To Fall Out or Not Fall Out, that is the Question....

A student asked me recently what was more important, staying in the posture or trying to keep going further even though she couldn't stay in the posture, specifically, keeping her balance. This is an important question, one that many students have, probably because as teachers we have different philosophies and depending on who you ask, you will typically get one of two responses. The typical main responses to this type of question are one, "challenge yourself to not fall out" and two, "if you fall out, get back in and keep trying"; or some version of these. Neither is right or wrong in my opinion, it just depends perhaps on where you are in your practice and what your goals are for your practice.

Here's my interpretation of what both of these mean and why both are good things to practice.

Challenge yourself to not fallout- don't allow yourself to fallout.
This way of thinking was most vividly presented to me by Lynn Whitlow during a workshop. She said something to the effect of "Choose to not fall out." and then did this thing with her mouth to imply "just do it". It stuck with me, I try it every class. Some might think this is complacency, it isn't. it isn't about "hanging out" in the posture and not improving, it is about drawing up every gumption, strength, determination, focus, etc to stay in the posture - as if your life depended on it.

So many times people think they will fallout/come out of a posture and they do. That is mind over the matter. Think in your mind you will stay in the posture, and then struggle, try, breathe and stay in the posture. 

It isn't all about mind over the matter though, sometimes it is the body. If you are in tune with your body, really seeing the self while in class, you often know why you weren't able to stay in the posture; either you moved your weight and didn't compensate right and became off balance, or you got a cramp, or you let your hand slip, or you stopped breathing, or something else. This is where I believe this philosophy works best, in those exact moments when you are about to give into whatever is it and about to come out of the posture, simply don't allow it to happen. Don't let the body fail.

I remember one time in and advanced class Susan Anderson explaining mountain pose and how it looks like people are perfectly still in the posture when in fact their muscles are contraction and relaxing as they necessary to keep balancing on the knees. I try and remember this when I am in class and really pay attention to the muscles in my body, which ones are working and how they are working together, some stretching, some contracting, some relaxed, all to keep me balanced.   

Challenging yourself in this way changes your practice. I believe it provides more focus and more benefit. Yes, we say you get benefit from just being in the room, however, you get MORE benefit IN the posture. Working to not fall out of a posture builds physical strength and flexibility and improves your mental determination. When the going gets tough in life, what do you do? Struggle for 90 minutes and your ability to handle the "tough" outside of the room improves greatly. 

This isn't easy and it isn't for everyone. Sometimes you do need a break and need to come out of a posture. Allow yourself that choice from time to time. Don't let the ego take over where you are trying to do more than you can because of some ego trip, desire to compete with yourself or someone next to you, or with some expectation of how your class would be. Be smart, just don't give up on yourself.


Continue to try to go further each time, if you fall out, get back in and keep trying.

So sometimes "don't fall out" becomes "hang out" and people stop trying to improve and they just stick a posture the whole time in a position that is easy and not challenging the body. That is not the purpose, if confused, reread above.

Sometimes a person might need the second option; if you fall out, get back in. Revolutionary? Perhaps not, but it is often a forgotten mantra. How many times have you fallen out or come out of a posture and just waited for the posture to be over, never trying a second, third,or fourth time? It's hard to get back in; you typically have exerted all your energy in the first attempt and any energy you had left was expended as you came out of the posture, mentally beat up yourself for coming out, fidgeted with your towel, chuggged some water, and maybe reached down to grab that hand towel to wipe off your sweat. Getting back in seems worse than......hmmm .......worse than....let me think...a poke in the eye?!

The class is 90 minutes of struggle, no one said it would be easy, no one said you would enjoy every minute of class.....you have to struggle to get out of your comfort zone, change your perception of what you think you can do and mostly, let go of control.

If you fall out, keep trying, get back in no matter how tired you are, no matter how hard it seems, no matter what your mind is telling you your capabilities are....give 100%. Pay attention to your body, just don't let self doubt, ego and personal judgment dictate what benefit you get out of class. 

Consider "falling out" as an opportunity to understand the body, its limitations and its abilities, on your journey to improving your health. Every time you fall out of a posture, learn from it, notice why that happened and improve the next time. One day, as we say in class, eventually in the future, you will find the balance, strength, flexibility to stay in the posture. And why do you care about staying in the posture? Because through the postures, the practice of yoga, one can find unlimited health benefits. Improving your health, whatever that means for you, is yoga. 

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. ~Michael Jordan

Failure is the key to success; each teaches us something.~Morihei Ueshiba

Just for fun: The pictures below are of my standing bow over the last 5+ years, maybe after another 5 years of determination I will be able to lock out my knee! 

March 2013

Sept 2012

 May 2010

Oct 2008

2013 photos by Tom Dean, 2012 photo by Yoga Bliss. 

Gatorade lemon and cucumber sport drink has no lemon or cucumber in it!

A friend of mine came to yoga class recently with a new Gatorade, Lemon and Cucumber. Have you tried it? She gave me a taste, it tasted like lemon and cucumber, it was actually kind if good. Then I looked at the label ..it said it had NO FRUIT JUICE! The only ingredients are chemicals!

Why people drink Gatorade is beyond me. If you want electrolytes or carbs to get through a workout, there are so many other healthy choices, why put chemicals in your body?

I was so disgusted with the stuff I told my friend I would make her REAL lemon and cucumber juice. It's delicious by the way...100% juice.

I used my Hurom juicer and bought 4 organic cucumbers and 2 organic lemons. It produced two bottles of great juice. You can drink this before, after or during a workout for electrolyte replacement the natural way.

Sometimes yoga class just sucks, good news is there is always tomorrow.

Yesterdays yoga class sucked. I know, I'm not suppose to say that, we tell students all the time not to have judgment, to have no ego and to be happy with just being there. But really, it sucked. 

Why did it suck? I don't know, could be because I only took one other class since Sunday, could be because I haven't been eating very well or it could be because of all the water I drank during the first part of class. Any or a combination of all could have contributed to my struggle in class, which is what I equate as "sucking". 

I've been feeling physically weak lately, my muscles seem to fatigue very easily. I took a spin class a few weeks ago and really struggled, my legs just didn't seem to want to move. I tried to run 4 miles recently and could barely make it, had to walk most of the way. 

No doubt it has something to do with what I am putting in my body. You are what you eat right?  Eating well and maintaining a regular workout schedule are so important to "feeling" energized. Note to self: must do more yoga, must eat healthier. Good thing I am on my way to my food co-op, Urban Acres, looking forward to healthy eating this week!

Yummy fresh organic veggies from Urban Acres!
Cleaned and ready to eat

Update: Happy to report after drinking some green juice and pacing my water intake in class, today's class was MUCH better. :) 

4 Tips on How to Avoid Bad Habits in Yoga Class

What is a bad habit in yoga? How does one form one? These questions and how to avoid bad habits floated through my mind recently while teaching. Students try so hard in class to do the right thing, but for what purpose? So often there is a misconception that your goal is to look "pretty", look effortless. The look of effortlessness comes from being at peace and not fighting against the body. Gaining the benefits from the pose comes from practicing each move the right way.

Bad habits are things we do as students because we either don't understand what the teacher is saying or we can't or won't do what the teacher is saying. Over time, the body remembers these tiny modifications and a bad habit is formed. Maybe it is something as simple as where you place your foot or how you hold your arm or something simple like twisting the wrong direction or not standing in the most stable position. It is muscle or body memory, the body gets comfortable and before you know it you are doing postures wrong, not getting the benefit and in an extreme case blaming yoga for either an injury or lack of results. 

The right way to practice postures is not easy, news flash, it isn't suppose to be, but it is the safe way and more rewards are reaped from correct form than allowing the mind to decide what you should be doing. 

When I think of people modifying small parts of poses to fit their body, I am reminded of something I learned in multi-level marketing; opi, other peoples ideas. The basic principal is the use other peoples ideas to improve yourself, in the case of multi-level marketing, financially. In the case of yoga, physically and mentally. And they say to people that balk at this notion, "If your ideas were so great, you would be the successful one." Use the ideas of those before you to improve the body, no need to reinvent the yoga, to change it or to improve it, it is what it is. Just follow the instructions and reap the rewards. 

Another way to look at it. "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you've always got."

4 Tips on How to Avoid Bad Habits:

1. Be mindful, be present. - In class and listen to what the teacher is saying and only move to the instruction. 
2. Look at yourself. - Really "see" yourself in the mirror and notice where your body is and how it is moving. Don't just stare in the mirror at yourself, SEE yourself. 
3. Self correct. - When you hear a correction or instruction, look at your body and self correct. The teacher might not be talking to you yet it might apply to you. And even if you don't hear something you need to do, if you are looking at yourself, you might see you need to make a tiny adjustment; foot, hand, head, arm, etc. 
4. No expectations, no judgement. - Let go. It's just yoga. The goal is not to get a PR or to out do the person next to you or to mimic the girl in front of you. The goal is to improve the body, mind and soul. 

Workout Equipment isn't a Place to Store Stuff?!

Happy New Year! As 2012 winds down, many people, including me, think of making resolutions. My philosophy lately has been to make a resolution I know I can accomplish, get up every day, drink coffee every morning, feed the cat daily, etc. You get the idea. Nothing too dramatic like reduce spending by X, or eat only healthy food, or workout x times a week. I did sort of make a resolution for 2012 to complete 12 events as part of the Bike Run Yoga Challenge, sadly this didn't happen. I had 14 possible events picked out and only made it to seven.

This is what happens though right? I always say "life gets in the way". There are always so many things, people, needs pulling you in all sorts of directions, hard to carve out a few minutes for yourself to take care of your health.

I met a personal trainer the other day, he wants to start practicing Bikram yoga, he commented he is very tight, hardly stretches. We discussed his many athletic endeavors and years of activities that damaged the body. I asked him what he told his clients about stretching and we both had a chuckle because of course he tells his clients they need to stretch and the importance of stretching but he doesn't do it himself. Easier to fix other people than yourself.

So this year, I'm going to go out on a limb and post it here....I am resolving to do a better job is using my workout equipment as it intended and not as a shelf, table or doorstop.

What resolutions or goals have you made for yourself?

I'm running the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Austin, Texas

See Jane Run

Women! This run is for you! What a great way to celebrate being a women. This half marathon is in Austin, Texas on October 9, 2011. Click here to get more information and to register.

 

Dallas Rock and Roll Half Marathon

 

Dallas Rock and Roll Half Marathon

March 27, 2011

This is the second year for this race. I ran last year and had a blast. The Rock and Roll series of marathons and half marathons are super fun. Come run and rock it out! 

What are electrolytes and how should I replenish them?

Image: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This seems to be the question of the hour. Fitness professionals always talk about hydration and making sure you "replace" your electrolytes. But what does that really mean? How much water? How do you replace electrolytes?

The average person, drinking enough water for their body and eating properly probably doesn't need to worry about electrolyte replacement. People engaging in physical activity, running, biking, Bikram Yoga, etc. will probably need to drink more water and replace electrolytes.

How much water? There are different formulas and theory's on how much water to drink.

1. 8 x 8 - Drink 8 ounces of water 8 times a day.
2. Drink based on weight - Take your weight and divide it in half, that is approximately how many ounces of water you should you drink.
3. Drink based on sex - If you are women, the Institute of Medicine, recommends 91 ounces of water, for men they recommend 125 ounces.
4. Drink based on how you feel - Do you fee thirsty? Then drink some water.

All of these methods have legitimacy and if you are doing athletic activities, drinking more water will be necessary to maintain healthy levels. Be careful to not drink too much water though this can cause Hyponatremia, a condition where the body has low levels of sodium in body fluids.

Which brings me to electrolyte replacement. This was a hot topic at my yoga teacher training. Mostly the concern was what were electrolytes and what were the best replacements. Electrolytes are minerals the body needs to function properly. There are 8 major electrolytes: Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Chloride, Bicarbonate, Sulfate and Phosphate.

Electrolytes can be replaced with foods and liquids or with supplements. Although healthy foods should always be the first choice, sometimes a supplement might be necessary. Here is what I've found through personal experience.

Gu packets, Shot Bloks, energy jelly beans and most sport drinks are necessary and candidly yummy, when running or biking long distances and you need to sustain energy levels to get through whatever activity you are doing. But have you looked at one of those packages? Little to no electrolytes are in those, many simply say "trace" amounts. I'm a fan of these, not because they are "good" for me but because when I run or bike long distances these really help me push through. (Read my post where I review a few of these products.)

Before and after biking, running and in particular when I practice Bikram Yoga, I like to drink water with an electrolyte replacement to either boost my electrolyte levels before hand or replace what I just lost.

My favorite powder replacement is Ultima. It is naturally sweet, no artificial ingredients and has no sugar added. You just put a packet in water, shake, and drink. It comes in single serving packets, perfect for on the go or you can get canister like this one pictures.

 

For yoga or other activities where you sweat a lot and need increased replacement, there is a new product, yogafuel. It is a capsule that is taken before a class or activity. It not only contains electrolytes, it also has adaptogenic herbs (Ashwagandha and Cordyceps) intended to help the body deal with stress, fatigue and anxiety.

Perhaps my favorite electrolyte replacement EVER is coconut water. A typical serving has more potassium than 2 bananas, great for hydration. It also contains sodium, magnesium and calcium. At just 60 calories per serving (11.2 oz) it is a low calorie, healthy electrolyte replacement option. I typically drink one before yoga and one after, it is so refreshing and so much better for you then a typical sports drink.

Consistent Yoga Makes for Better Classes

I went to Bikram Yoga yesterday, it was the first time I had been in 7 days and boy did I feel it! They say you should go at least three times a week and not have larges gaps of time between sessions or it is like starting over each time. Although my body still remembered the postures and the flexibility was still partially there, I could really tell it had been some time since my last session.

Class started off well but by Triangle I was beat. For some reason my arms felt extremely fatiqued so even holding them paralle for a second was too much. I suppose I could chalk it up to too much ACL Fest in Austin.  Pretty much all I did all weekend was walk around 15 acres at Zilker Park. But that would be too easy of an excuse. It is more likely that not exercising for 6 days played a bigger part. (I had gone to the gym one of the days.)

And I know this, consistent exercise is best.... but sometimes knowing what is best is not always enough. So my goal for the rest of the week is to work out at least 3-4 more times, Saturday looks to be the busiest day with regular yoga class and then advanced.

Memory Walk® Raises Awareness and Dollars to Fight Alzheimer’s in Massachusetts

Walks take place across Massachusetts from September 12 – October 4, 2009

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® helps bring awareness to the fatal disease that can strike as young as 35, but hits with devastating frequency for those over 65. The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk gives everyone a way to fight back.

Massachusetts residents can join and walk from Sept 12 - Oct. 4, 2009. There are walks all over the country, if you are interested in participating, in Massachusetts or anywhere, click here for walk locations.

Some of the programs funded by Memory Walk include:

• 24/7 Helpline – Experienced counselors assist people by telephone and online with all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease—from getting a diagnosis to finding support and services in the community.
• Research – Each year grants are made for cutting edge research into causes, treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s.
• Medic Alert + Safe Return – The emergency program operates 24 hours a day to assist in locating people with Alzheimer’s who have wandered and become lost.
• Support Groups – Alzheimer’s support groups are sensitive and helpful resources for those with the disease and their families.
• Advocacy – The Alzheimer's Association advocates at the local, state and federal level to promote quality care and increase federal research funding.
• Care Consultation –Counselors work one-on-one with families facing challenges in managing the disease.
• Family Education – The latest information on research, the importance of diagnosis and treatment, legal issues, care planning and safety issues is offered at numerous locations across the state.

Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. More than 5 million Americans have the disease, including 120,000 in Massachusetts. These numbers will grow dramatically in the coming years as the baby boom generation ages. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease of the brain, affecting one in 10 people over 65, for which there is no known cure.


The Alzheimer's Association, the world leader in Alzheimer’s disease research and support, is a voluntary health organization dedicated to finding preventions, treatments and eventually a cure. The organization’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

Bikram Yoga Standing Bow Pulling Pose

Balancing series in Bikram Yoga Improves Flexibility, Circulation, Strength and Balance.

Standing Bow Pulling Pose, or Dandayamana-Dhanurasana, is the second posture in the Bikram Yoga balancing series. I see why it gets the name too, when done to the extreme, the body really does look like a bow.

Every posture in the Bikram Yoga series has medical benefits and this one is no exception. It is wonderful for increasing the circulation to the heart and lungs and improves a number of things in the body. If you haven’t tried Bikram Yoga or this posture in other yoga, you are really missing out on some great health benefits.

 





















Standing Bow Pulling Pose: 

• Stand with your feet together. 
• Hold your hand out, palm up, reach behind you and grab your ankle.
• Raise your other arm straight in the air.
• Stretch up and then forward while stretching your leg upwards.
• Your standing leg knee should be locked.

Things to remember:

• If you start to fall, stretch your leg upward more.
• Your upper body and arm should be in alignment.
• Chin should be on shoulder.
• Upper body should be parallel to the floor.
• As long as you try the posture the correct way, you are getting the benefit.

Benefits:

• Increases circulation to the heart and lungs
• Improves elasticity of the spine
• Creates marriage between strength and balance
• Activates digestive system

My pose from my first competition, not quite as good as Joseph, photo above

Click here to get more information on Bikram Yoga poses.

Photo courtesy of Bikram Yoga Dallas

2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge: Get a FREE T-shirt!

Bike Run Yoga is my idea of the ideal Tri. The real concept though of Bike Run Yoga is more about doing events you love, not what MY ideal triathlon would be. (Although the thought of what my ideal Tri would be is how the company got started.) Also, it doesn't mean those three activities have to happen in a typical triathlon event process. It is about participating in events that show off what you love to do, to challenge yourself, to promote a healthy life style and to most importantly, have fun!

My friend Ginny and I just completed our century ride and I got to thinking about all the events I had completed or was planning on completing this year and how great it would be to have a Bike Run Yoga t-shirt that has on the back a list of all the events, like a concert tour shirt, to really celebrate all my accomplishments. It is tough to complete one event be it a marathon, triathlon, duathlon, century ride, yoga competition or other event. It is even tougher to dedicate the time and energy to complete multiple events in one year. How great would that be to be get a free t-shirt that commemorates all your efforts and shows off all the events you completed in one year?

Bike Run Yoga wants to help you celebrate your 2009 achievements! Come join us in the the 2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge! Complete the challenge and get a FREE personalized event t-shirt that lists YOUR events for 2009.  Anyone that meets the requirements below can win. You still have time in 2009 to get a free shirt!

What does that mean? It means, complete all the requirements and get a t-shirt that lists all your events for 2009 on the back; the front will be the Bike Run Yoga logo; The events will be listed on the back with the name of the event and the event date.

Requirements:

1. Make a commitment to the challenge (this means post a comment here and tell me you are doing the challenge)
   
2. Follow/subscribe to Bike Run Yoga blog (that's THIS blog)
3. For 2009, complete 12 events (Tri, duathlon, run, ride, swim or yoga event)
4. FYI for 2010 - must complete 24 events
5. Must be a finisher at the event (we use the honor system for verification)
6. Submit your events,email address, full name and shipping address to Bike Run Yoga no later than January 5, 2010

Once your events are submitted, a Bike Run Yoga celebration t-shirt will be custom made for you and shipped to you in 4-6 weeks.

As an example, here is a list of the events I have either completed or will complete by the end of 2009. Join me in this exciting challenge and show off your

Tour Dallas April 4
Big D ½ Marathon April 5
San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon May 31
Too Hot to Handle 15K July 18
Hotter N Hell 100 August 29
Tour Des Fleur's 10K September 19
Susan G Komen 5K October 17
Light the Night Walk October 18
Texas Yoga Asana Championships November 8
Thundercloud Turkey Trot November 26
San Antonio ½ Marathon November 15
White Rock ½ Marathon December 13

Questions? click here to email me.

Staying Fit Should be a Lifestyle, Not a Task

I believe staying fit shouldn't be a task or chore checked off a list each day, it should be a lifestyle. On a typical day I go to the gym, yoga class or ride my bike around the lake but today my exercise program consists of housework. And I'm ok with that, know why? Because daily activity can burn as many or more calories than a dedicated workout session.

I belong to 24hr Fitness and was fortunate enough to receive a BodyBugg free from the gym for getting training sessions. I used it for almost 6 months and found out some interesting things. I wore it almost every day, all day and found working at my desk was almost as active as sleeping, which was nill. Little things like walking while I brushed my teeth helped increase my overall calorie burn. This might seem obvious but how many people just stand there and stare at themselves in the mirror? I took the stairs instead of the elevator, I parked a little farther from store entrances, did every day house chores and did my regular workout routine. Yard work or vaccuming and cleaning was just as good burning calories as working out in the gym.

Now, not all general chores will equate to a gym workout. Total calorie burn depends on what chores you are doing and what exercise you are doing. But the end conclusion is a dedicated time to workout isn't necessary to have a healthy lifestyle. And working out doesn't have to be dedicated to just going to the gym or yoga class. Obviously I'm not buildng much muscle pushing a vaccum or cleaning the bathroom today but I am burning calories so I don't have to feel too guilty I skipped yoga today.

I've stopped using the BodyBugg. I found it was irritating the skin and since I exercise outside quite a bit, I was getting a very funny tan line. I know, vain reason. In the end though, I know what I need to know. I know how many calories on average I burn in a day, with our without exercise so I am better equipped to manage my calorie intake along with my exercise program. Here are some other things I learned - Working out at the gym results in modest calorie burn, cardio of course burns more, running burns more than cycling and Bikram Yoga? Couldn't get a good read, too sweaty!

Hope you find a way to integrate working out, whatever that means to you, into your every day life. Being healthy and fit should be something you are, not something you have to "do".

Namaste

Ran with Team in Training Today

I got up early today, 6 am, and ran with my Team in Training buddy Rhonda and her new Team in Training running group. Rhonda and I trained together for our first marathons in the Spring Team in Training season earlier this year and she has become a mentor this season to help others. I was planning on riding 80 miles today to prepare for Hotter N Hell next weekend but I have a kick off meeting for Light the Night in a bit and I wouldn't have been able to ride the full amount. So instead I opted to run six today and ride 80 tomorrow.

Today was a little harder than I expected. I contribute that to a few things, a little dehydrated from just not drinking enough water, not enough nutrition because in general I don't eat well and I had done zero cardio all week. The latter is probably the main reason and of course, the reason can NOT be that I am just plan out of shape. :)

I was impressed with the group, they all did a great job. Rhonda's group is much larger than ours from last season. Last season it was just Rhonda, Susan our mentor and me. This year Rhonda has 10-12 that run in her group. I think that is better, gives you more people to talk to and bond with and when you lag behind a bit it is less noticeable because of all the people!

As usually I sweated like a horse. Is that even a real saying? Do horses sweat? I think the real saying is "sweat like a race horse" or is that "I have to pee like a race horse"? Whatever, I sweated, A LOT! (This will become a running theme in my blogs, no pun intended! LOL)

Since I hadn't done any cardio workout during the week I was huffing a bit and I'm pretty sure the look on my face was not pretty. I tend to grimace when I run like I am in constant pain, even when I'm not. Which is so funny because when I do yoga I have no expression on my face, even when the posture is really hard. Different sports, different facial expressions I guess.

The lake where Team in Training runs was packed. It was such a nice morning I guess everyone took the opportunity to come out and get their exercise on. As we were coming back towards the cars I was stuck by a man that had the WHITEST teeth! His mouth was slightly open and against his tan skin his teeth really stuck out. It reminded me of the Friends episode where Ross whitens his teeth right before a big date and the glow from being so bleached. This guy had teeth like that! Made me laugh which I needed at mile 5 of 6.

Thanks Rhonda for letting me tag along today, great run. You have an awesome group of runners! Off to the Light the Night Kick Off Meeting!

Light the Night Walk - I'm Walking!

I’m helping raise money for cancer research through the Light The Night Walk on October 18th in Dallas, Texas. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is putting on this wonderful event to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by blood cancers. I first became aware of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) when I signed up to train for my first marathon through Team in Training. I originally signed up for the free training and learned so much more than how to run a marathon, I learned about an amazing organization that raises funds for important blood cancer research and patient services.

Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Many LLS-supported advances help not only blood cancer patients but those with other diseases as well. In addition to research support, the Society offers support groups, financial aid, information and advocacy programs for patients and their families.

The Light The Night® Walk is an evening walk where walkers will carry illuminated balloons to signify support and remembrance: white balloons for those who are affected by cancer; red balloons for supporters, and gold balloons will be carried by those who have lost a loved one to cancer. The Walk culminates in a community celebration with music, refreshments and entertainment-where friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and others come together to demonstrate their support for cancer patients.

You can help support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society too by walking, donating or both! Click her for more information on how to get involved. Light the Walk

If you can donate please do so here!

September is Yoga Month

Join in Yoga Month in September and try yoga for free! Go to www.yogamonth.org to find a studio near you that is participating. This is a great way to find new types of practices or to get started!

Get a coupon at yogamonth.org for a free week at a participating studio. If you live in Dallas, you can go to any yoga studio on September 7th for a free class, no coupon required!


From yogamonth.org:

Join millions of yoga and health enthusiasts at hundreds of events nationwide and around the world. Deepen your commitment to a healthy lifestyle by celebrating the transformative power of yoga with friends, family and your global community!

Yoga Month invites all styles of yoga to participate in an awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the many benefits of yoga and inspire our fellow citizens to live healthier, happier lives.

Namaste

Taking a few days off

I have had a few hard days and haven't been working out. I know, working out probably would make me feel better. I considered that today as I was driving home and had decided I wasn't going to ride my bike; that I should go to yoga to clear my mind and refill my soul. But instead I find myself on the couch, with my legs sweating from the heat of my computer.

I've eaten two bags of gummi bears and haven't really moved since I got home. This can't be good for my health! I am rationalizing it by the fact that I worked out seven days last week and I plan on working out all weekend to prepare for my century ride in a week. So what is a few days off right? Don't they call that "getting ready for the race?"

Im my couch potato state, I am surfing the net and reading tweets. I see a lot of great tweets on twitter about the mind, body and soul and how exercise can help balance all that out. Nothing I don't already know but some days you just have to throw up your hands and give in to the sluggish side of the brain and take a break. I'm just glad I don't have any ice cream in the house.

I just got my WIN Sport Detergent from Amazon!

I just ordered on autoship sport laundry detergent and Shot Bloks and saved 15%! This might seem like a no-brainer to you, unfortunately I am a late bloomer and just got on the Amazon bandwagon during Christmas last year.

I really like the subscription/autoship option. You can get certain items at specific intervals at a discount, 15%, and free shipping! They couldn't make it more easy! A few months ago they had organic cat food as a deal of the day AND it was part of the subscription program so I saved another 15% ontop of the sale price, for the life of the autoship. I just adjust the autoship time frame from 1 month to as much as 6 months depending on usage.

Today I came home to a package, which I LOVE, and it was my WIN Sport Detergent! So exciting! Why would someone order detergent online? For one thing, it isn't easy to find and it comes in small bottles, typically 20-21 fl oz and it is expensive. The WIN Sport Detergent autoship comes with 8-21 fl oz bottles, which I figure will last me about 6 - 8 months so I set up my autoship for every 6 months. So easy!

And if you haven't tried WIN Sport Detergent, I reccommend it. It really cleans the odors out of fabrics, sport stuff and other things. My cat peed on my sheets one time. I poured some of the WIN Detergent on the area, washed it, came out smelling VERY clean.

I can't wait until tomorrow, my Shot Bloks should be in.

What stuff do you have on autoship through Amazon? What sport detergent do you like?

- Bike | Run | Yoga

What does My Gym do with My Money?

I workout at 24hr Fitness, I realize they are some what of a mass market gym but I I think a little maintenance wouldn't hurt their business. I went today for my trainer session and during my session one of the machines was squealing pretty loud. It made Jessica, my trainer, and I laugh. We both look around to try and see what machine was making all the noise. It turned out to be a machine behind us. The last time I was there it was an elliptical machine, today it was a weight machine.

What was funny was the noise was so annoying and he didn't stop. He FINALLY finishes and you would think people would stay away from it but no...someone else got on it! Seriously?! Can't you tell it is squeaky?

My only thought is why can't the gym more properly maintain the equipment so it doesn't squeak? Or fix the treadmills so the belts don't slip. Or fix the stationary bike seat. What do I pay for?

And where are the people that are suppose to clean the floors? Every time I go there are dust bunnies all over the floor, it looks like it is never cleaned!

Don't get me wrong, I like 24hr Fitness and would recommend it to anyone that wanted to workout but didn't want to spend a lot of money but they lack a bit of general knowledge on everyday maintenance.

Broom? $5.00..... Can of WD 40? $2.00...... Clean Gym? PRICELESS

The Week of Two Ten's

Here is an exert from my marathon experience earlier this year. My Team in Training group was running 20 miles this particular weekend and I was in Austin so I ran with my friend Ginny and we didn't like the idea of running 20 miles so it became our weekend to run two ten mile runs back to back. The mind is a powerful thing!

5/11/09 - The Week of Two Ten's. My friend Ginny and I are running the San Diego Marathon together at the end of May. She has been training on her own but matching the Team in Training schedule and decided to come to Austin with me to run 20 miles this past Saturday. In talking, we decided 20 miles was too much and way to overwhelming and we would rather run 2 - 10 mile segments. So it was the weekend of Two Ten's. Our first mistake might have been not running on Thursday like we were scheduled, instead we ran Friday morning. I wear so much technical equipment on my arms, I managed to chaff the inside of my left arm pretty raw. Who would have thought I would need Body Glide for just three miles?! I put Neosporin on it and tried to let it air out and at least scab over but I sweat so much I knew Saturday was not going to be very fun. Then, some how on the way down to Austin Ginny and I managed to damage ourselves even more, she with a pinch mark from the seatbelt that welted up and me with a large scrap on my leg. We looked like we had been through the ringer and we hadn't even run yet!

We had discussed our route and decided to stick close to Town Lake because several running stores provide water and it is fairly safe. It was abnormally hot and humid, only adding to the joy of running Two Ten's. Our plan was to run up Congress, around the capital, down to the lake and around the lake twice.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 4 of my second 10, I knew my knees were really mad and the remaining 6 were going to be pretty tough. But I was on the downward slope so I kept going. The nice thing about the Nike ipod sensor is the count down of miles so it tells you how much more you have to go. The down side is it tells you how much farther you have to go. Pushing the button every few seconds doesn't make it tell you less distance faster...it is very methodical that way. Mile 18 I realized I had gone as far as my last long run and I only had two more miles to go. That isn't hard right? Two miles, less than a 5K...easy breezy. As my watch beeps for me to run another 5 minute...I winch at the thought of picking up my legs one more time. My walk is more dragging of my feet and I notice my shoes are covered in dust from the trail.

I managed to get all the way around the lake twice and had about a mile left. I ran up Congress and around a few buildings, well, walked/hobbled around a few buildings and was never more happy than when the ipod said I had completed my workout! Such joy! I had made it! Two Ten's!