Yoga studios are as commonplace today as McDonalds. It seems like in every strip mall, I see a yoga studio. Let's face it, it is THE fitness thing to be seen doing. Whereas trends like Tae-Bo and Nordic-Track have come and gone, yoga, since the early 90's, has become a mainstay in our society. And hell, why shouldn't it be? It feels good. Spend 90 minutes in a hot room doing poses and your muscles will feel loose and limber. Plus, if you're a female, you get to wear comfy pants that make your ass look good (please stop wearing them like dress pants!). So what could be the danger?
Turns out, a lot.
For those of you who know anything about me, you know I lean right in my politics, and in the election this year, I am a proud ABO voter (Anybody But Obama). But I love reading the Sunday New York Times. The magazine and book review, especially. I was reading it this last Sunday and came across a story about yoga. Since I like yoga, I kept reading, and what I found out startled me. With the rise in popularity of yoga in our society, it turns out that it is sometimes not the safest thing to do.
An experienced yogi, one who has practiced the art of yoga for years and actually has been to India, described how dime-a-dozen yoga studios have popped up everywhere. A lot of these yoga studios have inexperienced teachers whose main concerns are money and pounding in poses that their students have no business doing. He went on to describe some horrific injuries that he has heard about. Things like herniated discs in the back. He continued to say that majority of people have no place practicing yoga; it is not a means of fitness. Yoga, in its purest form, is a way of life. It's a means of achieving spiritual insight.
Last year, I actually went to a meditation class. I found it very relaxing and an interesting journey into the mind. While I can't say it's something I would want to do regularly, it was enjoyable and fascinating. Learning that yoga is a form of meditation and spiritual practice, I want to treat it as such. A journey into the mind and a journey of tough relaxation. Not as an exercise, or something trendy.
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
Check out the article here
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Showing posts with label articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label articles. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 10, 2011
1.9.11 Snow Run
So yesterday, we had a run on the schedule. We typically try to run about three times a week (i don't do so well running back-to-back days, so this works nicely for me) and Sunday marked day three.
However, it was kind of cold. And snowing. Snowing kind of a lot.
Colorado decided it didn't want any snow this winter until 2011 and we've gotten a few storms since the new year began (and one right before). However, training is training and when you've gotta run, you've gotta run.
Due to the crap in Brandon's post below, he almost didn't come with me, but decided, after all, to go be crazy and run in the snow with me.
Our run, in a few pictures:
Brandon ready to run.
Me ready to go. I'm wearing running tights, UnderArmour spandex shorts (tights are a bit too big up top), running skirt, running tank, tech t, long-sleeved tech shirt, toasty SkirtSports jacket, gloves, ear mitts and two hats. Why so much on top? Gotta keep that core warm ... it also surprisingly helps the breathing, too.
We decided on just a short run due to the snow and the conditions - 2.2 miles - and it was rough.
Random question to insert here ... why, when it snows, is it ALWAYS blowing in your face?
Since Brandon was on reserve, he had to carry his phone with him just in case he got called. His company didn't call him, but another important call did come in that he had to take so we did end up walking a good chunk of the run just so he could talk on the phone. And yes, I suppose we could have stopped moving, but it was cold and the snow was definitely coming down harder at that point so we decided that staying mobile was the best option.
Besides, by the end of the run, I was running with my hand up to try to block the wet snow from hitting my half-frozen face.
Brandon after the run. He ditched his sunglasses because they were fogging up which is why you get the epic eyelash pic.
Me afterward. White jacket makes me look less epic. However, please note that my once red toque is now white.
After these quick photos, we hopped inside, shed a few layers and made some oatmeal to help get our core temp back up (nifty tip I read here) ... even though aside from our faces (and my ankles; space in between tights and shoes), we weren't all that cold.
Still, mmm, oatmeal.
With probably more brown sugar than was necessary. Oh well; tasty!
Brandon eating his oatmeal. Foggy, due to the moisture/condensation on my camera lens. Stupid winter.
So that was my overly long, rambly blog post about a run that for us, was kind of epic given that last year, we would have said, "ah screw it" and not gone even though many of the others on our blog roll (whether they know we exist or not) would have done like 8 miles in the same conditions. But for us, it was a big step.
I'm just even more thankful now that the weather stayed good for Vegas training.
However, it was kind of cold. And snowing. Snowing kind of a lot.
Colorado decided it didn't want any snow this winter until 2011 and we've gotten a few storms since the new year began (and one right before). However, training is training and when you've gotta run, you've gotta run.
Due to the crap in Brandon's post below, he almost didn't come with me, but decided, after all, to go be crazy and run in the snow with me.
Our run, in a few pictures:
Brandon ready to run.
Me ready to go. I'm wearing running tights, UnderArmour spandex shorts (tights are a bit too big up top), running skirt, running tank, tech t, long-sleeved tech shirt, toasty SkirtSports jacket, gloves, ear mitts and two hats. Why so much on top? Gotta keep that core warm ... it also surprisingly helps the breathing, too.
We decided on just a short run due to the snow and the conditions - 2.2 miles - and it was rough.
Random question to insert here ... why, when it snows, is it ALWAYS blowing in your face?
Since Brandon was on reserve, he had to carry his phone with him just in case he got called. His company didn't call him, but another important call did come in that he had to take so we did end up walking a good chunk of the run just so he could talk on the phone. And yes, I suppose we could have stopped moving, but it was cold and the snow was definitely coming down harder at that point so we decided that staying mobile was the best option.
Besides, by the end of the run, I was running with my hand up to try to block the wet snow from hitting my half-frozen face.
Brandon after the run. He ditched his sunglasses because they were fogging up which is why you get the epic eyelash pic.
Me afterward. White jacket makes me look less epic. However, please note that my once red toque is now white.
After these quick photos, we hopped inside, shed a few layers and made some oatmeal to help get our core temp back up (nifty tip I read here) ... even though aside from our faces (and my ankles; space in between tights and shoes), we weren't all that cold.
Still, mmm, oatmeal.
With probably more brown sugar than was necessary. Oh well; tasty!
Brandon eating his oatmeal. Foggy, due to the moisture/condensation on my camera lens. Stupid winter.
So that was my overly long, rambly blog post about a run that for us, was kind of epic given that last year, we would have said, "ah screw it" and not gone even though many of the others on our blog roll (whether they know we exist or not) would have done like 8 miles in the same conditions. But for us, it was a big step.
I'm just even more thankful now that the weather stayed good for Vegas training.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Digging Deep
How many times have we had those moments of "oh I'm a little sore.", or "I'm just too tired."? How many times have we said "I want to do that." but come up short? My post today involves two things...an article I read in Runners World and my treadmill sprint today.
First, the article. You ever hear of a guy named Matt Long? Yeah, me neither. Not until I read March 2009's Runners World. This story, it's incredible. Check it out here. Basically, this New York City firefighter, Boston Marathon qualifier, and Ironman got hit by a bus and beat up pretty bad. Bad to the point that he couldn't walk, had no right glute muscle, and had over 40 surgeries. He was broken down and couldn't figure out a reason to live anymore. Then he woke up and wanted to do a marathon. That's right. Hit by a bus and he wanted to do a marathon. And he succeeded. 7 hours later, he succeeded. Imagine that. I was reading the article (again) on the flight down to Tulsa and it gave me chills. Here was a guy who just longed to run. A guy who wanted nothing more than to be what he was. Inspirational, eh? More on this in a bit.
Second, my workout today. You know by now in Tulsa I don't run outside. And no, the article didn't inspire me to do that. But I did hit the treadmill, like I like to in Tulsa. About 20 minutes into my workout, I was feeling achy. Probably due to the fact this was my 2nd day of running in a row (4.62 miles yesterday). My body isn't quite up to 2 days in a row yet, and I wanted to stop. But you can see where I'm gonna go here. I thought of Matty Long. The guy who has a titanium rod through his leg. All he wanted to do was run. And here I was going to complain about a little ache in my legs?
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Another one of Brandon's moments where he has the lightbulb go off. No, this isn't about me. This is about our community. The triathlete community. You know, there's days where our bodies tell us to take it easy. I respect that and adhere to it. But then there's days where we slack. Days where we are lazy. Imagine if you DIDN'T have that choice; if your only option was to be lazy.
Something to chew on.
First, the article. You ever hear of a guy named Matt Long? Yeah, me neither. Not until I read March 2009's Runners World. This story, it's incredible. Check it out here. Basically, this New York City firefighter, Boston Marathon qualifier, and Ironman got hit by a bus and beat up pretty bad. Bad to the point that he couldn't walk, had no right glute muscle, and had over 40 surgeries. He was broken down and couldn't figure out a reason to live anymore. Then he woke up and wanted to do a marathon. That's right. Hit by a bus and he wanted to do a marathon. And he succeeded. 7 hours later, he succeeded. Imagine that. I was reading the article (again) on the flight down to Tulsa and it gave me chills. Here was a guy who just longed to run. A guy who wanted nothing more than to be what he was. Inspirational, eh? More on this in a bit.
Second, my workout today. You know by now in Tulsa I don't run outside. And no, the article didn't inspire me to do that. But I did hit the treadmill, like I like to in Tulsa. About 20 minutes into my workout, I was feeling achy. Probably due to the fact this was my 2nd day of running in a row (4.62 miles yesterday). My body isn't quite up to 2 days in a row yet, and I wanted to stop. But you can see where I'm gonna go here. I thought of Matty Long. The guy who has a titanium rod through his leg. All he wanted to do was run. And here I was going to complain about a little ache in my legs?
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Another one of Brandon's moments where he has the lightbulb go off. No, this isn't about me. This is about our community. The triathlete community. You know, there's days where our bodies tell us to take it easy. I respect that and adhere to it. But then there's days where we slack. Days where we are lazy. Imagine if you DIDN'T have that choice; if your only option was to be lazy.
Something to chew on.
Monday, March 1, 2010
On Swimming Frequency and Running
First order of business: tomorrow will be the February round-up and number totaling.
I know Brandon mentioned it in the post below, but his roommate Tim came out for the weekend and we went for a run. The run was a variation of the run I did in this post, including running up that damn hill. I've run up Timberline a few times; each time with having to walk. This run, I was noticeably behind Tim and Brandon, but I was able to keep running.
That's right; I never stopped running. I also found out that adding another little bit to the run after the hill gave me a little more energy and helped me feel better. Typically, after I crest the hill, I keep running down Timberline until home - which is mostly a gradual downhill with a few minor rises. With Tim, however, we added another bit on to extend the route to just over three miles. Doing so, as I said, made me feel better. I don't know if that little bit helped purge some of the lactic acid out of my legs (i dunno how that works exactly; it doesn't make sense in my mind that it would work that way, but who knows). I also don't know if it's the fact that I can't really feel good under three miles these days. Either way.
Another thing that I started thinking about was training in Colorado. I'm a Colorado girl, born and mostly bred. I love the beauty in my state and I don't think I take it for granted, but Tim got me thinking that sometimes I do. As we turned the corner out of the neighborhood, Tim about dropped his jaw with the view of the mountains that we got. He also kept commenting on the view and the weather and everything, really, every couple of minutes.
I've done work outs in this state that have inspired awe in me, but my usual daily runs do no such thing. Tim got me thinking that you know, maybe I should again.
He also got me thinking that I shouldn't really care so much about my times. As Brandon mentioned, Tim was shocked that our time on our run was so "slow" (normal for us; slow for him). He felt like we had run a lot faster than we did. We told him that running here, especially on all the hills, can be deceptive. Brandon and I have learned to never trust a feeling on how a run went because it is rarely accurate. I'll just continue running here and eventually plan to run all my races on flat terrain at sea level. ;)
*****
Second thing I wanted to blog about was this article from EverymanTri. The article, written by Patrick McCrann, says that for the age group triathlete (so basically me and everyone else who isn't a professional), swimming year round is a waste for three reasons.
Reason One: Swimming is a massive time suck.
Reason Two: You don't have enough available time to get really better.
Reason Three: Returning is learning all over again.
I do get his point on number one ... to a point. It can be a time suck going to the gym, changing, etc. I get around this for the most part by going and doubling up a swim workout with something else. At this point in my early season training, I'm not doing ridiculously long swims so I almost always double up a swim workout with a stationary bike or a lift.
On point two, I understand where McCrann is coming from regarding the good triathlon swimmers being people who have spent eons of time in the pool in their youth training. And, for us mere mortals to catch up to them, we would have to spend comparable time and really, that just ain't happening. Still, all I have to do is look at my own times; I've cut around 10:00/mile off my times over the past two years ... and I don't swim nearly as much as I probably should! So once again, Mr. McCrann, I respectfully disagree.
The third point I just dislike the whole concept of. I don't want to take four months off and basically have to relearn how to swim again. Screw the thought of that making it more fun or more of a challenge. I've taken significant time off in all the sports I've played. The only one where it's not a major pain in the ass to get back into it? Softball. Time off from hockey sucks ... on the second skate back. Time off the bike sucks. Time off running REALLY sucks. Time off swimming sucks too.
Ultimately, though, I think the reason I prefer not taking time off from swimming is because it's such a good form of exercise on its own. It's extremely low impact and is a great cross-trainer to go along with the running. Plus, I'll get moments of zen in the pool that I wouldn't give up in the technical triathlon off season because I sure as hell haven't gotten one in season yet.
I know Brandon mentioned it in the post below, but his roommate Tim came out for the weekend and we went for a run. The run was a variation of the run I did in this post, including running up that damn hill. I've run up Timberline a few times; each time with having to walk. This run, I was noticeably behind Tim and Brandon, but I was able to keep running.
That's right; I never stopped running. I also found out that adding another little bit to the run after the hill gave me a little more energy and helped me feel better. Typically, after I crest the hill, I keep running down Timberline until home - which is mostly a gradual downhill with a few minor rises. With Tim, however, we added another bit on to extend the route to just over three miles. Doing so, as I said, made me feel better. I don't know if that little bit helped purge some of the lactic acid out of my legs (i dunno how that works exactly; it doesn't make sense in my mind that it would work that way, but who knows). I also don't know if it's the fact that I can't really feel good under three miles these days. Either way.
Another thing that I started thinking about was training in Colorado. I'm a Colorado girl, born and mostly bred. I love the beauty in my state and I don't think I take it for granted, but Tim got me thinking that sometimes I do. As we turned the corner out of the neighborhood, Tim about dropped his jaw with the view of the mountains that we got. He also kept commenting on the view and the weather and everything, really, every couple of minutes.
I've done work outs in this state that have inspired awe in me, but my usual daily runs do no such thing. Tim got me thinking that you know, maybe I should again.
He also got me thinking that I shouldn't really care so much about my times. As Brandon mentioned, Tim was shocked that our time on our run was so "slow" (normal for us; slow for him). He felt like we had run a lot faster than we did. We told him that running here, especially on all the hills, can be deceptive. Brandon and I have learned to never trust a feeling on how a run went because it is rarely accurate. I'll just continue running here and eventually plan to run all my races on flat terrain at sea level. ;)
*****
Second thing I wanted to blog about was this article from EverymanTri. The article, written by Patrick McCrann, says that for the age group triathlete (so basically me and everyone else who isn't a professional), swimming year round is a waste for three reasons.
Reason One: Swimming is a massive time suck.
Reason Two: You don't have enough available time to get really better.
Reason Three: Returning is learning all over again.
I do get his point on number one ... to a point. It can be a time suck going to the gym, changing, etc. I get around this for the most part by going and doubling up a swim workout with something else. At this point in my early season training, I'm not doing ridiculously long swims so I almost always double up a swim workout with a stationary bike or a lift.
On point two, I understand where McCrann is coming from regarding the good triathlon swimmers being people who have spent eons of time in the pool in their youth training. And, for us mere mortals to catch up to them, we would have to spend comparable time and really, that just ain't happening. Still, all I have to do is look at my own times; I've cut around 10:00/mile off my times over the past two years ... and I don't swim nearly as much as I probably should! So once again, Mr. McCrann, I respectfully disagree.
The third point I just dislike the whole concept of. I don't want to take four months off and basically have to relearn how to swim again. Screw the thought of that making it more fun or more of a challenge. I've taken significant time off in all the sports I've played. The only one where it's not a major pain in the ass to get back into it? Softball. Time off from hockey sucks ... on the second skate back. Time off the bike sucks. Time off running REALLY sucks. Time off swimming sucks too.
Ultimately, though, I think the reason I prefer not taking time off from swimming is because it's such a good form of exercise on its own. It's extremely low impact and is a great cross-trainer to go along with the running. Plus, I'll get moments of zen in the pool that I wouldn't give up in the technical triathlon off season because I sure as hell haven't gotten one in season yet.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Is triathlon too easy or accessable?
I just became a fan of USAT Midwest on Facebook. I admit it. I'm a huge facebook junkie. I've been on the site since late 2004...when the address was still TheFacebook.com and it was only open to college students. Now granted I wasn't one of the first people on it, but still. I was on it when you could only have a page of your music tastes, favorite movies, interests, and groups. I could browse every group at UND in like an hour.
Today, pretty much any organization has a fan page on Facebook. So naturally, I am a fan of things like USA Curling (I'm a nerd, shut it), RoadID, Steve in a Speedo, and USAT. I was browsing their fanpage and came across an interesting article. It was about triathlon and how it is the new status symbol.
Article can be found here.
I've heard about the running craze of the 70's. How "jogging" became a household thing. How every person went to the store to buy a new pair of Nikes and went for Saturday morning runs with the family. Another craze was beginning to take form...the Ironman! The Hawaii Ironman started from a discussion between some Navy seamen (don't laugh) about which athletes were the best. They decided to settle it by combining 3 brutal races...the Waikiki roughwater swim (2.4 mile swim), the Around Oahu Bike Race (115 miles, normally a 2 day event), and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles...duh). They decided to shave off 3 miles of the bike to have it start at the finish of the Waikiki rough and end at Aloha tower, where the marathon traditionally started. Thus, the Ironman was born.
Fast forward to today. The Ironman gets coverage on NBC with Mike Rowe's voice detailing the suspense of an entire day's work in 90 minutes. Ironman is a brand name. Triathlon itself is a business with stores dedicating themselves to triathlon-specific equipment. It is now a summer olympic event.
In all this...is it possible that triathlon has been dumbed down too much? Has it become an event that everyone can do? Does someone who has completed one triathlon in their entire life deserve to be called a triathlete? More importantly, a person that completes ONE SPRINT triathlon deserve that title?
To me, things like marathons and triathlons are special. The people that do these events deserve to be held in a certain high regard. It's like saying you're a poker player. What defines a "poker player"? Do you play the game one time at a friends place and suddenly you are a poker player? Or is it years of grinding it out at the tables, winning and losing, learning a lot about the intricacies of the game and other players?
I consider myself a triathlete, even though I have completed one sprint triathlon. But I also plan on growing in the sport. Expanding on what I have learned. More importantly than calling myself a triathlete, I would much rather call myself an athlete.
And that's the rub. Have a good day. :-)
Today, pretty much any organization has a fan page on Facebook. So naturally, I am a fan of things like USA Curling (I'm a nerd, shut it), RoadID, Steve in a Speedo, and USAT. I was browsing their fanpage and came across an interesting article. It was about triathlon and how it is the new status symbol.
Article can be found here.
I've heard about the running craze of the 70's. How "jogging" became a household thing. How every person went to the store to buy a new pair of Nikes and went for Saturday morning runs with the family. Another craze was beginning to take form...the Ironman! The Hawaii Ironman started from a discussion between some Navy seamen (don't laugh) about which athletes were the best. They decided to settle it by combining 3 brutal races...the Waikiki roughwater swim (2.4 mile swim), the Around Oahu Bike Race (115 miles, normally a 2 day event), and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles...duh). They decided to shave off 3 miles of the bike to have it start at the finish of the Waikiki rough and end at Aloha tower, where the marathon traditionally started. Thus, the Ironman was born.
Fast forward to today. The Ironman gets coverage on NBC with Mike Rowe's voice detailing the suspense of an entire day's work in 90 minutes. Ironman is a brand name. Triathlon itself is a business with stores dedicating themselves to triathlon-specific equipment. It is now a summer olympic event.
In all this...is it possible that triathlon has been dumbed down too much? Has it become an event that everyone can do? Does someone who has completed one triathlon in their entire life deserve to be called a triathlete? More importantly, a person that completes ONE SPRINT triathlon deserve that title?
To me, things like marathons and triathlons are special. The people that do these events deserve to be held in a certain high regard. It's like saying you're a poker player. What defines a "poker player"? Do you play the game one time at a friends place and suddenly you are a poker player? Or is it years of grinding it out at the tables, winning and losing, learning a lot about the intricacies of the game and other players?
I consider myself a triathlete, even though I have completed one sprint triathlon. But I also plan on growing in the sport. Expanding on what I have learned. More importantly than calling myself a triathlete, I would much rather call myself an athlete.
And that's the rub. Have a good day. :-)
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