I feel like I've had my hand on the griddle since June. Every year I promise myself I won't train through the summer and eye down a fall marathon. But alas, I can't say no to the run. But I swear, pinky swear, I won't do this ever again!
But now that the heat is waning and the humidity is creeping under 100% I feel hope! I'm really not sure how I made it this far without an injury, but ta-da! I'm still in one piece. I had a slight set back for about a week and didn't run. I became dehydrated. Like really bad. The type that doesn't bounce back after a Gatorade. I pretty much destroyed myself by not drinking enough and sweating so much. Every. Single. Day. So I had to work on getting my hydration back. Now, I'm feeling much better and moving on.
I don't know if you noticed what I just said. But I nonchalantly, in passing said I TOOK A WEEK OFF! It's hard to even retype that! You know how I am. How you are. This is not a trip to happy town. But, I knew it was short term so the freak-out-o-meter didn't go too crazy. I decided to work on my weaknesses. My flexibility, core and balance.
Don't take away my runner card! But I'm gonna say the Y word. I did it. I did Yoga. At first I felt like a traitor to my sport. Out of my element. But then it struck a cord with my perfectionist, competitive side. I wanted my poses to be better than a piece of crap. I wanted my form to do the postures justice. I was sick of my arms and legs shaking. This became a goal. I know Yoga is also kumbaya and all that fluffy stuff. But I was content with working on my breathing and form.
So I took lots of Vinyasa and Yin yoga. Stretching my connective tissues as far as I could. I refused to fold early. I worked on this 2-3 hours a day. I did this for about 3 weeks.
Then, I discovered Bikram yoga. To me, it's the only thing I have ever found that can give me a workout. It's been around since the 1970's. It's a 90 minute class of 26 postures in 105 degrees. The instructor has a dialogue that he cannot deviate from. It's 45 pages of script that will answer your every question as you get into the postures. You are encouraged to never leave the room and only drink as permitted. It's extremely regimented. Requires insane focus. No talking. Complete stillness. Do not even think of wiping the sweat off your face. That's tantamount to blowing a snot rocket in a starting corral. Be still.
So clearly, that type of yoga is for me! So I've been taking Bikram everyday since I started last week. I love the challenge. I love that regardless of what you're feeling it is best to not show it. Remain calm. Suck it up. It's 90 percent mind.
I now have to find balance between the running and Bikram yoga. I can't do 10.5 hours of hot yoga a week and train for a marathon. This week I will find that balance. The learning curve for me is so delicious it's hard to stop. I love seeing progress. I'm a freaking runner and I can touch my toes now! (Ok, I can touch my toes behind my head. I'm an overachiever!) But this is HUGE!
Here are some pictures. Some yoga, some Bikram. Not perfect. Yogi's everywhere are probably gasping but for me this is big.
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| My first Yoga outfit. It felt weird! |
Thanks for reading guys!! Cheers to a wonderful week ahead. Celebrate what you can do!
Laura
