"The important thing is to keep moving..."

Hola, gatos y gatas!

I mentioned before that I had re-started working out at the gym after getting my implant. It took me a year to work up my nerve, but on Tuesday I took my first formal class - a "step class", a combination of cardio/aerobic and weight/strength training.

I used to be really surprisingly good at a similar aerobic/kickboxing class I took until I went deaf, considering that I am generally pretty unathletic. But I found back then that to my surprise I just flew through the steps, working out my repressed desire to be a dancer!!

This time, however, there were a couple of pretty significant challenges, as I expected.

Less problematic was the fact that I couldn't really follow the instructor's shouted directions over the music; that wasn't hard to get around. I just watched the people around me and followed them. (Fortunately I was born with an extremely dominant "don't give a damn what other people think" gene.)

More problematic were balance issues. While I don't have trouble with balance in my everyday life, the deafness and surgery has played havoc with my balance in more complex situations. I had to skip some bits of the workout that involved more complicated steps and kicks, settling for substituting simpler moves instead. And I can't - I discovered - stand on one leg for stretching exercises for more than a brief fraction of a second at a time.

Overall, I still got a darned good workout, but I must've looked quite a mess. The instructor ( a very sweet, solicitous, flaming fellow who had welcomed me before the class) came over afterwords and said in a kind voice, "You did very well. The important thing is to keep moving." I almost laughed out loud at this damning with faint praise. Bless him. I will be back next week, perhaps just a little better coordinated.

This weekend is Bark in the Park, an annual fundraiser for the local SPCA that I participate in annually and really enjoy. Lucky for you guys I haven't figured out how to hit you up for $ponsorship$ or donation$ over the 'net - yet - or I'd be harassing you, too...

ronnie