And She's Back!

As I mentioned in my last post, life has intervened on my blogging and stress and anxiety have lowered my workout motivation to almost zero. Although a little less zealously, I have continued to run, and I still do yoga, but am more likely to skip a day.

I signed up for fewer races this year, because we have a lot going on and because we are trying to save money (the race fees can add up!). This morning I completed my first 5K race of the season, The Fifth Annual Jack Roth 5K Rock & Run/Walk.

I ran this race last year, with a time of 25:09. I enjoy this race, as it takes place in Bexley - a place I love and where I am moving in a month. It's perfectly lovely to run with a group of people that you know and be cheered on by your (soon-to-be) neighbors and friends. I convinced my husband to walk the race as well, with our youngest two kids in a double stroller (a regular one, not a jogger), and our 6-year-old walking/running herself.

Because of my recent lack of motivation and this being my first race of the season, I had very low expectations. Before the race began, I told my friend that I would only be jogging this one. She distrusted my concept of "jogging" and said she wouldn't start with me, so I started with another friend's husband. When the race began, I realized that I couldn't keep up with him and told him just to go on, and I would jog at my own pace.

Running on the streets is a completely different animal from running on the treadmill - my usual habit. I found myself feeling winded fairly early on, but I just persevered. Since I almost never run outside, though, I don't own any of the fancy gadgets that give you information about your speed, so I never have any idea about what my pace is. I felt like I was moving along fairly evenly, though.

At about mile 2, one of the volunteers shocked me by calling out to me, "Number 2! You're second! The second girl! Girl Power!". I couldn't believe it! Second?! That was definitely the motivation I needed! I wasn't really able to speed up much, but I certainly didn't want to lose that place! I powered it in to the finish line, maintaining that second female finisher position (out of 213 women), coming in twentieth overall (out of 355 total runners). My time was 21:45, at a seven-minute mile pace. That's 3:24 faster than my time at last year's Jack Roth 5K, and 1:44 faster than my personal best for a 5K!!!

After I finished, drank some water and ate a banana, I ran back and caught up with the family and jogged and walked the rest of the way with them. It was wonderful morning, and it has energized me for racing for the summer.

Burst of Confidence!

Lots has been going on in our lives lately, and not only have I not been blogging much, but my workouts have ramped down somewhat. Life just gets in the way, I guess. Anyway, with my training schedule modified, I have been feeling a little jittery about participating in the Columbus Half Marathon on May 1. I am definitely going to participate, but I am just going to go at a comfortable pace and not worry about setting any goals, just finishing.

The weather was gorgeous today and I went for a run outside. I normally hate doing this, not because I dislike being outside, but because I miss the "control" I feel when I am on the treadmill. When I am running outdoors, I am constantly wondering what my pace is, am I maintaining an even pace, what is the incline/decline, am I slowing down, etc. Of course, if I spent a bunch of money for a fancy gadgety watch, I would know the answers to those questions. But ... trying not to spend money.

Anyway, as I was running, and wondering all those things, I started worrying about the race, and whether I would be able to make it 13 miles. Even though I do it on the treadmill, in "real" life, running is different than in the gym. More real.

But, after about 3 miles, I hit my stride. I stopped worrying, I stopped varying my pace, I stopped thinking about it, and I just naturally hit a speed that I knew I could maintain for another ten miles. I just knew it ... it certainly wasn't fast (and since I don't have that kind of fancy gadgety watch, I can't tell you my pace), but I didn't feel like it was too slow either. It was just right. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. And I will.

I hope.

Today's workout:

60 min. personal training yoga

40 min. run

Mood Swings

I haven't been blogging lately because I just haven't felt up to it. We are having a lot of stress in our family lately due to starting the process of putting our house on the market. The economic downtown, particularly in housing, has had a significant negative impact on us. Moving in normal times is usually a nerve-racking event, and these unique circumstances make it even more anxiety-ridden.

One of my unhealthy coping mechanisms is to eat continuously. Without thinking, I am constantly popping food into my mouth whether I am hungry or not. It is a bad habit to keep my hands busy and it calms me down ... until I finish whatever snack I grabbed ... and then I reach for something else. Not a good move.

I am continuing to exercise, which helps, but without my usual enthusiasm. My workouts are lackluster and I unfortunately find myself making excuses to cut my routines short or even skip them altogether. Yikes. Bad news.

Hopefully, I will keep pushing through, and will experience an upswing. The important thing is to keep trying and remember that everyday is a new day, and every moment offers opportunity and choice.

Today's workout:
50 min. run (5.7 mi)
35 min. resistance training
50 min. yoga

It's a Sunshine Day!

Today was a gorgeous day in Columbus, Ohio. My kids and I were able to take advantage of the terrific weather and spend some time outdoors on the playground. Because of our schedules today, I wasn't able to get to the gym. However, it was fun to get in some physical activity by playing the playground funnel ball game. It was a wonderful reminder that exercise doesn't have to take place in a gym.

On the playground, this is a fun game to play with your friends. It involves a lot of teamwork and interaction and promotes socialization. I was playing by myself (and with my one and a half year old) so I was running, throwing, and catching. The game helps build hand-eye coordination and is a confidence builder for those kids who are not super talented at basketball (like me!)

Fluid Fusion

Lately I have been straying from my traditional yoga practice a little bit. While I still incorporate yoga into my weekly workouts, I have been adding ballet and pilates as well. While these are usually more "body" and less "mind" focused than yoga, I find they have similar benefits.

Each of these types of exercises creates lean, strong muscles and uses your own body as a resistance as opposed to dumbbells or other weighted devices, machines or props. Each practice improves balance and builds flexibility with low impact.

Because there are not many of these classes available at my local gym, and I do not have the time or resources to travel around to all the different studios and gyms in the area to find the different kinds of classes that I am interested in, I have begun checking out different DVDs from the library to explore different kinds of movement and exercise. Even though some of these are dated, the workouts being demonstrated are still useful and legitimate.

The video I tried today, Sarah Picot's More than Mat Pilates, adapted Pilates movements that are typically performed on a reformer machine to the mat. The exercise routine was intense without being rushed, and with varied movements that focused on strengthening the core muscles.

She laid out several principles of Pilates that her workout was based upon:

• Breathing. Similar to yoga, Pilates recognizes the importance of the breath and synchronizes movement with the breath. However, unlike yoga, you inhale through the nose, but exhale through the mouth.
• Naval to spine. This alignment was practiced throughout the workout.
• Imprinting. This terminology means for your body to relax, your spine to be neutral and there not to be any space between the floor and your back. Imprinting creates balance in your body.
• Articulating your spine. While yoga encourages practitioners to keep a straight spine, in Pilates, you often curve your back. As you curve your back, you focus on moving one vertebra of the spine at a time. Articulating the spine helps to restore fluidity in movement, creating flexibility and reducing back stiffness.
• Flow. As in vinyasa yoga, this Pilates workout moves smoothly from one exercise to the next, in sync with the breath.

Reading Now: My Stroke of Insight

I just finished reading an amazing book recommended to me by my yoga teacher, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. Dr. Taylor is a neuroanatomist who suffered a massive AVM stroke in her late thirties, and this book records her detailed memories of her actual stroke experience, as well as the significant changes in perception that occurred as a result of the stroke.

Because of the stroke, much of Dr. Taylor's left brain was damaged which caused her to rely on her right brain much more heavily. The book discusses the divergent ways in which the right and left hemispheres of the brain allow us to perceive the world, and the different functions that are managed by each side.

Dr. Taylor's mind opened her up to a whole new way of looking at the world. Here were some of the interesting points that stood out to me from her experience:

• "Most important, I had to be willing to try. The try is everything. The try is me saying to my brain, hey, I value this connection and I want it to happen. I may have to try, try and try again with no results for a thousand times before I get even an inkling of a result, but if I don't try, it may never happen." (italics in original, p 94) "For a successful recovery, it was important that we focus on my ability, not my disability." (p. 118) Dr. Taylor found that reaching for small goals and celebrating small achievements and living in the present moment ultimately allowed her to accomplish more difficult tasks and allowed her to see the enormity of her progress, made in tiny increments, over time.

• " ... the experience of Nirvana exists in the consciousness of our right hemisphere, and that at any moment, we can choose to hook into that part of our brain. ... peace is only a thought away, and all we have to do to access it is silence the voice of our dominating left mind." (italics in original, p 111) "To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind admidst the normal chaos of a hectic life." (p 159) We can all achieve peace of mind.
  

• We can decide the person who we want to be. We don't have to be angry or irritated or short-tempered or mean. We can release judgment and competition and criticism. We can open ourselves to our more intuitive, expressive, and accepting right mind and embrace compassion instead of negativity. In reconstructing her self and re-learning who she was, Dr. Taylor decided to forgo the competitive side to her personality in favor of a more open demeanor.

• We are constantly making choices about how to respond in any given situation. If a certain episode triggers a knee-jerk response, our system has 90 seconds to let that emotion wash over us. After 90 seconds, we have the ability to release that initial reaction and engage in a more open, empathetic approach. We can learn to observe our body's triggers, responses, emotions and thoughts and choose the way that we want to express ourselves.
  

• When we act positively, we send out positive energy which then attracts positive energy to us. In this way, we can help shape our own world to be more pleasant.

Taylor's book is truly a "yogic" way of looking at life - through her experience, she found herself literally feeling one with the world around her. Viewing her life through her right brain helped her to see everything in a completely new way, and realize that we all have access to seeing the world through those eyes, if we just - in her words - "step to the right".

New Workout Discovery: BalleCore

Since the instructor who taught "Ballet Body" at Lifetime Fitness has left, I have been looking for a similar workout to replace that class. It provided a wonderful lower body and core workout that was completely different from any other gym experience I have had.

In searching around, I stumbled upon this book at my local library, The BalleCore Workout by Molly Weeks. Weeks has a background in ballet and pilates and has developed an exercise program that fuses elements of those genres with hatha yoga. The program emphasizes strength and flexibility, and is based on a foundation of core stabilization, relaxation, focusing on the breath and using efficient, fluid movements.

I visited the website for BalleCore, and the instructors are spread out on the coasts, with no Midwestern representation. I would love to experience a class ... but am not sure that will be happening anytime soon. The website offers two props for sale, a bar and a band. As far as I can tell, the bar seems helpful, but you could easily use any body bar that you already have and your yoga strap is perfectly suitable for the stretches and exercises using the band.

I practiced some of these movements this evening and will probably be integrating them into my regular workouts more often.

Today's workout:

60 min ladder interval run + cool down walk (6.87 mi)

40 min BalleCore

Thinking about Time

As I get older, from time to time I think about the process of aging. While I am quite happy with my life, I find these thoughts uncomfortable. When I watch the Olympic athletes or see new actors appearing on the scene, I realize that I am older than many of them, despite the fact that I often still feel like a college student.

Luckily, living a healthy lifestyle keeps my body feeling almost as young as my spirit. Although I definitely have some "creaky" joints in the morning, exercise keeps me fit and capable. Running keeps my body moving and active, resistance training strengthens my muscles and bones, and yoga helps me to destress, cope with anxiety and stretch my body.

Exercise has been shown to fight the aging process in numerous ways, including decreasing wrinkles and helping to unclog arteries.

While the physical changes associated with aging are somewhat straightforward, it can be harder to face some of the more esoteric questions. A recent Yoga Journal article asked, "Have you accomplished what you hoped? Can you address your regrets in the time you have left? And what if you can't?"

These are difficult questions. For me, I try to value each day and recognize the moments that I have with the people I love as special. I keep my goals and dreams in my mind, even if they are not immediately attainable, and use them to move my life in a direction that will help me accomplish those desires. In the end, I try to live a life that I can be proud of, and do the best I can.

Today's workout:

65 min. hill interval run (6.78 mi)

30 min. resistance training

60 min. yoga

Learning Flexibility

I was so excited about my plans for this weekend. Several months ago, I booked a weekend at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, a retreat center in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. The weekend program was to be taught by David Swenson, a renowned expert on Ashtanga yoga. I have read David's books and use his primary series DVD to practice at home, and was really looking forward to meeting him and exploring my Ashtanga practice through the workshop.

Unfortunately, when I flew into Washington, DC to connect through to Albany, NY, I found out that my flight was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions in the northeast. Furthermore, when I discussed my flight situation with Kripalu, I discovered that David Swenson's travel plans were also hampered by the weather and he would not be able to make it to the center either.

Wow. What a bummer. My trip, which was to be my one "me" weekend away this year, was completely turned upside down. Not to mention that I was now hundreds of miles from home in Washington, DC.

Usually in these kinds of stressful circumstances, I would get anxious and depressed. However, after discussing my options with my husband, I decided to stay in Washington, DC for the weekend and visit with my sister-in-law, who lives in the District. She was so gracious to ask for a half-day off of work in order to spend time with me.

I ended up having a great weekend with my sister-in-law, eating at wonderful restaurants, shopping in fun little boutiques, exploring the landmarks, and of course, painting the town red at night.

To top it all off, I even found a small yoga studio near my sister-in-law's house, Boundless Yoga, where I was able to practice both Saturday and Sunday mornings. While the classes that I took were not the typical Ashtanga or vinyasa flow classes that I normally take, it was good to take time to slow down and on focus on alignment and form in Iyengar-style hatha yoga classes.

Even though I wasn't able to focus on the flexibility of my body the way that I expected to this weekend, I was able to practice flexibility in my attitude and heart by "going with the flow" and choosing spontaneity over disappointment. The weekend was fun and exciting - not at all what I had planned, but a terrific vacation nonetheless!

Today's workout:

90 min. hatha yoga practice

60 min. walk around DC

Self-Confidence and Body Image

With the recent Oscar nominations for the movie Precious, the breakout actress Gabourey Sidibe has been getting a lot of attention. I watched that movie in the theaters and it was a devastating portrait of a suffering, abused teenager. Gabourey's (Gabby) performance was incredible, especially since this was her first movie role. In real life, Gabby's personality is bubbly and her demeanor poised and confident.

In an interview for New York Magazine, Gabby has stated,“They try to paint the picture that I was this downtrodden, ugly girl who was unpopular in school and in life, and then I got this role and now I’m awesome, but the truth is that I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role.”

In another interview, when asked what she sees in the mirror, Gabby responded:

"Ooh! I see myself! Usually, I'm really happy with what I see when I look at myself. I look into the mirror and I give myself pep talks, and coach myself to make it through the day, which isn't hard to do. I congratulate myself for making it this far in life and for being the person I want to be."

That kind of self-confidence is amazing, and is hopefully the way that all young girls should view themselves. Gabby is a talented actress and has accomplished a lot with this first movie of hers.

While most interviewers completely ignore Gabby's size or tiptoe around the issue, there is no escaping the fact that she is obese. In the movie, the implied message was that her character's obesity was a symptom of the oppressive situation. Several scenes depict Precious frying up unhealthy foods, and the abusive mother uses food as a way of controlling and punishing Precious.

While Gabby's family and personal situation seems to be healthy and normal and completely unlike her character's, her morbid obesity is evidence in itself that she has an unhealthy relationship with food. Her reasons for overeating are unknown. However, while it is wonderful that Gabby loves herself and expresses well-deserved confidence, it does not change the fact that being obese is not healthy. In fact obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and illnesses, including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Breathing problems
• Arthritis
• Gallbladder disease
• Some kinds of cancer

So, while I wish Gabby the best of luck in her career and life, I also hope that she is able to find the inner strength to address her weight issues and able to make her body as healthy as her attitude.

Today's workout:
90 min. run (10 mi)
50 min yoga

Working out with Jillian

With all the snow storms in this part of the country, I have had to get creative with working out. Several of the past few days, it has been treacherous to get to the gym, especially with three kids in tow. The other day, I resorted to using the OnDemand feature on my TV, and chose a Jillian Michaels workout from the free selection on Exercise TV.

Jillian Michaels is famous from the TV show Biggest Loser, where she uses her tough approach to help contestants lose weight. I admit that I don't watch that show, but I have seen Michaels on the talk shows. Even though the workout was short (40 minutes), I noticed that Michaels has a similar philosophy to resistance training that I do - at least based on this brief glimpse.

Here are a few of the principles that she emphasized that I have been using to shape my workouts for the past few years:

• Low weights, high reps. I am not trying to bulk up; I want to be lean and mean. Toned and taut.
• Supersets. Rather than resting in between exercises, make the most of your workout by alternating exercises one after the other.
• Multiple muscle groups. Combine upper and lower body moves in each exercise to maximize benefit of your workout.
• Muscle confusion. Mix it up - always use different types of exercises for each body part on different days so that your body doesn't become accustomed to the same workout day in and day out.

Today's workout:
50 min. run (6.8 mi)
30 min. resistance training
45 min. yoga

Sledding

Columbus, OH is in the midst of a gigantic snowstorm right now. We had about seven inches of snow today, on top of another eight or so that fell last week, and we're expecting more tomorrow.

Although school was not cancelled today (but probably will be tomorrow), the kids (and me) have a big case of cabin fever from not being able to run around outdoors.

I never take the kids' sledding - daddy's job! - but since my husband was gone today and this evening for work, I decided to bite the bullet and take the kids out for my very first sledding experience.

Luckily, the temperature was not terribly frigid (24 degrees, how sad that I don't consider that too cold). We got all bundled up and went out to the nice little hill behind our house. The kids were great troopers. They trudged through snow up to their knees and scrambled up the hill to the top. We spent about a half hour sliding down and climbing up. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it! The kids were squealy and giggly and adorable and we had a great time.

Sledding burns approximately 315 calories an hour, so it was also a nice little workout too.

Today's workout:

48 min. run w/ intervals (5.75 mi)

30 min. resistance training

30 min. sledding

60 min. yoga

No Excuses!

Sometimes, I feel cranky that I didn't start running until I was 33 years old. I think, "imagine what I could have done if I had run in high school or college, or even in my 20s!". In a race, I feel a little jealous of the speedy younguns next to me in a race, or the runners my own age who have the advantage of years of training and experience.

This month's Running Times is devoted in large part to older ("masters") runners and their achievements in various age brackets. I am always inspired of stories of other runners who didn't start running until later in life. Pictured left is Ginette Bedard, who started running at age 68 and now routinely sets records in her age group.

In his Editor's Note, Jonathan Beverly writes about age grading, which adjusts results based on age (kind of like handicapping, I think). It basically sounds like a way to make yourself feel better about being older and slower. Beverly struck a chord with me with this comment:

"The only measure that really matters is what you can and cannot do today. Every race has an asterisk listing all of the reasons it should have been faster - even those fondly remembered PRs [personal record]."

He goes on to say, "we are not who we were at 30 either, and celebrate what we can do today." I really appreciate this notion, and will try to take it to heart.

I am so pleased with my improvement and performance so far, and thankful for the body that I have and for what it can do. There is no reason for wishing to change the past or making excuses for what I am.

Today's workout:
60 min. elliptical (7.50 mi)
15 min. sun salutations

28-in-28 yoga challenge

I just finished reading Living Oprah by Robyn Okrant, in which she takes on all manner of challenges introduced by Oprah Winfrey over the course of a year (more on that later).

Instead of tackling someone else's goals, I am working toward my own of establishing a daily practice. I already have an almost-daily yoga habit (about 5-6 days a week). However, I usually practice in the evenings after I put my kids to bed, and if my husband and I have other plans, then my yoga time may go by the wayside. This 28-in-28 challenge, originated by blogger Sarahsana and brought to my attention by blogger YogaDork, suggests that we spend some time - whatever time we can - each day in the 28 days of the short month of February on our yoga mat. Hopefully, having this challenge will give me the extra impetus I need to carve out some yoga time even if it isn't my "usual" practice time.

Today's workout:
53 min. hill interval run (6.51 mi)
30 min. resistance training/plyometrics
75 min. primary series yoga

Zipping into the Second Series (or not)

Sunday I had the pleasure to take Cathy Yoshimura's three hour workshop on the Ashtanga Second Series at Yoga on High in Columbus, OH. Although I practice the Primary Series several times a week, and have occasionally practiced certain asanas from the second series in various vinyasa classes, this was my first formal approach to the second series as a whole.

For those unfamiliar with Ashtanga, it is a form of yoga that "is based on a specialized sequencing of postures and focused breathing techniques." (David Swenson's Ashtanga Practice Manual, p. 6) The primary series is most commonly practiced as it is the most approachable. The poses are challenging, but not impossible (for the most part!). The second series, however, is a different story for mere mortals like myself. The second series builds on the foundation created by the primary series.

According to Swenson (pictured left), the Second Series is a nerve-cleansing practice due to the number of backbending postures. He writes in his Practice Manual,

"Our spine is the housing for our nerve center. By bending and twisting the spinal column, we are encouraging and maintaining suppleness on a physical level as well as opening energy channels to allow prana to flow freely on the subtle plane. This cleansing and toning occurs in each of the four series of Ashtanga Yoga. The Intermediate Series is particularly focused in the energetic regions of the spine, pelvis and hips."

While many of the traditional Ashtangis are fairly dogmatic in their approach to learning and mastering these asanas, Cathy's outlook was slightly more unconventional. She encouraged us to work incrementally, using blocks, straps and the wall when necessary, and listen to our own bodies as we worked our way into the poses. She did not push or crank us into any posture for which we were not ready.

It was a great introduction for me to the Second Series and made these postures a little less daunting. I am not sure that I ready to practice the series as a whole on a regular basis, but I will definitely start practicing some of the methods that Cathy suggested for individual asanas.

Today's workout:
30 min. hill interval run (3.0 mi)
60 min. ballet body class
50 min. heart-opening yoga

Interesting Experiment

In the past, I have blogged about the yogic concept of aparigraha - a yama that encourages non-grasping, or non-attachment to material things. This week, I discovered a year-long experiment (half-way complete already) by a group of women who have committed to not purchasing any new clothing for an entire year. They have dubbed their project "The Great American Apparel Diet" and track their progress and experience on their blog. They have a large number of folks who have accepted the challenge, with a multitude of reasons, including economic and the desire to have less of an ecological impact on the earth.

I'm definitely trying to buy less, but I'm not sure I am ready to go this far! What about you?

Today's workout:
62 min. Fartlek run (7.29 mi)
30 min. resistance training

Opposing Directions

After doing yoga, I often feel more composed and at ease, even though I usually engage in an active, vigorous practice. Whereas my other exercise regimens (like running or weight lifting) leave me feeling exhausted or invigorated and enthusiastic, but do not bring me the same sense of calm that I receive from yoga.

As I was moving through my poses tonight, I thought about the way yoga asks our bodies to move in opposing directions. In utkatasana (chair pose), the tail bone moves down toward the earth, while the arms are reaching up to the sky. In Virabhadrasana II (warrior II), the front and back legs are moving away from each other, while not moving from where the feet are planted on the mat. And so on. We use our minds to activate our bodies and our muscles to create a tension of opposing forces, while finding our center to balance out these oppositions.

In life, we are constantly doing the same thing - attempting to find balance admist opposing desires and forces pulling us in incompatible directions. In yoga, we use the strength of our abdominal muscles in our core body to balance out the movement in our limbs. In life, we use the core strength of who we are to find our balance. We can use the peace of mind that yoga brings in our daily routines to help us juggle the stress and demands of modern life.

Today's workout:
60 min. elliptical/hill routine (5.9 mi)
20 min. resistance training
60 min. yoga

Inspiring Young Runners

I have previously blogged about the organization, Girls on the Run, for which I volunteer as an assistant coach.

The exciting thing about this group is that in working with young girls, running is used as a method of developing confidence and self-esteem. The end goal is not necessarily to create world-class athletes or super-fast track stars .... running is a vehicle for showing girls what they are capable of and helping them to love themselves and their bodies.

In her talk at the recent Girls on the Run conference in Austin, TX, Kristin Armstrong discussed the idea of "confidence on the inside" - a concept GOTR tries to promote in young girls.

"Confident on the Inside means - You are wise enough to accept God’s definition of who you are, and you are strong enough not to accept counterfeit messages. You know your own beauty and are grateful for it, never needing to promote or pollute it. You possess awareness of your talents, as well as the humility and generosity to share them. You can say 'Yes' and 'No' with equal certainty. You live and love big – never needing to play small or belittle others. You can say 'thank you' to a compliment as easily as you can say 'Forgive me' or 'I forgive you' to a mistake. Confident on the Inside means that you feel so comfortable in your own skin that your very presence is an invitation to freedom for others. Confident on the inside knows no age."

Even though I already felt fairly comfortable in my own skin, once I started running, I was completely exhilarated by its effects on me. Not only was I able to see tangible improvements in my physical fitness, but my mood lifted as well. Running longer distances than I ever had before made me feel capable of tackling challenges in my everyday life. I felt strong, powerful and capable. I never intended to start running everyday, but the positive effects from running led me to make running a central part of my workout. I definitely feel the "confidence on the inside" described above, now at age 34, that I didn't feel ten or fifteen years ago.

Although my role in the organization is small, it makes me proud to be a part of GOTR and its mission to lead girls to achieving a feeling of confidence and self-worth.

Read another inspiring blog post from Runner's World's Coach Jenny about the recent Girls on the Run conference in Austin, TX.

Today's workout:

70 min. run (8.19 mi)

20 min. resistance training

60 min. yoga

Yoga on my Own

Lately I have been attempting to break free of the yoga DVDs at home and take ownership of my practice. I find this concept somewhat intimidating and not something that I can accomplish all at once. I still use a DVD most days, but two or three times a week I will develop my own sequence.

I found a wonderful tool today on Yoga Journal's website. Under the "poses" tab, click on "build a sequence". You can browse through a variety of poses, divided by their difficulty level (all levels/intermediate/advanced), choose the ones that you would like to add to your sequence, and then organize them according to your preferred order.

You can print out your sequence. The pages will display a nice photograph clearly displaying the posture, along with its sanskrit and English name. The only downside to this was that each page only holds 4-5 poses, so you end up with several pages stapled together that you have to turn as you move through the flow.

To develop my sequence this evening, I looked up the pose that I wanted to focus on (Natarajasana / Lord of the Dance Pose). In reading the description of the asana, I looked up the preparatory and follow-up poses and used those as the foundation of my sequence. I inserted vinyasas throughout and created a 6o minute active flow that focused on balance and backbends.

Today's workout:
35 min. run w/ hill sprints (4.6 mi)
35 min. resistance training
60 min. yoga

If Not Now, When?

“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?”

Rabbi Hillel the Elder

Yoga Misconceptions

Yoga Alliance, the organization that develops standards for yoga teachers, released results from a survey suggesting that people who don't practice yoga avoid it due to misconceptions about it. Yoga Alliance summarizes these misconceptions as follows:

• People assume that yoga is religion-based. According to their survey, 57% of those who do not currently practice yoga believe that it requires mantras or chanting related to a form of worship.

• Non-practitioners believe that yoga requires flexibility in order to practice. Their poll shows that nearly 3 in 5 Americans who do not practice yoga think that it requires a person to be in at least "decent" shape.
  

• Finally, respondents opine that yoga is not really exercise. Half of men who have never practiced yoga believe it "isn't a workout." In contrast, Yoga Alliance claims that 73% of people who do practice believe it is just as effective as running, swimming or weight lifting.

These assumptions are being made yoga "outsiders" based on their experience of yoga through pop culture, observing their yogi friends or acquaintances, peeking in on classes in their gyms or community centers, or other casual encounters with the practice. Yoga Alliance is trying to reach out to the public to encourage them to try yoga, and arguing that these points are misconstruing the nature of yoga. However, like many stereotypes, these "misconceptions" do have some basis in reality ... they are not completely out of left field, in any case. I would like to examine each of these "misconceptions" individually.

Yoga is Religion-Based

When I first began working out, I avoided yoga because I viewed it as a "new-agey" pursuit. I pictured a bunch of hippies sitting around in lotus position, with flowers in their hair, wearing tie-dye with their eyes closed and chanting "OM". When I finally tried out a class, I surprised by the athleticism involved.

However, as I pursue yoga more deeply, it is quite clear that there definitely is a spiritual aspect to it. Unlike most other athletic pastimes, yoga is accompanied by a set of texts, some of which are considered sacred. In addition, the physical aspect is only one branch of a multi-limbed practice that also involves ethical and moral teachings. One of the texts most yoga teachers study is the Bhagavad Gita, a central text in the Hindu religion that delves into philosophy. Advanced yogis often travel to India and seek out tutelage from a respected guru. Meditation, a spiritual practice, is often linked to yoga.

Some teachers shy away from this aspect of yoga and stick only to the physical asana practice. A few even advertise their classes with "No Om-ing" or "No Chanting". Others will mix in a little spiritual side, maybe by offering an inspiring quote during savasana or asking the participants to chant "om" at the end or beginning of the class. Still other teachers will encourage their students to pursue the philosophical side of yoga more actively and interweave the spiritual teachings with the physical practice.

While yoga itself is not a religion, there definitely can be a spiritual side. However, if this part of yoga is off-putting, it is certainly possible to seek out a practice that focuses on the physical postures.
Flexibility is Required to Practice Yoga

This is another "misconception" that hits close to home. I have always had very tight hamstrings and difficulty doing forward bends. I was quite intimidated by the bendy people I saw in yoga classes.

In truth, many yoga asanas require a great deal of flexibility to reach their full physical expression. However, that does not preclude anyone from practicing yoga. Each yogi approaches their practice from their ability on any given day. Our practice helps us to find our limits and explore the abilities of our bodies. A knowledgeable yoga teacher will offer a variety of modifications with yoga poses so that students of varying levels can complete a pose at their comfort.

Yoga encourages a non-judgmental attitude towards your own body and acceptance of what we are able to accomplish. One of the most reassuring mantras that I received early on in my practice was, "If not today, then tomorrow". When a person first comes to yoga, she may not possess a gumby-like ability to stretch her muscles. However, if we keep up with our practice and have patience with ourselves, our bodies will change and adapt.


Yoga Is Not a Workout

To someone who spends their time sweating it out on the treadmill, it is easy to see how they might peek into a yoga class, see the class lying on their mats with their eyes closed in savasana, and dismiss yoga as a non-athletic activity. Yoga does have its moments of quiet and rest and most teachers value that time as much as the more active periods.

In truth, there are many different styles of yoga, with varying levels of athleticism. For the most part, yoga is not a high impact, high level cardio exercise that is going to burn the same number of calories as running ten miles. Yoga can be a still, restorative practice, or a more intensive, powerful flow of movement. Some styles of yoga crank up the heat, so not only are you moving vigorously, you are sweating like a pig.

I generally practice Ashtanga yoga, or vinyasa flow yoga. In this style, there is definitely a lot of movement. Throughout the practice, I do many, many push-ups. It requires stamina to hold the poses and move through the flow. The practice requires core strength to balance. It is, without a doubt, a workout, but not a workout in the same way that my running is a workout. Yoga can help you lose weight, develop muscle tone, and improve your cardiovascular health.


Yoga, like many things, is a complicated and multi-faceted concept. It has many different permutations, so characterizing yoga in one way is difficult. The "misconceptions" so labeled by Yoga Alliance could definitely be true in some cases, but in many more situations, are not going to describe the type of yoga many people are practicing. If someone takes a yoga class and is turned off by one aspect of it, I would encourage that person to try a different class and/or different style of yoga and see if that is a better match. Ask questions before you take a class to try and meet your expectations.

Personally, I found that my own misconceptions of yoga did not fit with my experience of the practice. However, as my practice of yoga developed, my needs changed and I sought a deeper, fuller understanding of what yoga could offer.

Today's workout:
50 min. run (6.4 mi)
30 min. resistance training
60 min. yoga

Gratitude

In my private yoga training, I have been working on setting intentions for my practice. In line with that, I selected a home practice based on Shiva Rea's empowering sequence in Yoga Journal. In this flow, Shiva Rea assigns mantras associated with the specific emotions evoked by each asana.

As I worked through these poses and focused my intentions, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. The vinyasa yoga flow was indeed empowering and as I moved through each posture, I became aware of my own strength and possibility. I felt a profound gratefulness for my body, for the movements that I am able to make, for carrying me through my life.

So often, we take our bodies for granted ... not thinking of them at all, or simply treating them like a shell, or even a hindrance. We abuse our bodies by eating poorly, ignoring signs of sickness, willfully engaging in habits that damage our bodies like smoking.

But our body is our life. We experience our lives through our bodies. We all have to meet our physical needs - on a daily basis - before we can accomplish anything else. As children, we express ourselves physically first. We clap to show happiness, reach up to our mothers to show love, duck our heads when we are shy. When we are healthy, we are happy. When our bodies our strong, our minds are invigorated. The muscles and tendons and ligaments in our bodies support us, allow us to express ourselves and carry us through our lives. Overcoming physical challenges gives us courage to tackle other kinds of situations. When our body's health deteriorates, our lives become tenuous. Instead of ignoring your body, take a moment to say "thank you" for all the work your body does taking care of you. Make sure that you are taking care of it!

Today I am thankful that I have a healthy body.

Today's workout:
60 min. elliptical (interval program) (5.72 mi)
35 min. resistance training
60 min. yoga

Negative Splits

Since I began running, I have learned all kinds of jargon associated with the sport. One of the terms that I have seen bandied about in various articles and websites is "negative splits". The concept of negative splits is simple - it is finishing the second half of a race faster than the first half of a race.

While the concept may be simple, executing it is not. My initial response to competing in my first races last summer was to take off as fast as possible at the starting line, giving it my all right at the beginning. Then I would begin to get winded, and slow down as the race went on. By the time I crossed the finish line, I was ready to drop.

When implementing negative splits, you control your pace at the start of a race, and then ramp it up once you get going. This gives you a chance to warm up and once you are hitting your stride, you can pass the other runners who have begun to run out of steam.

Of course, if you want to use this method in a race, you need to train for it. I tried this out today, but running three miles at 8.0 mph, and then inching up the mph by just a .10 mph, until I reached 8.7 mph and ran a total of 5 miles. While this is a small increase in speed, I was able to shave slightly more than three minutes off of my time than if I had stuck with my initial pace.

Find out more about negative splits in this Runner's World article.

Today's workout:
40 min. run (5.29 mi)
60 min. yoga private training
60 min. yoga @ home

Staying Zippy in the Winter

Need a few reasons to keep running in the winter? Check out these great "kick-butt" ideas from Runner's World for staying motivated and reaching your goals!

Today's workout

50 min. run (6.05 mi)

30 min. resistance training

60 min. yoga

Cookie Monster

I have been going through a baking phase recently. Probably because it is winter, and I feel the need to eat and eat and eat to store up fat reserves during the lean months. In any case, I have been making loads of cookies. For me, cookies are the perfect snack - delicious, compact, easy to carry in your hand or eat on the go, fairly mess-free. I have been trying to expand beyond the basic chocolate chip and wanted to do something more than the simple break-and-bake (my usual way of "baking").

I started with the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, with the recipe from the back of the box. Those were awesome! They brought back childhood memories, because those are my mom's favorite kind of cookies and her go-to recipe. Next, I went with a white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie in anticipation of my sister-in-law's visit - she doesn't like chocolate. The recipe I used (in the link) calls for cranberries, but I omitted those, and they were still yummy! My husband complained that they were too crispy (that I over-baked them) but I like a crispy cookie.

Next, I did two in one day. An almond cookie and a chocolate pinwheel cookie. My favorite was the almond cookie, but the girls LOVED the pinwheel cookie, mostly because of their fun appearance. I was very pleased with how well they turned out. Today I tried out a recipe for chocolate sandwich cookies. While these were not difficult to make, they were definitely labor-intensive with a very low yield. My husband was making fun of me for putting so much effort into them. The cookies are not that sweet, but if you want additional sweetness, you can add it by choosing a sweeter filling.

Obviously, none of these cookies are healthy ... but that is not the point. As long as you exercise regularly, and generally make nutritious and healthy choices in your diet, there is no reason that you cannot indulge on occasion. Just don't overdo it! Another great thing about making cookies is that they are easy to share!

Today's workout:
45 min. run w/ hill sprints (6.00 mi)
50 min. yoga class
60 min. yoga @home

Saucha / Purity

Today, in my private session with my yoga teacher, we discussed the concept of the niyama of saucha, or purity. Swami Shraddhananda describes the ways in which we incorporate this niyama into our lives:

Saucha is purity that operates on many levels. We aspire to cleanliness for our bodies by washing ourselves, maintaining clean and orderly homes, eating healthy food and drinking clean water. We aspire to cleanliness in our minds and speech by not polluting our minds or speech with negativity or grasping after emotionally and physically charged obsessions. In other words, we find a balance that gives us a way to feel ourselves as clean and clear. As are the other yamas and niyamas, saucha is a pre-condition for experiencing the fullness of yoga and attaining enlightenment.

In our practice today, we focused on cleansing breaths and using the bandhas to contain our energy within the body.

I found it ironic that this evening, when my husband and I were relaxing in front of the TV, he chose to watch the A&E show "Hoarders". This show focuses on individuals who suffer from compulsive hoarding, which leads to horrendous messes with disastrous consequences - potentially losing their children to foster care, the threat of homelessness from eviction, separation from family members. We have been watching this show for a few months and it has definitely created an impetus for me to create order and cleanliness in our living space. I even hired a professional organizer for a few hours to help me with some perpetually cluttered spaces.

While saucha certainly deals with internal purity of mind and spirit, the cleanliness and purity of our outside spaces matters too. When we feel comfortable and free in our living space, we can have clarity of thought and vision. As the cluttered spaces in my home became open and organized, I felt a weight and anxiety physically leave my body - an opening and release of tension that I had unknowingly been carrying.

This time of new year's resolutions and self-improvement is a great time for reflection on ways that you can incorporate the concept of saucha into your own life.

Today's workout:
35 min. run (4.30 mi)
60 min. private training yoga
60 min. yoga @ home

Keep Track of your Progress & Promises

In this season of lofty promises for self-improvement, it is easy for that new-year's energy to wane and the resolutions to be left by the wayside. On the Today show this week, they estimated that only 6% of people actually keep their new year's resolutions. Yikes!

For fitness or nutrition related goals, one of the best ways to keep track of your progress and work toward achieving your desired results is to log your activities in a journal. First of all, it helps to identify specific ways in which you will reach your goal. "I want to get fit" or "I want to lose weight" are important values, but they are fairly vague - when do you know that you have reached those goals? Instead, establish realistic, achievable benchmarks: I will go to the gym three days a week; I will meet with a personal trainer once a week; I will lose 2 pounds a week; I will run 30 miles a week, etc. Limit these resolutions to one or two so as to not overwhelm yourself.

Once you have enumerated your specific targets, keep track of your daily progress. You can do this in a simple spiral notebook, or you can purchase workout logs. I like to use the Runner's World Training Journal to keep track of my mileage and cross-training. It has inspirational quotes and tips that help keep me motivated. You can also log your workouts into online exercise sites like RunningAhead.com. Magazines like Shape, Self, and Runner's World also maintain online training log features. You can do the same thing for your nutritional goals as well - keeping track of what you eat and logging in your weight each day.

By writing down the steps you are taking each day to reach your goals, you can see the positive steps that you are taking to move forward and change your life. You will be less likely to skip a workout or eat a giant piece of chocolate cake if you know that you will be taking a note of it. You can look at the pages and see how far you have come.

For me, knowing that I will note my workout on my blog (even if no one reads it), as well as my training journal, is a huge motivator for me to keep up my workout each day. I hope you find keeping track of your goals helpful as well!

Today's workout:
50 min. run (6.0 mi)
20 min. resistance training
75 min. yoga

Inspiring Reads

I read a couple of really inspiring running books this winter break. The first was Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes. Dean is an uber-athlete who tackles the toughest physical challenges. He is well-known in the running world for his prolific success at long-distance races (50 miles or more).

In this book, he talks about what led him to start running, and he details his experiences in some of his first ultramarathons. His story about his first Western States 100 race is incredible - it is an unbelievable testament to what the human body can endure.

Despite his phenomenal success and athletic prowess, Dean ultimately credits sheer perseverance and hard work for his performance, rather than any innate traits. Basically, he is just telling his reader to get out there and run and you never know what your body can do. While he can sometimes come across as a little pompous, his book definitely motivated me to add more mileage to my weekly totals.

Another running book that I dove into this winter break was Strides: Running Through History with an Unlikely Athlete by Benjamin Cheever. Unlike Karnazes, Cheever is more of a casual runner, though "casual" is a relative term as he has run numerous marathons.

In this book, he explores his passion for running by delving into his own experiences as well as chronicling some of the history of marathoning. The accounts I found particularly engaging were his tales of running the Medoc marathon in France where the runners stopped every few miles to indulge themselves in a glass of wine, and his stories about running a race in Baghdad and discussing the culture of running in the military.

Both of these books express the unique joy and feeling of freedom that running inspires. Each author makes me feel, even though I have only been running for a few months, that the sky is the limit and that I can accomplish anything. Since reading these books, I have been contemplating training for a longer race ... something that I didn't envision myself until further in the future. We'll see about that. In the meantime, check these books out for an entertaining and inspiring read!

Today's workout:
35 min. run (4.12 mi)
30 min. resistance training
75 min. primary series yoga