Yoga and Non-Scale Victories

I was really looking forward to my week of yoga.  So much so that I dragged my butt to the gym for 8pm after already coming home, making dinner, relaxing, etc.  I even jumped on the treadmill for a jog/walk to warm up my muscles while I waited. 

Last night was Yogafit for one hour.  The only other yoga class I've been to was a relax and rejuvenate class so I was looking forward to doing more than lie on mat in meditation.  I was eager to learn some poses that I can try at home.  I was excited to see progress in my ability.

"Welcome to Yogafit.  My name is Marsha and it is my goal that by the time you leave tonight you will feel like you've done 1000 squats."  Oh God.  What did I sign myself up for?

Let's start with successes...

Downward Dog

Pigeon

And the I'm still working on it...



This one

Eagle (I did a modification)

Moving from plank to crocodile

I left dripping in sweat and sore everywhere.  I even had to take a break from the poses halfway through the class and just sit on my mat to watch.  However, during that time I stretched my legs and discovered that I can finally touch my toes!  I firmly grasped the ball of each foot with my legs extended out in front of me.  This is a big deal because even in my ballet days as a child I have never been able to gain enough flexibility to touch my toes.  All in all it was a success.  Looking forward to relax and rejuvenate with a friend tomorrow.

 

This Week is Full of Fitness

I completed week 1 of the couch to 5km program.  I even had a friend join me on a 4th day to run as she was inspired by my try-a-tri goal and may choose to enter the duathlon.  We are going to train together this week as we seem to run at the same pace and enjoy each other's company. 

Side note: Running is making my body sore (shins and one ankle - but I think I slept on it wrong).  Someone cautioned me that running is not worth the strain on your body.  I agree to an extent.  I have no desire to run like my husband does.  I do think that I should be able to run after my future (way future) kids, circle the block once, or run away if under attack.  I'm not training to run because I think fit people run.  I'm training to run because I've always wanted to be able to run one lap around the school yard and because I love the solitude of circling the neighbourhood with the wind in my face.

I've also decided that yoga is most definitely for me and I hate that I have not been going with the change in my gym's schedule.  I'm going to find a way to make it work.  I'm also going to a free Zumba class in May as I've always wanted to try it.  It also might be a good way to meet more women that live near me as it is at a local hall.

And...did I mention yet that Chris and I joined a baseball team?  We start playing mid-May with a fun mixed league.  It should be good to get out and do something fit with my husband that has us working together and not competing.

This Week's Plan of Attack
Monday - trail walk on own/with friend, yogafit class
Tuesday - run with friend (1 min run, 1.5 minute walk)
Wednesday - relax and rejuvenate yoga, run with friend
Thursday - bike ride or swim with Chris, Kundalini and Ashtanga yoga
Friday - morning run on own

FMM: Inside My Head (Apparently Kenlie and I Are in the Same State of Mind)

Head over to www.alltheweigh.com to participate and link up.  I just did an activity with my grade 1/2 library class on poetry where we wrote "I am" poems.  This FMM reminds me very much of that.

Inside My Head

I like…teaching.
I don’t like…getting sick.
I love…my husband.
I dream of…having children.
I wonder…what life will be like when I'm old and gray.
I know…that I'm still learning.
I went…to work yesterday.
I think…all the time.
I plan…to run tonight.
I regret…nothing.  Really and truly.
I do…take time for myself.
I drink…seldom.
I wish…I was debt-free.
I am…an amazing person.
I am not…fit yet.
I need…a clutter free space.
I hope…I will succeed.
I want…to complete the try-a-try this summer.
I sometimes…sing in the car.
I always…help others.
I can…accomplish what I set my mind to.
I cannot…do a proper push-up yet.
I avoid…doing the dishes.
I will…do better next time.

I've Been Stuck in My Head

I can't remember the last time I posted on my blog about fitness.  I have been thinking, talking, and reading about fitness on a daily basis.  I have been doing fitness on a semi-regular basis.  I haven't been able to pull it altogether though to share in a coherent way through a series of posts though so I'm just going to spill my thoughts and questions at once in an organized fashion.

Mind-set
Most days I think I don't like fitness.  The days I do fitness I think I like it immediately following the workout when I'm feeling that euphoric energy, clear lungs, and adrenaline.  Some days I look forward to doing fit things.  I don't know where I stand overall.  I have proven to myself that I feel better when I am exerting energy on a regular basis and I feel worse when I am not.  I've recognized I really need to think differently in my approach to fitness.  Some days I'm there and some days I'm not - I'll let you know when I figure it all out.  Have you ever struggled with changing your mind-set?

Motivation
I was convinced for a long time that I needed motivation to be fit.  I needed a goal to achieve, someone to push me, someone to be accountable to, a reason to do it, a passion for it, and more.  The longer I struggle with longevity and the routine of fitness the more I'm realizing motivation has crap to do with it all.  I do not need motivation.  I need commitment, consistency, and plans.  I already have motivation - it is what gets me thinking about wanting to do fit things, setting goals, and researching new ideas, but it doesn't get me actually doing them.  Where do you stand with motivation?  I still struggle with this scenario from the past:  I am committed to going to the gym every day.  I've been going every day.  I wake up every morning not wanting to go and wanting to go at the same time.  I wake up exhausted, I have a zillion things to do, I'm not going anywhere near the gym and it's raining outside, and I also hate my current fitness routine...if motivation does not play a part in me deciding to go or not go, then what is influencing my decision???

Food
I am more successful when I track the food I eat.  Plain and simple.  I stop tracking when I am consistently eating within my calories and by no surprise I immediately start to eat too many and lose all my hard work.  Tracking food makes me think about whether or not I'm actually hungry or if I'm just bored and wanting a snack.  I need to do this again and keep at it.  How do you find the balance between what you want to eat and what you have allotted to eat?

Working Out
I need to do this every day ideally.  I need to commit to a program and not deviate from it at the very least (ie. couch to 5km which I started last week).  Programs are designed to help me succeed.  I cannot succeed at them if I do not follow them blindly.  They worked for a reason - I need to trust this and not question it or try to speed it up.  When I do then I fail.  What programs have been the most successful for you to a)lose weight b)build strength c) build endurance d) increase flexibility e) feel empowered?

Competition
I am not competitive.  Not with myself or with others.  I strive to do well.  I'm happy when I do better.  But, ultimately I do not care if I beat my score or someone else's.  I am more apt to get frustrated and quit if I continue trying to strive for something greater than my current ability.  I need to focus on lengthy workouts not beat my time to get it done faster workouts.  More cardio=more success.  Instead of working to get done faster (my old mindset) I need to enjoy the time I do work so I will do more (my new mindset).

I'm sure there is more floating around in my brain that will spill out in the weeks to come.  For now, plans to track my calories, complete week 2 of couch to 5km, and learn to lift weights in my garage.  But, most all, to attack fitness with a positive mind.

FMM: Childhood Flashbacks

Read my answers, answer the questions yourself, post them on Kenlie's blog www.alltheweigh.com  PS. Kenlie, I really liked this particular FMM topic.

1. Did you have a set bedtime as a child?  If so, what was it?
I did.  It varied based on my edge, but it was always earlier than any of my friends.  We (my brother and I) also had to be in the house earlier than anyone else.  I remember complaining about that - coming in from hide and seek - but I don't think I argued the bedtime very often.  I like my sleep and I loved reading in bed (or straining to watch my parent's tv shows like Melrose Place from down the hallway).

2. Were you taught to be a member of the “Clean Plate Club?”
I was actually taught the opposite by my home daycare provider much to the chagrin of my parents, although they ultimately respected and supported this most of the time.  I was taught by my daycare provider to always leave something on your plate so your host does not think you are still hungry.  My parents taught me I didn't have to like everything but I had to try a bite of everything - there were very few meals I struggled to eat.  I was even a vegetarian for a number of years because I was picky about meat (veins, fat, grisle, etc.) so I learned to love lots of veggies early on.  I also had a family that ate homecooked meals, at the dinner table, together, every single night!  My parents also believed that as the adults they were responsible for providing one meal option- eat it or go hungry the rest of the night.
Did it have affect your eating habits as an adult? 
I still leave stuff on my plate as a habit most of the time.  I try a variety of foods (squab, sea urchin, conch, oxtail, shark, crocodile, etc.) and still follow the at least one bite rule ie. I don't like broccoli, but I eat at least one just in case my tongue has changed its mind.  I am much happier eating veggies than protein.  I prefer to eat at the dinner table with Chris - this happens most days if we are home together.

3. Share one thing that you were not allowed to do as a child.
Lots of things: stay outside late, go to friends' houses if my parents did not know their parents, play in the woods (I did anyway), argue back more than once on any topic, miss church, etc.

4. What is the cheapest gas price (in litres) you can remember? 
As a kid I have no idea why gas prices used to interest me, but they did.  Maybe because we travelled by car a lot to visit family and I lvoed the whole road trip thing singing along to Solid Gold cassette tapes of motown music given away by the gas stations with a fill up (they also gave away Winnie the Pooh books and coffee mugs among other things).  I also remember clearly having a conversation about how to read the gas price of 74.6 cents and how that is the same as $0.746 and wouldn't it be interesting if gas prices used the dollar slot because it wouldn't fit on the sign.

5. What was your favorite thing on the playground? 
I could swing on the swings forever, but the coolest thing at our small town playground I don't even know the name of so I will describe it.  It was like a merry-go-round in that it went around in a circle.  It was made out of wood planks and held at least 20 kids.  Several friends would sit on the benches or stand on the support beams.  Several friends would then hold on to the support beams and run around fast in a circle pushing the contraption.  When you couldn't keep up with the momentum you hoisted yourself onto it and hung on for dear life while it spun itself to a stop.  It was also cool to hang on and let it drag you through the sand.  It was kind of like this, but massive and painted bright yellow...

6. Share one thing that your parents always made you do that you didn’t like doing. 
My mom made us go to church.  I always wanted to stay home and play with my friends.  I'm glad she made us go now.

7. Do you remember your first kiss?  If so, share the details! 
I'm sure I was kissed when I was younger.  My mom tells a story of me coming home from kindergarten in hysterical tears because Scottie called me a "bag of chips".  Mom didn't get it and I thought it was an insult because neither of us had heard of the expression "she's all that and a bag of chips"!  So, my first boyfriend kiss was in grade 10.  I was avoiding it forever and one day he just got me by complete surprise after the bell rang for class.  I was pressed up against the stairway wall and it was sloppy and gross upon first impression.  It broke the ice though and got better from there.

8. Did you prefer to play inside or outside? 
As a child I remember liking indoor play better - My Little Pony and Barbie with my friends.  I also loved board games.  I was a quiet and independent child so I could entertain myself for hours in the house.  My parents liked me to have a balance of outdoor time too - very little tv watching in my house - so I also loved playing with the neighbourhood kids afterschool and after dinner.  We lived on a cul de sac and no one had fences so we had about 15 backyards, a quiet street, and a courtyard circle to play tag and hide and seek on.  We even played baseball in the church parking lot and rollerbladed in the mdeical centre parking lot.  My friends also lived close enough (within 2km) that we cycled everywhere together.

9. What was your favorite TV show growing up? 
I liked TGIF on ABC - Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, etc.  This was the bulk of my tv watching for the week.  When I got older I loved Touched by an Angel and Beverly Hills 90210.  Saved by the Bell was my only after school tv watching before I was sent outside.

10. Share one awesome childhood memory. 
Two of my girlfriends and I borrowed my mom's laundry bucket to collect clay from the creek.  We were threatened with our lives that we better not return without her favourite bucket.  Needless to say at some point it drifted away from us and we had to chase it for quite some time, both on the creek bank and in the freezing cold, "leech infested in our mind" creek for quite some time.  We brought the bucket back, but not much clay.  It was quite the adventure.

Bonus: Share a picture of yourself as a child. 

Me and my brother outside the house we grew up in.

Me in ballet class.