Ashtanga Yoga: First Series DVD

Since I can no longer regularly go to a gym with a decent yoga program, I have to find a way to beef up my home practice. This is hard for me, as I really need the motivation and leadership provided by an instructor. I have tried out several yoga DVDs that I enjoy, but I was really looking to continue with "serious" yoga and needed a DVD that would lead me through a true primary series.

Not surprisingly, I found it in a video created by David Swenson, the author of the authoritative Practice Manual containing detailed instructions for all the asanas in the primary series. Swenson was a student of the founder of Ashtanga Yoga, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.

His video, Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice with David Swenson, is as thorough and enlightening as his book. He guides you through each step of the primary series with precise prompts and offers modifications throughout. The practice is fluid and follows the breath, and I worked up a sweat. It is definitely not a video intended for beginners unfamiliar with this type of practice. David's uber-flexibility is both disheartening (I could never do that!) and inspiring (maybe if I practice long enough I could do that!). The only down side to the video is his monotone voiceover and the lack of background music - it makes for a very somber tone. However, this is far outweighed by the technical value of the instruction. I could play my own soundtrack in the background if I decide that I need it. I will definitely be using this video often!

Today's workout:
@ gym:
60 min. strength training (focus on arms) & plyometrics
@ home:
60 min. yoga

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Breakfast conversation this morning:

G: I'm going to my marry my brother when I grow up.

Mommy: No, you can't marry your brother.

G: Why not?

Mommy: You have to pick someone new, that's not a part of your family to marry.

D: Well, what if when we grow up, we meet R and we don't recognize him and we don't realize he's our brother. Can we marry him then?

Mommy: No. And that's not going to happen. You have to pick someone new.

G: That is so FRUSTRATING!

Mommy: Tell me about it.

New Fave for Lunch

My husband and I recently discovered a wonderful fast casual restaurant, Pei Wei Asian Diner. We both love pan-Asian cuisine and have been driving by the restaurant for about a year, wondering about it, but we never got a chance to try it until last week. It was great! It is owned by P.F. Chang's, which happens to be one of my favorite chain restaurants.

The first time we tried the restaurant, we got take out. The wait was moderate - about 15 minutes, but the staff offered a free drink to enjoy while I waited. We could have placed our order online and eliminated the wait at the restaurant. The drive home was also about 15 minutes, and the food was still warm when I arrived. The kids loved their chicken lo mein, but I would have been happier if it had some vegetables in it. I had ordered Thai Coconut Curry, which was saucy and delicious. The menu indicates this is a spicy dish, and I asked them to prepare it more mildly, but it still had a kick to it.

Today the kids and I ate in the restaurant. Even though the dining room was very crowded, the wait in the line was less than five minutes. Despite the busyness of the restaurant, the young man working at the cash register took a minute to help me get a high chair to the table since he could see I had my hands full with all three kids. I really appreciated that kindness.

They got the food out fast, too - in less than five minutes. We ordered spring rolls, which were crispy and not greasy at all. They brought them out as soon as they were ready, so the kids had something to munch on while they waited for their noodles. Today I ordered the Japanese Teriyaki Rice Bowl, which was very yummy. The vegetables were crisp and fresh and the chicken had just the right about of sauce on it - my meal was neither greasy or soggy as you often get with Chinese food.

The good service continued, as our tables were bussed as we finished our meal. Another young man brought out a takeout container for our leftovers. Such an easy dining experience with children! Overall, I love it! The service was terrific and the food was delicious! We will definitely be dining there again.

Today's workout:
30 min./3 mi. run
30 min. strength training-focus on glutes & core
20 min. stationery bike

Yoga is Not for Sissies

Tonight I did yoga with Tracey Gardner and it was awesome! Tracey has developed her own method of yoga, based on the power vinyasa style. It is done in a hot room and incorporates lots of "flow". She concentrates on moves that target your core muscles. It is fast-paced and intense!

The music that accompanies the yoga is unlike the music you will usually hear in a typical yoga class. It is loud, pulsing, dynamic music that energizes you and keeps you pumped! Sometimes it can be hard to hear Tracey's directions, but it is still fairly easy to follow by watching her example, and after going to her class a few times, you can catch on to the flow of the class.

Tracey uses a lot of what she terms "dive-throughs" ... similar to a traditional vinyasa, but you keep your arms closer to your body, lead with your chin, and add an extra push-up. You repeat these often, and you can feel the effect these moves have on your arms and abs!

I am always dripping with sweat after one of Tracey's classes. They are an amazing workout. Check out Tracey's website for more info about her and to find her class schedule.

Today's workout:
@ gym-
35 min. interval run (3.93 mi)
20 min. ab work
20 min. elliptical machine
@ NABC
60 min. power yoga

Redefining "Easy"

My workouts today helped me look at what I consider "easy" in a whole new light.

First of all, I started with a run. I wanted to try out a new class (more on that later), so I only had 20 minutes for cardio. Since it was a short time, I wanted to "kick it up a notch" and go a little faster than I usually do for a straight up run. I set the treadmill speed at 1 mph faster than I would usually go for my comfortable pace. As I was running, though, I realized that this speed was quite comfortable. I also realized that it was considerably slower than my usual race pace. My perceived effort a the end of the run could only be described as average (4).

While I could measure my progress in running through my race times, and see the changes on the scale, I have not yet adapted my workout to correlate with these changes. Physical fitness and the journey toward a goal is a fluid, ongoing evolution, and my self-perceptions need to change in order to continue that forward momentum. That is, what was "hard" is now "easy" and therefore, I need to change the treadmill settings accordingly.

I had another chance to redefine "easy" in a different way. The new class that I tried today was called "Ballet Body". It was taught by a lovely, extremely flamboyant male ballet dancer who will be leaving next week to appear in a zombie B-movie. Awesome.

Anyway, at first glance the moves seemed ridiculously "easy". Lots of demi-plies, tendus, leg lifts, etc. However, maintaining balance was very difficult and I could feel my core working. Pointing my toes engaged all the muscles in my legs, and after continuously working my legs the whole hour with these deceptively "simple" moves, I have serious muscle soreness. No wonder ballerinas have such amazing bodies! It was a great class and I hope to take it again.

The ballet class was a great example of how you can strengthen and tone your body without using any additional equipment other than your own body. While it may look "easy", the results are real - and that's what matters.

Today's workout:
20 min. run (2.33 miles)
60 min. ballet body class

Crank it Up!

Often, many people hit a stumbling block in their workout routine when they reach a plateau; they can't seem to progress any farther in their current workout. These are some simple hints for ways to crank up your workout without making substantial changes to it - you can tweak your current exercises to get more out of them. You can change one or all of these areas - but don't try to tackle too many changes at once so as not to become overwhelmed.

Duration

You can get more out of your workout by changing the length. This can change in a number of ways - increasing the overall time of your workout (run for 45 minutes instead of 30), increasing the number of repetitions (if you usually do 12 bicep curls each time, do 15), or increasing the number of sets you do of each exercise (if you usually do two sets each of squats, make it three). If you do interval training, you can also lengthen the time of your intervals - if you usually do several 30 second bursts of speed during your run, make those one minute sprints. Increase your time incrementally and you won't even notice that you are working harder!

Resistance

Another way to raise your heart rate and improve your fitness is by raising the resistance. If you normally use an elliptical machine or treadmill, increase the incline/crossramp setting. Choose a slightly higher weight setting in your strength training exercises; a more resistant band, a heavier medicine ball, bigger dumb bells. If you enjoy doing step aerobics, add another riser to your step. During your power walk, pick up a pair of hand weights. Don't get stuck at your comfort level - continuing challenging yourself, even if the increase is small.

Intensity

This is kind of a fun way to power up your workout! Add some high impact moves to your exercise classes - jump up onto the step, add a hop to your kickboxing shuffle, do jumping jacks during your resting time between sets, increase the speed in your cardio workout. To increase intensity in my workouts, I always do supersets. That is, instead of resting in between sets, I always do two exercises at a time and alternate between them. I make sure that the two exercises are working different muscles so as not to become fatigued. For example, I will do 15 bicep curls followed by 15 squats, and then repeat. I don't rest between sets - I am always working and my heart rate does not drop.

Another way to increase intensity is through multi-faceted exercises, combining upper and lower body moves when doing strength training. For example, while doing a lunge, add a shoulder press. Combine an upright row with a squat. That way, you get more bang for your buck! A great way to increase intensity and crank up your workout!

By changing up the duration, resistance or intensity of your normal exercise routine, you can work on edging your way out of a plateau and continue moving forward to reach your goals!

Today's workout:
15 min. stretching
33 min. EFX machine - weight loss interval + cool down
30 min. strength training + plyometrics

Fourteen Seconds!

That's how much I shaved off my race time today! I completed the Heinzerling 5K in 23:44, fourteen seconds faster than my last race (average pace-7:39/mi). More importantly, I didn't feel like I was going to die when I finished! In fact, as I passed the 3.0 mile marker, I saw the time clock was at 23:3? and I knew I could beat my last time, so I sprinted hard for the finish. There was no way I could have done that last time - I dragged myself over the finish line. Also, I won my age group again! Overall, I finished 24th of 155 runners, 6th of 88 women.

Homestead Park was not my favorite race venue, for the simple fact that it was extremely difficult to get to. It is located on the far west side of town, in Hilliard. The trail was paved, with rolling hills in some places that transitioned into a flat bike path. No part of the trail was shaded, however, and I am hoping I don't end up with a little bit of a sunburn!

The Heinzerling Foundation is a residential facility that "provides a loving and nurturing environment that enriches the development, education and quality of life of individuals with severe or profound mental retardation." Find out more about the foundation here.