Well, Once again it is obvious that I have been failing epically to update this blog as life and work and all of those other things in between get in the way. But I wanted to include some quick updates and let you know that I am still alive, well, and training. Please allow this brief throw back and then and update with current stuff.
On day 135, I swan 1400 meters in 54 minutes. This, of course, was with breaks and allowing for extra time because I broke up the different kinds of strokes I used, so it was slower than anticipated, but decent. I should mention that I don't really like swimming all that much. In a pool, it feels limited and unnatural and makes me uneasy. I do like swimming in open water, whether that be a lake, river or the ocean. I think this year I am going to bring back the trend of taking a dip in the
Day 146 was a six mile Saturday. This also was a turning point in my running. I ran later in the day, around 10am, and it was hot, humid, and awful outside. I spent a good hour and change huffing and puffing my way along my route and didn't enjoy one minute of it. I realized that my training for the upcoming 70.3 ironman was going pretty poorly and I wasn't having any fun. After that run, I decided that I needed to focus my energy away from running for a while to recharge my energy, body, and love for my sport. Enter Bikram Yoga.
Day 148: Bikram Yoga is also called "hot yoga" and is a very energizing and positive experience. I signed up for the introductory week and was hooked (for a while). Basically you go into a room wearing a sports bra and a very loose pair of shorts with at least 2 water bottles, a yoga mat, and a towel. The room is going to be anywhere from 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The structure of the class is a set of 26 postures that are done every time and in every class. There is no hierarchy of beginner yoga versus advanced yoga, which I liked very much. As a beginner, you stand in the back of the room and watch the people in front of you. The first 15 minutes is intended to heat up your muscles and energize you from the inside. During this time you don’t have any water. After that, you can sip on the water occasionally throughout class in between postures. The postures are not easy and you do 2 sets of each so you have 2 chances to try out different techniques. There is obviously a huge emphasis on your breathing and the posture itself. I really enjoyed it, mainly because each time it kicked my ass. After each class, however, I felt remarkably energized, which is unfortunate since I can only take the class at 8 pm (which runs till 9:45 pm usually). If they had a 6 am class, I would probably still be going on a regular basis, but I was loosing too much sleep. Now on some nights I do the postures myself in my apartment with the AC off, it basically is the same thing as the Bikram studio. The yoga helped though. It made me feel stretched and invigorated. I have a tendency to get very honed in on something (mileage) and forgeting about everything else (enjoying running). Eventually you stall out when you run on like this. So in essence Bikram was my kick start to enjoy fitness again and bring me back.
Over the next month or so, I hurt my leg again and decided to not compete in the 70.3 ironman. Having to sit a race out and adding that DNS (Did Not Start) to my list of things I’ve done, did not feel good, but in the long run it was for the best. I knew that if I kept training I would physically hurt myself either just before or on race day and that I needed time to heal. My goal all along has been this 50 mile race and I didn’t want to ruin my chances of doing that. So I sat that one out and took time off to re-coup and cross train. Finally, now my leg is more sturdy and healed and I am back in the game. Wednesday was Day 191 and I ran 5 miles in about 50 minutes. While I was running, I could feel the wind sliding over my cheeks and the sun burning into my back. I was able; again, to hear the tree branches ache as they stretched toward the sky. I could feel each foot strike on the ground as my feet glided over the pavement, leading the way. I had forgotten these things. Maybe it had been the heat and humidity and trying to get in 3 and 4 mile workouts during lunch. Maybe it had been too long on the elliptical or too long since the bike. Whatever it was, my runner’s blues, are over and I am stepping back up to try again. Yesterday I rode my bike 18 miles in an hour. Again, as I weaved through the runners, walkers, chatters, and children, I felt the wind send shivers down my spine. I felt alive again.
I am not sure what derailed me and why for so long, but I am back.
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