Category Archives: Bikram Yoga

July 1, 2011 · 11:23 am

DOMS

Damn you, Bikram!

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I know, I know, I haven’t written about running in a while. Don’t give up on me just yet – I’m still getting my body used to running outside in this heat, and still hoping to find company to run with me (I have a brand new neighbor who is a new runner – yes, I’m attempting to convince her to tag along with me! Everyone is afraid of the heat!).

In the meantime, I’ll continue to do what helped me be a better runner last year: Bikram Yoga. I still think it’s torture, but I’m doing it so I can be a better runner. So that when I run under 85 degree heat I think “ha, this is nothing!” (or more accurately “this sucks, but it’s not too bad”).

After kicking my ass weightlifting on Tuesday, then going to bikram (after months away) the same day, I decided that going back to bikram on Wednesday was a good idea. And it was! I had already improved a lot the next day! Didn’t need to take breaks, did all the poses (though there’s still a long way to go). So needless to say, I dragged my butt out of bed yesterday and went again.

I had woken up sore: DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) always hits me two days after the workout. The next day? Sure, I’m a little sore. Add another morning and it’s all like “OUCH!” with every movement.

Have you tried doing yoga (heated or not) when it hurts to lift your arms? Then when you have to hold a pose, you think your arms might just fall out from the pain? No? Well, you’re a smart one then.

Instead, I went to bikram 3 days in a row, battling DOMS. My plan was to go back today, for the 4th day in a row.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Yeah, not happening. E V E R Y T H I N G H U R T S. If I thought yesterday was bad, today is much much worse. My back and arms are in a constant burn, as if I’m mid movement on a pose (or when lifting), except I don’t have to be doing anything for that. I’m sitting my butt on the couch typing this, with only my fingers moving, and I can feel the burn. Can you say out of shape?

So today? It’s a bikram rest day. I’m still trying to get my ass in gear and see if I can hit the treadmill, or even the weights, but who am I kidding? I’m a wuss.

But next week? You’ll see me again, bikram. You’ll see me again.

Workout, Pool & Bikram

Yep, Tuesday was a busy day…

I woke up determined to work out, and after killing enough time at home to keep an eye on Lily (she still throws up at times *sad face*), I finally made my way down to our gym.

I hadn’t attempted to run for the last week and a half, since the last attempt brought a surprise: pain on my left forefoot. Yep, that’s the same foot that deals on and off with plantar fasciitis. Fun times. That day, I stopped the run right away (even though mentally it was a good day, damn it!), because I’ve had enough injuries to know when it’s just stupid to go on.

Today, sadly, was a bad day for running. I put on my best cushioned shoes (instead of the Nike Frees I’ve been wearing to the gym lately) and went for an interval run.

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But it was one of those days that I just wasn’t feeling it. My body just felt blah. So I did 10 minutes of intervals (and even those weren’t that fast), and walked for another 10 minutes. Maybe a good thing, because my infamous hip injury that no one knows what it is flared up tonight. Fun times.

To acclimatize to the heat, I kept the AC off and opened up the windows (probably another reason why the run wasn’t easy). REALLY hard to keep on running when you keep staring at the pool…

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After 20 minutes, I was a bit sweaty, but not ready to call it quits just yet!

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So I attacked this…

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And this… (Don’t be too impressed, the weights I actually used are all the way on the left side of this picture. So far to the left that it’s not even showing here…)

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And a workout it was! I even added squats to my bicep curls, and hopped on the step (is that what we still call that step thing from the 90’s?) during my triceps dips. I attempted to unsuccessfully do pushups (and to think last year around the marathon time I had finally conquered real push ups instead of the girly version…), but did so many different weight workouts that hopefully soon enough I’ll have my body back in shape. Everything is harder when you’ve been carrying on all these extra pounds…

An hour later, I was finally done – I even remembered to stretch for a change. My face was red, my clothes were soaked, but it was worth the reward!

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What reward? The pool, of course! I HAD to take advantage of it! So I spent the rest of the afternoon dozing off here… Can you believe it’s only the second time I go to our pool? Talk about taking it for granted!

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To complete my day, I decided to finally join the Bikram Yoga studio a couple of blocks from me. The place costs a fortune (waaaay more than the one I went to in Virginia), but if I go there 3 times a week, it’ll be worth the cost.

Of course, once there I remembered how much I actually hate it. But heck, it helped me with marathon training (I was the one who was the least bothered by the heat among all my friends who ran Chicago – missing my goal by only 7 minutes, since I walked a bit after mile 19 out of sheer boredom), so it should definitely help me acclimatize to the heat in the Philippines. I used to go to Bikram to help me be a better runner (the heat and stretching are never a bad thing).

So I am sticking with it. Even though today was HARD. I kept getting dizzy. I had to take breaks during the standing poses, and though my Alexandria studio would encourage drinking water when you needed to (as long as it was in between poses), and using the hand towel to grasp your sweaty foot better if you needed the help (he claims that even Bikram does that), here they frown upon it. I mean, I got yelled at by using my hand towel to wipe the sweat off my eyes in between poses. Uh, I couldn’t open my left eye, it was so soaked.

So yeah it was a very unpleasant experience, and amazing how out of shape I’ve become. The first time I did Bikram, almost a year ago, I found it to be torture, but I didn’t have to take any breaks, and now, look at me… *sigh*

If only I could find a friend to go with me to keep me motivated! It was easy in DC, since Kathy never said no to Bikram (the girl is crazy and take classes back to back).

Have you tried Bikram? Love it or hate it?

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Filed under Bikram Yoga, Pictures, Treadmill Run, Workout

January 21, 2011 · 1:56 pm

Bikram FAIL

Since I cannot run, on Wednesday I went with Kathy and Hugi to bikram yoga. I don’t even remember the last time I went, it was probably right before the Marine Corps Marathon, since after that, I got the flu, I went to Brazil, got married, honeymooned, came back for the holidays and been dealing with injuries since.

I knew it was going to be tough, bikram is always tough, but I didn’t realize how out of shape I got. Because for the first time during bikram? I got dizzy. I had to sit down. I couldn’t last through all the poses. I couldn’t even do all the poses. My heart was beating so strong that when we lied down with out head to the side, I could feel my head bumping against the mat to the rhythm of my heart beat.

I never had to sit out a pose. Never. Not even during my very first class. Only once I skipped a pose, and that was because I hydrated too much before class and had to run to the bathroom before I peed myself.

And today? I’m sore. So sore that I can’t even differentiate my hip pain with all the other aches in my body.

I can’t wait until I get myself back in the shape I was just a few weeks ago. This weekend? I’m finally buying a bike trainer, because if I can’t run, I better go back to my original love: biking (it’s too damn cold to bike outside — it’s going back to the 20’s this weekend!). If only I could play volleyball too… And I better continue going to bikram, even if it’s tough, and even though I hated it the whole time on Wednesday.

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Filed under Bikram Yoga, Injury

January 19, 2011 · 12:49 pm

12 days…

On Monday night, we gave a last look at our bidlist, made one last minute change, and hit “send”

That is it, no more researching cities around the world and countries and making decisions of where we would like or not like to live. No more talks on strategy, or whether we should put this as a medium or high. Now, it’s officially beyond our control.

In 12 days we will find out where our life is headed… AAAAAHHHHHHH! It’s nerve-wrecking!!!

The worst part is that I cannot run to de-stress. This not running thing is killing me.

The hip? (Or whatever it is.) Got worse. Today it’s extra painful. So I have to suck it up and schedule an orthopedist appointment.

Sounds a lot easier than it is, since either they have restricted hours for making appointments, or no one picks up, or they transfer me to the “hip replacement” section when I mention my hip hurts (I would expect the doctor’s office to be a bit more optimistic than that, no?)

In the meantime, I’ll keep blabbing about everything but running. Did I mention I’m supposed to be training for the Shamrock Half Marathon now? But I can’t even walk without pain?

ARGH.

Bikram yoga tonight. Let’s hope all the stretching and sweating will help.

4 Comments

Filed under Bikram Yoga, Foreign Service, Injury