a quick word about yoga

Inspired by Erica Rodefer's post. Find it here: http://blogs.yogajournal.com/topfive/archives/2011/04/5-confessions-of-a-serious-yoga-student.html

Six month ago I met an amazing yoga instructor that changed my practice forever, Whitney. And every time she tells me to close my eyes so no one else can see me, it brings home that my yoga practice is nothing other than that - mine. While I make it to class only once a week, my practice is with me always... its the honesty in my body and in my heart. My practice my own, and in that I can find it whenever the mood strikes... it is not relegated to the mat but more to every move I make. Whenever I close my eyes, stretch my arms to the sky, roll out my spine... I am in my practice. By being honest and willing to assess our shortcomings we are always growing and improving. Always be honest with yourself and the rest will follow! Erica see's her post as confessions... I see them as the amazing honesty we should all strive for!

A special thanks to Whitney for bringing me a bit closer to clarity and opening my mind with her simple but poignant words!

thanks to the girls of redline kickboxing!

So on Tuesday I joined the 7pm Kickboxing Sparring/techniques class at Redline Fight Sports and had a great learning experience. First time I could really start THINKING about what I was doing, make changes, adjust, learn! On Tuesday I had the advantage of it being just Nicole and I - someone I know, but on Thursday there were more girls and I didn't want to piss anyone off my taking their legs out of the equation! To my great relief, they seem to ENJOY being forced to work on their handwork! Was awesome for me, I got some really good work in, took some good punches and hopefully returned in kind. Such an awesome group of girls (thanks again Mel, Mara and Nicole!!)

So the end result is my easy to bruise self is now covered with a nice array of purple polka dots. Go me!

Anyone out there have any recommendations on how to cut down on bruising? 

This particular beauty on my hip is thanks to Lyle deciding to work body shots. I think this is a bit low, what do you think?

maybe not so lucky...

So I may have been a bit quick on the lucky part. Yesterday I went through a wonderful vinyasa yoga flow session with Whitney which felt awesome - my hero was rockin! (For those unfamiliar with the yoga lingo, see the position here - a great quad stretch.) After hearing about the previous evenings multitude of heel raised squats, Whitney kindly put together a flow that transitioned a bit quicker from standing strength than usual and helped me focus on twists (to help with my slip/head turn.) We built a fair amount of heat and I felt great by the end of class. Quads tired but working pretty well!

Before bed I rolled out my legs with my trusty stick, focusing on my quads and calves and giving a quick roll to my back. A little extra love never hurt anyone! (I highly recommend use of the stick and a foam roller, its a great way to give sore muscles a boost.)

So what happened overnight? I had a great nights sleep, and woke up to find stairs suddenly a challenge! Ugh... when Lyle starts yelling at me to sit tonight... grrrraarrrr.

I'm starting to wonder if this delayed onset soreness is age dependent? This is a very recent development for me!

taking a beating... but I keep coming back!

Yesterday was a harsh workout. Harsh I tell you. Lyle thought of all kinds of particularly nice ways to make us fit, but I got to start the evening out right with a little love from Pia. Guess she decided to stop pulling her punches! Yup, beatdown time. Love you Pia!

But if that beatdown wasn't enough, Lyle then proceeded to make us spend 15 straight minutes doing repeated 1-2-1-2-duck-2-1-2-1-duck-1-2.... you get the idea. no rest. seriously, 15 minutes. Turns out even being on the receiving end of that is exhausting! But to finish the night off right there is nothing like doing 25 squats with various pauses. One set? No. 12 sets. that's right 300 squats.

The good news: I can walk. Slowly, but I'm still walking! Wee! Thank god for yoga this evening! (Here's hoping we're not heavy on the standing strength this evening!)

Week in review and this week's training schedule. Rest.

Wow, what an exhausting week… I really paid for that extra run on Sunday. Progress was made, but there can always be more... this time through rest! I'm still fighting the leading edge of over-training.


Here's what really happened last week:

18 April, Monday: TIRED. Somehow managed to get up at 7:40 am run, but when my running partner didn’t show I just did a light 20 minute run, 20 minute walk with some yoga thrown in. Lots of little aches and pains going on in my legs.

19 April, Tuesday: Slept a solid 8 hours, feeling much improved. Class is Lyle was rough, I must have ducked at least 500x… quads will pay…

20 April, Wednesday: Still so tired! Skipped the morning run, just yoga with Whitney’s substitute… slow flow just doesn’t do it for me. Quads exhausted in standing strength.

21 Aprli, Thursday: Exhausted. I somehow made it through class, corner sparring instead of full-fledged sparring.

22 April, Friday: Slept in. Rest day. TIRED. Legs HURT.

23 April, Saturday: Rest day. Feeling a bit better, a bit of yoga. Double downward dog is awesome!

24 April, Sunday: Slept in, had a lazy day followed by a great session with Pia. Was still tired so only sparred 2 rounds with Jen, trying to be more conservative about blowing myself out.

So I see a trend here. Exhausted. Tired. Goals for this week:

Rest. It’s that simple. I never recovered from the last week and it dragged down my training schedule for the entire week. I’m still not even sure I’m recovered. Recovery week is necessary. This week focus on boxing and technique and some yoga and limit the running until I am feeling better.

Sparring: This seems to be key to my development. Trying to up the game here. Pia mentioned joining the kickboxing girls on Tuesday at 7 for some technical sparring and I’m going to try in addition to my Thursday/Sunday routine.

Yoga: Yoga rocks. Can’t wait to have Whitney back on Tuesday! Trying to work twists into my post workout routine.

So here's how we're going to make these goals reality, the plan for the next week:

Monday: 

am: rest.

pm: Be an adult. Grocery shop. Clean.

Tuesday: 

am: rest. 

pm: doubling up at Redline… first an hour of technical sparring and then skills class with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Wednesday: 

am: rest? Easy run?

pm: vinyasa with whitney (somehow that sounds like a palindrome)

Thursday: 

am: rest. 

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Friday: 

am: run(?) with the Redline girls at 6:30am in central. This will be subject to how I am feeling.

pm: rest

Saturday: 

am: rest

pm: rest

Sunday: 

am: Yoga? 

pm: women's class at redline with Pia, sparring post, finish with vinyasa flow

Rest is so critical, and I need to be on my A game!


How do you pull yourself back from the verge of over training? 

Sunday with Pia

The week in review and next week’s schedule

Was a great week overall. Got a lot done, learned a lot and I even had a decent sparring session on Thursday!


Here's what really happened last week:

11 April, Monday: Sunny. 70 degrees. I went running and couldn't seem to stop! Ran a total of 7 miles.

12 April, Tuesday: Woke up EXHAUSTED. Skipped the circuit, took a 20 minutes power nap which luckily kind of got me through Lyle's class at Redline. I was beat.

13 April, Wednesday: Slept like the dead, no run. Feeling a bit better, went to yoga in the evening and had an awesome session.

14 Aprli, Thursday: Didn't sleep so well. Pretty tired. I spent an hour or so at SBC, shadow boxing and mitt work mostly before heading off to Redline. The sparring actually went great, I really held my own against Meredith for at least the 1^st round. 2^nd round was tough but I hung in there!

15 April, Friday: Running! Relatively short, maybe 4.5 miles. Tired, looking forward to rest!

16 April, Saturday: So much for rest… couldn't resist a naked run with Chris McDougall. I'm going to regret it later but it was awesome to feel the pavement under my toes!

17 April, Sunday: Slept in till 1pm. Needed the rest! So ridiculously tired. Quads and calves are aching in weird ways. Really showed in my sparring, just didn't have the energy to get in there and move.

 

Goal fulfillment for the week was great. I ran a total of 17 miles, sparred twice and had some awesome yoga. Let's keep on this track! My goals for next week are to keep up the good work and make progress. Don't let everyone need to share their opinion stress me out.



The plan for the next week:

Monday:

am: run. Relatively short. 4-6 miles.

pm: unspecified. (hot)

Tuesday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Wednesday:

am: run: 3-4 miles; focus on intervals

pm: vinyasa with whitney

Thursday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Friday:

am: run with the Redline girls at 6:30am in central – 2.5 mi run to and there so definitely a long one! We weren't even just running home!

pm: rest

Saturday:

am: rest

pm: rest

Sunday:

am: rest

pm: women's class at redline with Pia, sparring post, finish with vinyasa flow

There's a good possibility I am going to have to create a break for myself somewhere in this schedule… I'm exhausted, my legs are having weird muscular pain… all signs I am pushing myself too hard at the moment. Can't afford to end up overtrained! Time to use that orthostatic heart rate test!

What's your favorite way to rest?

This week hurt on goal fulfillment.  Purple-Toe limited my ability to run. The toe is back to human color and I can almost bend it. Almost. I plan on running on it tomorrow morning. Well. Bending at least.


Here's what really happened last week:

4 April, Monday: Purple-Toe ridiculously swollen and unhappy. Despite ideas that rest might be good, I only skipped the evening workout at SBC and did adult like things like grocery shopping, probably an hour of active rest.

5 April, Tuesday: Was late to the session at SBC due to work stuff, given that Purple-Toe was not overly concerned. Only mild protest was voiced. I went light at SBC and did the full session at Redline. Was good. Purple-Toe requested only minor modifications to my normal routine.

6 April, Wednesday: Well, the extra rest resulting from my toe apparently results in AWESOME, rocking, great yoga sessions. Felt super strong and rocked the class, apparently I could further my yoga practice if i rested. Winning.

7 Aprli, Thursday: Did the entire 60' circuit at SBC and completed the entire class at Redline. Lyle decided Purple-Toe was reason enough to skip sparring, will wait till Sunday on that. Probably a good call.

8 April, Friday: Toe still swollen, rest day. Some light naked dancing.It feels good to keep moving even when recovering.

9 April, Saturday: Rest day! Managed to get my room cleaned up, super useful day.

10 April, Sunday: By not working out I have somehow become amazing. Happily amazing. Somehow 2 days of rest allowed me to start figuring out slipping! Rest really does work! Didn't translate to my 3 rounds of sparring as I would have liked, but it was good.

 

Purple-Toe wouldn't allow for running. Rest will make a difference! Now for the goals for the coming week:

Increase running mileage: Wasn't this listed last week? Yeah, nullified by toe Plan from last week will be instituted this week.

Sparring: The girls at SBC have invited me to spar with them T/W/Th, hoping to get at least 2 day adherence there. I plan on sparring Thursday with Lyle and Sunday with Pia.

Yoga: Yoga rocks. Will attempt to continue on this follow through.

So here's how we're going to make these goals reality, the plan for the next week:

Monday:

am: run. Relatively short. 4-6 miles.

pm: unspecified. (hot)

Tuesday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Wednesday:

am: run: 3-4 miles; focus on intervals

pm: vinyasa with whitney (somehow that sounds like a palindrome)

Thursday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Friday:

am: run with the Redline girls at 6:30am in central – 2.5 mi run to and there so definitely a long one! We weren't even just running home!

pm: rest

Saturday:

am: rest

pm: ibid

Sunday:

am: Yoga? 

pm: women's class at redline with Pia, sparring post, finish with vinyasa flow

 So how do I take that new found information on how much rest seems to help me, physically and mentally? Not sure, that will definitely be a blog post on Tuesday. I feel like a sexy bitch today.


How much rest do you need? 7.

My pretty face and a fist, the conclusion.

It's not so bad. Really. It isn't. 
Okay, first a quick replay of what happened last Thursday evening. I was paired against Heather, a former Golden Glover. Taller than me, but definitely lighter.

Round One: First couple hits she lands aren't so bad! She was going easy on me. I land a few solid punches, and bam, Ms. Nice Girl checks out and the Golden Glover appears. Knocks the ill-fitting head gear right off my head! Other than the multiple readjustment of headgear, I managed the first round pretty well. Finish winded but raring to go.

Round Two: We've appropriated different headgear that seems to stay on better. (Despite being sweat soaked, shower time please!) There will be no breaks in this round! First 2 minutes pass in a flash, I'm breathing heavy but I'm still moving. A solid cross connects to my right ear; my neck and shoulder scream and then I start running. Yes, running like a girl. The punches kept coming at my face and I couldn't seem to get myself oriented… so I ran! The last minute was not pretty.

Conclusion: There is a metric TON to learn, and it'll only come from experience. Gonna have to do a whole lot more of this! I'm game to learn and planning on sparring a minimum of 2 times a week. Hopefully more. Despite the purple toe saga (twisted in Pia's Sunday class, still swollen, still discolored but getting better) I plan on sparring tomorrow evening with Lyle at Redline. Too bad it's my lead foot, anyone who thinks to stomp on it better plan on Jaryn swinging to inflict pain. Seriously. I may do something I regret if that case comes to play. Jaryn angry isn't pretty. Third person reference not pretty!

I picked up my new head hear last night, Rival's High Performance Training Headgear in a small (grey/black.) Fits well, there will be no rest for it falling off! Review to follow!

What's your favorite post fight/spar ritual?
(Post note: thanks to the copious application of ice my screaming neck and shoulder were happy in the morning. Ice like it's your job!)

Training review, schedule for week of 4 april 2011

So the good news I can say I made progress on the goals I had laid out, and while not 100% fulfillment, my schedule held up pretty well. 


Here's what really happened last week:

28 March, Monday: Ended up being an 'active' rest day, with an hour or so of brisk walking. Work ran late and morning run was traded in for sleep.

29 March, Tuesday: Circuit at SBC (60') followed by 10' of abs and headed over to Redline. Great session at Redline, nearly 2 hours of work! Turns out they already have the head gear I was planning to order on the way, go Redline – glad to give you the profits! Lyle decided I would be sparring on Thursday – nervous!

30 March, Wednesday: overslept till 7:50 am but still made it to the Cambridge Joggers meet up run – I'm supposed to be the organizer, doesn't do to be late! We had a great run, a nice pace for about an hour! Other than the one hill my legs felt surprisingly good… tired, but good. Vinyasa yoga with Whitney was amazing… it really does feel like it's massaging my insides! Need to expand my twist work during the week.

31 March, Thursday: slept in till 9 as was the plan, woke up to an email informing me all plans were scrapped, this would be a long day! I packed EVERYTHING I possibly thought I would need at the end of a long, wet snow/rain, sparring packed evening and headed into work. Felt like a pack horse! Managed to wrap work up by 7ish and headed straight to Redline, let myself just slowly work my head into the game. Sparring went well! It's a whole nother post I feel, but I'm definitely raring for more!

1 April, Friday: April Fool's snow/slush/snot! Run in vibram's in over an inch of slush? I think not! I woke up, took one look outside and went back to sleep. Became an unofficial rest day just that quickly when I didn't get home from work till 7pm. Thanks to consistent icing of my neck, I ended up not being too sore.

2 April, Saturday: Rest day! And it was awesome, ran around on errands with fellow fighter Bryan Yong and in general just tried to smile and be happy. Probably got 3-4 miles of walking on along the way!

3 April, Sunday: Conscientious rest day more than worth it! Even post Pia's class my legs feel great! I even did something crazy and agreed to fight in Pia's May 21^st fight for rape awareness – will be a great training fight! For the not quite as good side of things… managed to twist my left big toe on a jump rope handle… hopefully careful application of ice helps this one along as well! I have an 8am running commitment tomorrow morning and vibram's aren't so forgiving on toe injuries!

 

There were some great highlights to the week, got some running in, yoga… now for the goals for the coming week:

Increase running mileage: I will continue to lead the meet up group morning runs on Monday and Wednesday, but will be switching my Friday run to a Redline girls run @ 6:30 in Central Square with Pia and Emily and others!

Sparring: Hopefully spare at least 2x a week! Pia invited me to join them for post Sunday class sparring and I am definitely in for next week, hopefully with a Thursday spar as well!

Yoga: in addition to Wednesday vinyasa yoga with Whitney I need to be sure to go through my flow and integrate poses post class. Especially twists… I noticed in class my twist flexibility was hurting on my right side.

So here's how we're going to make these goals reality, the plan for the next week:

Monday:

am: run. Relatively short. 3-4 miles.

pm: mitt and class at SBC.

Tuesday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Wednesday:

am: short run, just 3-4 miles focus on intervals

pm: vinyasa with whitney

Thursday:

am: rest.

pm: double session! SBC circuit training followed by skills class and sparring at Redline with Lyle, finish with vinyasa flow

Friday:

am: run with the Redline girls at 6:30am in central – 2.5 mi run to and there so definitely a long one!

pm: rest

Saturday:

am: rest

pm: rest

Sunday:

am: Yoga?

pm: women's class at redline with Pia, sparring post, finish with vinyasa flow

 

Here's hoping for even better adhearance than last week! Do you think this is realistic? What would you do differently?