Triumph over (tiny) adversity

This running program has been challenging in ways I didn't fully realize it would be challenging.

It's all that mind stuff.
Stuff that I have to push through in completing this running program that don't have to do with my lungs, muscles, heart or extra fat around the middle.

1. heat
2. sun
3. sweat that makes sunglasses slippery
4.the stupid c25k app crapping out after 18 seconds of my warm up and pocket dialing the last call I made
5. #4 again, after I set up a security code to try to stop that from happening
6. #4, and the fact that it happens to have pocket dialed a guy I am in the process of kind of breaking up with. And the perfect person to call at 6:45 am and leave a long heavy breathing message to is the guy you are in the process of kind of breaking up with.
7. Switching to another program mid-run after #4 happens, but only being able to set up a single interval. No: 90/90, 180/180, 90/90, 180/180 in the new one. SO setting it up to do 180 all the way through .. and resenting that extra time of running.
8. old stretchy pants that keep falling down and need to be hiked up every 3 strides
9. running past beer gardens and sucking in a big gulp of stale beer
10. running past street fair Oui Oui port-o-potties

All of those things really suck during the run.

But they also make you extra proud of making it to week 4, Day one in the morning!
And extra proud for setting the intervals for all 180s instead of all 90s.
And extra proud, during that last 180, for doing it all rather than walking early, because by rights you deserve it.

Bad weekend for yoga though, some maybe theater plans that did not pan out led to no Friday night yoga.
Saturday. my 3 hour yoga workshop was cancelled.
Today I had a day long board meeting and could not get to any classes.

So, tomorrow I do some yoga.

Doing things I don't Like, doing things I don't Enjoy

This (pregnant) lady looks the most hunchy and belly bumpy of all the seated forward bend Google images, so I picked her. This is how I would look if I got better at it.

I have a really hard time with standing forward bend, getting better but I am really lumpy and I feel like my lower back is fused together and that hinge at the pelvis needs some oil.
But SEATED forward bending is the worst. I hate doing these. I can't even sit up straight and extend my legs. That alone hurts my back. Blanket under butt helps, but not enough to derive any joy from these poses.

The class I took tonight was ... focusing on seated forward bends! Ugh.

So I am thinking positive, I did something I don't love with an instructor who is not my favorite. Because I have drive and commitment and a desire to learn and improve! And, if I start using everything as an excuse to skip classes I will be doomed. It's good to push myself sometimes, right.

TOTAL HOURS: 3
REMAINING HOURS: 197

200, 45

My friend J. has decided to enroll in the teacher training program at our yoga studio.
J. has been doing yoga, several times a week, for many years now and she is lovely and slim and her dedication has paid off in terms of her abilities and health as well. She does not necessarily want to teach yoga, but likes the idea of more concentrated training for her own practice. She is a perfect candidate for this training at this point in her practice.

All of this, of course, make me think .. I want to do that too!

But I am not at that point in my practice or dedication --- 6 months of training on Saturday afternoons!? What about mimosa brunch? What if something wonderful happens and I get an offer for a romantic weekend getaway? --- not to mention that I have thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of credit card debt right now and should not be signing up for $3,000 training courses.

So, I have decided that I should take another approach to this. Look at what it is that attracts me to the idea and build on that.

1. I want to do more yoga. I was so proud of the AMAZING navasana I did Monday. And, my forward bends are getting better, I feel my very creaky pelvic tilt and tight lower back starting to improve.

2. I am intrigued by the time frame, the course would start soon and end right after my 45th birthday. 45!!! I think I might have one of those mid-life crisis kind of birthdays. I always planned on aging gracefully but life is full of surprises. I think I would like to feel very proud of something when that birthday rolls around.

3. Lots. i just like that this is about doing something a lot. That impresses me.

4. It would be fun to do something with J. because she is smart and fun and positive and happy in addition to that lovely stuff.

So, taking those things together and being realistic, I have decided that starting this week, I am going to invest 200 in yoga by my birthday, the number of hours of the training program. I have not really done the math to figure out what that is per week, is this a lot, not so much? Doesn't matter, it is still a heck of a lot more than I am doing now.

I am going to count the 1.5 hours from the Monday class, where I did that outstanding navasana.

I am going to show some dedication by going to a class on Friday night before hopping on my bike to go across town for birthday drinks.

I am going to sign up for that 3 hour workshop on Saturday to work on neck and shoulders.

And I am going to get some priorities straight, tackle this work stress, and make arrangements, starting in September, to come in late on Fridays so I can go to one of my favorite teacher's class.

And I will make it a point to find other fun things to do with J. Maybe Sunday brunch mimosas?

Why does my Dominick's have TAB but not Vernors

I was all set for a Vernor's float tonight, but no Vernors at my grocery store! So I made root beer instead. I was hungry enough that I had it for an appetizer while my chicken roasted, rather than dessert. Delicious. Also, I am especially pleased that I did not eat the entire pint of Ben and Jerry's I bought to make it. I've got a problem with ice cream in the house.

Sesame Ginger Trout

Delicious lunch: Sesame-ginger trout with asparagus, bean sprouts, and black sesame seeds.

And today I completed week one of the running program. I'm logging the week two intervals to the Timer app on my phone, now.

Inspiration

Yesterday,
on my bike ride home from work,
I decided that in addition to looking out for potholes,
jackasses opening their car door into the bike lane without looking,
and crazy, swerving drivers,
I would look for inspiration and joy.
It just popped into my head as I strapped on my bike helmet.
I rode less than 3 blocks before I saw a woman.
Pink running shirt,
Running shorts with a lime green racer stripe,
Bouncy brown pony tail,
Amazing butt,

And a prosthetic leg.




She ran up from behind me and stopped a few steps ahead of me,
waiting for the same light to change that I was was.
She was impatient to get going, get moving, the way that city runners are.
When it turned green, she sprinted out of there.
Yesterday was also the day off between Day One and Day Two of the running schedule.
I was hardly giving up this early, but I admit it was inspirational and well timed, to remember that people go through a lot of effort to have the opportunity to do things I take for granted.
When I jumped out of bed at 6:30am this morning, I did it with a little extra bounce.
In other news, my experiment with the gluten-free Nasoya Pasta Zero Shirataki noodles was a hideous failure. Those things are disgusting and weird textured. It was like eating slimy worms. And this is coming from a woman who ate a bowl of tiny eels (?) for breakfast in Japan. Blech!