july 22, 2011- DAY ONE

NOTE: i know this first entry is very very long because i was listing my goals and such. but they won't all be like this :) bear with me!


today, i am officially starting a flexibility journal. this journal is going to be a record of my flexibility progress, every day, starting today. as of this moment, i cannot even touch my toes when i'm sitting on the ground with my legs straight in front of me, or when i'm standing and reaching with locked knees. however, my overall goal is to get at least one of my side splits (right or left) by december 1, 2011. in between now and getting SPLITS (YAY!), i have some smaller short-term goals. these goals are:

• on july 29, 2011, one week from today, i will be able to reach and touch my toes, when standing, and hold for at least 10 seconds.

• on august 12, 2011, three weeks from today, i will be able to reach and touch my toes, when sitting, and hold for at least 10 seconds.

• on august 22, 2011, one month from today, i will be within 12 inches of my splits.

• on september 22, 2011, two months from today, i will be no further than 9 inches from my splits.

• on october 22, 2011, three months from today, i will be 6 inches or closer to achieving my splits.

• on november 11, 2011, my 18th birthday, i will be able to touch my nose to my knees when touching my toes. :)

• on december 1, 2011,  i will have at least one of my splits.

i set these goals for several reasons. the two most important of these reasons are: i am a figure skater, and i desperately want the wide range of flexibility that will allow me to perform beautiful spirals, perfect split jumps, and eventually, that ever elusive biellmann position. other reasons include my decision to take a gymnastics class next year in school, as well as a simple desire for the freedom of motion that flexibility will allow me. after today, i will write in this journal immediately after my final stretching session of the day, and record my progress, as well as any other notes i may have on stretching! :) 


so, to get started: today was my first real day of stretching and i've already made a breakthrough! i touched my toes! granted, it was only with my very fingertips and it hurt like hell, but i DID hold it once for ten seconds and i wasn't expecting that for another two weeks! yesterday i didn't really get to stretch because it got suuuper late, so i only got about 15 minutes of stretching done and didn't make much progress. today, i've stretched twice and i plan on getting in a 3rd, shorter session before bed :] i stretched for about an HOUR [yes you read that right!] while re-reading the half blood prince! i just did my normal stretching routine and then just sat and stretched straddle stretches while i was reading, and then after a few hours i stretched again with my sister. well i stretched while she did ab exercises [her goal for the next 5 months is to tone her tummy while mine is to get my splits lol]. and during the second stretching session i ACTUALLY reached my toes! it was exciting! like i said, it hurt like hell and it was only with my fingertips haha. but hopefully by the end of this week it will hurt less. but either way, my first goal is definitely getting met :] as for my goal of touching my toes when sitting…. paahahahahahahahaha. that one's gonna be more difficult. i can touch each toe separately when i'm sitting in a straddle position, but when i'm sitting with my legs together just reaching straight forward… i can hold it for about half a second!! as for my splits… i feel like i'm going down SO FAR, but when i took progress photos, i'm sooo far off the ground :( i have a long way to go… but i'm committed!!! wish me luck!! PS. i'm gonna be posting progress photos, but i can't decide how often to update them. each week? month? 


if you have any ideas about how often i should post update pictures, comment and tell me :) my first ones are in the "photo" tab :)