Well, if you haven’t been following on my Facebook page, last week was a busy one making funny t-shirts for both Inna and Ivan.

Both, I think liked them. Me and some of the gals ambushed Inna at the start of class on Tuesday, all wearing matching shirts and giving her one. I said, “Inna, coming to class with you isn’t just coming to a class…it’s an experience. So much so that we needed to make t-shirts.” It was pretty fun but then it was time to get to work.

Inna broke down how to actually do back locks in Cha Cha. I swear, there is ALWAYS more to learn, deeper to go. The biggest takeaway I got was to use the inner part of the front foot to push off and create torque. This changed the look of the locks as well as made them less awkward but I will need to practice it a whole lot more to overcome my muscle memory and habits plus it is hard on my ankles because of my weight and because my left ankle is weaker from an old injury.

Anyways, it was a really great lesson. I think we spent the better part of the hour on just the backward locks and I loved it. I absolutely love finally getting the breakdown from a pro the technique behind movements. So many times I just do the best I can to copy what I see but miss the nuances.

Inna is pretty darn awesome and deserved a t-shirt. Hell, she deserves more than one. It was so much fun I decided to also make one for Ivan. Actually, I told him all about it, showed him a picture, and he was like, “What? Not one for me?!” Even Artem was a little sad we didn’t make him a t-shirt!

So anyways, I conspired with another of Ivan’s students about all the funny things Ivan says on lessons and we came up with his t-shirt. I made one for him, on a 100% cotton t-shirt as he requested, one for me, one for Marieta and one for the aforementioned student. I wore it to our lesson last week and Ivan went nutso. “I love it krasiva! I shouldn’t wear it! I should put in frame and hang over the bed.” But don it he did, and then he proceeded to show it off to anyone in the studio who would listen! Marieta liked her t-shirt too.

You see, Marieta showed up with Ivan’s parents in the last few minutes of my lesson. It’s always awesome to have her there to demonstrate stuff, give pointers, see where I am struggling so when we work together she can address it.

Boy oh boy did Ivan and I sweat in our new matching t-shirts on our double lesson, though. It didn’t feel all that hot but we were both dripping. But then I was off to the gym for my cardio. I’m supposed to go twice weekly for an hour: 10 minutes warm up, 30 minutes heart rate between 140 to 160, 10 minutes heart rate 160 to 180, 10 minutes cool down. I took Monday off completely last week as I realized I hadn’t had a rest day in over a week which meant to get my session in before my work out with my trainer, I had to the night before.  Which is why I am learning to love the movie room at the gym. It is nice and dark and helps me to pass the time getting absorbed in a movie I probably would never pick to watch myself. Only, I lost an earring which I am bummed about and can’t find it. I didn’t realize I’d lost it until I got home but then I remembered hearing something clunk and fall but I had no idea what it was.

So anyways, last week I was holding my end of the agreement, doing my cardio, eating my diet, and also taking dance lessons. I’m single-minded about doing this and feel the urgency. I don’t have time to casually plod along anymore. I want transformation. So I was especially annoyed, when after I had confirmed my session with my trainer earlier that day, I got a text while I was in the car on my way to the gym saying he had to cancel, about 20 minutes before our appointment (I had to be there early enough to get 10 minutes of a warm up in before the session.)

At first I was like, well, that is unexpected, what can I do? I could get a dance lesson in tonight instead of at 6:30am tomorrow morning. But Ivan was already busy. So I headed to the gym. My trainer said he’d print me out a list of exercises to do on my own. But then I saw my trainer when I walked in the gym chatting with some gal at his desk. And. I. Got. Mad.

I didn’t want to interrupt so I went and did my 10 minute warm up as pre-arranged. While I was on minute 7 or so he was up and about and I caught his eye and waved him over.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to be so upset about it. I understand life happens. But I was. Very. Because I’m not kidding around here. This isn’t casual and I didn’t want to set that precedent, like it is okay to just cancel on me, I’ll take it, it’s acceptable, because it is not. Not when I’m fighting for this with everything that I am. Not when I’m on a mission. Either he was going to work out with me that day or not but I was supposed to work out my legs so that was what I was going to do with or without him.

“Sorry,” he said as he got on the stair stepper beside me, “Because I’m an assistant manager, sometimes things like this happen.”

“How often? I mean, I understand things happen, but I just met you. You enrolled me and I believed you that we would do this.  I guarantee 9 out of 10 people wouldn’t show up if you canceled on them, especially on their third session.  I’m serious about this. ”

“So, how are you doing?”

“Well, I’m actually pretty pissed. Can you please print off that list of exercises for me and are we set for Sunday like we said?”  I just wanted to do something productive and make the best of getting to the gym even if he was unavailable.

“Yeah. Just a minute.”

“Like, I thought we were in this together,” I was thinking….”And like, I’m going to do it with or without you…but I’d rather do it with help, I said in my head.”

I was relieved when he left to get me the exercises. I was thinking, “You just don’t get it. You haven’t had to deal with a weight issue. You have no idea what it is like. Nor what it is like to be working so hard for it. Maybe other people would be okay with being cancelled on, heck, maybe I would have even been okay with it a few years ago, but not this day. It is not okay to blow me and what I am working for off so casually. And I need to stand up for me right now.”

But when he came back, he didn’t have a piece of paper. He said “Come on. Let’s go. I’m gonna get in trouble for this.”

“What? Don’t get in trouble. Just give me the list of exercises. I’ll do them.”

“Naw. I was just kidding. Come on.”

And we proceeded to do about 20 minutes of some intense cardio and leg exercises and then he gave me a few more exercises to do on my own.  And it was harder and I worked more than I would have done if I had been on my own and that is why I hired a trainer. Then I did my cardio. And then I was sore the following day.

So anyways, I had a pretty intense week, between getting in all my cardio and dancing.  But, well, then I went to visit my grandparents this past weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and niece and nephew.  I adore my niece and nephew but oh my goodness are they little germ factories.  My niece had a runny nose and though I washed my hands religiously and avoided touching my mucous membranes as much as possible, the stinker still got me sick! She’s a cute bug though: (FYI – I don’t know why but these links might not work – if they don’t, click on the YouTube icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to watch the videos on the YouTube website instead of through the blog)

All my activity came to a sudden halt after Sunday.  I was already feeling achy and wheezy but doped myself up with anti-inflammatories and pseudoephedrine to make it though my scheduled dance lessons with Ivan and Marieta as well as my work out session with my trainer.  But I missed ballet last night and canceled my workout with the trainer tonight and am sitting out of Inna’s class to recover.  Such a bummer.  I honestly can’t wait to get back into the swing of things and to feel better.

Until then, well, you asked for it.  You said you wanted more videos.  Here’s one from that sweaty lesson where Ivan and I wore his t-shirt.  First Ivan demonstrates what he wants the woman to do, then Marieta makes it look oh so hot:

Then….well, here is me…definitely NOT a pro! And demonstrating why it is I need to get my butt to the gym and stick to my diet like no kidding. My feet look good, as Ivan says, so we will just start with that.

And here is some Samba steps we are working out:

I’m a work in progress! Please be kind.