this time i'm giving up. simply giving up on you.
proud of myself
NB: This post contains exercise and fitness talk.
I had a heck of a time dragging myself out for a run today (had a hard time falling asleep last night, with a result that, um, I didn't get up at 6:30 as I had planned. Silly Bear. And I woke up moody and sad.) and the first two miles were grim determination and lies. But I got there, and then it got easier (I like jogging at Scott's house: Wisconsin is a hell of a lot flatter than Massachusetts!) and I wound up doing 7.6 miles in 11:30 minute-miles. With enough left at the end to... well, not exactly sprint, but at least run rather than jogging the last 2/10th of a mile, which actually felt really good. I like it on those rare occasions when I can actually run, when the meat cooperates and I feel powerful and swift and springy. My hip was hurting, but I'm kind of used to that; it's been dodgy since I was in high school and I'm used to just kind of working through it.
Even the last mile wasn't too bad. The sun was warmer than I like, but the air was beautiful and cool, and for bits of it I actually had a good wind at my back. I may have found myself, um, enjoying those bits. Well, it's only taken five years to stop hating the whole thing...
Then, of course, I promptly had an asthma attack, but that's why God made Ventalin. :-P
I'm doing more weight circuits and hiking here, and (alas) no climbing (I have fingernails! It's so weird!) but I'm trying to do a distance run at least once a week, preferably twice, so I don't lose my hard-earned wind--and I've been exceptionally good about my yoga. Tree pose with my foot actually on my thigh! And when Rodney says "Knee to nose" I can actually do it, now! This makes me think my belly and thighs are shrinking, though my clothes don't seem any looser and the scale's not budging--I think I look different in the mirror around the ribcage, however, and my bras seem to fit more smoothly through the band. And there are great and terrible abdominal muscles in there. I can feel them!
Possibly I'm trading fat for muscle. That'd be nice, considering how hard I've been working out since Worldcon... I feel like I've earned some muscle mass.
I'm thinking I'm going to try and do a distance run a week once I'm back in Canada to replace swimming. We'll see how that works out.
I'm not sure I have *ever* been able to do that.
or an improper lady!
The primmer one crossed her ankles, and the really old-fashioned one had been taught to put her ankles together and possibly, possibly, bring them to one side when putting them under the chair. The interesting thing about ankles-together is that it feels like a very gentle yoga sit to me, good for my RSI and the rest of my posture.
Someday, I should like to get "knee to nose" but that's going to be a while yet, I think.
if you're new to it, it's better to take a class, however. As long as you can find an instructor who will encourage you to modify poses to your level of fitness and practice--and I'd stay away from so-called "hot yoga" until one is a little more experienced.
I'm a big fan of Rodney Yee's stuff, and Jason Crandell, and Ganga White and Tracy Rich.
Photos
Also, our local playground on the beach has a climbing wall! I'm not sure whether that's an excellent opportunity to try it without stress or a surefire way to crush my ego by failing in front of a bunch of judgmental toddlers.
Re: Photos
Thank you! I feel pretty good overall--and I recommend climbing walls, toddlers or no.
It did take me something like six sessions before I got to the top of my first climb, by the way, so if it's slow going that's normal.