in the videos, I said. "Is it easier to do than explain?" I asked.

Then, I climbed up to the board and practiced a few times. Only I was doing a set straddle, so my hand goes in the middle of the bar, so I just pull the bar up and down—not so much right.

The first time off the board, I felt like I stalled. I thought the staffer wasn't going to let go of my belt. So I stuttered off the board. AND then my arms got all tangled up.

Because I did a set whip instead of a set straddle.

I thought I remembered the trick last week, but I didn't. (My muscles remembered something close.)

And I confused the line worker, so I just sat down on the net and laughed.

I am the queen of epic fails.

I went over to the practice bar and practiced the set straddle. Hands together, feet outside on the bar in a frog position. Ahh, that's better.

I tried the take-off the second time. And I'm bending my arms, and pulling up on the bar. Which also isn't right. (I have been practicing my pullup, so this makes sense.) I went over to the Tivo and watched this. My arms were so bent. NOT GOOD.

So now there are lots of things to remember: KEEP MY ARMS STRAIGHT. LOCK THEM OUT.

Kaz also told me to really exaggerate the motion. To swing down a lot, and explode up/out (I don't remember which, but explode).

(We had a discussion about down/forward and which direction to go, which confused me since I am completely dyslexic with directions. Seriously, I have this alien sense of direction and don't see them like other people do.)

I had one swing where I went out, and then realized my hands were supposed to be together, so I shifted my hands mid swing, so I could save my straddle. (I think they were ready to bring me down. But I can muscle it. Maybe not safe, but ha ha).

My hands weren't together, because I WASN'T LOOKING AT THE BAR ON TAKEOFF.

Not sure what I was looking at. I was probably worrying about straight arms, so I didn't think to look at the bars (SO MUCH TO REMEMBER)

Other corrections for the night:

1) It's a set straddle not a set split. So toes down more and not out. (What's the point of having a killer middle split then?)
2) Don't kick up my feet when I let go for my catch. (I swear they told me last week to explode more and kick my feet, but apparently I remembered it wrong. Haha.)
3) Don't look for the catcher (with you hands). It makes their job harder when you're both searching for each other. Just present and let them find you. I got this correction twice. I know not to do it. But on some primal level, my brain thinks I must.

I got both my catches for the night (same as last week). I'm not piking as much on the catches (still a baby amount directly after) but it's getting better. My sits are getting better after the catch releases.

Next week: LEARNING MY SWING!!!

I will really feel like I made it when I learn my swing. Wa-hoo!

Adventure in flying trapeze: Single reverse and the blooper reel

Last night I took class with one of my friends and we both worked on single reverse. This is the trick:

1) When you get clipped in the lines, stand backwards
2) Turn around and face the catch trap. For take off is right hand under grip, left of center, and left hand right of center
3) You jump off and right yourself as soon as possible. (Untwist your hands and turn towards the board)

Untwisting my hands for single reverse. When did I get lats?

4) The teacher will call for you to change your grip and put your right hand in an over-grip

Flying. #lululemon Top Speed Crops. 

5) Next it's swinging forward, backward, forward in big kicks
6) Legs up, hook your knee. One leg straight up, the other the bar is in your knee pit.
Not like the split catch because the bar is under your knee (closer than in split catch)

Me being upside down. Legs up with knee hooked.

7) Reach and look towards the catch trap.

We practiced getting out of it—backflips and straightening your body. I never quite got the straighten your body. But it's not needed for the catch.

When it was time for catching—My friend Martha caught it. Both times. Yay her.

My first time, I didn't kick big enough and they never called for legs up. I watched the video and it was indeed a small kick but I'm strong enough that I think I could have made it without the kicks.  So I never got to try it. They called for me to backflip out.

I told Kaz I didn't kick big because I was afraid of kicking the board.

My second and final attempt at catch, I kicked much bigger. And kicked the board. Yay me!

I bruised the bottoms of my feet and that was it for the night.

So no catch for me, which honestly bummed me out. I'm trying to stay positive
1) It's almost a funny video. And I didn't really hurt myself. I was lucky I didn't hit my shins.
2) And really I wanted another turn because I know I've got that trick.  So I'm mad at myself for not getting it.

I guess I need to go back as soon as I can. So I don't forget. Hmm. Thinking about going again Friday Not sure I can afford it.


Notes to myself for next time
1) Keep your feet together
2) Kick big
3) If you're going to hit the board, swing up so you're over the board.
4) Hook your knee—the very back of it should be against the bar
5) Don't be too hard on yourself. It's not an easy trick.

2014 Fitness year in review

1. I finished physical therapy for my ankle. Didn't resprain it. Ankle (knock on wood) is as good as new now. I wear high heels less now though.

2. Got into indoor rock climbing. Went several times. (Tried Active Climbing in Athens, Adreanaline climbing in Suwannee and Stone Summit in Atlanta)

3. Started taking adult tumbling classes in the summer. It's my favorite class of the week and what I look forward to most. (Worked on bridge kick over, flips, hand stands and more)

4. Learned to climb a rope.

5. Tried a yoga class (I am too ADD for yoga)

6. Tried an acro yoga class. Pretty fun.

7. Tweaked my knee this summer. Apparently my hip flexors needed strengthening or something.

8. Took a trapeze class. Wasn't very good at it.

9. Took a flexibility class and a few handstand class as a new acro yoga studio.

10. Got my front flip.

11. Got a front bounder.

12. Got my right split.

13. Tried classes at the Exhale spa in Atlanta when I was there in Decemeber

14. Aerofit closed in December. I took up Pure Barre.

15. Got my center split at my second Pure Barre class.

Classes taken over the year: Aerofit cardio, tumbling and TRX; Pure Barre, yoga, acro yoga, Canopy beginners trapeze, Exhale Barre, Exhale Fusion, Revolution spin class.

I'd say it was a pretty healthy year. I only took one sick day. It was an asthma day and I just needed to sleep. My size and weight stayed the same, despite my two-hour a day workouts. My story is that I put on a lot of muscle.

Part-time Lululemon model

I feel slightly like a Lululemon shoulder model in this picture. :) 

Today I discovered Lulelemon. They had a free pure barre class at their studio so I decided to go and the result is this picture and some sore glutes.

Lululemon has been on my radar for awhile—$100 yoga pants that are see-through. That whole scandal alerted me to the fact that yoga pants could cost $100. (I thought Victoria's Secret $50 pants were expensive.) But I was curious why people would pay that much and what the big deal was. Was there something more than the lemming effect that led college students in my day to wear Chacos (so comfy) and North Face jackets?

Lululemon opened up a showroom in my town and I drive past it all the time. I liked them on Facebook and they offer free classes all of the time (yoga, cycling, juicing classes), but this week I decided I was going to go to the Pure Barre class (because I can't really afford the class, but would love to go. And I think I'm taking some barre classes later this week in Atlanta.) I convinced a gym friend to go with me (I did ask several people) and we went out there. (She said she only hates me a little bit now).

1) If you do a class a Lululemon, bring your yoga mat. I forgot mine, but they have a few you can borrow. Their mat felt great under my feet. I was a fan.

2) The Pure Barre class was crazy intense. I forgot how bad at it I am. It's nonstop directions. Tuck and pulse and then once you've figured it out, you're on to the next movement. I think I'd get better at it if I took more classes, but their normal rate is $195 a month. Ouch! I do think it's something I should work on, so I'm holding out hope for a groupon or sale, but given how many of their classes are full, I'm not sure that's going to happen.

I survived the class (with only three corrections from the owner :) And then I decided to look around. The clothes are so stinking cute. They had a cute long sleeve purple top ($68) that I was eyeing. I wanted to try a headband ($12) because I bet theirs would stay on. I ended up getting a sports bra, because I really wanted a strappy one. I also got a $59 sweater. It was on sale (and their sale is final sale). It was a really nicely made wool sweater with thumb holes and kangaroo pockets. I think it would cost that much anywhere else. I plan to wear it to my conference this coming week. So I guess they got their money's worth out of their free class—a lot of people bought stuff.

And while I didn't buy any $100 see-through yoga pants, I am a fan. Their stuff is cute and made well. Now, I just have to wait for a sale. (Do those ever happen?)

PS) When class was over, the retired university gymnastics coach (a local celebrity) came in and shopped a bit. Since I blogged about gymnastics recently (and she was at the sneak peek) I thought that was a nice tie-in.