Nudity is Only Skin-Deep

Though past years have turned me more in the direction of athletics, I am still dancing. I've just been doing a lot more study and teaching than I have performances. Today, I received the most excellent news that I'm the recipient of a scholarship to continue my butoh training from September through to April. I'll be studying with Denise Fujiwara again. I hope to be able to put elements of these studies into performance, but venues for such stuff is pretty scarce, and paid venues even more scarce.

I started doing pole dance again as of about a year ago, and am currently in the advanced/masters-level class over at Aradia Fitness, where I also teach belly dance on Tuesday nights. If you would like to try out my class, sign up here ($15 + HST/class, Tuesdays from 6-7).

Tomorrow, I'll be taking a classic burlesque workshop with Sassy Ray. I miss doing burlesque, and hope to be performing at it again within the year.

Later this week, I'll be doing choreography and gymnastics workshops with Natalia Skomorowski.

Next month, I once again take up aerial silks with Stan Sokolenko over at In.Motion School of Performing Arts.

In between all that, I keep my strength and endurance up through regular training at CrossFit Kitchener.

I guess you could say I'm busy.

Try this link if the video doesn't load....

The illness. It is OVER.

Thank goodness.

I still have a niggling cough, but it is an annoyance only, and doesn't seem to be impacting me negatively for kicking my own ass. And I have been kicking my own ass. Literally. It's a warm-up drill for running. I've been doing a lot more running, too. And guess what? I think I officially no longer suck at running. I am mediocre, at worst. Woohoo! On Monday, I ran between 9-12 km, which is double my previous distance. On Wednesday, I ran 100m dash intervals, and most of them were under 20 seconds. No one's going to accuse me of blood-doping at these speeds, but I'm pretty darned proud of myself.

I continue with my 100-day push-up challenge, and with my wing chun and aerial silks training on top of my usual CrossFit regime. I feel stronger and fitter than ever. Even fitter than when I was doing kung fu regularly, and that was pretty darned fit.

I'm entered in not one, but two athletic events in July: Warrior Dash and the Underground Series Wasaga Beach Seal Camp. The first one is basically a big, active party on the go. The second one looks a lot harder. I'm competing in the masters division, and am pretty darned nervous about the whole thing. Aaaah! I hope I don't die.

July also marks my first experiment with the Whole 30 challenge.

What am I capable of? I don't know, but I want to find out. This morning's workout was vicious:

1. 400m run
   
2. 30 * 65lb deadlifts
   
3. 400m run
   
4. 30 * 65lb power clean
   
5. 400m run
   
6. 30 * 65lb split jerk
   
7. 400m run

I didn't die, but it was close. I haven't sweat that hard in a while. I swear I was foaming like a workhorse. My clothes were soaked through. And although I came in dead last, I had a cheering squad keeping me going. Afterwards, I had a few people come up to me and tell me it was amazing. I'm not sure what made it so amazing to watch. Maybe they were taking bets I'd drop dead before finishing. Heheheh.... In any case, thanks, guys! You made me feel like a gold medalist or something. That bike ride home was MUCH harder than usual.

This weekend is allocated for some hardcore resting. I'm going to sit on my arse SO HARD it'll be like an Olympic event. Oh yes. I've earned it, and my muscles will thank me for it. In fact, I've gotten a head start and am already sitting on my arse.