Bikram Challenge: Complete

Well my month of Bikram is over. I totally slacked last weekend with Friday being my only class for the entire weekend. Oh well. I did 22 or 23 classes, I can’t remember. Not bad for a newbie.

Thoughts on Bikram:

-It is hot! No, kidding right. But some days when I walked in the room the heat was like a punch in the face and I’d start to sweat instantly. The more people that were there the hotter it was. On days when I was tired after work, I almost always started to drift off to sleep while waiting for class to start. The heat was like a nice warm blanket.

-I’ve never sweat so much.

-I’m not flexible at 5 am.

-Balance, balance. The standing series of poses is an hour long. They were my favorite of the entire class. They really helped me with my balance, leg and core strength.

-I could hear my heart. Some days more than others but there were times that I would lay on the floor for savasna and could feel and hear my heart pounding. I wouldn’t say it kept my heart rate up the entire 90 minutes, but it got it up from time to time which leads to more calorie burning.

-My ankle hates some of the floor poses. Though yoga had no blunt impact to make my ankle hurt, one pose in particular made the pain flare right up every time. I had to do a modified pose to avoid the pain.

-It’s very repetitive. Bikram developed his practice so that one pose lead to the next. That means every day we did the same 26 poses, in the same order. Though it was nice to do the same poses and see improvements each time, it got kind of old. I began to learn which poses I didn’t like and began to dread them when I knew they were coming up next.

Body Changes:

No major body changes. My weight continued to have its normal fluctuations of 2-4 pounds. I do think that my leg muscles have gotten stronger as well as my shoulders and abs. I’m still not seeing a six-pack but I’ll settle for a flat stomach. The changes in my measurements were pretty small, nothing worth publishing really.

To Continue or Not to Continue:

At this point I’m taking a break. I’m heading to Tampa for several days and have a really busy June. So I thought I’d wait to use my discount until the end of June or July. I think that I’ll continue with the practice on occasion but it will not be my primary form of exercise. I think the longer I do it, the more benefits I’ll see. Plus I do like the people at the studio.

I’m considering trying out some other forms of yoga in the mean time on a drop in basis.

So there is it, a super brief review of my month.

I Ran!!!

That's right, I ignored advice of the doctor and my own better judgement and ran.  I smiled the entire time too!  Friday afternoon I was heading to the gym before yoga and decided you know what I should try it out.  The first few steps on the treadmill sent shooting pain up my calf but once I got in my groove I was ok.  I ran an easy four miles before I decided I should not push myself right out of the gate.

Time: 40 minutes    Distance: 4 miles    Avg. Pace: 10 min/miles

Not too shabby considering I haven't run in more than a month.  Now, several days later I'm still hurting though. My ankle hurts every time I walk.  I've made the executive decision to skip the MRI and just start intensive physical therapy.  I didn't really like the orthopedic surgeon at all and I don't really feel the need to work with him or spend money on the MRI if he thinks it's just tendonitis. 

Hopefully I can get into PT before I leave for Tampa on Saturday afternoon so we can get this show on the road.  My month of yoga also ended this weekend....it did not go out with a bang but more on that later.

So the problem is what?

I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved right now.  My appointment with the orthopedic surgeon was kind of a let down.  I went for x-rays which apparently showed nothing. The doctor told me that he's leaning toward just really bad tendonitis but is scheduling me for a MRI to double check.  The MRI will confirm or deny tendonitis or a stress fracture.

I guess I'm happy that it's not stress fracture but I'm super frustrated.  I just want to know what's wrong with me so that I can fix it and get back into training.  I suppose the MRI will do that.  From there if it's just tendonitis I'll do some heavy duty physical therapy complete will some nasty deep tissue work.  Better than a boot.  I am seriously starting to think that this is all in my head. 

I also found out that apparently my knees are weird. Not the doctors words of course. My knee caps track up and out rather than just straight up and down.  I need to be aware of potential injury and really take care of them.

So now I just wait. This is the last week of the yoga challenge.  I've done 17 classes, it will be 18 after the class I do tonight.  If I got to every class for the rest of the month I'll hit my 25 classes.  Not so shabby.

Just Not My Day

I'm not having the best day.  I woke up about 3:45 this morning with a stomach ache. I though that it was probably just from being hot or hungry so I got up and went to the 5 am yoga class.  Bad idea.  I had to leave the room early for fear of vomiting.  I got showered and dressed, still feeling like total crap.  I walked out to my car and something seemed a bit off. I walked to the passenger side to discover that my window had been broken out.  A rock had be thrown through the window so hard that it totally shattered my window and hit the opposite door, knocking off the light cover.  Seriously?  At this point I started tearing up. I already felt like total ass and now this.  UGH!

At this point I decided that I need to let Pete and Lisa know I was going to stay home.  I almost tossed my cookies right there in the parking lot.  I picked the glass off of my seat and drove home.  I still haven't cleaned it up yet.  I just got off the phone with the police department. They informed me that there have been 20 Honda Accords stolen lately and the 1997 is the preffered model.  Flipping fantastic.  She said to take every precaution.  Well duh, I already lock the doors and park in crowded places.  Short of never leaving the garage, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.  I guess it's good that the car wasn't stolen.  There is my positive spin on the situation.

Oh yeah and PT yesterday, also bad news.  They referred me to an orthopedic surgeon.  Now not to worry, it doesn't seem that I'll need surgery on my ankle, but they are almost positive I have a stress fracture.  I have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday.  First I'll have to get x-rays.  If they do see the stress fracture, I'll have to wear a boot.  Booooo.  I was given a range from anywhere in between 3 weeks and 8 weeks.  That would mean I'd basically be limited to the pool for exercise which is just a total bummer.  It could be worse, I'm not fighting for my life like Jason.  Who by the way, is making some really positive progress but is not out of the woods yet. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Until then I'm resting, trying not to get pukey and cuddling with Lucky.

Time for Vacation Yet?

Well of course not.  Nope, not until September. Even though the month of May is flying right by, September seems so far away!  It's only 3.5 months away which means October is only 4.5...I have got to get back on the road. I may have to start a countdown. One of the days until our trip to Paris and London (yes, we're going on another fabulous vacation this year. Yeay!) and the other one for the days until the Denver Marathon. 

Still going strong with the challenge and my body is feeling it.  I don't know that I really see any huge changes except that I can get further into the poses than when I first started. The number on the scale has dipped slightly but I think that is because when I get home from a sweaty session at 7 or 8, all I really want is a green monster and some peanut butter graham crackers.  That combo definitely does not replace a real meal. Last night Josh and I forced down some steak and veggies so that we got enough calories for the day.  Last week ended like this:

Wednesday-50 minutes Elliptical+Bikram
Thursday-Bikram
Friday-Off (first day in weeks)
Saturday-75 minutes Elliptical +abs
Sunday-Bikram

This week has started off pretty well though I'm taking today off to grab a beer at Lefthand after work and PT.

Monday-55 mins Elliptical+abs+Bikram
Tuesday-Bikram
Wednesday-Off (I've forgotten how awesome rest days are)

Sarah G. came up to do the class with Brenna and I on Monday. She was suprised at how much of a workout it is. She's going to come next Monday too. I swear the studio should be paying me to do yoga there since I'm bringing in so many newbies. 

Well, lunch is over and it's time to get back to work before I head off to PT this afternoon. Update to come.

I Miss Running

As of today, it's been 18 days since I've run. It's the longest I've gone without running since June of 2009 when I took time off to let my tendonitis in my knees heal.  Of course I knew that I needed to take time off. My calf and ankle still hurt. I'm pretty sure that my ankle hurts because of a stress fracture, otherwise it should be healed by now.  Ugh, as the weather gets nicer more people are outside hitting the pavement and I envy them. I am ready to at least have the option to run.  Not even having the option is what's really getting to me. 

Plan of action: get into PT as soon as possible. Get back into my icing and foam rolling regiment.  Continue with yoga and cross-training so I don't lose every ounce of fitness I have. I realize that it's going to be hard running again and that I've probably lost some speed. I don't even care (ok I care a little bit), I just want to run!  I want to run so badly that I'm actually seriously thinking about pool running for fun.  To answer your question, yes I may have gone crazy. 

Since I'm all registered for the Denver Marathon, I have started looking at training plans. I think I'm going to stick to a 3-4 day/week running plan with yoga, pool running and other cross-training.  I'll definitely do speed workouts at least once a week. I figure if I do a 16 week plan, I have until mid-late June to get my ankle/calf situation under control.  I've decided the Bolder Boulder is out, which totally sucks, but there are tons of other smaller and less expensive races out there this summer. 

One of these days I'd like to be able to train and get through a marathon without injury. A girl can dream right?  Here's what my workouts have looked like so far this week. Sticking with the challenge!

Saturday-20 mins bike + 25 mins Elliptical +abs
Sunday-50 mins Elliptical + Bikram
Monday-60 mins Elliptical + Bikram
Tuesday-Bikram

Oh and you should totally check out this marathon recap from Beth who also happens to live in Longmont. She had to withdrawl from a race last year because of injury. She came back from that and totally rocked the Colorado Marathon.  She'll be joining Nancy (MIL) in Boston next year.  If she can do it, I can too right?

Update: PT appointment made. Next Wednesday at 4:30 pm.  Done and done.  Hopefully I'll get some good advice on what I can do to expedite recovery and when it's safe for me to start running again.

Yoga Challenge: Week One Down

The first week of the challenge is over and I'm feeling good!  It feels so good to sweat at yoga.  It's probably the only place you'll catch me working out in tiny little shorts and my sports bra.  If women older than me and in far worse shape than me can sport it, so can I.  Plus the room has lighting that make my abs look pretty awesome...you know like existent.  Here's how the first week went:

Saturday-Bikram + 35 mins on Elliptical + weights/abs
Sunday-Bikram + 40 mins on Stationary Bike + weights/abs
Monday-Bikram
Tuesday-50 mins on Elliptical + weights/abs
Wednesday-Bikram
Thursday-Bikram
Friday-Bikram

Six classes down, 19 to go to get the biggest discount on next months membership.  I can already tell I'm becoming more flexible which is awesome.  My legs are also getting stronger because those standing balance postures are killer.  Hopefully this will help me with running as well. I'm sure it will feel amazing after runs...once I can actually run again. The ankle is still hurting. I tried a couple steps running, shooting pain plus a few days of hobbling around. Note to self: call to get an PT appointment ASAP. 

Anyway, I took before measurements to see if I lose any inches by the end of the month as well as pictures. So the pictures are awful...I'm way too pale and they just look like crap so I'm not putting those up, but I will post my pre-Bikram measurements later this week. I don't think I'll really lose any weight, I'm not really trying to, but I do think I'll be more toned than I am currently.  Toning, relaxation and injury healing are the primary goals. Though I wouldn't mind looking like this.

Jason Update: He's in stable but critical condition. They were having issues controlling his brain swelling so they did a craniotomy to give his brain room to expand.  A CT last week indicated that he does not have brain damage right now but they will be repeating those tests this week to figure out what his long term brain function may be like. Keep thinking of him.  If you're interested in checking on his condition, Rache is running this website.

Bikram Challenge

Saturday marked the start of my new challenge. Josh and I headed to The College of India Bikram Yoga Studio near out house after a trip to the Boulder County Farmers Market (so glad it's open!) and Great Harvest for our loaf of bread for the week.  We were warmly greeted by Zach who was our instructor.  He was very welcoming and made us feel comfortable right away. 

We grabbed our towels and mats and headed into the hot room.  Hot is was. As we walked by the thermometer we saw that it was 106 degrees.  I was sweating already.  We should have arrived a bit earlier as the Saturday morning class is the most popular. Poor Josh got stuck by a guy who he swear he could hear sweating.  I wouldn't be surprised, they guy looked like he'd peed his pants when he stood up. Not that I can say much because I was a sweaty beast at the end of the class.

The last time I did Bikram yoga was with Liz back when I was in high school so I wasn't sure how my body would respond. I was relived to discover my body was very happy to stretch and bend in the poses.  By the end of the 90 minutes I was drenched and so was Josh!  My body felt great, especially my calf. It was really sore when I woke up but after class I could barely feel the tightness anymore. 

I did some Googling on how many calories you burn during a 90 minute Bikram class and I found out it's anywhere from 600-1100 calories. Wow!  I used this calculator to figure out that I burn about 886 calories per 90 minutes. No wonder I was so hungry when I got home from class.  After attending class again yesterday, I'm really feeling my muscles.  The balance is a killer workout for the legs and I even feel it in my arms and shoulders from holding my arms out.  Amazing the strength it takes to hold up your own body parts.

The Beginners Challenge is in full swing.  Tonight will be my third class, third day in a row. Josh's friend from college Brenna is going to join me. She said she needs some motivation to get into some sort of exercise routine so I'm helping her out.  Plus it's really nice to have some company. Anyway, back to the challenge.  Here are the milestones and what I get:

Do: 25 Classes Get: $50 Monthly Unlimited
Do: 20 Classes Get: $60 Monthly Unlimited
Do: 15 Classes Get: $75 Monthly Unlimited

I plan on going to class at least 4 days a week for the month.  Ideally I'd  like to go every day this week to start off the month right and get my body into a routine and more used to the heat.  But of course I still need time to go to the gym so we'll see how my schedule works out.  I'm aiming to get to the 20 classes this month.

So why Bikram and what are the benefits?

Well I wanted to do something totally different.  So many runners swear by yoga for helping them improve balance, core strength and overall mental fitness. I figured it worth a shot especially since I am sidelined from any hard cardio activity because of my stupid ankle and calf.  Some of the benefits I've found online:

• Warm up the muscles for greater flexibility
• Help achieve a deeper stretch
• Reshape the body & restore flexibility
• Expands one’s capacity to breathe deeply and fully
• Flush out toxins
• Burn calories by balancing metabolism, simultaneously raising energy levels and improving the efficiency of the immune system
• Reduces levels of stress
• Increases balance, coordination, focus and discipline

Check out this interview with the 'inventor' of Bikram. Pretty cocky I'd say.

Side note, I registered for the Rock N' Roll Denver Marathon on Friday. Yes, I know I'm taking a break but it's like five months away and I had to use my discount from Nashville before it expired. 

A Whole New Attitude

Yesterday I woke up with an entirely new attitude. I finally started calming the demons in my head. I asked myself a few questions:

1. Why do you want to register for the Colfax Marathon? Because your race was cut short, because you feel like people will see you as a failure for not doing it or because you want to?

Answer: Because my race was cut short and I feel like people will think I’m a failure for not doing. Is that the right attitude to go into a race with? I think not. It’s not even healthy. I’m pretty sure that no one thinks I’m a failure (at least I hope not).

2. How does your body really feel?

Answer: Tired. I’m not sore from Saturday anymore, in fact the soreness was gone by Tuesday night. My calf however is still screaming. During a practice booth setup session yesterday I could feel my muscle pulling every time I stepped on and off the step stool. It’s not an oh the muscle is tight, it’s an owe my muscle is tearing sensation. Also not good going into a race.

I knew the answers to these questions all along, but it was hard fighting the nagging voices of self doubt in my head. My decision is not to run Colfax because I don’t really want to and my leg hurts. Is it worth tearing my calf muscle which would endanger all of my future races for? No way! Plus you know what, I may have had an act of God ruin my marathon but I still raised more than $4500 (nearly $10,000 in the past 12 months) for cancer patient. That makes me a winner regardless of race status!  Cheesey moment of self esteem boosting positive reassurances done.

Of course I cannot go without some sort of challenge or activity in the mean time while my legs heals.

Enter the Bikram yoga challenge. A local Bikram studio just a few miles from my house has a pretty awesome deal for newbies. For $65 I can get a month of unlimited classes, a yoga mat and a water bottle. This is a great deal considering monthly memberships start at like $100…ouch. During this month, I’ll be challenged to do as many classes as possible. If I can do 15 or more I’ll get a discount on my future months membership. As it happens Saturday is the first of May (aka May Day for you silly Coloradoans that haven't heard of it). No better day to get started on a new challenge than the first day of the month. It’s also the only month this summer that I don’t really have anything going on so that just works out perfectly.

Also in the mix is going to be a boot camp class offered at the Longmont Rec. Center. It’s M/W/F in the evenings. So I’m thinking that once my calf feels good, not right now, that I’ll start adding those classes to the yoga. I’ll be getting full body workouts doing both classes. I’m really excited to get started!

I think this break is just what I needed. I get to try out new exercises and really listen to what my body wants. It may also be the jolt my system needs to move past my fitness plateau, not to mention awesome cross-training for running. This being said, I am not abandoning running. I’ll add runs in there here and there to keep my running fitness as well. Again not until the calf feels better.

Anyone want to join me for some hot yoga?