Wohoo

I promise I've been active. There haven't been a whole lot of pictures

I've had two interval runs. and I always walk away from the run saying I'll be at the gym more. But I've only made it twice in the past two weeks. I've done some walking with pokemon on my lunch. However, it's getting super hot. And I don't do heat well. I hate heat. And humidity. I also turn into a whiney little thing. 

New news is I've begun foam rolling. Once a week after my low aerial yoga class, I now get to teach a foam rolling class. It's a lot of fun. It hurts but it's fun and is good for me. You wouldn't think that something that looks like an oversized pool noodle could hurt so dang much but you would certainly be wrong. Being a new class and practice, I've been doing a lot of research both with websites and talking to other yoga teachers. Don't spend too long in an area. Avoid rolling the lower back but you can use the foam roller as a tool for bridge. Ditto for the neck. Using it 2-5xs a week is best and I'm not great at that. My roller sits in my trunk waiting for Wednesdays. It is sort of a full body workout too. There are body contortions you have to do, and planks. So far I've had class each week with a few students. I hope that it continues to be successful and maybe we can get a few people into low aerial after watching it while waiting for class. Peek some interest. 

The lyra is still a painful partner. Instagram is helping me find new interest in aerial yoga and aerial hammock (not the same). We do Friday Night Live as a studio during the summer. It's a street festival every Friday. I've run into old classmates and coworkers. It's so much fun and opens conversations. It helps I think that we are also all different body types. We aren't all the lithe yoga woman everyone conjures up when they think yogi. We are short, tall, skinny, curvy, young, not so young. I think, we embodied that yoga is for every body. There are as many types of classes and teachers as there are students who want to learn. 

Circus/Lyra hurts

There are a few things that I still need to get done. One is to run more. I feel better overall. Another is to get that legal name change then so I can officially take my hubbies name. I could also use to figure out how to avoid bees. Two bees found it necessary to sting me, once on Friday-so no FNL for me-and one on Sunday and my knee is still not happy. It's not an allergy necessarily but a small reaction combined with my overreactive immune system. When I woke up this morning, it still hurt. One more day of rest. 

And I've started selling some of my photography on Etsy. Printing is done by a local store. The audience is slowly building and then I can figure out what people are most interested in. I had my first sale. I even got a picture of where it was going to hang and the background as to why the buyer wanted that specific picture. This sort of connection makes the sale rather special. I hope other interactions are just as rewarding. So far people are looking at this one the most....

As for now, it's just photos, but maybe in the future I'll learn how to do scented Epson salts or resin jewelry and paperweights with the photos or dried flowers. I'm feeling crafty. Part of me wants to make clothing too. Women's clothing with real pockets that actually hold things. However, the intial investment and the slow return....It's a little prohibitive.

 Life is moving forward. I'm trying to work on the flow. And going with it. Finding the love of life and inhaling it with deep, nourishing breaths. 

Post Wedding Report

The wedding is over. It was a success. My running not so much.

There was no running streak as I hoped. I underestimated all the errands and last minute things that needed to be done. I did run around a lot. A. Lot.

The wedding went off without a hitch. It was beautiful. I am more comfortable in running shoes and combat boots than peep toe pumps. The weather was beautiful. It was a wonderful day with lots of great people.

So I picked up a couple of runs this past week. Tuesday, I ran a fun run. I ran with varying difficulty with different levels of incline. And it felt good. It was hard but it was nice at the same time. I didn’t sprint that much. I wanted a smooth run. Not to say that I didn’t sweat. I did. And then I realized I forgot all my bath stuff at home. A quick sink bath had to do.

Stormy day=no outside running

Wednesday was a different run. I kept it flat and worked on sprints. Every five minutes I would bump up the speed to 6.7mph and sprint 30 seconds to a minute. I would keep the towel over the time so that I wouldn’t stare at the clock. Again, this was hard. Parts of it were unpleasant. But I understand what people mean by feeling rewarded by running. It wasn’t a fast run but it required a lot of effort.

After a 5k, I went to the stair climber for 15 min. That is a weird machine. I don’t like stairs. I will run thirteen miles but I still hate stairs. And why are they so tall? And why are the steps so small? If I didn’t need to improve my lung capacity, I would avoid this machine like the plague. Have I mentioned that I’m a sweater? I believe the stair climber and I will become friends in the future but right now we are frenemies.

Then, I did something I should have done a long time ago. I pulled a foam roller off the rack and used it. It’s pleasant torture. It is not pleasant but it hurts so good. I have to figure out a few other positions to get a few muscle groups I missed but why have I waited so long? I will be visiting the foam roller more often. I wish I had taken one to Door County for the HM. I might have been able to not walk like a cowboy the next day.

Yoga was quite interesting. We had three new students. One almost new student as well. There was a request for an abdominal focus. I like the challenge. It involves planks and inverted toe touches and my favorite; straddleback into bridge into straddleback to pike/plow. I think that series use all those adominal muscle groups. Sometimes, we are zen in class and sometimes we are a little more active.

There was a plan to run this morning but I ran into a small issue last night. Since Sunday, my left foot had been itchy. I thought it was athlete’s foot maybe but nope. I was stung by a bee. And while swelling was minimal, the itching was getting unbearable. With close inspection, I noticed a blister and in the skin beneath a stinger (I think). It doesn’t feel good and I thought a rest would be good. 

Hopefully, it will feel well enough for a quick run this weekend. 

Running to the Wedding

It’s crunch time. The wedding is less than a week and I have a wedding streak going since Monday. I hope to get at least a mile in every day till that morning.

Monday was a nice run. Well, it was hard but I got to 5ks in. I was doing the Global 5k with Runkeeper and Top Gun Run with Will Run for Bling. It just didn’t feel natural. Running more than 10 min together was nearly impossible. I’m not sure why. It could be medicine. It could be autoimmune. It could by bad aerobic ability which I know needs some improvement. Maybe I could do the Bridge to 10k again. Monday, I worked on sprints with some inclined moments. A few of the half marathon improvement plans included that. I worked with a fartlek mentality rather than a hard and fast 2 min of tempo and 30 seconds of sprint. I also added a walking component, since I was struggling. It just feels like my lungs don’t take enough air in. I’m seriously considering doing a stair stepper. Steps wind me right away. I used to work on the third floor of a building and for nearly five years I took those steps and puffed as much from the first day to the last.

Later that day, the dog and I went to a dog park. So I got some more walking mileage in. With hills. The little stinker didn’t want to go very long. In the past, I’ve had to chase her down after two hours. Monday, she was tired after a half hour and sitting next to me waiting to go.

This morning I went for a run. Again, I felt like my lungs weren’t getting enough air to my body. But truthfully, I just felt discombobulated. Even though I woke up at 3:59, wide awake, I kept dropping stuff. I forgot my phone in the car. How does one track one’s run and watch daredevil without my phone? I did some sprints, I did some tempo runs. Personally, I think my natural gait is 4.8mph. This means that some people walk faster than I run. I forgot running socks and only had some thin socks. So I ran sockless. Now I have chafing on the side of one of my ankles. The runs have been more rough than easy as of late. At the same time, I feel happier on days I’ve run. I feel more content and easy going.

So I hope to get a jog in tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow will be a good run. Maybe it will be a great run. 

Post-Half Marathon

So what happens after a half marathon?

Well, I plan on how to improve.

Not a whole lot has happened since the race. I’ve had my aerial class which was nice. I enjoy the oasis in the middle of the week and I will take time to practice even when I don’t have a class. In some things, you can find joy and serenity all wrapped in one. I find I can do that, especially when I add a flow or strength element to it.

The week after the race I took the week off from running. I think it’s usual to maybe have a few jogs but I was hurting and I thought to take it easy. Lots of walking and stretching. My autoimmune popped up a bit but the rest nipped it in the bud.

Truthfully, the night after I ran the race, I was already looking at training suggestions. I could barely walk but I was already looking to torture myself again. Maybe the next race will be flat.

So I did run Tuesday morning. It was a hill and sprint run. It was hard. I was dripping in sweat. Sometimes, I would catch myself staring at the clock and not at Daredevil even though we’ve gotten to the Punisher part in the series. (Now there is a movie to be made that would benefit from an R rating. And I want to see it)

And it was tough. I almost fell twice while wiping sweat off my face. My chest feels a little gunky still. There may have been some bargaining going on too. Just make it 30 seconds, and then you can stop. I felt out of practice and I probably was. I did feel strong. I was wearing a Door County HM shirt. I felt comfortable enough but I just didn’t feel great. I need greater aerobic ability. I feel like that was my undoing.

I ran again on Thursday and that felt even worse. But the goal was slow and easy with some sprints and hills for part of it. I dialed it down a bit. I might be suffering a bit from over training. Or undertraining. It’s hard to tell when you have an autoimmune. Too much training and you’re tired and worn out. Too little and you’re tired and worn out. By continuing to work on my aerobic base and maybe doing some more strength training, I should be able to greatly improve my performance. But I have to do it. And right now running feels a little discouraging.

Maybe I should take up swimming. And biking. Maybe I should be a triathlete. Yup, this former coach potato suggested the possibility of me taking up three sports. Because why not? I can do a half marathon. So why not do other seemingly impossibly things?

And that was about it. We are getting ready for the wedding in two weeks. A lot of time is spent on final preparations. We did go to the zoo so that even though I did not run, I definitely was moving this weekend.

I also got the potted garden finished. The plan is that me and the husband to be can eat everything planted. And so can the bearded dragon, except for the herbs. The bunnies can be voracious so I hope the height will be a small deterrent. It was fun. The dog sat in the shade for the most part. The bearded dragon took off. There was hunting and scratches but she was found. And was very ungrateful about being found. Despite that she got to taste her first hibiscus and it was a hit. Someone is getting a leash ordered for her today though.

I hope to get some aerobic activities in these next two weeks. I want to make a little extra breathing room in the wedding dress. And I want to make room for any stress or convenience eating that happens during preparations.

These next two weeks will be interesting and busy and I will do my best to report in before the wedding. I will also try to make a couple of honeymoon entries. The scenery will call for a mile or two jog while we are traveling thru sea stacks and redwoods. 

Wedding Hair Dye Complete

From a previous trip

Tuesday Report

Happy Tuesday

Friday and Saturday I covered for a couple of the teachers who were off in Chicago doing circus stuff.

Friday, we covered basics. The studio had teacher training. I focused on describing why I do what I do. The trainees had some experience with aerial yoga which made life easier. They did well. I think they’ll make good teachers. The second class was fun. Girl Scouts and their moms. This gave the trainees a chance to work with kids, which is a whole different world. The class did wonderful. They all had fun as we went thru a similar group of asanas as the previous class, but made it more fun. Yoga poses were completed with fun little stories. Kids bring a whole different energy to a yoga class. I also discovered Lularoe leggings. I went home with blue and silver tiger striped leggings and one with clouds and suns.

Saturday, the class was a little bit more challenging. We had a new student but she was game for whatever. So were the trainees. Two regulars showed up too. I asked the class what they wanted to do and we ended up with some strength work. I also included a vinyasa side locust series to show how to link static poses together. The studio owner requested I do a few poses so she didn’t have to demonstrate them later. We did those. We also worked on some trouble areas for new students. Everyone seemed onboard and excited with class. We opened the door and let some fresh air and the sounds of weekend life into the studio. It was a very refreshing class.

Sunday, I did not do a long run. I had intentions but then life got a little busy. The dog got to run. She went with us to a friend’s house and she got to run around the backyard with her little buddy. By the end of the visit, she was pooped and lay panting in the shade, while the little one continued to bounce on her.

Then, of course, there was Game of Thrones. A Buzzfeed quiz put me in House Stark. The dog and I watched the show. The dragon did not want to watch the show. My Sunday evenings will now consist of cider and a visit to Westeros. Frequently, the dog watches with me but the fiancé is not as enthralled as we are.

I ran this morning. I wore my Brooks and my new cloud leggings. I felt rather perky and awake. The run went great. Well, the first few minutes were rough as they usually are. But then Daredevil got really good and I didn’t notice how tired I was getting. One of the students from yoga is doing the 5k in Door County but she wanted to see what the half marathon course was like. On Saturday, she told me that it’s one big hill. My new strategy is work on hills and continuous running. Speed is nice but if the hill takes me out, nothing else matters.

It felt like I could have easily kept going. Mostly, I left the treadmill on 5.2mph with one break. This should give me a 2:50:00 time for my half. At level three, it seemed easy enough. Maybe the next run, I’ll try level four. Next week, I’ll need to take it a little easy to keep my legs fresh.

So that’s it. I wonder what the rest of this week will hold. 

Hello, Are you out there?

Well, hello again. I promise I haven’t abandoned you. As so often happens, life has gotten in the way. Between wedding and work, time has been at a premium.

Last Tuesday, I went for run before work. I’ve developed a plan to help increase my pace. It seems to be working and I can adjust it for the day’s need. I start with a regular five minute warm up and then start the work. Typically, I start at 5mph and each minute build up. And then build down. The first time around, I keep it slow, not building past 5.6mph. Second time, I build up to 6.7mph. And then back down again. How many times this is repeated is dependent on how long my run time is. It gives me an opportunity to work on pace and intervals at the same time. Even though it is an interval workout, it isn’t easy. I was dripping in sweat.

So here is the before picture

Wednesday, we had an airing aerial yoga class. The students and I had to let things go. We needed to air our frustrations out but not have any one try to fix it. Just say it and let it go. I would like to think we all felt a little lighter leaving class. In yoga, we talk about a mind body connection. Sometimes, where our minds go, our body follows. If our thoughts are kinda ugly, our bodies can go south too. In the beginning of class, we start with a seated meditation. Last Wednesday, we mentally swept our minds of all those things dragging us down. At the end of the class, we reminded ourselves that we are supported and safe and able to deal with whatever life was swinging at us.

I had the intent to run Thursday and Friday and Saturday, but it didn’t happen. I’ve been battling some exhaustion and a busy life.

We went to an Ani Difranco concert Friday night

So running on Monday happened. And I copied my workout plan but started at 5.2mph. I’m still slow. It’s ok. I remind myself that I just started running a year ago. I’ve been adding hills to my walking portions. A little birdie told me that my half marathon has some rather large hills. I don’t want to be surprised again like I was with the Great Pi Run.

Monday was rough. I felt like I couldn’t get going or catch my breath. Even before that, I had forgotten pants. No running pants. No running pants no run. Thankfully, my gym has clothes for sale and I got some shorts. They were super comfortable and unisex, so they weren’t short. They were long. I rolled them up so they weren’t knee length. It was an awfully sweaty run. But satisfactory.

Now this Wednesday, this Wednesday was fun. Last Wednesday, we did a little “foam rolling” with the fabrics. So I planned a whole aerial yoga rolling class. It was wonderful and painful all at once. In the past, I had a trigger point massage one day. The day of and the day after left me uncomfortable and sore. But the day after that, I felt so pain free. Foam rolling is of a similar concept. It is a popular way to work out sore muscles especially with runners. I’ve heard a lot of people with fibromyalgia use it as well.

I applied the concept to the low aerial yoga. It went really well. We used traditional yoga moves modified to let the fabric roll on certain muscle groups. The phrase “it hurts so good” surely applies here. Besides working out achy muscles and achieving myofascial release, it was great working on core, back, and arms. There was a lot of groaning after finding the spot. At the end of class, everyone expressed their happiness with the new class. I mentioned I might bring to a class I’ll be subbing for on the 22^nd and that sparked some interest as well. I think it was a successful class. Admittedly, I’m a little sore today but tomorrow will be better.

Studio was freezing this morning. Stayed in my coat for a bit.

Tomorrow, I plan on running. A few times, I’ve said I’m too tired to get up but I have found that I’m more tired and continue to get tired when I don’t get my butt up and run. Also, I don’t have to go to the gym to run either. I sometimes forget that I was a road runner first. When I run on the road, I don’t have the control that I get on a treadmill. The treadmill lets me fine tune what I want to do in a way that I cannot outside. They both have their benefits.

I love my active life. And it’s not as active as some and more active than others. At the same time, it’s really easy to fall into bad habits. I must be on guard. I’m looking forward to the half marathon. I just need to keep training and keep using my aerial yoga for recovery.

In the meantime, here is Karn sunbathing and straight up bathing

Also here are a few pets available at our local Hwy 100 at Petworld

Flares and a Long Run

It’s been awhile. But I’ve got some running and yoga updates to do.

I yoga’ed on Wednesday. It was nice and full. I had some new faces which is always fun. There is something very nice about new students. It reminds us of how far we came and the joy in discovering something new. I kept with the basics and made sure to give accurate cues. With the regulars, it’s not as important and they have general concepts of aerial yoga. Once you have the basics down, the sky is the limit.

Random thought: Love these boots and leggings

The past week I had a cold and a flare. It was a rough week. I didn’t run but did get to yoga. I have to decide when this happens whether or not to suck it up or not. In general, but it felt like this week was a week where I needed rest. Sleeping was minimal and I was teary from the extra pain. It makes me feel powerless over my own body.

But Saturday, I had it. I went to the gym as the weather was unpredictable. I meant to just take it easy. No runs could lead to injury if I went too hard. So I went slow for my 13.2 miles. My pace was 13:26. When I first started, my knee hurt. Not too painful but still uncomfortable enough to notice. It went away after the first mile. Daredevil is starting to get good. I dressed as if it was 70-ish with light capris and my new favorite shirt. It quotes from Firefly. There was some near poetry in that show.

I’m hoping that I can get some more runs in this week. I feel much better but it’s important not to go too hard or I could trigger another flare. There is a fine line that I have to be careful. There is sucking it up and being conscious of what happened last week.

So that’s it. I hope I will be able to give more updates this week.  

Another Friday Post

Hello again.

Where did I leave off? Friday I slept. No yoga.

Saturday I had a great run. I went 7 miles and I was literally dripping sweat. It was wonderful.

I did it on a treadmill finishing Jessica Jones and starting up Daredevil. The first few miles, as usual, were hard. My internal dialogue was urging me to stop. It takes time for me to settle into a run, time for my brain to disconnect from my legs. Running is a mental game. While it is technically natural, if you aren’t used it to it, it’s hard. And uncomfortable. It’s normal to want to stop. Then, comes the time when you accept the feelings and your breathing comes easier. Your body stops fighting and sinks into the run. That’s what I wait for. That’s when the run becomes enjoyable.

People ran next to me and moved on to the next thing. They all ran faster than me. There were a couple of ladies who ran at 8.5 miles per hour. They ran for about twenty minutes. Another guy ran at a steady 7 mph. Runkeeper said I ran an average or 5.26 mph. I played with my pace, varying from a speedy walk to 7 mph. The faster paces are becoming easier.

Looking back at this month, it appears I’ve had a little burn out. I asked runners on MyFitnessPal what to do. Because I do really love running, but I’ve only had a few runs. They suggested sign up for a race. One of my yoga students mentioned that she was doing a 5k in Door County. I looked at the website and realized they also have a half marathon. Could this be my race? Could I convince my other half that we should take a weekend trip just so I can run? The answer to both questions is Yes! After I post this blog I’ll be registering and reserving a room. Come March, I’ll be in training to run 13.1 miles thru Penninsula State Park.

Tuesday, I made the sloppy joes from the Runners Cookbook. They were delicious. The recipe called from some interesting ingredients like maple syrup and apple juice. It was easy to make and I would definitely make them again. My fiance agrees that this should be part of our list of recipes to try again. 

Wednesday, we had yoga. I had an awesome new student who didn’t even complain once about the fabric. The regulars and I had a regular class and the new student kept up with us. We stretched and massaged our mid-sections per a request. We chatted about our lives and leave it all behind.

I’m so grateful to have found yoga and running. It lets me get into my head and work thru it all and come thru the other side so much more at peace. The hamster wheel in my head slows down.

Yoga tonight. Bridesmaids get fitted for their dresses tomorrow. I get fitted for my wedding band tomorrow. Seems like a good weekend.