Hip Hip Hooray for Hip Hop Hustle!

I did it.  I DID IT! I taught a Hip Hop Hustle class tonight and it was fantastic! I was so scared going in to tonight but I am 100% walking on air now.

Me and 33 fellow Hustlers!

I left work early to go teach Zumba at the YMCA tonight and I pushed myself hard there to sweat out as much nervous energy as I could. 

I got to the studio, changed in to a new set of workout clothes and paced.  I was so scared I was actually sick to my stomach.  I was really scared I was going to puke right before hand. 

So many of my friends showed up to be supportive and so many new faces came to see what the Hustle was all about. 

I did a warm up that walked the class through the most used Hip Hop Hustle moves and then we moved right on in to Block 1.  They picked it up so fast that I wound up getting through all but the last 32 counts of Block 2!  They kicked so much tail that we just busted right on through. 

A personal victory? There's part of Block 1 that has a criss cross jump that killed me during training and scared me crap out of me.  I pushed through and aside from a few times where I turned around to watch the class do it, I did it over and over through the whole class.  I was really afraid that I was going to need to modify it so much more than I did.

I had an amazing time and I can only hope the class had half the fun I did.  I also burned nearly 100 calories during class! Which is AWESOME.

I'm so utterly out of my mind happy right now.  I wanted to feel like this has a chance of taking off, of being something we can get on the schedule more at the Studio and at the YMCA.  I love Chalene Johnsons formats and I want to see them succeed in our little town.

I am totally excited to teach it again next Thursday night.  We're gonna get to the end of Block 2 and maybe even do a mini video of the two blocks together the week after that. 

Gratuitous Silly Picture!

Goodbye 11. Hello 12. Hello Love.

So maybe I'm a year early for this reference.  Deal with it!

2011 year in review and 2012 wishes:

Really got in to the groove with my new job.  I started full time in July of 2010 but in 2011 I got to do some major projects, work with groups all across the bank and started to feel secure in my job.  I got to travel! I got to do major presentations! I had some major successes and only a few pitfalls.  When 2011 started I couldn't have dreamed I'd be where I am now.  I can only imagine what cool, new, exciting and scary things I'll get to do professionally in 2012!

Zumba! Wow... I got in to Zumba in the second half of 2010 and became a total addict in 2011.  I got licensed to teach Zumba in June and Zumba Toning in October.  I went from a student to an instructor.  I now teach in 3 locations.  There are people who not only like me but who actually go out of their way to come to my classes.  People look up to me, support me and look to me for support.  I can't say loudly enough how honored I am to be part of the Zumba family in Wilson.  I've gained friends in my fellow instructors and in many of my students. In 2012 I'm looking forward to expanding my classes, incorporating more Toning, and getting my Basic 2 and Zumbatomic licenses. I'm also hoping to bring the Wilson instructors together and make us a tighter knit community and working towards some more common goals. 

Everything Chalene Johnson -  Oh man.  Oh man.  I took Chalene's 30 Day Challenge to help me get organized and feel more in control.  It worked!  I also got certified to teach Hip Hop Hustle and fell in love with TurboKick and Turbo Jam.  Starting on January 2 I'm doing a 30 Day Beach Body challenge with some ladies from the Y and I'm looking forward to rocking out to Turbo Jam daily! I'm also ready to get Hip Hop Hustle on the schedule at the YMCA and the studio and to try my hand at PiYo.  I don't think I'll be ready to teach either TK or PiYo in 2012 but I'm looking towards that in 2013... maybe.

Health in general.  If it isn't obvious 2011 is the year I became a total fitness junkie. I mean, really, my birthday present to myself was a weekend of Zumba Toning and Hip Hop Hustle trainings.  I've worked hard with my doctors to get some of my underlying health issues resolved so I can get my weight in check.  2011 wasn't as successful in that realm as I wanted it to be.  I'm smaller and more compact but I didn't see the scales fall in line with that the way it should have.  I can, however, say that I feel better from head to toe.  I have more energy, I feel more balanced and I can do normal people things now without feeling like a fish out of water.  2011 is the year that I stopped relying on my anxiety medications and started really feel in control of my anxieties and fears.  I still get every cold possible and my allergies are totally out of control but I have energy and I feel stronger and more in control of my health every day. I still have some pretty serious hangups I need to address in the coming year but I'm going to do it with the love and support of those that matter most. 

Family.  2011 was not a great year for family and that's something I really want to work on in 2012.  Physically there's distance between me and my closest relatives but, more than that, there's a lot of emotional distance as well.  It's been a rough couple of years for us and, over time, we just fell apart.  I want to be more involved in my niece and nephews lives.  I want to feel involved with my sister and brothers lives.  I don't want to hear everything second hand from my mother.  I've always felt a little out of place in my family.  I'm very different from them in so many ways but they're my blood.  I want to keep them as close as possible.

Money.  Well my first full year in a real job certainly helped my financial situation but it's still been a rough road.  I've been working on budgeting and controlling my spending for the last few months and I'm finally starting to see some growth in my savings account and some progress towards paying off my student loans.  I hope to keep going in that direction.

My big goals for 2012 are as follows:

1. Lose 20% of my current body weight.  That would be about 60 pounds.  
2. Get off of at least some of my medications and supplements.
3. Get my Basic 2 and Zumbatomic licenses.
4. Get me GroupEx certification at the fall Apex event.
5. Reach my savings goals. 

I'm ready for a new year and that metaphoric blank slate. The promise of a new year just opens up so many doors.  It's just another day but it really does feel like stepping in to the future.  All the bad things that happened in 2011 still happened but, as of tomorrow, I can start putting distance between myself and them.  I can say "Oh that?  That's so 2011!"

I mean, I won't... not ever again.

Goobye 11.  Hello 12.  Hello life.