Last night I had my first intermediate aerial class. I was a little nervous and worried I wouldn’t be able to do any of the tricks, but I kept reminding myself that I couldn’t even get on the trapeze during my first class and look how far I’ve come.

We started with floor warm-ups – Kristel is planking while I’m workin’ my hamstrings. We did a second warm-up where we sat with our backs straight against the wall, legs out in a V and then tried to lift them off the ground. Mine would only move a few inches! Of course the instructors can lift them all the way up like they’re just hanging out in boat pose.

For this trick I stood on the trapeze, flipped upside down wrapping my legs around the ropes and then slid down to the trapeze into star pose. This is why I have rope burn on my feet and calves, a bruised spine and a trapeze imprint on my lower back. I love that all my scrapes and bruises are from doing the tricks correctly, not from falling.

X-back left me with super sore toes.

I can’t remember what this one is called – it’s a double foot lock to splits and then you swing up and hook one foot and then let go with your hangs and chill. Pretty fun, but my foot lock was giving me trouble since I didn’t have to do it last session in hammock class.

The class wasn’t as difficult as I worried it might be – I had already learned X-back and splits, but by the time I got to the fabric I was out of energy. Hoping a little climbing practice on Sunday and some more sleep will give me more stamina next week.