Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wednesday Workout Update - Bullet Point Edition

  • Well, the two-a-days continue, what with doing yoga two evenings a week and swimming five mornings.  What???  I'm sure it's comparable to what the local high school football players are going through right now.  Well, in the magical World of Shelley, anyway!
  • Have I mentioned that I'm at the pool by 8:00 am every weekday morning?  A while ago, I got it into my head that my workout was my "job" so to speak, and I made this self-imposed arrival time.  You know what?  I haven't skipped a workout yet.  Hey, whatever works, right?
  • I got a text message midday on Monday that the yoga class for that night was cancelled - and I was genuinely disappointed.  Who am I, and when did I become the person who was sad to miss a workout?  The old me would have been relieved, and celebrated a free night.  But I really like my yoga instructors.  I've been spoiled with being the only student in several of the Monday/Wednesday classes, and have gotten a lot of extra instruction - and I feel like I'm actually doing some of the poses correctly because of that.
  • Now, that being said, Tuesday night's class?  Kicked my behind.  Is that an appropriate thing to say about yoga?  It's true!  Ivan led a vinyasa flow class, which meant that we moved from one pose to the next with hardly any breaks in between.  Of course, we were supposed to be practicing our breathing, but that can still be a challenge for me, especially when the pose is particularly hard...then I'm apt to fall back into Lamaze-type breathing, lol!
  • Chair pose.  I never thought there would be something more challenging than the wall sits we did when I was training with Brad, but the yoga chair pose beats my quads into submission.
  • Rest days are awesome.  Saturday and Sunday?  I swear, I can feel my muscles knitting themselves back together.  Best thing is that with as much swimming and yoga as I've been doing, I really feel like I've earned them.  And I'm pleased that I can say that. :)

24 comments:

  1. (clicks away to go google CHAIR POSE. I think I need me some CHAIR POSE)

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  2. Definitely deserve those rest days on Saturday and Sunday. You are so good at sticking to your swimming and yoga, you have become a different person than you used to be (those are your words). The way I know you is someone who hardly ever skips a workout, you didn't when you had your fitness at Brad's and your running. You are a true inspiration in this.

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  3. I like the image of muscles knitting themselves back together...that's exactly it!

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  4. What they all said! Yes - it's great that you miss workouts. I wish I could trick myself into thinking exercise was my job! If I do it enough, maybe it'll happen!

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  5. Swimming and yoga. Seems like such a zen approach to exercise. I like it!

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  6. Great job Shelley! & your two-a days are just as good as the Football 2-a days :)

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  7. See? People always ask me how I can get up at 4-4:30 to run and I tell them that years ago I made it non-negotiable because I found out if I didn't, I wouldn't run later. That making exercise a job/priority thing really works, doesn't it!

    Good job with the two a days... I bet that hot yoga is making you all stretchy.

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  8. Vinyasa flow is my favorite, but it is a butt kicker for sure! And chair pose? My quads screeeeeam for mercy.

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  9. That is awesome how consistently you are exercising. Plus the two seem like a really great rounded workout. And deserving a rest weekend? That's the very best part!

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  10. Auh Shelley it makes me so happy that you found something you love to do and boy am I jealous that you can swim ;-).
    Take the rest days, enjoy them, you deserve them!

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  11. Thanks afor the suggestion about making exercise your job. I have been finding many excuses not to exercise because of my job. Maybe I can condition myself to the fact that the exercise is another "meeting" to attend.

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  12. Isn't yoga awesome?! I really feel my body becoming more and more flexible and it's only been a month or so. Strength and flexibility is going to be so good for us as we...ahem age (gracefully of course). You rock Shelley!

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  13. yeah - yoga is hard! I remember the first one I went to, I could barely hold any of the poses.

    And yeah for you to make an appt. for swimming! That's awesome.

    You are doing Great!!!

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  14. Yay Shelley! Treating exercise as something like an appointment or a job is the way to do it. Then it becomes so routine that it *is* weird when you miss.

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  15. With all the challenges this year with your ankle, you've learned to take them in stride and find some activity that works even though it wasn't your first choice. I am inspired by your consistent approach and your ability to overcome challenges! Thanks!

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  16. Great job with the exercise, Shelley! I know when I have to miss a running workout I get very sad too.

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  17. would love to see some pics of the yoga poses.. I don't know the yoga chair. Do you find yourself hungrier on the days where you work out twice?

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  18. Love the "who am I?!" And I like the analogy is your muscles knitting themselves back together over the weekend.

    I slept bad the first two nights of my vacation and woke up with terrible lower back pain - I only worked out once the whole time I was gone, and that led to eating whatever the hell I wanted - thank goodness I am back on track today!

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  19. YOu are a WORKOUT Machine Shelley!!!! Woo Hoo!!!! Have a great Thursday.

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  20. Do you have any suggestions for a yoga DVD? You're the only person I know of who does yoga, and I would love if you had any suggestions.

    I've done a few yoga poses in non-yoga dvds and liked how it felt. But I know there are a million different styles, and I'm never really sure where to start.

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  21. I love that you equate your workout with your job, and have set a firm schedule for it. It's a really great idea.

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