Exploring Yoga

One of my 2018 goals is to attend 50 yoga classes. I want to increase my flexibility and fix my janky shoulder. And I need to relax. I have had several trying months. My anxiety and stress reached an unbearable level to where my coping method has become to do nothing. Like actual nothing. Sit on the couch with the tv on to repeat television and reset my alarm over and over again telling myself just 30 more minutes nothing. I have decided to do more by committing to less.

I started the New Year with a few classes at Be Hot Yoga. It's bastardized Bikram but the only thing you can get in in-town Atlanta.

I've discovered that I like vinyasa, power, and flow classes. When I was in Austin last week I stopped by the newly opened Yoga Pod studio. It's located in Arboretum Crossing, which is apparently in/near/somewhat close to Far West Austin. I think means the bougie burbs. I liked the studio a lot.

I went to podFLOW2 taught by Bryce Valdez. "podFLOW 2 classes, set to music, are dynamic and accessible, offering more challenging postures and variations based on the fundamentals of the podFLOW1 classes. Teachers bring their own creative element to podFLOW 2, resulting in diverse and inspiring classes. Each class focuses on proper alignment techniques and safe and intelligent sequencing progressions." podFLOW2 wasn't super advanced. If you've attended a few yoga classes in your life, you could keep up.

Last night I tried Infinity Yoga in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta. I live nearby, I've heard good things, and they have a $20 new client special. I went to Infinity Flow taught by Ashley Lorenzo. Infinity Flow is described as, "powerful dynamic flowing sequences with music! Many skill levels come to this class so many options are given, however knowledge of sun salutations and solid all around fitness is recommended for this class. Be prepared to sweat and have fun! Classroom temperature is WARM (between 82-87 degrees)." It was an advanced class. My body doesn't contort in those directions. But I had a good time and I'd go that class again.

Running Posts are Back!

I'm in Brookhaven this week house-sitting and caring for two of my favorite animals, Marley the golden retriever and Toby the ninja cat. Frank and Marley are pals so it's just a big slumber party.

I swear I did not ask them to pose for this photo.

Brookhaven is its own incorporated city north of Atlanta. I really like Brookhaven because it feels like we're in the suburbs, but we're only 9 miles from my apartment, which is in the middle of town.

I ran at a leisurely pace from the house out to Caldwell Road, and just followed it for about 2 miles. I knew I only had time for about a 4 mile run before I needed to take Miss Marley to the vet. It was also 80 degrees out and this princess needs to acclimate to running the heat again.

Intervals on the Active Oval

I woke up on Sunday and couldn't lift my arm. If it didn't hurt so badly, I would have thought I was paralyzed. It turns out that I did something to my rotator cuff when I reached behind my driver's seat looking for my pocketbook the day before. Yup, I have injured myself through my own laziness because I wouldn't get out of the car to look for my purse. I blame my passengers for forcing my pocketbook to relocate to the backseat floor in the first place.

On Monday I woke up in excruciating pain. I managed to dress myself and get to CVS for Icy Hot patches and Advil. I really wanted to make it to CrossFit that evening because the WOD was everything I like: clean and jerks, cleans, shoulder to overheads, doubleunders, wallballs (eh maybe not wallballs), but my arm just didn't feel right. I decided to get over to the Active Oval and complete the interval run from my half marathon training plan that I have been putting off for weeks.

I ran from my apartment to the Active Oval and that conveniently took care of my 1 mile warm up. Then I ran fast for 30 seconds and recovered for 60 seconds sixteen times. I'll be honest, some of those 1 minute recovery jogs were more like stumbling around like a drunk walks. Most of my 30 second runs were at 7:09 or 6:15 pace. Once was an outlier at 8:20 but that was when the timer went off in the middle of me chugging water from my almost empty bottle. It was pitiful looking. Georgia is hot.

A Long Run for Half Marathon Training

Long runs are pretty critical for any long(er) distance race. I used to run and race so often that I didn't really bother with them. I signed up for the Area 13.1 Half Marathon in November under the condition that I would train for it. I have a training plan that I loosely follow, but I haven't been that great about the long runs. I did my first long run in a very long time on Monday, July 14.

I gave myself 2 hours to run 10 miles. As you can see above, I reached that goal.

Day 1 of Half Marathon Training

Today I trained twice - CrossFit in the morning and running in the evening. I even looked forward to running after work. I found a plan on the half marathon website that was made by a running coach who has a L1 cert and therefore is trustworthy. The plan includes CrossFit twice a week, but since that's not enough to feed my addiction, I played around with it and some days I have two workouts. The plan called for a 45 minute easy run and that's about a 9 minute mile for me if I'm really taking it easy.

super excited to go run around in the humidity instead of going to bed

I ran 20 minutes along the Beltline and turned around when I hit another road. I then ran back and into Piedmont Park. A ton of porta-potties are all lined up. I'm not sure if they're for the Peachtree Road Race on Friday or leftover from today's giant USA soccer party.

Fall Half Marathon

I've been thinking a lot about running lately. My good friend and Facebook wife, Rebecca, likes to get my riled up about running and then I adamantly insist that I hate it. I didn't always hate running and sometimes I do miss racing, even with all of the pressure I put on myself. Running used to be fun and I want that fun back.

these are photos from a run along the Beltline during my first week in Atlanta

Sunday Funday: My New Home in Atlanta

On Thursday around 2:45 PM, I got into my car and started driving south. I arrived at my boyfriend's parents' house at 10:20 PM on Friday night. There were multiple Dunkin Donuts and bathroom breaks plus a night at my beloved Hilton Garden Inn, but I am now officially an Atlanta resident.

I'm all moved in and I signed up for my new box yesterday. I had some time to kill before I needed to pick up my mom at the airport so I drove over to CrossFit IDentity. I met two of the coaches, Victor and Ryan, and had a look around. I bought my membership within 10 minutes. Ryan graduated from PT school and moved back home today, but I am excited to meet the head coach Keith later this week.

I got a quick workout in the hotel this morning. Obviously another Hilton Garden Inn. One mile warm-up on the treadmill, starting with an incline walk and then working up to an all out sprint. Then 2 rounds of 10 squats with 30# dumbbells, 10 deadlifts with 30# dumbbells, 5 man-makers with 20# dumbbells. Just a little something to make up for my utter lack of movement during my epic drive down here.