Storytime! Three years ago, I was in Lignano, Italy competing in the German Wheel World Championships. It was glorious! I was in ITALY, eating ALL the pasta, and competing against the best wheelers in the world. Now, let me go ahead and let the cat out of the bag: I was zero competition for anyone. I did all super easy moves (Level A & B), and placed, like, one billionth in competition. BUT. I was deliriously happy! I had spent the better part of a year training (and training and training), arranging and rearranging my piece, and trying to prepare for every possibility. And you know what?

It worked.

The gym in Lignano in June was like the 9th circle of hell. There was no AC – hell, there weren’t even fans! It was so hot that the rubber coating on the wheels began to soften and stick to the floor, slowing eeeeeeeverything down. I was so nervous I thought I would pee my pants (… of course, it may have also been because I had two pairs of Spanx on, and hell if I was going to go pee after I’d managed to get into them). Anyhoo, between sticky wheels, an unfamiliar space, and nerves, I was quite literally a hot mess.

Well, I did a great job (for me)! All that preparation took over, my body went on autopilot, and I had a moment to actually savor the performance. My routine went as well as it ever had, and, even if it hadn’t, I would have been proud of myself anyway – I knew I’d done the work.

Are You Doing the Work?

You can’t cram for performance. I mean, you can try. And maybe you’ll look ok! But you could have been better.

There is no substitute for time and training. There just isn’t.

It’s a lot like a bank account, right? You can only get out what you put in. Working with bent legs & sicled feet in class? Please believe me when I tell you that you’re not suddenly going to manifest ballerina lines in performance! In fact, the minute we get in front of an audience, we tend to go backwards a bit. Old habits rear their ugly heads, and BOOM! That weird hand thing you thought was under control? Not so much. This is when we have to rely on the work we’ve done. Not enough work? It’ll show.

Always be Prepared!

• Train regularly. Get to class, get to open workout. Train. Train. Train.
• Video as much as you can! It’s harder to lie to yourself when evidence of your bent knees is staring you in the face.
• Show or competition coming up? Don’t procrastinate – get to work right away!
• Choose your choreography wisely. A good estimation of your own abilities is so important! Be willing to swap out moves that aren’t working in the weeks leading up to a competition or show, or tart things up a bit depending on how it’s going.
• Mental rehearsals count too! Run it in your head on the way to the train, while you’re shopping, while you’re downing that pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
• When you can do it in your sleep, you’re ready.

Do the work! Do the work. Let it be hard, let yourself HATE that music you’ve had to listen to 10,000 times this week, let yourself be pissed that you’re still not getting the little things. Let yourself cry in frustration, and let yourself celebrate every tiny victory. Hold yourself to a higher standard, because you’re a grown-up, and it’s unlikely anyone else will. Do the work, and then let the work carry you. Have so much fun. Love and pull-ups, Laura