I Just Completed Event 11!

From Mayors 5K

Eleven events down!! It is such a great feeling to know I am so close to reaching my goal of completing 12 events in 2009. Tomorrow I run the White Rock Half Marathon and that will round out my 12 events!

Today I ran the Mayors 5k that is part of the White Rock Marathon weekend events. The day started off with me lying in bed at 6:00 am not wanting to get up, then as I was laying there, I heard this rush of water, it sounded like it all came down at once. I was like, WHOA! what is that?! OH MY GOSH! Rain! My mom had just asked me yesterday if I thought it was going to rain. Oh no mom....it isn't going to rain....it will be cold but no rain. Yea right. I debated going. But if I didn't go, I wouldn't have done 12 events and I would have not completed my goal. So begrudgingly I got up and got ready.

I thought the run started at 8 am so I hurried to get all my stuff together and headed out the door. I planned on taking yoga after the run so I had to get two sets of work out gear together and make sure I had enough food to make it through the day.

As I wound my way through downtown, I was surprise to see NO ONE around. Hmm, not a good sign. I saw some balloons blowing in the wind and assumed that was where the start was and found a place to park. I got out of the car and wow was it cold! I walked into the Dallas City Hall to more workers than runners, got my number and waited, and waited and waited.

From Mayors 5K

I met a fireman from Midlothian that just started running this year and pretty much sticks to 5k's. His wife is running the half tomorrow. Then I met a lady named Mackenzie, it was her first race. She also had just started running this year. She had just started running a few weeks ago! She plans on running the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Dallas in March 2010.

Mackenzie and I went outside and froze for about 15 minutes. Then it was time to start and she took off! I thought to myself...hmm...I think she runs faster than me! lol That's ok. I am not fast, just determined.

The run started off down hill and the course was a mile and a half and then a turn around so I was dreading having to run back up it bu the down hill was a good start. I decided I needed to be at the half way point at less than 17 minutes to beat or be at the same time I ran the Susan Komen 5k earlier this year. I ran at what I thought was a good pace...as I was running a lady came up beside me and we ended up running the rest of the 5k together. It was great, she kept me at a good pace. As we came up to the turn around point I looked down at my watch and saw it was 17:19. I had two decisions, run faster or change the goal. As I ran I decided I wasn't trying to be a super star today, I was trying to run an easy run to prepare for tomorrow and my time was not the most important thing. So I ran at a nice pace but didn't push myself too hard and finished in 34:31.

So there it is, event 11 done. Looking forward to event 12 tomorrow...13.1 miles....and then goal accomplished!

From Mayors 5K

My Mind is a Wander-er, as if it has a Mind of its Own

I don't know about the rest of you but for me, it doesn't matter how I look, I always manage to find something to nit pick. And today was no different. I was in Bikram Yoga class, standing perfectly still in between postures and looked down at my stomach. As I stared at it I noticed how it pooched out just ever so slightly and the edge of my shorts made a small crescent shaped curve around my tummy, coming in at each hip. Then my mind wandered and wondered if it was the late 80's or the mid 90's when it seemed like having a pooch-y stomach was in and girls started having bad posture and not tightening their stomach muscles.

I think it was the 90's. I was a little bigger then and not just pooch-y in the stomach, it was sort of an all around poof. I use to see girls in tank tops with the front ever so slightly riding up to show just a bit of their tummy. It seemed so sexy to me then. Now not so much. I would much rather have a flat, rock hard stomach than a pooch-y one, even if pooch-y is "in".

As I twisted and turned in class I started to get a taste in my mouth....what is that? Oh, right, it is residual taste from the protein shake I drank before class. That is not a good sign. And then, there it is...the uncomfortable feeling like my stomach is a balloon being stretched to its fullest capacity. And seriously people, you can't do a forward bend when your tummy is a balloon. Just isn't fun AT ALL.

I made it through class but it was a struggle. Sad too because other than that I felt like I had a strong class. So the moral of the story is don't drink Muscle Milk or any protein shake before class, only AFTER class. And stop thinking about it too! The mind is suppose to be IN the room...in the present moment...not thinking of how the stomach is pooching out, or why it gets dark so early now, or what there is for dinner or all the work that needs to be done...no, the mind is suppose to be focused on the room, the posture and yourself. They say we only use 10% of our brains anyway, certainly we can't spare any of the 10% to think about other things!

A Yogi's Experience at the 2009 Texas Yoga Championships

From TxYogaAsanaChampionships2009

I have trained for many events this year; a marathon, century ride, half marathons and a yoga competition. The Texas Yoga Championships ranks right up there as one of the hardest and most amazing events I have done this year. It was a wonderful journey where not only the body opens up but the mind opens too.

The 2009 Texas Yoga Championships were held in Woodlands, Texas on November 8, 2009 at the Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion. Yogi’s from all over Texas came together to demonstrate their yoga practice and share their results of hard work and perseverance. It was so wonderful to share the stage with 9 juniors, 12 men and 32 other women competitors. I was impressed at the variety of people, flexibility and strength of the competitors. No two were alike and yet, all were beautiful and they performed their postures in such a way it could only have inspired the audience to want to get up and try themselves.

From TxYogaAsanaChampionships2009

The other students from Bikram Yoga Dallas and I got there early to check in and check out the stage area where we would be performing. After doing a few poses on the carpet and feeling pretty confident, a group of us decided to walk around the health and fitness expo. The junior competitors went first, then the men, then the women. I had most of the day to relax, stretch and prepare myself for the stage.

I think the best part of the expo had to have been the free Zico coconut water! It wasn’t the small size we have at the studio either, it was a huge container - it must have had 3-4 servings in it. I was so excited, I opened mine right away. I love coconut water, it is so delicious after class; I sometimes feel like I could drink gallons of it.

After walking around I decided to stretch and get warmed up. As I was doing that, I heard this bizarre gurgling sound in my tummy. Oh my….it is the coconut water! I must have had too much because goodness, my tummy was so full of coconut water, every time I bent forward or side to side it swished around and made noise. So nice right?! I was thankful I still had a few hours before I went on, I could only hope most of the coconut water would pass through my stomach by then.

From TxYogaAsanaChampionships2009

They call my name to get in line…almost time! I was amazingly not nervous. I practiced as much as I could, I did what I could and now it was time to show the results of that work…there was nothing else that could be done. And then they called my name….and I walked on stage…with a smile.

Smiling for me is perhaps the hardest part. I concentrate so much in class I rarely smile so I had to remember to smile and show I was happy. This is suppose to be fun! And it was. I started with Standing Head to Knee and almost got my head to my knee, just slightly wobbled at the end as I was coming out of the posture. Standing Bow Pulling was good I thought. The whole time I was thinking of armpit and crotch, which is something Mary Jarvis said in class the day before, your armpit and crotch should be at the same level. Bow was easy, I just had to remember to keep my knees in and wrists flat. And then a good forward bend, Rabbit. Rabbit use to be easy for me but lately I feel a tightness in my back that makes it difficult to roll the spine properly.

The key is to hold each posture at its fullest expression or what you can do for at least 3-5 seconds so the judges have time to score. Each posture I am counting in my head, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then there is Stretching, boom…pull and down. Hold. Oh the pain behind the legs can be awful. But who cares, it is only 5 seconds. Now onto my two optional postures, first I did Pigeon. After watching some of the competitors, I am convinced I do this pose wrong. My back hurt like hell. I grabbed my foot, rotated my shoulder, bend backwards and put my foot on my head but man it felt like my spin was going to crack from being so compressed. Not that compressing it in a backbend in bad, just that it felt as if I was bending backwards for the very first time! And now the last posture, Bow Leg, and I stick it! So great! I had just tried it a dozen times back stage and couldn’t get my foot to hold. I decided before I went on I would just push it down and I didn’t care if it hurt, I was going to make it stay. And I did! I looked up, hands in namaskar (prayer) and smiled!

From TxYogaAsanaChampionships2009

What an amazing feeling! I worked so hard, 3-4 hours of yoga on Saturdays and then yoga and coaching on Sundays; it all paid off when I was able to get on stage and demonstrate all I had learned, hopefully inspiring others as well. I didn’t win and it didn’t matter, for me that is not the purpose of competing. My measure of success is doing the best I can and sharing how wonderful yoga is with others.

This is the third year I have competed and I think I will continue to compete because at the end of the day, there is nothing better than knowing you did your very best and were able to share that experience with others. The best compliment perhaps came from Yassi Maige from Bikram Yoga Richardson when she leaned over to me and said “you have come so far from last year, you did amazing, and you smiled!”

Do You Know How to Order at Starbucks?

A Story in How to Order at "Order as You Like It Places."

Do you ever feel you aren’t smart enough to order food at a restaurant anymore? Maybe it isn’t you. I recently went to Starbucks to get coffee, which I do often, and for some reason I fumbled through ordering.  Everyone knows Starbucks has a method to the madness, every word has its place.  My experience was not jaded in spite of my inability to fit into the “Starbucks” ordering process. This was not the case recently for a poor lady at Chipotle who’s experience was what I can only call typical restaurant employee behavior where they try and force you to order the “right way.”

 First, the Starbucks Story
I think most coffee places are the same now, they all offer complicated drinks with lots of variations, it is an opportunity for a person it step out from the crowd, to be an individual and show a little personality – that is what custom drink orders are all about. Starbucks is perhaps the master of this option and have gone so far as to print drink ordering booklets to help people order. If you haven’t noticed, Starbucks drink cups have boxes on the side and that is the order a drink should be called out. (here is how to order) I don’t really follow this, I do what I think is natural and order…hoping I get the right drink, which I usually do. On this particular day my brain was still asleep so it came out a little funny. As I started to say my drink order, it came out as “vanilla, skinny, coffee, wait, grande latte.”  The guy behind the counter smiled and clearly was about to cut me a break. He recited my drink to the barista, in the correct order, and smiled at me as if to say, it’s ok, it’s early. I just looked at him, laughed and said “I guess I needed coffee before I ordered my coffee!”

Isn’t it great? Even if you goof up the order they know what you want. I’ve thankfully never had a barista roll their eyes at me for not knowing the order system. I am certain Starbucks has their own language and it is more than just learning to call out your drink in the right order, it is about understanding the “language” of Starbucks.  I understand Starbucks language just slightly better than Spanish which puts me at a huge disadvantage when ordering. It pleases me that Starbucks baristas know not everyone knows their language and they take whatever broken Starbucks words customers can mange and they form them into real drinks, good drinks!

Second, Chipotle Experience
There is Starbucks…and then there are places that have a process of ordering and they like their customers to stick to that process. When you step outside of that process or don’t know how to order, often the person behind the counter will try and corral you back into the order process and you are usually met with ridiculing looks and glares from the other customers who are impatiently waiting for you to understand the menu and how to call out what you want. This happened recently to a poor lady behind me in line at Chipotle. All she wanted was one taco and guacamole. The lady, we will call her Sara, asked “can I just get one taco?” The lady behind the counter looked at her and said “you want #3?” Sara and I both looked up at the menu on the wall, quickly scanning for a “#3” so it was clear what the lady was asking. No #3. “I just want one taco” says Sara, a little more sheepish. “Number 3…you want #3” repeats the lady.  Sara just stares at the lady. Then, because it clear Sara doesn’t understand, the lady points to the “nose” glass that has a kids menu with a #3 that is a single taco. Sara sees this and says “yes a #3 please.”

Tacos at Chipotle come with all kinds of yummy stuff, rice, beans, meat, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and lots of salsa choices. If you have never been, you tell the people what you want and you have to go in order or it mixes them up. So the lady behind the counter tries to add rice and beans and Sara says “no thanks, but can I have some of the peppers please?” The lady complies and down the line it goes. There is a guy a little farther down that says “what else?” Sara says “just guacamole please.” He plops it down on the plate and as he does it, Sara says “oh, on the taco please.” “You want it on the taco?” says the guy behind the counter. “Yes please says Sara.” Now lets think about this, so far the poor taco just has green peppers, it seems logical the guacamole would go on the taco, I mean, we are at the end of the line, what else can go in the darn thing? And then an odd thing happened.

Instead of scooping the guacamole into the taco, he gets a new tray, moves the taco and scoops the guacamole into the taco. This is weird only because it wastes a paper tray and Chipotle has changed to eco friendly pressed paper trays and he just wasted one.  But Sara now has a taco with guacamole and peppers, exactly what she wanted. It only took two people and a bit of interpretation to get through the line.

I wonder if Sara felt as awkward as I felt for her. It is hard enough to go eat lunch alone but to be chastised for not knowing how to order just makes the experience even harder!

Two “order your way as long as it is our way” places and two different experiences. I’ll still go to both only because I know HOW to order at both places. I empathize with people like Sara though. Had I had a clue what the lady meant by saying #3 I would have helped her out but I was just as clueless as Sara was! Here’s a helpful tip for restaurant employees…if the customer doesn’t understand what you are saying, repeating the same thing over and over doesn’t make it all the sudden understandable.