Back on the wagon…temporarily.

I got this email today. It’s been two years since I started practicing Bikram Yoga. I have come a LONG way in two years. 🙂

Dear Julie,
It’s your anniversary with Bikram Yoga Seattle! As our client you are very important to us and we greatly value your business. We truly hope that you have enjoyed your experiences at Bikram Yoga Seattle and will continue to in the future.

As always, if you have any suggestions, comments, or requests about future services, then please let us know.

Hope to see you soon!

The Bikram Yoga Seattle Team

They will see me soon. Tonight! It’s been over a week since I have been, and my body is (literally) aching to go. I got back late yesterday from a long weekend in Whistler skiing some of the best snow I have skied in a LONG time. It was amazing, but my body is tired and sore.

I start week 9 of Boston training this week, and I truly consider myself in the heart of training. Starting today, I am back on the wagon until after the race, April 16. 14 mile run this Sunday. Yup. Hard core training has begun. 🙂

 

Lungs, I apologize

Seattle is having some COLD weather. Last night it got in the 20s. BRRRRRR. This means I have been running in the cold, which I normally like. I run warm (meaning, I am usually warmer than the average person), so I prefer to run in cooler weather. (why I love Bikram yoga so much then, is beyond me). The last couple of days, however, my lungs have not been too thrilled with the chillier temperatures.

Tuesday night was sprints. I went from a really warm house, to a warm car, directly to the track. It was 39 degrees. I started my first lap, sprinting, immediately. Less than one lap in, and my chest started to feel extremely tight. Before I had finished the second lap (4 laps in a mile), I was on the verge of having trouble breathing. Nearing panic or hyperventilation, or quite possibly death, (okay, that’s me just over dramatizing), instead of stopping to rest (I physically just don’t know how to do this…I swear), I reminded myself, “You practice yoga. Use your yoga breathing.” So, I changed my breathing, which almost instantaneously helped. My breaths got deeper, and I actually felt like I was getting some air in my lungs. I started to calm down, and then I finished the first mile: 6:59. I did a full lap to cool down…er, warm up my lungs. I figured my lungs were in shock. Each subsequent mile felt a bit better.

What did I learn? And what can I teach you? If the air outside is much cooler than your lungs are used to, give them some time to acclimate. Starting a run without warming up is shock enough, but jumping right into a sprint? Cruel. Oh, lungs, I am so, so sorry. 😦 Next time, I will walk one full lap of the track, breathing deeply, giving the frigid air time to mix with my warm lungs. Lesson learned, and hopefully lesson taught to you. 🙂

Happy running!

 

Running on my mind

I’ve got running on my mind. It’s always on my mind. I am currently eating, sleeping, and breathing running. All I want to do is talk about running. Running is my passion. It makes me happy. It makes me feel good. Except sprints…I have to run sprints tonight. Sprints don’t make me feel good. But it’s part of my training, so tonight, I will run mile sprints. Three of them.

What’s your passion?

 

Creativity Hill

Tuesday night I ran hills. Again, not my favorite. My legs were extremely sore. Yoga Friday, for the first time in nearly three weeks. 11 mile run Saturday. Couch potato to the max Sunday, which allowed my legs to tighten up just perfectly. And an intense yoga class Monday made for a set of immensely sore legs Tuesday. They ached a LOT. And then, I had those damn hills to run.  But, it was warm, it wasn’t raining, and my interval runs are shorter than any regular run, which meant it would be over quickly. I could take it easy…as much as one can take it easy when running a 1/4 mile hill, back and forth, four times.

I decided to run the hill I used to run. I don’t venture to that old neighborhood very often, but that hill is great. Not only is it a good training hill, but it has a tendency to spark some intense creativity inside me. Last time I ran that hill, I came up with an excellent idea for a project (that has yet to be completed, but is a really good work in progress, nonetheless). I have maintained that creative streak since, although it ebbs and flows, and I was hoping to fill up the tank with another hill run. It didn’t fail me.

Running that hill Tuesday night was a success. Not only did it loosen up my tight legs, but I also came up with some new ideas. I couldn’t stop thinking! When I am feeling creative, I don’t mind thought overload, and I felt euphoric after my run, much like the way I felt last time I ran that same hill.

In three weeks, I run hills again, but this time I will be excited! I will head back to Creativity Hill and become an expert at running hills, but more importantly, fill up my creative tank, which is what really makes me happy. 🙂