A Year To The Splits – One Month In!

February 2nd, 2015 - filed under: Furthermore » Inspiration

Hello, and welcome to February! I am now one entire month into my Year-To-The-Splits adventure, and I just wanted to share the pics I’ve taken so far, [almost] every day, and the progress that I seem to be making.

I know that it’s a marathon and not a sprint, but I gotta say . . . I’m feeling pretty good about this!

1 down, 11 more to go. Here’s how it’s gone so far:

Day 1. New Year’s Day. At the bottom of a canyon in Ojai, California. // Day 2 – Walking Jeremy home from Still. // Day 3 – “Girls Just Wanna Have FUN(damental Human Rights).” // Day 4 – Sprawling in Jeremy’s kitchen, about to dig into dinner.

Day 5 – A Monday. Quick selfie in the bathroom on the first day of school, because that day was suuuuuper crazy and a quick selfie was the best I could do.

Day 6 – Dropping off a vintage haul, back at Still. Less than a week and there’s already a marked change, I’d say.

Day 7 – My first day teaching! “Lab Coat Chic” and splits in the prep room. // Day 8 – Dropping Waits off at preschool. That one hurt. // Day 9 – Back at Still (where I spend a lot of time, apparently), rocking my “Feminism Is Freedom” t-shirt. // Day 10 – The day we spent at the LA Science Center!

Day 11 – Working on my splitzing while watching the boob tube with my honey.

Day 12 – My Mondays are hectic. Another bathroom selfie. // Day 13 – Taco Tuesday!!! // Day 14 – In the morning before heading out, backdropped by the beautiful bougainvillea. // Day 15 – The last bathroom selfie. The day both feet reached both walls, and I couldn’t go any wider.

Day 16 – My day off! Bumming around downtown SB on a beautiful sunnybright winter afternoon.

Day 17 – A wagon adventure to the Farmer’s Market with Waits and his little kindred spirit soul sister. Reflection selfie and splits times three!

Day 18 – Not gonna lie, I was cranky. // Day 19 – Standing in front of the giant vintage posters of the famous body builders at the Santa Monica pier. It was MLK Day, Jeremy and my first day off together since New Year’s Day, and we took Waits down to LA for food, fun, and a ride on the ferris wheel. That was a really good day. // Day 21 – An early birthday dinner at my god parent’s house. // Day 22 – A glass of Sicilian Frappato with my man, at my favorite wine bar, ON MAH BIRFDAY.

Day 23 – In a sparkly pink dress, at my Birthday Party, in front of the giant fire pit.

Day 26 – A little mid-shopping respite, splits-style, in the produce aisle.

Day 27 – Late night with my hair down. // Day 29 – Agar plates. Lab life. // Day 30 – Friday evening means BEERS, the weekly bio grad student get-together. This was a long week. // Day 31 – Going to see my friend’s Grateful Dead tribute band! I’m no dead head, but good music is good music, and my friends are damn fine musicians. Plus, Jeremy spent a summer following the Dead long, long ago, so it was pretty epic for him. So fun!

Which brings us to:

February 1st! I’m pretty much at the point now where I can spread so far that I can’t support myself upright if I’m splitzing as hard as I can. Does that even make sense? I swear it’s true, because physics. I may need to rethink my photo approach . . .

~~~

One month down, and quite a bit of real progress, I’d say. I wonder if I’ll keep up the pace, or if things will slow the lower I go? Maybe this initial push was the easy part? I have no idea. Because, ya know, I’ve never done this before!

And what about you guys? How are you all keeping up with your New Year’s intentions?

Happy Monday, and have a great week!

♥ ♥ ♥

Rachel in Veganland

These splitzing photos made my Monday! I’m with ya on the lonnngggggg school weeks. Oof. This one is another one for me at least. My new year’s intentions are steaming right along too. I’ve taken some big baby steps toward maintaining lasting health, and that kombucha goal I had is bubbling right along in the kitchen cabinet.
http://angieeatspeace.com/ Angie

You are doing awesome on your challenge and most importantly, look like you are having so much fun with it!
Sonja

Great pics and what a progress in 4 weeks! Congrats! What kind of stretching/excercise are you doing to prepare for your splits? Thanks and have a great week :-)
http://howtofeedawookie.blogspot.com/ WookieWifey

I think you’re doing great! You’ve made such great progress I’m considering giving it a shot. I need to get back into my yoga anyway, and I mean, why not add a split in every day at the end?
lleverman

I am 66 young! And a gymnast as a teen. We practiced doing splits with one leg forward; one leg back, and bouncing to flex those muscles. then do it with the other leg. The theory is that when you can get down to the ground with both legs; you will be able to do the forward split. Works pretty good!
http://sweetteascience.blogspot.com/ Rachel

I love photo series like these because in a few years, you will look back and be so amused with yourself. That’s how I always am anyhow. Keep it up!
Bianca

This is so cool! Love seeing your progress and all the fun backdrop locations. When you’re somewhere with just Waits and yourself, do you ask strangers to take the splits pics?
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Yup! I have asked strangers, and semi-strangers (like grad students and lab techs that I don’t know very well). I just explain it’s a New Year’s project and people are usually into it. =)
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Great news on the New Year’s intentions! I feel you on the long school weeks – ie, every week! Happy Monday! ;-D
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

it really has been SO much fun! Just what I needed. =)
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

I haven’t been doing too much stretching, besides just dropping into the splits whenever I can. Sometimes I do my computer work while sitting on the floor with my legs in an opening stretch, and just last night I learned some good hip openers. But mostly just the daily Split!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Yes! You should do it!!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

I just started doing the side splits (is that what they’re called? one leg forward, one leg back) last night, and I’m going ot start doing it every day, just like you said here. Bouncing to flex and then switching sides. I think this will really help my “training”!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Totally.

Also, a great way to keep track of outfits! ;-D
http://www.charleyfeltham.com/ Charley

Awesome *high five* you’ll be down there well before then end of the year I reckon! I love that you’re keeping a photographic record. I’m still going at it, I have super flexi hips but a bizarrely tight right hamstring which needs a lot of work so concentrating on getting that loosened. The pigeon yoga pose has been a useful one, as is this vid http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Yoga-Poses-Doing-Splits-31475537 xx
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

Yay, so glad you’re sticking to it! I’m hoping we get a little crew going, and can all post our triumphant Splits Pics at the end of the year! =D

And thanks for the link/video – seems like a great help. ♥
Elizabeth G

A tip from a former dancer: try what ballerinas call “turning out.” Basically you rotate your legs from your hips so your toes will point outward instead of forward. I don’t know if it would help you get further down but it may help you keep your balance.
Rebecca Carnes

You are sooooo close! If you keep that pace up you’ll be hitting the floor in no time! lol….I think I’ve already forgotten my New Year’s intentions…I wrote them down…somewhere…haha;)
Toni

Have your ripped any jeans out yet? Haha
Golden

Wow! Awesome! Did you ever get all they way down to the ground? Oh and here’s a challenge, try doing the splits in a skirt! post a pic of it too!

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