A different kind of training

Sure, as a climber you get a lot of hand-foot coordination. And balance, and core control, and resolution, determination, and commitment (some of us a bit less on the last one - oh my god what am i going to do in Fontainebleau?!?!) And of course, if you are a member of a team or willing to improve yourself, you are all too familiar with training, doing infinite amounts of pull-ups and so on. And of course, if you really want to improve and do harder routes, you are left to intensely contemplating for what seems like eternity how to grip a handhold in a particular way, how to shift your (stately) butt on a tile etc. And all of these will help me in this particular situation.

At first, Marian and I decided to dance the tango for our wedding. But then when I couldn't find a short dress, we decided against it because there's nothing like a big white whale gliding on the dance floor. Good thing we did because even trying to learn the waltz is proving a different kind of training. Oh don't get me wrong, we are very very good on hand-foot coordination. And on tempo, and at least one of us remembers what we have to do (we found a video on the web and we are copying that). Endurance we have since we're also runners.

The problem is grace. I for sure will not be the most graceful bride what with the defined back muscles (THANK YOU JENSEN!!) and the gung ho - "we can move any mountain!! ROAR!!!" - attitude. And Marian has a tendency to bend his knees and stay on his heels (a direct consequence of the national dances he's so good at) that he's miles away from tall, stiff, austrians dancing the waltz.

And so, we train ...