Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Me + Yoga= Calm

Good evening everyone! I hope that you are having a wonderful start to the week. Can you believe that it is almost the end of January already?! It's like I blinked and now it's almost February. Which means we are that much closer to the wedding :-)

Yesterday marked my return to a full week actually in the office. That hasn't happened since before the holidays, with all of the traveling I've been doing! I headed to the gym after work to trod out four miles on the track. I've decided that I really hate the track, although I don't hate it as much as the treadmill. I had big plans to wake up early yesterday and complete my run outdoors, but the rain got in the way of that. I love running in the rain, but only when it's 60 degrees out. 35 degree rain + 6:30 in the morning = turning off the alarm and going back to sleep! I'm all about equations in this post.

Four miles at the track at my gym equals 36 laps. To try to distract myself from the fact that I was running in so many circles as to make myself dizzy, I usually count the laps until the 9th one (1 mile) and then start over. Yesterday I was not feeling that. I was having some stomach issues so I used the restroom after a mile and came back with a new strategy. Count down from 27- each lap is a lap closer to the finish! Right? RIGHT! Ugh, I so could not psych myself up. I slogged it out but it was not pretty. How do you distract yourself during treadmill/indoor track runs? Sometimes I evaluate people's strides, but even that gets old.

After the run I completed 50 pushups and did some core work. I was tired after that! I added the mileage to my monthly running log and I am at over 41 miles for the month! If I keep up my scheduled runs (which I will, obvi) I will have run over 50! That is huge for me. I really feel like a runner. If you are a runner, how many miles do you typically accumulate each month?

Work was pretty relaxed today, aside from some moth infestation (under control) and skunk spraying in parking lot (which I'm glad I wasn't around for!) Today I finally made it to my Vinyasa flow yoga class at the studio I go to. I haven't been since before Christmas, since the class falls on a Tuesday and I had been on the road for the past few weeks. I had been doing yoga all by my lonesome and, while I love yoga download's workouts, sometimes you just need to get into the studio!

Today's practice focused mainly on leg strength and stretching. I could tell that it had been a while since my last studio class; my legs were screaming! I definitely worked up a sweat. The instructor had us in warrior poses, yogic squats, prayer pose and the like. She also incorporated one of my favorite poses, the triangle pose: Source

I really really love this pose. It is a top contender for my favorite. What I love about it is the amazing stretch that you feel in your legs couple with the intense opening on your side/rib cage. What is your favorite pose?

I practice yoga for many reasons, although I am by no means a yogi (yet!) I love how flexible it has made me. I can also feel the balance it gives me- it presents a nice congruity to my weekly running. Most importantly, though, is the calmness that I feel both during and after. Even if you are one that cannot shut off your mind, yoga forces you to focus on the pose, focus on your breathing, focus on yourself. Do you practice yoga? If so, what is the main reason you practice for? If not, why don't you?

Speaking of yoga, the fabulous Shannon at The Daily Balance is hosting an amazing giveaway for a yoga mat sling. Sign me up please! She is hosting a yoga week on her blog; stop by and check it out!


I'm about to settle in with a red blend and some magazines (ahhh, bliss). Have a great night!

17 comments:

  1. I really want to start practicing yoga more. Right now I'm just doing individual moves when I can.
    Usually to distract myself from the treadmill, I need a great playlist. My imagination can only entertain me for so long!

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  2. Hi Katie,
    Sadly, I have never done any type of yoga. I have seen the classes at the gym and have heard about it plenty through blogging. Maybe some day I will have to take a class and just try it:) The yoga pose looks like it is good for stretching many muscles in the body....and Lord knows I could use that! Take care Katie:)

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  3. Did you get shin splints (I'm assuming that's what I experienced tonight) when you first started running? The first few "runs" in the Couch to 5K program went really well - better than I had expected. But the last night I couldn't do it and today my shins were KILLING me. So much so that I had to stop halfway through and walk the rest of the time. Any suggestions? I really don't want this to interfere with preparing for the 5K.

    I always have a really hard time taking my mind OFF of the treadmill and just focus on something else. Music helps, as does people watching. But even those get old. I admire you for trudging through your run on the track! :)

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  4. sounds awesome, enjoy your magazines! :-) There have been many times I have gone in and out of Yoga, and whenever I do it I love it! Everything you said is so true. And the relaxation at the end of it is simple the best.

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  5. I can't even imagine running in circles like that. Especially 40 times! But I bet I would like it a lot better than the treadmill. I liked your idea of counting down to the finish. Every lap is closer to the end goal. Love it! Ahh... and red wine ALWAYS makes everything better! :)

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  6. I'm terrible at distracting myself on the treadmill or the track. I try to people watch or I do intervals to mix things up.

    I also love yoga. It totally mellows me out. I'm bumming because my pass at the gym for yoga classes just expired and I can't afford to renew it. :-( I'm going to have to figure something out! Otherwise I might go crazy!

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  7. 50 pushups?!? Holy warrior woman! Good for you!

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  8. I almost always run outside, but with the extreme temps where I live, I have had to do some treadmill runs--they were grueling after being outside! I started downloading some podcasts to my mp3 and it seems like listening to talking is a lot more distracting than music, and really helps keep my brain occupied and off the dullness of running inside.

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  9. Where do you take yoga? I am the least flexible person in the world :(

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  10. Okay, how do I explain my technique for not getting bored on the tripod. I look at my ipod and I see how long each song is. For example, if the current song is 4:13 long, I tell myself when the song is done, i'll be at 4:13. Then I look at the next song which is say 9 minutes long and I tell myself when that song is done, I'll tell myself that I'll be at 9:13 and so on. For some reason, it makes the run go faster.

    I'm weird, I know.

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  11. Oops, I meant when the 9 minute song is up, I'll be at 13:13.

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  12. Wow - 36 laps around the track a lot! No wonder you are trying new ways of counting it.

    I should be running 22 miles this week, per my training schedule, but with work getting in the way, I'm not sure how much I'll hit. Darn it!

    And I am ashamed to admit that I'm not a yoga person. I have no balance and get really embarrassed in classes. I always envy and admire people who do it regularly.

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  13. Whenever I run on the treadmill, I just make sure to have my ipod on. Music really, really helps me. I get lost in the songs. Also, there is a tv in front of the treadmills, and if no one else is on them, I change the channel to watch a show I like, which also distracts me.

    My favorite yoga poses are Tree, Mountain, and Warrior. They all make me feel very focused and powerful. :)

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  14. Heeey girl!! I know what ya mean. Doing anything for long distances is such a mind game sometimes. I dont run but I long distance bike. I try to zone out, best way to distract myself. I usually cant wear my iPod when i bike (too dangerous) so I try to just think of things to distract me. At the gym though I crank my tunes and the time just flies on by!

    Loving the Yoga. Its something I want to get way more into.

    Way to go though, 36 laps is alot of laps!! Keep on rockin girl. Have a wonderful day!

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  15. 50 push ups!!! So awesome!

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  16. I used to do yoga, but that is usually the first thing to slip for me! I do love sun salutations- so relaxing and they build strength.

    Great jobs on the push ups!

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  17. I love the Sun Salutation, gets my back all loosened up.

    I'm impressed you can run on a track, I just can't do it. I need to be distracted inside so I either have my ipod, or good old reality TV!

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