Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
I had high hopes for this week, and it started off with a great yoga practice on Sunday morning. Monday wasn't bad, but I just felt tired throughout the entire thing. It is nice that even when I'm tired, it doesn't seem to affect my flexibility. I may not feel as strong and my balance isn't always great, but on Monday I managed to bind on one side in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana all by myself. Yippeeee! Of course, by the time I got to backbends, I was so wiped out that I skipped the assisted bends. This was just a precursor to the rest of the week.
I woke just after midnight on Tuesday, and I could tell I was sick. Sore throat, achy all over, swollen glands. By the end of the day, I knew I officially had The Crud. It has hung on the rest of the week, with no end in sight. Even worse, it has taken my voice, so that I can't talk at all. No yoga, no running, I can barely drag myself off the couch or out of bed. I feel awful.
I can't wait to get back to my yoga practice and back to running. Even better, Paul is finally ready to get back to running as well. So much to look forward to. But right now it's all in a holding pattern, waiting for The Horrible Crud to take its leave of me.
Sunday, December 5 - Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday: Trail Run, 90 minutes (BCGB 360 Access, super-fun trail loop)
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Saturday: Road Run, 3.75 miles, 35 minutes
This week got off to a fantastic start! Sunday I did my first trail run in nearly 5 months ... yes, 5 months. For most of the summer and early fall I was focusing on road running, then for the past couple months, it was no running at all, as I just needed a break. But break time is over, and it felt like time to get back on the trail. To be honest, I was nervous. I'd begun to wonder if I still loved the trail. I think some of that was the influence of a few factors ... I hated my last trail run, out at Inks Lake. Prior to that, I had gotten burned out leading the weekly club run. And then there's the club itself, and my role as President. Since I still have several months left in this gig, I'm not going to go into detail here (and it's not all bad in any case), except to say that it's a job I will be happy to pass on to someone else come the beginning of April.
I needn't have worried. From the moment my feet hit the trail, it was like coming home. Seriously, I hit my Zen place in the first 30 seconds of the run, and it never really left me. I ran fast, I ran slow, I power-walked as the mood struck, and I just had an all-out fan-freaking-tastic run! It helped that it was a gorgeous day ... cool and clear. I got a little warm in some parts, but then would get colder in others, so very happy I was smart enough to bring gloves and a vest. I guess I worried that I would have lost my trail mojo, but that wasn't the case. I found my groove right away, and reveled in all the fancy footwork, in the hills, the winding trail. I did do one of my favorite trails, so that helped too I'm sure. I ended up going longer than I'd planned, about 90 minutes, which was not a big deal since I was having so much fun, although I did run out of water about 2 miles from the end. Anyway, the end result was that it felt great to run, great to be back on the trails, and I'm looking forward to more of it next weekend.
Monday was back to yoga (Sunday was a Moon Day, so I wasn't skipping my practice by going running. We're not supposed to practice on the days of the full and new moons. If for some reason you care at all about why that is, you can read it here.). I wasn't sure what to expect from my practice. I only got in three practices (one shortened) last week when I wasn't feeling well, and I expected to feel tired after my run yesterday. In fact, when I got onto the mat, I was feeling a little cranky, and I set my intention to leave it on the mat. Boy, did I ever! I had the most amazing practice ever!!!
My legs were a bit rubbery from my run, but let me count the ways this practice was wonderful. Seriously, I'm going to count them ...
Thankfully, that didn't bode ill for Tuesday's practice. I was a little worried that I'd overdone it, but Tuesday was more of the same. :) A little less holding in lotus, mostly because it's easier to maintain lotus if I'm wearing capri pants instead of shorts (the sweat factor), and my left ankle was feeling a little overstretched by the end of Tuesday's practice. But really it was just as good. I actually felt a little bit stronger during the warmup, but a little bit more wiped out by the end.
After feeling somewhat sleepy all day Tuesday after my practice, I decided to rest on Wednesday, but had another great practice on Thursday morning. Mike continued to help me with several poses so that I could go deeper ... it's become clear that my right shoulder is considerably tighter than my left (also true for my right hip - for some reason that entire side is tighter). I really got stretched out ... and I could feel it in my core, my chest, back, and shoulders all day afterward. Everything is popping and cracking and it feels awesome, but I also felt a little sore. It didn't help that I spent the last three days of the work week at a conference ... all that sitting is just hell on my body.
I didn't have time to do my practice Friday morning, so I decided to go the led class Friday afternoon. It's funny how I'm so used to Mysore practice that it feels odd to go through my practice at the pace someone else sets, with everyone else doing it at the same time. It actually made it a bit harder to focus at the beginning, although I pretty quickly settled in. Mike gave me the option of continuing the practice once I got to Navasana, but I was so wiped out by then, I decided to just wait to pick up with everyone when we got to backbends. I do like the occasional afternoon practice - my back is far more open later in the day. But I definitely have more energy in the mornings. Mike did say that he may be changing the Friday morning practice to a led class, which would give me the opportunity to try some of the later poses to see how that goes. I'm curious to see if I can handle some of those poses farther into the first series. I know I'm not flexible enough yet for all of them, but my hips and shoulders are definitely getting improving.
Saturday I decided to go for a short road run. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go, I figured I'd just head out of the house and see where it took me. It didn't take me far today. By the end of the first mile, my lower back and shoulder on my right side were cramping ... holdovers from all the work I did on them in yoga this week, I imagine. By the time I got to about the 2 mile mark, I had to take a break to walk a block and stretch. And then another 1/2 mile or so later, I had to walk another block until my shoulder settled down. My head started to hurt too. This was not one of those great runs like last weekend. There was pretty much NO zen going on today. For the last mile or so I just focused on running easy and relaxing, and I pretty much just lumbered my way home. At least that's how it felt.
Of course, when I got home, I figured out part of the problem. I didn't wear a watch today, so I had no idea how fast I was going. But I saw the clock when I got home and was really surprised to find out I'd only been gone 35 minutes. If I shave off the time I took walking those couple blocks and stretching? Well then it comes out to about 3.5 miles run at 8:30 pace. Not exactly an easy run pace for me. No wonder it felt hard. Then again, that was the pace I felt like running. So if I can keep that up and just hopefully feel better the next time, great. Since I'm not planning to do a lot of high mileage (other than a few long runs to prep for pacing Stephanie), my goal is to run my shorter runs harder. I suppose that means I'm off to a good start.
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Saturday: Road Run, 3.75 miles, 35 minutes
This week got off to a fantastic start! Sunday I did my first trail run in nearly 5 months ... yes, 5 months. For most of the summer and early fall I was focusing on road running, then for the past couple months, it was no running at all, as I just needed a break. But break time is over, and it felt like time to get back on the trail. To be honest, I was nervous. I'd begun to wonder if I still loved the trail. I think some of that was the influence of a few factors ... I hated my last trail run, out at Inks Lake. Prior to that, I had gotten burned out leading the weekly club run. And then there's the club itself, and my role as President. Since I still have several months left in this gig, I'm not going to go into detail here (and it's not all bad in any case), except to say that it's a job I will be happy to pass on to someone else come the beginning of April.
I needn't have worried. From the moment my feet hit the trail, it was like coming home. Seriously, I hit my Zen place in the first 30 seconds of the run, and it never really left me. I ran fast, I ran slow, I power-walked as the mood struck, and I just had an all-out fan-freaking-tastic run! It helped that it was a gorgeous day ... cool and clear. I got a little warm in some parts, but then would get colder in others, so very happy I was smart enough to bring gloves and a vest. I guess I worried that I would have lost my trail mojo, but that wasn't the case. I found my groove right away, and reveled in all the fancy footwork, in the hills, the winding trail. I did do one of my favorite trails, so that helped too I'm sure. I ended up going longer than I'd planned, about 90 minutes, which was not a big deal since I was having so much fun, although I did run out of water about 2 miles from the end. Anyway, the end result was that it felt great to run, great to be back on the trails, and I'm looking forward to more of it next weekend.
Monday was back to yoga (Sunday was a Moon Day, so I wasn't skipping my practice by going running. We're not supposed to practice on the days of the full and new moons. If for some reason you care at all about why that is, you can read it here.). I wasn't sure what to expect from my practice. I only got in three practices (one shortened) last week when I wasn't feeling well, and I expected to feel tired after my run yesterday. In fact, when I got onto the mat, I was feeling a little cranky, and I set my intention to leave it on the mat. Boy, did I ever! I had the most amazing practice ever!!!
My legs were a bit rubbery from my run, but let me count the ways this practice was wonderful. Seriously, I'm going to count them ...
- I got both legs straight or nearly straight in Uttihita Trikonasana (triangle pose)
- I was able to put one hand on the floor during Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose) instead of having to stay in prayer position
- During Prasarita Padottanasana A-D, I nearly got my head on the floor and my shoulders went farther than they ever have.
- To provide some balance to all the awesomeness, in the next several poses, my balance was for sh*t, although I managed to at least stay standing.
- During Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (bound half lotus), I once again grabbed my toe and bound with a little help from Mike.
- During all the next several forward bends, I was able to bind my hands instead of just having to grab my extended foot.
- I got to add two new poses today! Marichyasana D and Navasana (boat pose). And my core is definitely stronger than it used to be, because boats were hard, but not excruciating. I expected backbends to be brutal after doing those, but instead they felt great. And Mike had me grab his ankles while I did them, and really helped me stretch out my back.
- I managed to get and stay in lotus position for Urdhva Padmasana and Pindasana, two of the shoulder stands, and then stay in lotus again for Yoga Mudra (the first pose of the closing series).
Thankfully, that didn't bode ill for Tuesday's practice. I was a little worried that I'd overdone it, but Tuesday was more of the same. :) A little less holding in lotus, mostly because it's easier to maintain lotus if I'm wearing capri pants instead of shorts (the sweat factor), and my left ankle was feeling a little overstretched by the end of Tuesday's practice. But really it was just as good. I actually felt a little bit stronger during the warmup, but a little bit more wiped out by the end.
After feeling somewhat sleepy all day Tuesday after my practice, I decided to rest on Wednesday, but had another great practice on Thursday morning. Mike continued to help me with several poses so that I could go deeper ... it's become clear that my right shoulder is considerably tighter than my left (also true for my right hip - for some reason that entire side is tighter). I really got stretched out ... and I could feel it in my core, my chest, back, and shoulders all day afterward. Everything is popping and cracking and it feels awesome, but I also felt a little sore. It didn't help that I spent the last three days of the work week at a conference ... all that sitting is just hell on my body.
I didn't have time to do my practice Friday morning, so I decided to go the led class Friday afternoon. It's funny how I'm so used to Mysore practice that it feels odd to go through my practice at the pace someone else sets, with everyone else doing it at the same time. It actually made it a bit harder to focus at the beginning, although I pretty quickly settled in. Mike gave me the option of continuing the practice once I got to Navasana, but I was so wiped out by then, I decided to just wait to pick up with everyone when we got to backbends. I do like the occasional afternoon practice - my back is far more open later in the day. But I definitely have more energy in the mornings. Mike did say that he may be changing the Friday morning practice to a led class, which would give me the opportunity to try some of the later poses to see how that goes. I'm curious to see if I can handle some of those poses farther into the first series. I know I'm not flexible enough yet for all of them, but my hips and shoulders are definitely getting improving.
Saturday I decided to go for a short road run. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go, I figured I'd just head out of the house and see where it took me. It didn't take me far today. By the end of the first mile, my lower back and shoulder on my right side were cramping ... holdovers from all the work I did on them in yoga this week, I imagine. By the time I got to about the 2 mile mark, I had to take a break to walk a block and stretch. And then another 1/2 mile or so later, I had to walk another block until my shoulder settled down. My head started to hurt too. This was not one of those great runs like last weekend. There was pretty much NO zen going on today. For the last mile or so I just focused on running easy and relaxing, and I pretty much just lumbered my way home. At least that's how it felt.
Of course, when I got home, I figured out part of the problem. I didn't wear a watch today, so I had no idea how fast I was going. But I saw the clock when I got home and was really surprised to find out I'd only been gone 35 minutes. If I shave off the time I took walking those couple blocks and stretching? Well then it comes out to about 3.5 miles run at 8:30 pace. Not exactly an easy run pace for me. No wonder it felt hard. Then again, that was the pace I felt like running. So if I can keep that up and just hopefully feel better the next time, great. Since I'm not planning to do a lot of high mileage (other than a few long runs to prep for pacing Stephanie), my goal is to run my shorter runs harder. I suppose that means I'm off to a good start.
Sunday, November 28 - Saturday, December 4, 2010
Sunday: Ashtanga yoga, 75 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 50 minutes
It was so nice to start off my week back at home and in my regular yoga practice. I was happy to get in a couple practices last week, but I prefer my regular routine. Even though getting used to the 5 a.m. wake-up again was a little bit painful.
Monday was just an outstanding practice. I felt strong and focused early on, and that just translated to a great morning on the mat. I guess Sunday's practice had loosened things up, because I was able to get deeper into many of my poses. The biggest moment came during Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (one of the first seated poses). The goal is to put one leg into lotus position, with the other leg extended. Normally from there I just fold over and grab my extended foot. Lately if I can remember to bring a hand towel, I've been using it to hook around the foot of my bent leg, and reach around behind my back and bind with the opposite hand, then fold over. The ultimate goal is to be able to reach around behind the back and actually grab the foot that's in lotus. I figured I was still pretty far from that, until Monday. Mike came over and helped direct me to turn to the side as I reach around, and with a little help I was able to grab my foot! Woohoooooo! For me with my tight runners hips and ankles, this is a HUGE step forward in my practice. I was pretty slippery, so it was hard to maintain the bind, but it was awesome! I don't know if I'll be able to do this every time, but at least I have something to work toward, something that now seems attainable.
I'm still trying to be careful with the lotus position. My ankles hurt when I stay in it for too long, so I'm just trying to do it at various points in my practice, releasing it when the pain becomes strong enough that it seems like I might be doing harm. I know I can get there, but pushing too hard is not the way.
On Monday I also got into lotus toward the end of the practice, during Urdhva Padmasana and then Pindasana, part of the series of shoulder stands. I couldn't maintain it for a long time, but again, for me just getting into lotus and being able to stay there is an accomplishment.
Maybe I overdid it on Monday. I don't know, but I felt like crap on Tuesday and Wednesday. I fell asleep during my meditation on Tuesday, and missed my practice. And on Wednesday, I realized that I was fighting off some sort of bug, so I decided to listen to my body and rest. It was a tough decision ... how do you know whether a practice will work out all those aches and energize you, or just make a bad situation worse? All I can do is listen to my body, and in this case the message I got was REST. Considering that I really haven't minded the 5 a.m. alarm for the past month, I think the fact that I desperately wanted to stay in bed meant something.
I made it yoga on Thursday, and now I wonder if this "virus" or whatever was going on with me was my body's way of purging something out of my body. I was a little concerned about doing a practice ... I still wasn't feeling well, and my upper back especially was feeling very achy. I have no idea why in the past few years every random virus I get seems to settle in the muscles of my lower back. Although now I'm wondering whether there were already some toxins resting latent in my muscles, and somehow the yoga moved them to the surface. Can that even happen? Let me explain. So like I said, I wasn't sure practicing was a great idea, but I woke up on time, and I wasn't exhausted, so I figured I would at least try.
Once I started my sun salutations, I couldn't believe how good I felt! My back just opened up and all the achiness and tension in my back disappeared. If anything, my back opened up more than it has in recent memory. It's like there was all this junk that had risen to the surface in my muscles, and I needed the yoga to move it out of my body.
My balance wasn't fantastic today (although not terrible), but otherwise, it was a great practice. I came closer than ever to getting my head on the floor in Prasarita Padottanasana A. And when I got to the seated poses, and Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, I almost managed to bind around my back all by myself. Not quite, but almost. My back felt great.
And then I just tanked. I went into my vinyasa, sat down, and hit the wall. I couldn't even get into another pose. I just laid down and on Mike's advice went straight into savasana. Weird. I didn't feel specifically bad, just weird, and I knew I was done. I took a nice long rest, and then felt great when I left my practice. I really think the yoga purged something from my system, and yet I didn't quite have the energy for a full practice.
Monday: Ashtanga yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 50 minutes
It was so nice to start off my week back at home and in my regular yoga practice. I was happy to get in a couple practices last week, but I prefer my regular routine. Even though getting used to the 5 a.m. wake-up again was a little bit painful.
Monday was just an outstanding practice. I felt strong and focused early on, and that just translated to a great morning on the mat. I guess Sunday's practice had loosened things up, because I was able to get deeper into many of my poses. The biggest moment came during Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (one of the first seated poses). The goal is to put one leg into lotus position, with the other leg extended. Normally from there I just fold over and grab my extended foot. Lately if I can remember to bring a hand towel, I've been using it to hook around the foot of my bent leg, and reach around behind my back and bind with the opposite hand, then fold over. The ultimate goal is to be able to reach around behind the back and actually grab the foot that's in lotus. I figured I was still pretty far from that, until Monday. Mike came over and helped direct me to turn to the side as I reach around, and with a little help I was able to grab my foot! Woohoooooo! For me with my tight runners hips and ankles, this is a HUGE step forward in my practice. I was pretty slippery, so it was hard to maintain the bind, but it was awesome! I don't know if I'll be able to do this every time, but at least I have something to work toward, something that now seems attainable.
I'm still trying to be careful with the lotus position. My ankles hurt when I stay in it for too long, so I'm just trying to do it at various points in my practice, releasing it when the pain becomes strong enough that it seems like I might be doing harm. I know I can get there, but pushing too hard is not the way.
On Monday I also got into lotus toward the end of the practice, during Urdhva Padmasana and then Pindasana, part of the series of shoulder stands. I couldn't maintain it for a long time, but again, for me just getting into lotus and being able to stay there is an accomplishment.
Maybe I overdid it on Monday. I don't know, but I felt like crap on Tuesday and Wednesday. I fell asleep during my meditation on Tuesday, and missed my practice. And on Wednesday, I realized that I was fighting off some sort of bug, so I decided to listen to my body and rest. It was a tough decision ... how do you know whether a practice will work out all those aches and energize you, or just make a bad situation worse? All I can do is listen to my body, and in this case the message I got was REST. Considering that I really haven't minded the 5 a.m. alarm for the past month, I think the fact that I desperately wanted to stay in bed meant something.
I made it yoga on Thursday, and now I wonder if this "virus" or whatever was going on with me was my body's way of purging something out of my body. I was a little concerned about doing a practice ... I still wasn't feeling well, and my upper back especially was feeling very achy. I have no idea why in the past few years every random virus I get seems to settle in the muscles of my lower back. Although now I'm wondering whether there were already some toxins resting latent in my muscles, and somehow the yoga moved them to the surface. Can that even happen? Let me explain. So like I said, I wasn't sure practicing was a great idea, but I woke up on time, and I wasn't exhausted, so I figured I would at least try.
Once I started my sun salutations, I couldn't believe how good I felt! My back just opened up and all the achiness and tension in my back disappeared. If anything, my back opened up more than it has in recent memory. It's like there was all this junk that had risen to the surface in my muscles, and I needed the yoga to move it out of my body.
My balance wasn't fantastic today (although not terrible), but otherwise, it was a great practice. I came closer than ever to getting my head on the floor in Prasarita Padottanasana A. And when I got to the seated poses, and Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, I almost managed to bind around my back all by myself. Not quite, but almost. My back felt great.
And then I just tanked. I went into my vinyasa, sat down, and hit the wall. I couldn't even get into another pose. I just laid down and on Mike's advice went straight into savasana. Weird. I didn't feel specifically bad, just weird, and I knew I was done. I took a nice long rest, and then felt great when I left my practice. I really think the yoga purged something from my system, and yet I didn't quite have the energy for a full practice.
Monday, November 22 - Saturday, November 27
Wednesday: Ashtanga yoga, 70 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga yoga, 70 minutes; Road run, 3 miles
I'M A RUNNER!!!!
I know, that shouldn't be a news flash. But after two months off, I was starting to wonder. :)
This week was a mixed bag, workout-wise. I had lots of travel on the agenda. Spent the weekend in Houston, then flew to Philly on Monday to see my sister and nephews. Time to work out was in short supply ... does trying to keep up with two 5-year-old boys count? It was as exhausting as any long run I've ever done. ;)
By the time I got to my mom's early Wednesday morning (5:30 a.m. to be exact, after a 10 hour drive through the night), I was wiped out. But after a few hours of sleep, Paul and I pulled out our travel mats and managed to get in a full Ashtanga practice. Somehow, even when I take my time, I am always faster when I practice away from the studio. I wouldn't say this was a great practice, in the sense that I was tight and tired. But my goodness did it feel fantastic! Nothing better for working out all the travel aches and kinks, and for getting my dosha back in balance. With two days of cooking ahead of me, getting in a practice was a great way to work off the travel fatigue, and put me in exactly the right frame of mind to be grateful for the time with family.
I woke up really groggy Thursday morning, and really I just wanted coffee, but Paul convinced me to go ahead and do my practice. And of course, I was so happy that I did. Definitely still some tightness and aches from too much traveling and sitting around, but the yoga helps that so much.
And after that, my sister was up, and wanted to go for a run. And honestly, I couldn't think of a better day to get back out there than Thanksgiving. My ability to run is something I am always grateful for, and it deserved to be celebrated. And who better to celebrate with than my sister? These holiday runs have become a bit of a tradition for us. It was a beautiful day ... warm, but breezy and beautiful. We didn't go far, maybe 3 miles (our own private Turkey Trot). It felt strange at first, but never bad. And as I warmed up, I really enjoyed it. I won't say I got a runners high, but I did like being back out there.
Ashtanga is still going to be my priority - and even that one run left me so much tighter afterward, so I need to watch it. But I do plan to start getting more mileage in, and see how it goes.
Thursday: Ashtanga yoga, 70 minutes; Road run, 3 miles
I'M A RUNNER!!!!
I know, that shouldn't be a news flash. But after two months off, I was starting to wonder. :)
This week was a mixed bag, workout-wise. I had lots of travel on the agenda. Spent the weekend in Houston, then flew to Philly on Monday to see my sister and nephews. Time to work out was in short supply ... does trying to keep up with two 5-year-old boys count? It was as exhausting as any long run I've ever done. ;)
By the time I got to my mom's early Wednesday morning (5:30 a.m. to be exact, after a 10 hour drive through the night), I was wiped out. But after a few hours of sleep, Paul and I pulled out our travel mats and managed to get in a full Ashtanga practice. Somehow, even when I take my time, I am always faster when I practice away from the studio. I wouldn't say this was a great practice, in the sense that I was tight and tired. But my goodness did it feel fantastic! Nothing better for working out all the travel aches and kinks, and for getting my dosha back in balance. With two days of cooking ahead of me, getting in a practice was a great way to work off the travel fatigue, and put me in exactly the right frame of mind to be grateful for the time with family.
I woke up really groggy Thursday morning, and really I just wanted coffee, but Paul convinced me to go ahead and do my practice. And of course, I was so happy that I did. Definitely still some tightness and aches from too much traveling and sitting around, but the yoga helps that so much.
And after that, my sister was up, and wanted to go for a run. And honestly, I couldn't think of a better day to get back out there than Thanksgiving. My ability to run is something I am always grateful for, and it deserved to be celebrated. And who better to celebrate with than my sister? These holiday runs have become a bit of a tradition for us. It was a beautiful day ... warm, but breezy and beautiful. We didn't go far, maybe 3 miles (our own private Turkey Trot). It felt strange at first, but never bad. And as I warmed up, I really enjoyed it. I won't say I got a runners high, but I did like being back out there.
Ashtanga is still going to be my priority - and even that one run left me so much tighter afterward, so I need to watch it. But I do plan to start getting more mileage in, and see how it goes.
Monday, November 15 - Sunday November 21, 2010
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
I am so excited! For the first time ever, I did six days of Ashtanga in a row! I am so happy I have committed to making this practice my priority for the time being. I am getting so much out of it, on the mat and off. By going so often, I'm seeing some really amazing progress in a few of my poses. The rest may take longer, but I don't mind. Even small accomplishments feel fantastic, and I know I'm getting stronger even if it isn't totally translating to deeper poses yet.
I was really surprised by Monday's practice. After working so hard the Sunday before, I expected to feel tired and less flexible. Instead, it was my most flexible day yet! I still felt strong all the way through Suryanamaskara A&B, and my forward bends felt so good. My balance was even steady! Mike must have noticed too because he helped me go deeper into some of my poses, like Marachyasana A. I'm still pretty wiped out during the vinyasas by the end. Working so hard on my jumping back just leaves my upper body pretty spent by the end. But the only way it's going to get better it to keep working it, and if I'm feeling wiped out because I'm working harder, well that's fine.
Tuesday's practice was even more of a surprise. Usually, the third day in a row finds me stiff, tired, weak, or some combination of all three. But today was the opposite. I felt strong, and was the most bendy I've been in months! Mike noticed and commented on it as well. During standing pose, he pulled my leg higher than it's ever gone. And my forward bends got me positively smooshed. It felt soooo good!
Wednesday was a bit tougher. Hard to get out of bed, and I definitely didn't feel as strong as the day before. I could tell from the start, during Suryanamaskara. My practice still went really well despite that. My flexibility didn't suffer today, just my strength. And at the end of Savasana, I felt like utterly relaxed and noodley all over. :)
Thursday and Friday were about the same ... I was tired and definitely feeling all those practices earlier in the week. What I love is that even though I feel tired, and I can tell that I'm tired, once I get into my practice, I seem to just go with it. It's not that I completely ignore the tired, or that I push past it ... it's more that I acknowledge it, respect it, but then go about the business of my practice. Keeping the focus on my breathing and staying present in the poses makes all the difference. Sure, I sometimes end up flat on the floor during a vinyasa, but while I'm on the mat, I'm present and I'm committed. And that attitude seems to be coming with me off the mat, at least more than it used to.
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
I am so excited! For the first time ever, I did six days of Ashtanga in a row! I am so happy I have committed to making this practice my priority for the time being. I am getting so much out of it, on the mat and off. By going so often, I'm seeing some really amazing progress in a few of my poses. The rest may take longer, but I don't mind. Even small accomplishments feel fantastic, and I know I'm getting stronger even if it isn't totally translating to deeper poses yet.
I was really surprised by Monday's practice. After working so hard the Sunday before, I expected to feel tired and less flexible. Instead, it was my most flexible day yet! I still felt strong all the way through Suryanamaskara A&B, and my forward bends felt so good. My balance was even steady! Mike must have noticed too because he helped me go deeper into some of my poses, like Marachyasana A. I'm still pretty wiped out during the vinyasas by the end. Working so hard on my jumping back just leaves my upper body pretty spent by the end. But the only way it's going to get better it to keep working it, and if I'm feeling wiped out because I'm working harder, well that's fine.
Tuesday's practice was even more of a surprise. Usually, the third day in a row finds me stiff, tired, weak, or some combination of all three. But today was the opposite. I felt strong, and was the most bendy I've been in months! Mike noticed and commented on it as well. During standing pose, he pulled my leg higher than it's ever gone. And my forward bends got me positively smooshed. It felt soooo good!
Wednesday was a bit tougher. Hard to get out of bed, and I definitely didn't feel as strong as the day before. I could tell from the start, during Suryanamaskara. My practice still went really well despite that. My flexibility didn't suffer today, just my strength. And at the end of Savasana, I felt like utterly relaxed and noodley all over. :)
Thursday and Friday were about the same ... I was tired and definitely feeling all those practices earlier in the week. What I love is that even though I feel tired, and I can tell that I'm tired, once I get into my practice, I seem to just go with it. It's not that I completely ignore the tired, or that I push past it ... it's more that I acknowledge it, respect it, but then go about the business of my practice. Keeping the focus on my breathing and staying present in the poses makes all the difference. Sure, I sometimes end up flat on the floor during a vinyasa, but while I'm on the mat, I'm present and I'm committed. And that attitude seems to be coming with me off the mat, at least more than it used to.
Monday, November 8 - Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 55 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
I only got in four yoga practices this week, but that was the plan, so I'm still pleased and feeling on track. Monday and Tuesday were normal practices. I'm starting to get stronger, having an easier time getting through Suryanamaskara A&B at the beginning of my practice, working harder at my jumping back, and lasting longer before I have to collapse on the mat between poses.
I've been really focusing on my breathing, taking my time and trying to inhale and exhale fully with each pose and each movement. I've also been working on focusing on my Drishti, or focal points. This has really helped me stay focused inward. It also surprisingly has helped me hold my bandas (locks) better. Of course, not being able to see may have had something to do with it ... or so I thought. Monday-Wednesday I was still without my contacts, and doing yoga with utterly blurred vision. It makes an inward focus a lot easier when you're incapable to seeing what's going on around you.
Wednesday my practice was shortened, and I did it at home. I had to be at the surgeon's office just after 8 a.m. for my LASIK surgery. I still made it through the warmup, standing poses, and backbends through the finish. It was important to me to get this practice in, even if I had to shorten it. First, I knew I'd have to take off three days after the surgery, and this way I'd still get in four practices for the week. But also, I was terrified going into the surgery, and the practice helped calm me down a bit The double dose of Valium at the doctor's office helped even more. :)
By Sunday I was so looking forward to getting back to the mat. I missed it after a few days away. And my practice was amazing! I was surprised at how focused I was even though I can now see everyone in the room. I still managed to maintain my gaze at my Drishti, at least most of the time. I still kept my breathing deep and focused, and continued to work on my bandas. And today I felt the strongest yet. I made it through the warmup feeling great ... none of the exhaustion during the last few poses that I usually feel. My balance was good, my forward bends were bendier, I managed to work hard on my jumping back all the way until the last few poses ... and then I even managed to have some real strength left for my backbends. Just fantastic!
I know that as this next week progresses, I may go up and down. The first day of practice after some recovery is often the best. But I'm seeing progress after just a couple weeks, and that makes me look forward to what's to come. Even better, I'm seeing how much better I feel off the mat. And that's the real incentive.
I even think I'm ready to start running again. I had a dream the other night - I was running up Ladera Norte, and enjoying it. I woke up knowing that it was time to lace up my running shoes and get back out there, are least a little bit. It's going to be a process to get back in shape - I have no idea where I am right now. But underneath it all, I'm a runner ... and so I need to run.
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 55 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
I only got in four yoga practices this week, but that was the plan, so I'm still pleased and feeling on track. Monday and Tuesday were normal practices. I'm starting to get stronger, having an easier time getting through Suryanamaskara A&B at the beginning of my practice, working harder at my jumping back, and lasting longer before I have to collapse on the mat between poses.
I've been really focusing on my breathing, taking my time and trying to inhale and exhale fully with each pose and each movement. I've also been working on focusing on my Drishti, or focal points. This has really helped me stay focused inward. It also surprisingly has helped me hold my bandas (locks) better. Of course, not being able to see may have had something to do with it ... or so I thought. Monday-Wednesday I was still without my contacts, and doing yoga with utterly blurred vision. It makes an inward focus a lot easier when you're incapable to seeing what's going on around you.
Wednesday my practice was shortened, and I did it at home. I had to be at the surgeon's office just after 8 a.m. for my LASIK surgery. I still made it through the warmup, standing poses, and backbends through the finish. It was important to me to get this practice in, even if I had to shorten it. First, I knew I'd have to take off three days after the surgery, and this way I'd still get in four practices for the week. But also, I was terrified going into the surgery, and the practice helped calm me down a bit The double dose of Valium at the doctor's office helped even more. :)
By Sunday I was so looking forward to getting back to the mat. I missed it after a few days away. And my practice was amazing! I was surprised at how focused I was even though I can now see everyone in the room. I still managed to maintain my gaze at my Drishti, at least most of the time. I still kept my breathing deep and focused, and continued to work on my bandas. And today I felt the strongest yet. I made it through the warmup feeling great ... none of the exhaustion during the last few poses that I usually feel. My balance was good, my forward bends were bendier, I managed to work hard on my jumping back all the way until the last few poses ... and then I even managed to have some real strength left for my backbends. Just fantastic!
I know that as this next week progresses, I may go up and down. The first day of practice after some recovery is often the best. But I'm seeing progress after just a couple weeks, and that makes me look forward to what's to come. Even better, I'm seeing how much better I feel off the mat. And that's the real incentive.
I even think I'm ready to start running again. I had a dream the other night - I was running up Ladera Norte, and enjoying it. I woke up knowing that it was time to lace up my running shoes and get back out there, are least a little bit. It's going to be a process to get back in shape - I have no idea where I am right now. But underneath it all, I'm a runner ... and so I need to run.
Sunday, Oct. 31 - Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 60 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
When I said I was going to focus more on my yoga practice, I wasn't kidding. :)
I'm not sure I've ever done 5 days of yoga in a row, let alone 5 vigorous Ashtanga practices. It has been so fantastic. It doesn't hurt that both Paul and Noelle have shown up every day as well. But the truth is, once I start my practice, the focus becomes so internal, the other people in the room might as well not be there. This is especially true for me since I'm stuck wearing my glasses for another couple days. I take them off to do my practice, which means I can't even see the other people in the room - they're all just big blurs.
Tuesday I shortened my practice. I wasn't really sore, but I definitely felt weak and worn out from the first two days back at it. I'm working really hard to get through the entire Suryanamaskara A&B without having to put my legs on the floor. I didn't make it most of the week, but had no problem on Sunday. In fact, my second Sunday practice really demonstrated the benefits of recovery. After two days off I felt so strong and flexible ... it was the best practice yet!
Some days I just ended up flattened on the floor during the vinyasas toward the end. That's partly because I'm working really hard on my transitions. I went to a workshop Mike offered a couple weeks ago, about jumping forward and jumping back. He demonstrated how to jump from Downward Facing Dog to seated pose, and then how to jump from seated pose back into low pushup. I've been doing the modified version of the forward jump for a long time now, although the workshop did give me some insight into how to push further with it. But I really learned a lot about how to work on jumping back.
I've been trying really hard to work these during my vinyasas, and the end result is some very, very tired arms, abs, and back muscles by the end of my practice. But I can already see progress in my ability to jump back, and while I can't actually do it fluidly yet, I can kind of see how it will be when I can.
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 60 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
When I said I was going to focus more on my yoga practice, I wasn't kidding. :)
I'm not sure I've ever done 5 days of yoga in a row, let alone 5 vigorous Ashtanga practices. It has been so fantastic. It doesn't hurt that both Paul and Noelle have shown up every day as well. But the truth is, once I start my practice, the focus becomes so internal, the other people in the room might as well not be there. This is especially true for me since I'm stuck wearing my glasses for another couple days. I take them off to do my practice, which means I can't even see the other people in the room - they're all just big blurs.
Tuesday I shortened my practice. I wasn't really sore, but I definitely felt weak and worn out from the first two days back at it. I'm working really hard to get through the entire Suryanamaskara A&B without having to put my legs on the floor. I didn't make it most of the week, but had no problem on Sunday. In fact, my second Sunday practice really demonstrated the benefits of recovery. After two days off I felt so strong and flexible ... it was the best practice yet!
Some days I just ended up flattened on the floor during the vinyasas toward the end. That's partly because I'm working really hard on my transitions. I went to a workshop Mike offered a couple weeks ago, about jumping forward and jumping back. He demonstrated how to jump from Downward Facing Dog to seated pose, and then how to jump from seated pose back into low pushup. I've been doing the modified version of the forward jump for a long time now, although the workshop did give me some insight into how to push further with it. But I really learned a lot about how to work on jumping back.
I've been trying really hard to work these during my vinyasas, and the end result is some very, very tired arms, abs, and back muscles by the end of my practice. But I can already see progress in my ability to jump back, and while I can't actually do it fluidly yet, I can kind of see how it will be when I can.
Starting Over
I didn't exactly go two entire months without working out ... although I came close. I managed to fit in a few yoga classes here and there, and since my last post I was running as usual. Until about 6 weeks ago, when I just hit the wall. My training was going well. I wasn't quite where I wanted to be but I was on track for a successful marathon in Philly on November 21.
And then one day I went for a run, got 1/2 mile from my house, and just said "screw it." I went home and haven't put my shoes on since. I don't think there was any one overriding reason. I just needed a break. I've been training for something ... some race, some mileage, some speed, something ... for the better part of the last 4 years. The program I'd been in over the summer was really intense, and I was sick of the weather (only now has it finally cooled off enough that I don't hate the thought of exercising outside). I'd spent the summer not just training, but trying to train AND recover from anemia. And somewhere along the way, running just stopped being fun.
Like I said, I just hit the wall. I may not have been physically overtrained, but I definitely was mentally and emotionally overtrained.
I wish I could say that it's been hard to take a break, but it hasn't. At ALL.
I have honestly just loved being lazy for a while. I don't love the fact that my body feels like jello (and is starting to look like it too), but other than that, it's been great. The time off has allowed me to focus and figure out a little bit how I got to this point. And now I'm ready to hit the reset button and get my butt back in gear ... and hopefully back into my skinny clothes.
The main focus right now is going to be on my yoga. I've been itching for a while to really commit to my Ashtanga practice and see where that takes me. But I needed to get myself mentally ready for that, and finally I am. I have a new plan, and it kicked off yesterday with a fantastic practice, followed by another one today. I'm going to go to yoga every day that I can this month, and we'll see where I am and how I feel at the end of that.
The running has been a tougher challenge. I've been itching to run as well, but I just haven't been able to make myself put on my shoes and get out there. I didn't want to train for anything, but I just don't function quite as well when I have no goal at all ... what to do?
And then universe sent me the answer like a lightning bolt from Yahoo Mail. My good friend Stephanie (whom I was just telling Paul the other night how much I missed her) decided to get a monkey off her back and signed up for Bandera 100K, and she wants me to pace her for the last 20 miles.
YES!!!!!!!
I love pacing ... it's one of my absolute favorite things in the world. It takes everything that's great and wonderful about running and wraps it up into this beautiful gift that I get to give to someone else. If you've never done it, show up at a race sometime and offer to go out there with a runner who needs it ... you won't be sorry. Even the pacers who have helped me through my own races have loved their jobs, and let me tell you, I'm no picnic. Leah still talks about Cactus as a positive experience, and she's still my friend (lucky me), and Paul ... well, he's marrying me, so that should tell you something (although you could construe that many ways).
Anyway, I gave myself a couple of hours just to make sure I had considered all the angles, but how could I refuse the chance to help one of my favorite people finish a race? Duh, I couldn't! Not only do I get to be a part of Stephanie's big race, but it gives me all the motivation I need to get my butt out the door, and back on the trail.
The yoga is still going to be primary, but I figure I can easily fit in 2-3 quality runs a week. The yoga's only going to help anyway ... all the strength, core, stability work, etc.
I am so excited I just start doing my own little happy dance every time I think of it!
As for this blog, I think here I am also going to take a cue from Stephanie. I'm going to get back to regular updates, but instead of tracking every workout individually, I'm going to just do a weekly recap. Anything more just feels too daunting right now, and entirely unnecessary.
But the point is, there will be posts, and yoga practices. And of course, running. Always the running.
And then one day I went for a run, got 1/2 mile from my house, and just said "screw it." I went home and haven't put my shoes on since. I don't think there was any one overriding reason. I just needed a break. I've been training for something ... some race, some mileage, some speed, something ... for the better part of the last 4 years. The program I'd been in over the summer was really intense, and I was sick of the weather (only now has it finally cooled off enough that I don't hate the thought of exercising outside). I'd spent the summer not just training, but trying to train AND recover from anemia. And somewhere along the way, running just stopped being fun.
Like I said, I just hit the wall. I may not have been physically overtrained, but I definitely was mentally and emotionally overtrained.
I wish I could say that it's been hard to take a break, but it hasn't. At ALL.
I have honestly just loved being lazy for a while. I don't love the fact that my body feels like jello (and is starting to look like it too), but other than that, it's been great. The time off has allowed me to focus and figure out a little bit how I got to this point. And now I'm ready to hit the reset button and get my butt back in gear ... and hopefully back into my skinny clothes.
The main focus right now is going to be on my yoga. I've been itching for a while to really commit to my Ashtanga practice and see where that takes me. But I needed to get myself mentally ready for that, and finally I am. I have a new plan, and it kicked off yesterday with a fantastic practice, followed by another one today. I'm going to go to yoga every day that I can this month, and we'll see where I am and how I feel at the end of that.
The running has been a tougher challenge. I've been itching to run as well, but I just haven't been able to make myself put on my shoes and get out there. I didn't want to train for anything, but I just don't function quite as well when I have no goal at all ... what to do?
And then universe sent me the answer like a lightning bolt from Yahoo Mail. My good friend Stephanie (whom I was just telling Paul the other night how much I missed her) decided to get a monkey off her back and signed up for Bandera 100K, and she wants me to pace her for the last 20 miles.
YES!!!!!!!
I love pacing ... it's one of my absolute favorite things in the world. It takes everything that's great and wonderful about running and wraps it up into this beautiful gift that I get to give to someone else. If you've never done it, show up at a race sometime and offer to go out there with a runner who needs it ... you won't be sorry. Even the pacers who have helped me through my own races have loved their jobs, and let me tell you, I'm no picnic. Leah still talks about Cactus as a positive experience, and she's still my friend (lucky me), and Paul ... well, he's marrying me, so that should tell you something (although you could construe that many ways).
Anyway, I gave myself a couple of hours just to make sure I had considered all the angles, but how could I refuse the chance to help one of my favorite people finish a race? Duh, I couldn't! Not only do I get to be a part of Stephanie's big race, but it gives me all the motivation I need to get my butt out the door, and back on the trail.
The yoga is still going to be primary, but I figure I can easily fit in 2-3 quality runs a week. The yoga's only going to help anyway ... all the strength, core, stability work, etc.
I am so excited I just start doing my own little happy dance every time I think of it!
As for this blog, I think here I am also going to take a cue from Stephanie. I'm going to get back to regular updates, but instead of tracking every workout individually, I'm going to just do a weekly recap. Anything more just feels too daunting right now, and entirely unnecessary.
But the point is, there will be posts, and yoga practices. And of course, running. Always the running.
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