Squat Day

Today was a 3RM front squat day.  I was a little concerned as my back still isn't feeling the best and the last time we did front squats I could barely squat the 15 kg bar.  I was also worried because I did this on Saturday:

 

 

I was putting the barbell away and accidentally knocked the one above which made it fall down.  I then tried to cushion its fall with my arm which may have been fine but the falling bar drove my watch into my wrist.  It actually looks a lot worse than it is and I need not have been concerned about my front squats this morning as it held up quite well.

I think our warm up this morning prepared me well for our front squats: we had to do a partner run and air squats and broad jumps then a finisher of a 2 min squat test.  I think holding the bottom of the squat for that length of time stretched everything out nicely.

I was happy with how my squats went today.  I didn't go heavy, my 3 RM was only 45 kg but I was happy with my form.  We then did an EMOM of double unders, thrusters and pull ups.  I chose 25 kg for my thrusters but my biggest issues was cleaning the weight up.  I found I needed to split the movement into a deadlift and then a hang clean.  It is so frustrating that I can't do the stuff that I want to do.

In other news, my baby started pointe this week.  I don't know who was more excited her or me.  Both the girls did so well.  She's a little sore today but more calves than feet, I don't think it will take long for her to get stronger in this position.

Today's Fun

Today's workout was something a bit different.  We started off with Russian Twists with a barbell.

And then moved onto power cleans and finished with sledgehammer hit.

Using a sledgehammer is not something I'm used to so it was a bit of a challenge getting the hands in the right place but once I got the rhythm I had lots of fun with it.  I can't say I was particularly powerful but there was something therapeutic whacking a tyre with a sledgehammer over and over again.

While I'm here, I thought I would share some pics from my girl's recent Dance Festival.

Moo Contemporary



Moo Jazz

Missy T Demi Character (Sea Nymph)

Missy T Tap

Week 3 Ranking

As it stands at 10:30 Monday morning:

Individual Women (worldwide): 34728th
Individual Women (Australia): 2890th
40 - 45 Women (worldwide): 3585th
40 - 45 Women (Australia): 282nd

As usual, this will change over a little over the course of the day as more scores get validated.  To be honest, I was a little surprised that my ranking had improved considering my pretty pitiful score from last week but maybe a lot of people have left it to last minute to get their scores in.  Again, the leaderboard is just a bit of fun and I'm stoked just to have been able to post scores each week, I hope I can continue to do so to the end.

It was yet another busy weekend in our household with the girls competing in our local dance festival.  Both girls had 2 dances each with Moo dancing in contemporary and jazz and Missy T in tap and demi character.  I find it so hard to keep my emotions in check when I see them up on stage dancing, I am so darn proud of both of them!  Moo came away with 2 highly commended awards and Missy T got a highly commended for her tap and a third for her demi.  It was a huge day and both girls (and Mum) were plumb tuckered out by the end of it all.

Busy Bee

Before the tap exam

It has been yet another busy few weeks in our household (mind you, who isn't busy these days?)  The girls have been preparing for their tap and jazz exams which means extra lessons the last few weekends.  I think both girls did well although Moo had a couple of mental blocks in both jazz and tap and had to do her dances a couple of times before she got it down pat.  At least the examiner gives them a chance to get it right and I'm proud of the fact that she persisted and completed the exam.  A couple of years ago she was really struggling with exams and we thought it would be best if she gave exams a miss last year.  She chose to give them another try and, while she had a couple of blackouts her exam experience has been a lot more relaxed this year which I have put down to having a teacher that puts the fun and love back into dance.

Missy T is a totally different kettle of fish.  She tolerates ballet but adores jazz and tap and, particularly in tap, picks up the moves easily.  She is such a confident little thing and takes exams in her stride and the only sign of pressure was when she couldn't find her 3/4 tights and had a mini-meltdown.  Last year she was bordering on being arrogant and did very little practice and her results reflected it so this year she has put in a lot of time into her exam prep but at the same time it hasn't been a chore for her as she simply loves dancing.  I hope she gets the results she's after but, to be honest, I am happy if they both just pass.

Celebrating with an ice cream

Dance Festival Day 2

Moo's Contemporary Solo

Moo competed today and as expected she didn't get into the top 3 but was awarded a Highly Commended.  She got some great feedback from the adjudicator.  I forgot to pin her skirt onto her leotard and even though it has never slipped down in all her practice sessions it chose today to slide down a smidge (enough to be noticeable) so she was deducted points for that.  My bad! Otherwise she did really well.  She was a lot happier today which I think is due to getting a ribbon.  It seemed like a great feel backstage as I could see all the girls from all the different schools chatting away in the wings.  So that's that done for another year; now onto her cricket breakup ... does it ever end!

Dance Festival Weekend

It's that time for our annual Dance Festival.  It is like an Eisteddfod but is for the local kids and is therefore a lot smaller (and a little 'nicer').  The girls are dancing in 2 dances each this year.  Missy T was first up with her demi character dance, 'On a Picnic'.  She did a Steven Bradbury and with a withdrawl from the other competitor took out first place.  She was in the 9 and 10 year old group for her tap and, by the looks of it, was the youngest competitor.  She earned herself a Highly Commended.

Missy T Demi Character

Missy T Tap

Moo performed her jazz today.  She was one of 9 competitors with a few that were quite high standard.  Unfortunately today she didn't come home with a ribbon but she danced the best I have ever seen her dance and got some good comments from the adjudicator.  She was pretty disappointed she didn't place and when I went backstage to get her she burst into tears.  Me, being the big sook I am, started to get teary as well but not because I was disappointed but because I was so proud of her performance (plus I hate seeing my baby sad).  She put in a lot of work in the lead up to this and it showed because she nailed the dance.  Tomorrow is contemporary which is a beautiful piece to the song from Pocahontas.  She's up against the same girls she danced against today so I seriously doubt she will place again but she is a winner in my eyes.

Moo Jazz

Done For Another Year

Missy T - Tap

Moo - Jazz.  She is wearing my shirt and leggings for this one - how sad is that?

Moo as a secret agent ... she had sunnies and a hat too

Missy T as a flower

Missy T - Disco

Moo - she helped the littlies (3 yo) on stage for this one

We survived!  And as per every year we will be back next year even though we spend the week wondering why the hell we do it!

Horror Week

Next week will be my yearly Horror Week.  Yep, it's Dance Concert time!  The beauty this year is that the girls are that year older and are more involved in the concert which means longer lessons so I can still get to the gym on my normal days.  YAY!  It is a pretty crazy week but apart from having to paint some shoes I think their teacher is on the ball this year so I shouldn't have to fix costumes etc the night before which is the norm every other year.  Thank goodness for organisation.  It is all worth it when I see them on stage though :o)

The Other Side

It seems as though I've gotten out of the hole I was in, thank goodness!  We went away to the beach on the weekend and had some much needed R and R.  I took along my Gymstick and got a shoulder workout in which I was pretty happy with.  Food was pretty clean .... shame about the drinkies!  I have managed to drop 500g this week but I think that was largely due to being violently ill with a 'bug' on Friday night.

I had my worst workout in awhile on Monday as I was still suffering from Friday night but the rest of this week has been awesome.  Gotta be happy with that.

Thought I would throw some photos of my 2 favourite little people from dancing and cricket.

Missy T's self portrait

She looks cute but ....

Sisters

Looks Just Like Her Dad

My Cricketer

Jazz Hands!

Moo is currently learning a jazz solo for a Dance Festival to be held next month. One of the moves she has struggled with is the shimmy. This is where I channel the above Literal Version of Pat Benetar's Love is a Battlefield and when we left class I told her to 'booby shake, booby shake.' Of course, she just rolls her eyes and tells me that it is dangerous to dance in the middle of a road. That girl is just no fun at all!

Done For Another Year

I'm kind of glad my scales are on the blink as I am a little afraid to weigh myself after the weekend I just had ... but it was fun. On Saturday, I went to an afternoon tea as a fundraiser for a local kindy. It was nice to get all dressed up and have a day with some girlfriends.

Sunday was the concert which, of course, was lovely. They are so beautiful on stage and their faces show so much joy when performing. Missy T got an award for the highest theory mark for the school which I thought was pretty impressive. So that's dancing done for another year. I'm going to have to think of ways to keep the girls active over the holidays - particularly Moo as she needs to be pushed to exercise and also has a tendency to gain weight quite easily. I'm sure we can visit the park heaps and Mal might take them down to the nets for some cricket practice. Here are some pics from the weekend but please excuse the hair, the photos were taken prior to hair and makeup.

Horror Week

I just got the timetable for our horror week, yep, it's concert time again. The girls have rehearsals on most afternoons next week - the only free day is the day they have cricket - and I know by the end of the week we will all be exhausted. As much as I bitch and moan about concert, it is all worth it when I see the girls on stage. On a sidenote, Moo got her results from her tap exam which we all thought she had failed as she forgot her foxtrot - she got a Highly Commended ... you go, Girl!

The Sugar Biarch had a win last night. Maybe PMT week is not the best week to start a 'challenge' - in saying that I didn't overdo it, just a couple of bits of chocolate.

Blah!

It was bound to happen. Both Missy T and Moo have had a tummy bug recently and the lovely little dears have passed it onto me. Nice of them to share with their Mummy! Don't they realise I don't have time to be sick? On the plus side, I lost another 100 g since the weekend making my weight at 48.1 kg this morning. Maybe not the best way to lose weight though ;o)

The girls had their ballet exams yesterday and Mal had to take the day off work for which I am eternally grateful. Both girls were very happy with how they performed which was a total relief. I get so frustrated with their ballet teacher as she has this habit of getting Moo (Missy T has fun no matter what she does) into such a state prior to their exams. I don't get why a teacher would tell a kid that that the examiner is really strict and she is going to fail, it seems to go against the reason you put your kids into sport; to build self-esteem and confidence. I think it's time to try another sport or maybe go to another school. It's a shame as she loves to dance.

Proud Mummy Moment #1,234,612

Every concert I say the same thing. I winge and bitch about costumes and extra rehearsals, having to deal with the meltdowns of not being able to remember the dances at rehearsals and when the big day arrives and I see the girls on stage dancing up a storm I forget all the crappy bits. The girls danced so well and I can see such a massive improvement even since concert which was only in November. Moo had to dance her solo against girls that were in the next grade up and she earned herself a couple of highly commended ribbons. She also got several second places in the tap, jazz, contemporary and character group dances and first in their National dance. Missy T got first place in her solo and group Demi Character/Character. Their cat and mice dance was soooooo good, we were gobsmacked at how well they all danced and got into their characters. She got third in her tap solo and group and jazz group and second in National. She then got an Encouragement Trophy for junior tap, she looked pleased as punch with herself. Here are a couple of photos.

Concert Week

I survived our yearly horror week which is the week that leads up to the girls concert. Daily rehearsals, some going to 7:30 to 8 pm, meant that any idea of normal routine went out the window. But we got through the week with minimal damage and I even managed a couple of runs plus a balance class. Of course the concert went well, the girls did a fantastic job and I was tremendously proud of them both. Moo has improved so much over the last year and she got up on that stage and looked so confident, considering she had a couple of meltdowns in the weeks leading up to the concert I was especially proud of her for not giving up and more importantly enjoying the day. Both girls were awarded with certificates, Moo got highest ballet mark as well as highest theory for her class and Missy T got highest tap as well as highest theory - that was my proud Mum moment.

The girls in their jazz costumes

Anyway now that that's out the way it time to get back into routine - well as much as I can at this time of year :o)

Sunday Stuff

Whew, what a weekend. I reminded Mal yesterday how a year ago I was up on the stage at the comp. This year we were sitting watching our girls on stage. Yesterday we had the girls dance festival and what a huge day it was. The morning started at 9 am and finished around 8 pm but it was fantastic to see them up them up there. Moo had 5 dances in total, 4 group dances and 1 solo. I was incredibly proud when she came 3rd in her solo as she was dancing against more experienced girls but to be honest I am equally as proud of the effort of getting up on stage. Missy T also came 3rd in her solo and she looked absolutely gorgeous as Little Bo Peep. It was so cute as she was as excited for her friends coming 2nd and 1st as she was getting the ribbon for 3rd.

Friday I got some biopsies done on a few suspect moles. Nothing too drastic with only one stitch in each site but the nurse has suggested taking it easy in case the sutures break. I will still be able to do cardio and leg work as the biopsies were done on my face, shoulder and back. Mind you I haven't had much time this weekend for any thought of exercise, I think we have spent a total of 5 minutes at home all weekend. Food has been okay, I could have been better but I know it also could have been a lot worse.

Exhausted

We made it through the week. This is our third ballet concert and I have to say it hasn't gotten any easier. This year I won't be backstage to help out as I don't have a 'blue card' and while I can't wait to see the girls on stage this year part of me is worrying about costume changes. Moo is in 5 dances this year and Missy T is in 2. I wasn't at dress rehearsal yesterday (again - I couldn't go into the dressing rooms without a card) but one of the mum's commented afterwards about Moo doing so well with all her costume changes which was comforting. I was reminded how responsible she is - I am such a proud Mummy! I hope she does okay today as there will only be one helper backstage today (God I pity that woman!) The only other thing I had to do was have a chat to her about a little girl that is bullying her. Moo will 'turn the other cheek' which is great but I've noticed this little bitch continues to treat Moo like crap. Moo was horrified when I told her the next time this girl is nasty to turn around and tell her to 'rack off'. I think there comes a time when the bullying continues that a person should stand up for themselves. I'm not talking physically but verbally. I'm sure she'll be okay - I might just be the mummy tigress looking out for her cub.

Its All Good

This week is absolutely crazy. It always is at this time of year as the girls have their ballet concert this weekend so they have rehearsals every afternoon from 3:45 - 6 pm. Missy T is already getting quite 'emotional' and its only Tuesday. I know its all worth it in the end when the girls get up on stage on Saturday. Needless to say I won't be able to get to the gym this week at all but I'm still weight training at home and walking the dog most mornings so its all good.

Headspace has been pretty good this week. I'm really liking where I'm at atm. For the first time I look in the mirror and like what I see. I know that if I were to compete again I would need to gain some serious size but I'm feeling great about where I'm at right now.

On that positive note, I'm off to bed!

Feeling Better

I'm feeling much better today. I'm still not 100% but I'm not feeling like death warmed up anymore. We have a busy weekend planned. The usual Saturday rush with gym in the morning, then soccer and Moo has ballet lessons this weekend. She has her exam on Monday at 9:30 am which I'm not too happy about. Do ballet schools think that we can just stop our lives for this sport? Too bad about school and work? Moo was upset the other day as her teacher got angry at her for not getting the steps of her dance. She is doing ballet for fun! I don't think its worth it if its stressing her out so much that she is in tears. Am I being an overprotective Mum?

My Ballerinas

Moo in her bear costume
Missy T waiting to go on stage.

We had the girls concert yesterday. I helped out backstage so I didn't actually get to see any of the performance but I have ordered a DVD so I will still get to see it eventually. I had my sister, Mum and Stepdad in the audience and they said the girls did a great job. All the kids were incredibly well behaved which I found amazing since the group I was taking care of ranged from 3 - 6 years old. Its a tiring week and by last night we were all exhausted. I missed yesterday's gym session purely because of everything that was going on (as well as all the stuff I had to do) and food hasn't been wonderful but I'll get back on track next week.