Tri-Polar Express

I read somewhere recently, in the local paper, that "learning to do something new" releases endorphins in the brain! Well, I believe it ... I love trying new things, and have noticed that the joy I used to feel at "accomplishing" a new task or a new sport has indeed waned over time. Thus the old saying, "I'll never do an Ironman" eventually gave way to, "Well, maybe just one," to "I want to do a different one." I am a glutton for new adventures and for learning ...

I've done "fitness yoga" for several years but felt like I reached a plateau with my ability to stretch and build core strength. A friend suggested I try Bikram Yoga which involves doing a series of 26 yoga poses in a heated environment. The class is 90 minutes long and the heat adds to the challenge, but I find myself really looking forward to the class ... well not so much the class actually as the way I feel afterwards. A big part of Bikram Yoga technique is the breathing ... pranyama breaths during warm up, six count inhalation/exhalation during the workout, and finally the quick cool down breaths (which I forget what they are called) but they remind me of blowing out candles on a cake.

What's funny is that during the class I'm really not very comfortable or happy due to the heat and the sweat dripping from every single surface of my (and all other yoga-ites') bodies. The sweat drips down into my eyes at times causing burning. There are small face towels we use to mop up the sweat, but at the end of class you could literally wring them out! So when I say to my friend that I am "really looking forward to class" what I actually mean is that I'm looking forward to the post-class effects.

I (and my husband) miss yoga when I don't do it, partly because of the calming effect. This, my husband is particularly thankful for. But I have also noticed a positive impact on my post run stretching routine. My flexibility has definitely improved to where I was many years ago ... basically folding in half at the hips ... I know there are some who say too much stretching for a runner is bad, but ever since I started Bikram I have to say that the left hip pain I used to feel during and after running is suspiciously absent. Just to keep me from getting too complacent and feeling TOO good, however, my plantar is back ... boo hoo ... but so far it is managable. Thank goodness for ice packs and night splints!

In addition to my regular yoga practice I've been pretty diligent about swimming and running three times a week ... biking is probably the sport I'm working the least at right now ... but as my IMCDA training season starts in January that will definitely change ... so I am enjoying doing "alternative" activities now, while I can.

Posted by Cindy at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lovely day today in Northern California and the Pinnacles National Monument beckoned. A friend who is an avid hiker called me up to say today was the day she wanted to see the Pinnacles, a hiking destination she had read and heard about, but had never been to.

We didn't get a terribly early start, arriving at the trailhead around 11:00 a.m. but it was perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold ... there were some fellow hikers, but not many, so it felt relatively peaceful. The day was perfect ... I used to hike a lot, before I got into training for marathons and triathlons ... which takes up most of my spare time these days. But since I rode my bike to work Friday and ran on Saturday I had a "free" day to do with what I wanted ... and that was hiking. I love the feeling of being out in nature, communing with a friend and the wild (to the extent that we are away from the hustle and bustle of traffic and shopping malls, etc.)

It is a good feeling to be both active - raising your heart rate through hiking up hills, and serene - through appreciating the natrual beauty around you, and enjoying the company of a kindred spirit. I also happen to think that hiking is good cross training, making use of the glutes and other pelvic stabalizing muscles to rock scramble, and climb up/down steep sections of trail. It was a fabulous day ... and one that has reawakened an old passion. The winter time in the Bay Area is great for hiking, and I am so spoiled with many spectacular hiking trails within an hours drive.

Addendum: The next day my glutes were feeling it. Not only did the hiking reawaken a passion, it reawakened some lazy muscles too!

Posted by Cindy at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I LOVE my Calfee Luna Pro bike ... it's been at least three weeks since I've been on it, due to ramping up my running mileage on the weekends in preparation for Silicon Valley Marathon on Oct. 29th. Since my mileage was cut way back this week I decided to take advantage of it and do some seriously fun biking this weekend. Not to mention the weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately. My intention was initiatially to ride only 25 miles on an out and back course from my house. But we (my husband and I) got out there and I was having such a blast I decided to join him on his planned longer route ... hoping that I wasn't making a BIG training mistake.

I justified the longer ride on two counts: Firstly, tomorrow I have a deep tissue massage appointment which should help refresh the legs and secondly, it was good for me mentally to be going "fast" for a change, AND doing something I love. Really, constant training for a marathon just makes me feel so incredibly s-l-o-w, because well, I am going slow compared to swimming and cycling.

I did the minimum required run training this week. My plantar fasciitis is behaving itself. I'm enjoying the cross training and yoga aspects of taper ... and I feel as ready as I'm going to be for my A race. Bring it on ...

Posted by Cindy at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I got up early to check on my brother's progress in the Tonroto Marathon, but the website didn't publish real time reasults. So I called his cell phone thinking that my nephew, Connor, would answer ... and he did. Wade was holding steady at the 1/2 way point and was about 2 minutes ahead of his predicted time. It was looking good ...

I headed off to my Bikram Yoga class and told Connor that I would check in with him after my class, at which point Wade should be finished. Class felt extremely challenging today even though the series of poses was identical to the ones we did on Tuesday evening. But, I told myself, it was only my second time doing this type of yoga class, which is done in a heated room. I actually became somewhat nauseous during class and had to rest while others continued with the poses. When we went from standing postures to the mat I regained my composure and finished the class feeling more strong, and definitely limber. I have always been more of an evening exerciser, and I guess yoga is no different for me. The first thing on my mind after class was my brother and so I called him again ...

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Posted by Cindy at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)