Bikram Yoga review

Huh. Here’s a review I wrote from a Bikram yoga class I tried back in April, lost in the draft folder…

•Wish I had gotten there a little earlier so I didn’t feel so rushed
•Per a friend’s recommendation, I drank more water than normal that afternoon. Good, except I had to leave 15 minutes into class because I couldn’t suck in my stomach (which I swear the instructor said 100 times during the 90 minute class) with a full bladder.
•I wore capri pants and a tank. Shorts would have been better. Lots of ladies in sports bras and booty shorts.
•Bring a big towel to cover your mat – I had a smaller towel and it was ok, but everyone else had full size towels on their mat
•Wash your clothes right away or hang them up. Everything is really wet and nasty
•Speaking of nasty… Wish this place had normal tile floors instead of indoor/outdoor carpet (or whatever is on the floor). As one might expect, this studio was pretty rank. Floor would have been more sanitary than carpet

Overall? I liked it. You keep moving, the class is pretty easy to follow, and the heat does make you feel more flexible.

Add: I didn’t get to continue past a few classes because my bf and I found a new apartment and The Move took over. May try it again, would be nice when it gets a little cooler outside.

Returning to the triathlon life… overcoming fear

Greetings. And welcome to… Kelly gets back into shape, 2012 edition. Sigh. A year ago I was in tip-top shape having completed Ironman Wisconsin in 2011. Since then, I’ve taken quite a bit of time off from regular training. I’ve moved, gotten a new job, gone to, and participated in, many beautiful weddings. I’ve hiked and climbed. I learned to snowboard. I did Crossfit for three months… ending in January. I tried Bikram yoga. I went to San Diego, Zion National Park, Yosemite, Tahoe, Chicago, and ICELAND.

Sadly, folks – not much in the way of bike riding, running in that list. Which is okay. It’s good to try new things. Except that I signed up for Ironman Lake Tahoe, Sept 22, 2013. That’s just over twelve months away. Plenty of time to get back to it, but I know that I need to regain some fitness before throwing myself to the training gods come January.

I went to the pool yesterday and swam 35 minutes continuously. Probably around a mile, maybe a little less. Gave me some time to think, since I wasn’t counting laps. I recognized that I am scared. I haven’t had this much time off my bike since I bought my first road bike in 2005. Seriously. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I am slow and don’t have much endurance. I am scared to try masters swimming – always have been, but I also know I need coaching and help. I’m scared because I don’t know if my arms are strong enough to go for an hour. I’m scared to get back to Crossfit (which I think really helps me stay uninjured) because I’m so incredibly weak. I’m scared to run with anyone but my buddy Cara, because I know she’s not judging me.

WOW. Fear of failure has stopped me from even starting.

I sure am glad I realized that, because I’m going to try my best to use that fear now to motivate me so that I can be back to a fitness level that turns this training nonsense from uncomfortable work into… uncomfortable FUN and joy.

Now, I don’t want to try to do TOO MUCH at once. Kind of a recipe for injury, fatigue, and generally hating myself. With that in mind, I hope that the following goals are a challenge, but achievable.

Training log:

• Friday – swim, 35 min
• Saturday – one hour ride, mostly hill. DONE. Even did a repeat, despite wanting to vomit
• Sunday – run with either hills, stairs, or intervals. Target 30-60 minutes.