I really didn’t feel like going to ballet class tonight. I know, I know, that’s blasphemy but it’s the truth. My day was _____, please feel free to help me out with an appropriate obscenity of your choice. I don’t normally use curse words but off the top of my head I can think of several that apply. 5:45pm rolled around and I was exhausted, headachey, grouchy, and overall not in the mood to try to wiggle my little self into tights and a leotard, jump into bumper to bumper traffic, sit there making faces of exasperation for a hour, circle a couple of blocks of Melrose looking for parking, just to get foot cramps trying to do steps that I can’t do with turnout that I don’t have and pretend to be all ballerina-ey when I’m really more fruit bat than swan. What I really wanted to do was put on warm flannel pajamas, turn on the fireplace, and curl up with a good book and a bowl of cereal.

Instead, I donned the pink tights. And listened to my teacher’s ballet music all the way to West LA.

I love ballet. I love ballet class. I was not in love with the idea of going to ballet class tonight. I was not in love with a leotard that makes me feel fat. I was not in love with traffic from the bowels of Hades. I was not in love with foot cramps. I was not in love with the fact that I ran out of G2 Gatoraide. I was not in love with you and I was not in love with me. I was still in love with ballet. I am still in love with ballet class. When the music starts, I feel the cold of the barre in my hand, the seams of the floor under my dirty, pink flatties, and I am home inside myself. When I reach up into releve and feel my breath slow as I stick my balance pulling into high passe, time slows down and I begin to feel ballet instead of trying to make my body do something that my brain doesn’t think that I can do. When my awesome ballet teacher asks who wants to practice turns, my hand sails upwards without a second thought. From literally out of thin air, I am spotting my way out of turns and not making myself dizzy. I feel sweat run down the back of my neck, my legs begin to tingle sore as I drop down to the floor with my bag, sweater, and Chucks.

Class is over. 90 minutes just for love.

~X O X O

I have tweeted many a tip on what NOT to eat before class… I’m going to be assembling a list for my own edification and amusement but for now here are just a few off the top of my head…

a bag of Lays potato chips & a diet Coke

a double espresso & a diet Coke chaser

an enormous burrito & a diet Coke

a packet of mini chocolate donuts & a diet Coke

altoids (mostly for the benefit of my teacher & classmates)

or this morning’s breakfast special –  a coffee, a diet Coke & 2 Midol

I have tried a few different things and realized that usually eating something before ballet class is better than eating nothing before ballet class, although not always the case, particularly when large Mexican dishes are involved.

I did an experiment using myself as test subject over the course of a couple of weeks with regard to hydration and discovered that low calorie Gatoraide does actually serve me better than water, 1/2 water 1/2 coconut water, or smartwater… and definitely better than coffee or diet Coke. For better or worse, low calorie G2 sort of tastes like liquid jello but definitely packs more of a punch than plain water. Particularly when I haven’t really eaten much.

I have now tried the Gatoraide G01 Prime pre-workout fuel. It isn’t a bar, they are little bite sized pieces of wafer & fruit type cookie. They really aren’t that tasty, the first one is okay, by the second one, you don’t really want to eat a third one. But they do work. And I’ve also tried Powerbar Performance Energy bars in Peanut Butter. Half a bar before class is pretty good. Not the greatest taste, dry but effective. I refuse to even taste anything that smells like crushed vitamins through the packaging. No.

I’m going to admit that I don’t actual think this is the best way to go. It’s probably much healthier to eat a good and health conscious meal a couple of hours before class but let’s be real, my people, that is usually SO NOT going to happen. I won’t toss fruit into my dance bag because it makes my bag smelly and it’s hard to eat while driving, which is a pet peeve of mine. I hate that.

Some things that have had a modicum of success: in the fridge – individual cartons of yogurt, Baby Belle cheese, hard boiled eggs, and cherry tomatoes. In the cabinet – peanut butter and almond butter and just a spoon.

In a 60 minute class, I don’t really feel the difference if I haven’t eaten. But for a regular 90 minute class, I absolutely feel it. It makes a difference if I’ve eaten and hydrated properly and since I want to be able to make the best use of my time in class, I want to go to class prepared to work.

I’m really interested to hear about what you guys do? Do you eat beforehand, if so, what do you eat? Do you hydrate a lot before class or during class? What’s the best thing you’ve found to eat/drink for class and just for giggles what’s been the worst?