Balanced

I consider myself very balanced - today especially.
 I went to my Pilates class - second one of the semester.  She had a pre-test planned to evaluate our flexibility, strength, endurance, and balance.  When it came time for the balance test we all got a big exercise ball.  The routine was as follows:
1.  Sit on the ball and lift your toes/feet from the floor and balance for one minute - if you are successful you move on to:
2.  Continue sitting on the ball and kick your feet out away from the ball and balance for one minute - if you are succcessful you move on to:
3.  Continue sitting on the ball with your feet kicked away from the ball and extend your arms out and above your head and balance for one minute - if you are successful you move on to:
4.  Continue as you are and play catch with someone who is out of the challenge - so continue balancing and playing catch for one minute - if you are successful you move on to:
5.  Maneuver yourself on the ball and get in a kneeling position on the ball - remove hands from ball by straighten your body into a standing position (only you are on your knees) and continue balancing for one minute - if you are successful you are deemed balanced for life (or something like that).
The idea is to move seamlessly through the progressions.  No putting feet down and starting another minute fresh - we had to move from each progression without stopping our balancing act.

There was a girl in the back of the room named Ann.  She had shamed us all during the other skill tests.  She always went the entire time as we were all struggling, shaking, and sweating.  So the pressure was on.  I was hoping I could do pretty good on the balance test.

So when the test started I focused on one point on the floor and began to balance on the ball.  Number 1 was simple.  Number 2 was pretty easy too - I had a few wiggles but nothing too major.  Number 3 was just about the same.  Number 4 was a problem because the guy who came to play catch with me stood in front of my focal point.  But I determined I was not going to break my gaze and look up at him.  So I managed to stare in the direction of my focal point and still see the ball coming through peripheral vision and catch it and throw it back.  Whew - a few more wiggles.  Moving into number 5 was challenging and she actually let our feet go momentarily on the floor but we had to immediately get up onto the ball on our knees and get our hands off the ball.  I was successful!  Almost immediately I realized I couldn't last the entire minute.  I could feel my balance was off and I was slowly - very slowly - moving backwards.  I tried to reach my arms as far forward as I could to try to recover my balance but it didn't work.  I did manage to stay in that position for 25 more seconds.

And when I was done everyone clapped for me.  I guess I won the balance test with a total of 4 minutes 25 seconds.  I'll take it.  Don't ask how strong my stomach muscles are - I stink at sit ups!