Got to the Y this morning and met up with Nicole. There was nobody else from our group so we set out alone (yay us!). We ran towards the convention centre and down onto the seawall. Got to Stanley Park and started around the seawall, clockwise. If left up to me, my routes would always be clockwise loops. Even thinking back to my first regular route when I started running as a teenager, I always ran clockwise. Anyway, we ran around Stanley Park until just past the Lions Gate and just before the water park and left the seawall. We took a trail that went up to the causeway and ran over the bridge. Turned around on the other side and headed back over. The bridge is just under a mile so going over and back gives us a couple extra miles and a good hill workout. Retraced our steps down to the seawall where we finished the loop and headed back to the Y.
2hrs 15min!! That leaves us somewhere between 13 and 14 miles. Nicole broke another personal distance record today! Way to go! It was a beautiful day, sunny and crisp and we had beautiful clear views of Vancouver Island and the local mountains. Can't wait to go snowshoeing again tomorrow!!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
DVDs and books
For those of you who haven't heard of the Planet Earth BBC series, you should really check it out. We've watched several episodes in the past couple weeks and then the Landos just got the dvd set for Christmas so we've watched a couple more. They gave us the Blue Planet series and it is amazing too. Wonderful cinematography and amazing scenery and wildlife shots. So interesting!!
I've been reading the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and I highly recommend it. The middle section on sustainable organic farming makes me want to go buy land and try to live off it as much as possible in an eco-friendly way. I've been reading pretty solidly the past few days and devouring page after page. It's late and I don't really have the brain-power to get into too much detail right now, but it's really opened my eyes to conventional industrial and industrial organic farming and has given me a lot to think about. I will post more later on the topic. We got the sequel - In Defense of Food - for Christmas and I'm really looking forward to reading it. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
I've been reading the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and I highly recommend it. The middle section on sustainable organic farming makes me want to go buy land and try to live off it as much as possible in an eco-friendly way. I've been reading pretty solidly the past few days and devouring page after page. It's late and I don't really have the brain-power to get into too much detail right now, but it's really opened my eyes to conventional industrial and industrial organic farming and has given me a lot to think about. I will post more later on the topic. We got the sequel - In Defense of Food - for Christmas and I'm really looking forward to reading it. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Wet toes
I didn't do the long run on Saturday as I had planned. When I woke up it was snowing so I went back to sleep. Ended up going later in the day for about 5 miles. It was slushy in some spots and I had to go a bit slower. Ended up with wet toes. Had a nice hot bath when I got home.
Nicole came over early this morning after dropping her mom off at the airport. Just as it was finally getting light we headed out and over the bridge to the seawall. Ran around Stanley Park and home again. It was really windy on the far side of the park. No rain and no ice though. It was great. 12 miles, 2hrs. I could feel my left knee as we got closer to home. It wasn't sore, but I could feel it was tight. Will have to keep stretching out that IT band.
Had another hot bath when I got home to warm up. I find if I don't strip out of my wet clothes quick enough I get really chilled and it takes a long time to warm up. A hot bath with the heat light on in the bathroom is perfect.
I'm not too worried by the lack of runs the past couple weeks, but I really have to get back to it when things settle down again after the holidays. :)
Nicole came over early this morning after dropping her mom off at the airport. Just as it was finally getting light we headed out and over the bridge to the seawall. Ran around Stanley Park and home again. It was really windy on the far side of the park. No rain and no ice though. It was great. 12 miles, 2hrs. I could feel my left knee as we got closer to home. It wasn't sore, but I could feel it was tight. Will have to keep stretching out that IT band.
Had another hot bath when I got home to warm up. I find if I don't strip out of my wet clothes quick enough I get really chilled and it takes a long time to warm up. A hot bath with the heat light on in the bathroom is perfect.
I'm not too worried by the lack of runs the past couple weeks, but I really have to get back to it when things settle down again after the holidays. :)
Friday, December 21, 2007
'Twas the week before Christmas...
I met Beth on Wednesday night for a run. We tried a different route and went up Heather St to King Edward and then followed that to Arbutus where we turned and came home. The loop was between 5 and 6 miles and had more hills than the routes I've been running recently. I managed to come up with some pretty convincing excuses to get out of running on several occasions this week, which is ridiculous since it only hurts me in the long run - literally and figuratively.
On the other hand this has been a good yoga week. Not sure why it was any different than previous weeks, but for some reason my practice felt very connected and grounded. Maybe it's the weather or maybe it's the time of year. This morning I went to Mysore for the led class (I've been practicing at home for pretty much all of October, November and December) and then joined the Ashtanga Yoga Vancouver group for their annual Christmas breakfast at the Naam. It was really fun and nice to socialize outside of the yoga room.
There is no clinic run on this coming Sunday so Nicole and I had planned to do the run Saturday morning. She's fighting a cold right now (get well soon!!) so depending how she feels we may or may not meet up. I'm still going to try to get in the scheduled 13 miles, which probably won't be as enjoyable on my own. I'm still looking forward to it though, which is strange since I dreaded most of the weekend long runs when I did this marathon training business before. I'm thinking about heading downtown and doing a loop around Stanley Park, then staying on the seawall and running around False Creek before coming home. That should be pretty much exactly the right distance. I'll have to be sure to load up my ipod before I go.
That's all for now! I'll try to post again before Christmas, but if not I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
On the other hand this has been a good yoga week. Not sure why it was any different than previous weeks, but for some reason my practice felt very connected and grounded. Maybe it's the weather or maybe it's the time of year. This morning I went to Mysore for the led class (I've been practicing at home for pretty much all of October, November and December) and then joined the Ashtanga Yoga Vancouver group for their annual Christmas breakfast at the Naam. It was really fun and nice to socialize outside of the yoga room.
There is no clinic run on this coming Sunday so Nicole and I had planned to do the run Saturday morning. She's fighting a cold right now (get well soon!!) so depending how she feels we may or may not meet up. I'm still going to try to get in the scheduled 13 miles, which probably won't be as enjoyable on my own. I'm still looking forward to it though, which is strange since I dreaded most of the weekend long runs when I did this marathon training business before. I'm thinking about heading downtown and doing a loop around Stanley Park, then staying on the seawall and running around False Creek before coming home. That should be pretty much exactly the right distance. I'll have to be sure to load up my ipod before I go.
That's all for now! I'll try to post again before Christmas, but if not I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Registered!
I just registered for the marathon! Yikes! I'm committed now. The race isn't until May 4th, but the race fees increase after December 31st. I'll post a map closer to the race day showing the race course and what time I expect to be where for those of you who want to come cheer me on! I really appreciate your support! You have no idea what a difference it makes to see familiar faces along the route. :)
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Bagel brunch day!
We ran between 12 and 13 miles today. It took just under 2 hours. It was hard today. Not sure if it was the 7 miles on Friday, the sugar I've been living off of lately or just an off day. We ran through East Vancouver and then hooked up with the Adanac bike route. Ran all the way to the 2nd narrows bridge, did an extra loop up a big hill then back downtown along the water and through Gastown. It was so hilly for the first half and my legs were very tired. My new hat was great! I'd never run with a hat before, but I liked it. And I think it looked snazzy too. :)
We had a tasty bagel brunch after the run put on by one of the runners who is a baker. I had almost hit the "too hungry to eat" stage where I start to feel really nauseous and icky but then I had a bite of multigrain bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese and suddenly everything was a lot better. I fell asleep coming home on the bus. Never done that before. Now I feel deliciously tired and relaxed and I am lying on the couch by the fire and don't plan on moving much for the rest of the day.
Plan for next week:
- Run at least twice during the week. Even if it's only for 20-30 minutes, it's better than nothing at all.
- Eat more vegetables. I didn't eat too much this past week, just too much sugar and not enough of everything else. Made a huge delicious soup for dinner last night and am looking forward to a big dinner tonight.
- Drink more water
We had a tasty bagel brunch after the run put on by one of the runners who is a baker. I had almost hit the "too hungry to eat" stage where I start to feel really nauseous and icky but then I had a bite of multigrain bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese and suddenly everything was a lot better. I fell asleep coming home on the bus. Never done that before. Now I feel deliciously tired and relaxed and I am lying on the couch by the fire and don't plan on moving much for the rest of the day.
Plan for next week:
- Run at least twice during the week. Even if it's only for 20-30 minutes, it's better than nothing at all.
- Eat more vegetables. I didn't eat too much this past week, just too much sugar and not enough of everything else. Made a huge delicious soup for dinner last night and am looking forward to a big dinner tonight.
- Drink more water
Friday, December 14, 2007
Running dry streak over - or - Why having a training partner is so great
I was hoping that when I got home this evening I'd have an email from Nicole saying she didn't want to run. I really didn't want to go out again. I was cold and tired and carsick from the bus ride home. Instead her email said she was on her way and had forgotten her phone - no way for me to cancel! We could have easily talked eachother out of running and gone shopping, but we got changed and headed out into the rainy darkness. 7 miles and an hour and 15 minutes later we were back home feeling pretty smug. I wouldn't have gone had she not come all the way over here. But she did and we ran and still had time for some shopping and some tasty food. I'm excited to wear my new running shirt and hat on Sunday!
That's why you have training partners. They get you out when you'd rather do anything but, and distract you when you feel slow and tired until you forget you didn't want to go out and are feeling slow and tired... and suddenly you're not. You're just running and everything is good. :)
That's why you have training partners. They get you out when you'd rather do anything but, and distract you when you feel slow and tired until you forget you didn't want to go out and are feeling slow and tired... and suddenly you're not. You're just running and everything is good. :)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thursday, mid-December
I haven't run this week since Sunday. Unless running around checking things off my to-do list counts (haha). It's been a busy week and with the weather being less than run-friendly I've managed to come up with convincing excuses that have left my runners neglected in the closet. On the plus side, Christmas gifts are bought and wrapped, Christmas cards sent out to friends and family, stockings hung (by the chimney with care), gingerbread house made, eggnog drunk (Vitasoy makes a tasty vegan eggnog), Christmas lights hung, etc... you get the picture.
I also came out of Pampered Chef retirement and placed a big holiday order. I've got a potential show lined up for the New Year and maybe big fundraising event too. I find being a consultant awkward because PC is not mac-friendly. It's a hassle to place an order and I get stressed. I have an old hand-me-down laptop with Windows 2000 that I can use, but I can't get it to connect to the internet so that means I have to print and fax the orders, but I don't have a printer... and on and on... and it's just a pain in the ass. Anyway, it's done and I'm excited about my free cranberry spatula and a few other things too.
I want to do a cleanse in the New Year to get things off to a good start. I think it's a good time of year for a cleanse to re-enforce good habits and start the year fresh. I'll post more about it here as I come up with ideas and as I'm doing it, and I'll also include the finer details in the food club wiki for anyone who wants to join in. It's always easier with more people so sign up!! ;)
I also came out of Pampered Chef retirement and placed a big holiday order. I've got a potential show lined up for the New Year and maybe big fundraising event too. I find being a consultant awkward because PC is not mac-friendly. It's a hassle to place an order and I get stressed. I have an old hand-me-down laptop with Windows 2000 that I can use, but I can't get it to connect to the internet so that means I have to print and fax the orders, but I don't have a printer... and on and on... and it's just a pain in the ass. Anyway, it's done and I'm excited about my free cranberry spatula and a few other things too.
I want to do a cleanse in the New Year to get things off to a good start. I think it's a good time of year for a cleanse to re-enforce good habits and start the year fresh. I'll post more about it here as I come up with ideas and as I'm doing it, and I'll also include the finer details in the food club wiki for anyone who wants to join in. It's always easier with more people so sign up!! ;)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
12 miles in the cold
We ran to West Van today! From the Y downtown we hit the seawall through Coal Harbour then into the trails in Stanley Park and up to Prospect point. The gradual hill getting up there was tiresome and I felt slow but that soon went away. Ran over the Lions Gate Bridge and that's where the half marathon group turned around. Nicole, Sandy (our run leader), and I were the only ones left. We continued on down to the West Van seawall to Ambleside where we turned around and looped back the way we came.
Total running time was 1hr 50min and our mileage was between 11 and 12 miles. We were a bit faster today than our normal 10 minute/mile pace. It was really cold with a few slippery spots and some teeny snowflakes falling every now and then. I warmed up pretty quickly and wasn't cold while running except for my face and rear end - as if there wasn't enough padding there?? Took a gel at Ambleside and felt pretty strong coming back over the bridge - that's one hell of a hill!! I think I expected it to be worse and so was pleasantly surprised to get to the top without too much of a struggle. Started feeling tired and ready to stop about a mile away from the Y, but I think the last mile will always be the hardest. No knee pain today! Sometimes my IT band is sore but today I only felt it a couple times and it was hardly painful.
I had a light dinner last night and drank a lot of water throughout the day and I think that really makes for an enjoyable run. Much better than feeling weighed down, sluggish and dehydrated, which is easy to let happen. I think the key is early, light meals, but that can sometimes be difficult on Saturday nights. Have to remember to drink a lot of water today too. My initial tiredness while running could just be due to lack of sleep, but sometimes that's just the way it goes.
Nicole and I had expected to run 13 miles today (half-marathon distance), but Sandy kept it a bit shorter because of the fact that your body is working hard to keep you warm and that makes the run more intense. I much prefer running in the cold than the heat!!
For the month of December our mileage stays pretty constant around 11-14 miles. We're working on building a strong base and getting comfortable there. In January we'll start to ramp up and get into serious distances. 21 weeks to go until the marathon!
Total running time was 1hr 50min and our mileage was between 11 and 12 miles. We were a bit faster today than our normal 10 minute/mile pace. It was really cold with a few slippery spots and some teeny snowflakes falling every now and then. I warmed up pretty quickly and wasn't cold while running except for my face and rear end - as if there wasn't enough padding there?? Took a gel at Ambleside and felt pretty strong coming back over the bridge - that's one hell of a hill!! I think I expected it to be worse and so was pleasantly surprised to get to the top without too much of a struggle. Started feeling tired and ready to stop about a mile away from the Y, but I think the last mile will always be the hardest. No knee pain today! Sometimes my IT band is sore but today I only felt it a couple times and it was hardly painful.
I had a light dinner last night and drank a lot of water throughout the day and I think that really makes for an enjoyable run. Much better than feeling weighed down, sluggish and dehydrated, which is easy to let happen. I think the key is early, light meals, but that can sometimes be difficult on Saturday nights. Have to remember to drink a lot of water today too. My initial tiredness while running could just be due to lack of sleep, but sometimes that's just the way it goes.
Nicole and I had expected to run 13 miles today (half-marathon distance), but Sandy kept it a bit shorter because of the fact that your body is working hard to keep you warm and that makes the run more intense. I much prefer running in the cold than the heat!!
For the month of December our mileage stays pretty constant around 11-14 miles. We're working on building a strong base and getting comfortable there. In January we'll start to ramp up and get into serious distances. 21 weeks to go until the marathon!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Friday night breathing
Ran ~3 miles (30 minutes) last night just as the sun was going down. It was chilly but felt very good.
After my run I went to a pranayama workshop put on my some guest teachers at my yoga studio. Pranayama is one of the 8 limbs of Astanga Yoga (Ashtanga means 8 limbs so it's really 8-limb yoga). The limbs being Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self purification and study), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing techniques), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), Samadhi (contemplation).
It is said that asana, which also can be translated as seat, is intended not as a complete practice in it's own right, but a tool to train the mind towards stillness and focus and open the body to make sitting for long periods of time somewhat comfortable. The 8 limbs are generally approached in order, with the first four more accessible than the remaining four.
It seems as though the asana practice made an easy transition from the east to the west, but the other limbs got lost somewhere along the way. On the other hand, asana practice in India is somewhat rare, with more emphasis being placed on the rest of the limbs.
Anyway, we were told that pranayama is a very powerful practice and is best done under the guidance of an experienced teacher. We were led through 4 basic, "entry level" exercises. It was very calming and energizing at the same time, very balancing. Will I make pranayama part of my daily practice? That remains to be seen.
After my run I went to a pranayama workshop put on my some guest teachers at my yoga studio. Pranayama is one of the 8 limbs of Astanga Yoga (Ashtanga means 8 limbs so it's really 8-limb yoga). The limbs being Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self purification and study), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing techniques), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), Samadhi (contemplation).
It is said that asana, which also can be translated as seat, is intended not as a complete practice in it's own right, but a tool to train the mind towards stillness and focus and open the body to make sitting for long periods of time somewhat comfortable. The 8 limbs are generally approached in order, with the first four more accessible than the remaining four.
It seems as though the asana practice made an easy transition from the east to the west, but the other limbs got lost somewhere along the way. On the other hand, asana practice in India is somewhat rare, with more emphasis being placed on the rest of the limbs.
Anyway, we were told that pranayama is a very powerful practice and is best done under the guidance of an experienced teacher. We were led through 4 basic, "entry level" exercises. It was very calming and energizing at the same time, very balancing. Will I make pranayama part of my daily practice? That remains to be seen.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Ran last night after nearly a week off
A cold last week and the snow this weekend has interrupted my running schedule. I suppose I could have run on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday but I didn't. No excuses aside from heavy rain and a general lack of motivation. Finally went out last night. Ran down 7th and met Nicole and Beth at Cambie. We did a loop around False Creek (Burrard bridge and around to Science World). I left them at Cambie and ran back up 7th to a nice hot bath. Ran for about 1hr 25min total, so between 8 and 9 miles. Probably will go out again tomorrow for a shorter run. It works really well to meet up in the evening like that. We're hoping to do that weekly and either do the seawall or some other route closer to Burnaby/New West.
I was looking at the marathon webpage the other day. There is an early bird discount for registering before December 31st. After that the fee goes up about $15, then another $15 a month or so later. I'm going to have to commit soon! Yikes!
I was looking at the marathon webpage the other day. There is an early bird discount for registering before December 31st. After that the fee goes up about $15, then another $15 a month or so later. I'm going to have to commit soon! Yikes!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Snow day
No run today because of the ice, cold and snow. Nicole and I will meet up one day this week to get our 10-12 miles in. Works out well since I was sick last week and Nicole's not feeling well now. Only got one run in last week... next week will be better assuming the snow melts. :) Might have to give snowshoe running a try!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
False Creek run
Hadn't run until today this week. Took Monday as a rest day but then started feeling a cold coming on. 3 days and about 25g of vitamin C later and I'm feeling ok. Bit of a runny nose but otherwise fine. Phew! Met up with Nicole and ran from my place across Burrard then down to the seawall and around False Creek. 70 minutes, so about 7 miles. Felt good, knees were a bit stiff. Need to work some more on those IT bands. Ouch.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Market Crash
YOU could be the new owner of this fabulous 4 million dollar home for the bargain basement price of $50!! Crumpler 4 million dollar home camera bag in black with light blue interior. Retails for $70+. In great condition, empty since August and ready for quick possession. Motivated seller!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Nov. 25 long run
11 miles today, 1hr 45min. Going slightly faster than our regular 10 min/mile pace. Beautiful day, chilly by the water. From downtown over Burrard bridge, up Cypress to 16th, 16th to Trafalgar, Trafalgar to 25th, 25th to Macdonald, Macdonald to Cornwall, along seawall to Cambie, over Cambie bridge and back to the Y at Dunsmuir and Hornby.
Felt good once we got going. Started to get tired around 8-9 miles, felt pretty good till the end though. Could have gone further (but not much). We've been so fortunate with the weather... beautiful days and more importantly - we've been dry! I hope it lasts!
Just got back from a walk and I'm not sure if that will make my legs more or less sore... everything feels pretty good so far. Tired, but good. Not sure if there's time for a nap today. These naps are one of the reasons I decided to do this marathon thing again. Seriously. They are the most wonderful naps I have ever had. Next week's nap will be just that much better.
Felt good once we got going. Started to get tired around 8-9 miles, felt pretty good till the end though. Could have gone further (but not much). We've been so fortunate with the weather... beautiful days and more importantly - we've been dry! I hope it lasts!
Just got back from a walk and I'm not sure if that will make my legs more or less sore... everything feels pretty good so far. Tired, but good. Not sure if there's time for a nap today. These naps are one of the reasons I decided to do this marathon thing again. Seriously. They are the most wonderful naps I have ever had. Next week's nap will be just that much better.
Nutrition and cancer
An aside from the running updates... I was just reading an article rating cancer risk factors. 30-35% of cancers can be attributed to diet. One third - that's a lot! It's obvious with rising cancer and obesity rates that something needs to be done about our diets. There is so much to be said for prevention... changing your diet for the better not only reduces your risk of cancer but also of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a whole variety of other chronic illnesses associated with obesity. The article recommended eating more fruits and vegetables but emphasized even more to reduce the consumption of red meat. "The report recommends that people who eat red meat consume less than 500 grams a week and that little or none of it should be processed meat like ham, bacon, pastrami or salami." Alcohol also seems to be a big culprit, but it's benefits in substantially reducing heart disease risk makes the situation more complicated. I think basically a good guideline is to stay away from processed foods in general as much as possible. The preservatives, "natural flavours" and dyes are trouble; steer clear!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Get off the couch, put on your shoes...
Got home last night after babysitting and was hoping to convince Luke to come out with me for a run. I needed some motivation. He didn't want to go. I procrastinated until it started getting dusky and then finally got changed and headed out the door. These runs feel so great - when you're nearly going to skip it but do it anyways.
I ran about 4 miles, took about 40 minutes. From my house went across the Burrard bridge and down Beach Ave to Denman, then back again. Felt good.
Today ran just over 3 miles to make it 30 minutes. Up Cypress to 16th, 16th to Macdonald, 12th to Arbutus and home from there. This is one of my favourite routes. Lots of big trees. I left the house at about 8:15. It was cold and a bit slippery. Beautiful day though. Came home and did my yoga - took about 80 minutes.
Can't decide if I prefer yoga then run or run then yoga... I suppose I could split it up and do one in the morning and one in the evening but I'd rather only shower once per day... Running first is nice, but I find I'm more distracted during yoga. Yoga first is more intense and uplifting, but then do I just undo all the work I've done by running and tightening everything up? Not sure. Will have to experiment more.
I have to remember to drink more water. Particularly on Fridays and Saturdays... I find that really helps the long runs. I'm happy with 2 runs in a week. 3 would be ideal. I wonder if walking counts as cross-training... somehow I doubt it.
I ran about 4 miles, took about 40 minutes. From my house went across the Burrard bridge and down Beach Ave to Denman, then back again. Felt good.
Today ran just over 3 miles to make it 30 minutes. Up Cypress to 16th, 16th to Macdonald, 12th to Arbutus and home from there. This is one of my favourite routes. Lots of big trees. I left the house at about 8:15. It was cold and a bit slippery. Beautiful day though. Came home and did my yoga - took about 80 minutes.
Can't decide if I prefer yoga then run or run then yoga... I suppose I could split it up and do one in the morning and one in the evening but I'd rather only shower once per day... Running first is nice, but I find I'm more distracted during yoga. Yoga first is more intense and uplifting, but then do I just undo all the work I've done by running and tightening everything up? Not sure. Will have to experiment more.
I have to remember to drink more water. Particularly on Fridays and Saturdays... I find that really helps the long runs. I'm happy with 2 runs in a week. 3 would be ideal. I wonder if walking counts as cross-training... somehow I doubt it.
Monday, November 19, 2007
26.2 long miles
After watching Beth run her marathon last year, Nicole and I decided to train for the Vancouver Marathon. We've joined the YMCA marathon clinic and we meet every Sunday at 8:30am at the YWCA (while the other Y is being rebuilt) on Hornby and Dunsmuir.
I ran a marathon in 2004 and was a bit disappointed with my time - 5hrs 23min. I've run 4 half marathons with times ranging from 2:03 to 2:12. Running the marathon kind of killed my running spirit and since then I've only run bi-annually in spring and fall 10k races. I've been happy that despite my lack of training I've kept up pretty consistent 60-70 minute 10k times. Nicole has run a few 10k races and each week of our training is breaking new distance records - it's pretty exciting and I'm glad to be running with her. :)
The clinic started the Thanksgiving weekend but instead of the 6 mile run scheduled, I ran the Turkey Trot 10k race. The following weekend was a 7 mile run and then I was away for 2 weeks in Mexico. I really did plan on running, but the altitude combined with a general sense of uneasiness at the thought of running alone kept my running shoes in the closet of our hotel room. I did make it out once to run in the Oaxacan version of the "Run for the Cure", but it ended up being only a 3km loop in the city. Oh well. The day after I got home I set out and put in 9 miles going around the seawall until where it was closed then up on the trail through the devastated forest. I hadn't been through there since the storms last year and it was amazing to see the destruction. It was a beautiful blue sky day and I was so thankful to be home and to be living in such a wonderful city. A perfect day for running.
The Y was closed for the Remembrance Day weekend so we met at the False Creek Community Centre and ran practically the exact same route I had done earlier in the week. This past weekend we were back at the Y and following a short talk on how to choose the correct running shoe we were off. Just like everyone else that day, we headed for the seawall - it's finally open all the way around again! Just in time for more storms? We'll see. It was a very nice morning and by 11:30 we had run 10 miles and I was back home having a hot shower.
A few things to point out:
- the clinic schedule counts our distances in miles. It takes a little getting used to, but it kind of ends up being a mental thing for me... I'd rather run 10 miles than 16km, or 26.2 miles (marathon distance) than 42.2km.
- I'm really happy to be doing the training this time around with a friend. I think it will make such a difference and so far that has been true! A partner will get you out running when you don't want to go and will keep you distracted on the long runs with good conversation.
- the weekday runs killed me last time. I was finishing my degree at UBC and not really enjoying being there and coming home and running in the evening was the last thing on my mind. I didn't run enough and it hurt me in the long run - it literally hurt me... I got stress fractures in both shins. This time around things have been good so far. I've been running 5km at least twice a week and trying to do some sort of cross-training once a week. A couple weeks ago Nicole and I rode bikes from her house on Capitol Hill to Deep Cove. It was great! (Except for the sore bum parts) Luke has been trying to get more exercise and so we are trying to get out together - I run and he rides his big unicycle. It's really nice and works really well.
- I'm doing way more yoga now than I was when I was training before and I think this will really help me. Running so many miles is hard on the body and yoga can be very restorative. I'm trying to keep up my 4-6 days per week of Ashtanga and looking to incorporate some Yin yoga as well which is supposed to be great for deep tissue opening and relaxation.
Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be such a long post, but I'd like to keep this blog as something of a training log for the marathon and I should have started a month ago so I had a bit of catching up to do. The marathon is May 4th, 2008 - 24 weeks away! :)
I didn't run today. The Mondays after the long runs are rest days. I did go for a long walk with the little guy I babysit in the stroller and was pleased that my legs felt pretty good. No stiffness, just a bit tired.
I ran a marathon in 2004 and was a bit disappointed with my time - 5hrs 23min. I've run 4 half marathons with times ranging from 2:03 to 2:12. Running the marathon kind of killed my running spirit and since then I've only run bi-annually in spring and fall 10k races. I've been happy that despite my lack of training I've kept up pretty consistent 60-70 minute 10k times. Nicole has run a few 10k races and each week of our training is breaking new distance records - it's pretty exciting and I'm glad to be running with her. :)
The clinic started the Thanksgiving weekend but instead of the 6 mile run scheduled, I ran the Turkey Trot 10k race. The following weekend was a 7 mile run and then I was away for 2 weeks in Mexico. I really did plan on running, but the altitude combined with a general sense of uneasiness at the thought of running alone kept my running shoes in the closet of our hotel room. I did make it out once to run in the Oaxacan version of the "Run for the Cure", but it ended up being only a 3km loop in the city. Oh well. The day after I got home I set out and put in 9 miles going around the seawall until where it was closed then up on the trail through the devastated forest. I hadn't been through there since the storms last year and it was amazing to see the destruction. It was a beautiful blue sky day and I was so thankful to be home and to be living in such a wonderful city. A perfect day for running.
The Y was closed for the Remembrance Day weekend so we met at the False Creek Community Centre and ran practically the exact same route I had done earlier in the week. This past weekend we were back at the Y and following a short talk on how to choose the correct running shoe we were off. Just like everyone else that day, we headed for the seawall - it's finally open all the way around again! Just in time for more storms? We'll see. It was a very nice morning and by 11:30 we had run 10 miles and I was back home having a hot shower.
A few things to point out:
- the clinic schedule counts our distances in miles. It takes a little getting used to, but it kind of ends up being a mental thing for me... I'd rather run 10 miles than 16km, or 26.2 miles (marathon distance) than 42.2km.
- I'm really happy to be doing the training this time around with a friend. I think it will make such a difference and so far that has been true! A partner will get you out running when you don't want to go and will keep you distracted on the long runs with good conversation.
- the weekday runs killed me last time. I was finishing my degree at UBC and not really enjoying being there and coming home and running in the evening was the last thing on my mind. I didn't run enough and it hurt me in the long run - it literally hurt me... I got stress fractures in both shins. This time around things have been good so far. I've been running 5km at least twice a week and trying to do some sort of cross-training once a week. A couple weeks ago Nicole and I rode bikes from her house on Capitol Hill to Deep Cove. It was great! (Except for the sore bum parts) Luke has been trying to get more exercise and so we are trying to get out together - I run and he rides his big unicycle. It's really nice and works really well.
- I'm doing way more yoga now than I was when I was training before and I think this will really help me. Running so many miles is hard on the body and yoga can be very restorative. I'm trying to keep up my 4-6 days per week of Ashtanga and looking to incorporate some Yin yoga as well which is supposed to be great for deep tissue opening and relaxation.
Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be such a long post, but I'd like to keep this blog as something of a training log for the marathon and I should have started a month ago so I had a bit of catching up to do. The marathon is May 4th, 2008 - 24 weeks away! :)
I didn't run today. The Mondays after the long runs are rest days. I did go for a long walk with the little guy I babysit in the stroller and was pleased that my legs felt pretty good. No stiffness, just a bit tired.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Oaxaca, briefly
- the grasshoppers are caught in nets, sorted and roasted in a variety of ways with varying spices, giving them unique colours and flavours
- the outdoor market is amazing - row upon row of fruits, vegetables, meats, grasshoppers, chiles, arts and crafts, clothes... - I am hoping that I will work up the nerve to ask the people selling their wares if I may take some photos... wouldn't you like to see a whole stand of dried Mexican chiles or mounds of grasshoppers ready for snacking? I just don't want to offend anyone.
- tequila is made from the blue agave plant, mezcal from any type of agave and is the local drink of choice
- mezcal has the same smoky aftertaste as scotch
- having a siesta after lunch is awesome
- eating vegetarian is basically impossible - I gave up on trying to sort out the menu at lunch yesterday and just ordered something from the "local Oaxaca" section. When my meal came I gulped... a tortilla baked with a layer of black beans and local cheese, topped with avocado and tomato... ok so far so good, but then on top of all that there was a thinly pounded piece of what I can only guess was pork - deliciously seasoned, but also nearly bigger than the whole tortilla itself. I ate about a quarter of it and then shared the rest with the others at the table. I love trying all this local food but I'm really surprised by the lack of vegetables! My spanish isn't nearly good enough to order a custom meal... and I kind of enjoy exposing myself to the local culinary delights.
- Oaxaca is surrounded by mountains and nestlend in at the intersection of 3 valleys
- Oaxaca is a mountain town with an elevation of over 1500m (5000ft)
- this means it's a bit colder than what I would have expected of Mexico... although yesterday mid-morning the sun finally came out and it's been wonderfully warm since with a slight breeze carrying along all sorts of delicious smells
- this also means that climbing up the hill from the town to our hotel leaves me breathing heavily. We've done this ~30 minute walk several times now and after spending all day wandering around the streets in town I am more than ready for the afternoon siesta.
- margaritas in Oaxaca taste better than margaritas I've had anywhere else
- being redheaded and fair-skinned makes me stand out like a sore thumb. Doesn't help that I've usually got a camera hanging around my neck either.
- children on the streets trying to sell you candy won't give up or let go of your shirt even after you've walked into a restaurant and sat down
- La Carrera Panamericana is a car race that starts today or tomorrow in Oaxaca. It goes ~3000 miles and ends somewhere in Texas. There are a lot of racers staying at our hotel and their fancy cars are parked in the lot. Apparently only 25% of cars actually finish the race.
- yoga in our villa in the morning is wonderful
- not sure how I'm going to get my training runs done, but I am sure that I'm nearly walking the equivalent of what I need to run each day
- successfully made my first transaction in the local farmacia... 4 pesos for 4 bandaids (that's about 40 cents - 10 pesos to the dollar)
- the outdoor market is amazing - row upon row of fruits, vegetables, meats, grasshoppers, chiles, arts and crafts, clothes... - I am hoping that I will work up the nerve to ask the people selling their wares if I may take some photos... wouldn't you like to see a whole stand of dried Mexican chiles or mounds of grasshoppers ready for snacking? I just don't want to offend anyone.
- tequila is made from the blue agave plant, mezcal from any type of agave and is the local drink of choice
- mezcal has the same smoky aftertaste as scotch
- having a siesta after lunch is awesome
- eating vegetarian is basically impossible - I gave up on trying to sort out the menu at lunch yesterday and just ordered something from the "local Oaxaca" section. When my meal came I gulped... a tortilla baked with a layer of black beans and local cheese, topped with avocado and tomato... ok so far so good, but then on top of all that there was a thinly pounded piece of what I can only guess was pork - deliciously seasoned, but also nearly bigger than the whole tortilla itself. I ate about a quarter of it and then shared the rest with the others at the table. I love trying all this local food but I'm really surprised by the lack of vegetables! My spanish isn't nearly good enough to order a custom meal... and I kind of enjoy exposing myself to the local culinary delights.
- Oaxaca is surrounded by mountains and nestlend in at the intersection of 3 valleys
- Oaxaca is a mountain town with an elevation of over 1500m (5000ft)
- this means it's a bit colder than what I would have expected of Mexico... although yesterday mid-morning the sun finally came out and it's been wonderfully warm since with a slight breeze carrying along all sorts of delicious smells
- this also means that climbing up the hill from the town to our hotel leaves me breathing heavily. We've done this ~30 minute walk several times now and after spending all day wandering around the streets in town I am more than ready for the afternoon siesta.
- margaritas in Oaxaca taste better than margaritas I've had anywhere else
- being redheaded and fair-skinned makes me stand out like a sore thumb. Doesn't help that I've usually got a camera hanging around my neck either.
- children on the streets trying to sell you candy won't give up or let go of your shirt even after you've walked into a restaurant and sat down
- La Carrera Panamericana is a car race that starts today or tomorrow in Oaxaca. It goes ~3000 miles and ends somewhere in Texas. There are a lot of racers staying at our hotel and their fancy cars are parked in the lot. Apparently only 25% of cars actually finish the race.
- yoga in our villa in the morning is wonderful
- not sure how I'm going to get my training runs done, but I am sure that I'm nearly walking the equivalent of what I need to run each day
- successfully made my first transaction in the local farmacia... 4 pesos for 4 bandaids (that's about 40 cents - 10 pesos to the dollar)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Arriving in Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka)
Luke arrived this morning at 9am and checked into our hotel - the lovely Hotel Victoria which sits up on a hill and overlooks the city. I left Vancouver last night at 11pm and flew to Toronto. Left Toronto this morning at 9am and arrived in Mexico City just after noon. Had a lengthy stay in the airport where I was able to dig into a new book (more about that later) and finally left for my last leg to Oaxaca at 5:45pm. Got to the aiport where I was hoping to see Luke, but unfortunately he had mixed up his time zones. Oops! I was able to get myself a taxi and 30 minutes later I was relieved to be showering off the travel grime in our lovely villa.
Had an absolutely wonderful night. 4 of us went for a walk down to the Zocalo (literally "town square"), which is where everyone seems to congregate. The city streets are beautiful and the churches amazing. I'm really looking forward to spending some time walking around and exploring. We met up with a friend of the retreat organizer who has been living here for many years and had a wonderful dinner and fantastic conversation. We started off with the mezcal blanco and some grasshoppers. For dinner I had prawns with mole and Luke had the tuna special. Enjoyed a 2nd type of mezcal, some more exciting discourse and then onto dessert... coconut flan and "chocolate" (hot chocolate, Oaxacan style). Amazing. Wish I had brought my camera but I'm sure there will be more opportunities.
Off to bed for now. Got a bunch of sleep to catch up on. Buenas noches!
Had an absolutely wonderful night. 4 of us went for a walk down to the Zocalo (literally "town square"), which is where everyone seems to congregate. The city streets are beautiful and the churches amazing. I'm really looking forward to spending some time walking around and exploring. We met up with a friend of the retreat organizer who has been living here for many years and had a wonderful dinner and fantastic conversation. We started off with the mezcal blanco and some grasshoppers. For dinner I had prawns with mole and Luke had the tuna special. Enjoyed a 2nd type of mezcal, some more exciting discourse and then onto dessert... coconut flan and "chocolate" (hot chocolate, Oaxacan style). Amazing. Wish I had brought my camera but I'm sure there will be more opportunities.
Off to bed for now. Got a bunch of sleep to catch up on. Buenas noches!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Warm inside
I am sitting on the couch watching the tree outside the window twist and turn in the wind. Slowly our patio is being covered by leaves. I can hear the rain and the busy traffic and yet inside it is warm, dry and quiet. I have so much to be thankful for; good health, happy and inspiring relationships, a wonderful family, the freedom to do and say as I please... I am very fortunate. I look forward to finding more ways to use my unique talents to help those around me and to share the love I have within. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Another reason to to go veggie...
"Producing 2.2lb of beef generates as much greenhouse gas as driving a car non-stop for three hours..."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/19/nbeef119.xml
I love a good filet mignon, but come on! People are bulldozing the rainforest to make more room for grazing cattle. Illegal immigrants are put to work in meat processing plants and when they are injured by the crazy machinery and a production line that is moving way to fast, they don't have the health care to cover their medical bills and because they are usually taking uppers to increase their speed on the line, the company claims they are not responsible for the unsafe conditions.
So you take the bus to work, or carpool, you recycle, have energy efficient appliances and switched all your bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent... maybe you should take a look at what's on your dinner plate. Eat local, eat organic and for the love of the planet, cut out the beef!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/19/nbeef119.xml
I love a good filet mignon, but come on! People are bulldozing the rainforest to make more room for grazing cattle. Illegal immigrants are put to work in meat processing plants and when they are injured by the crazy machinery and a production line that is moving way to fast, they don't have the health care to cover their medical bills and because they are usually taking uppers to increase their speed on the line, the company claims they are not responsible for the unsafe conditions.
So you take the bus to work, or carpool, you recycle, have energy efficient appliances and switched all your bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent... maybe you should take a look at what's on your dinner plate. Eat local, eat organic and for the love of the planet, cut out the beef!!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Busy busy
this seems to be the first week in a while with no plans. nice to look at the calendar and see 5 empty days in a row. so far it's off to a good start. i just got back from Mysore this morning. i was able to bind in Marichyasana D twisting to the right, which I've never been able to do on my own before. my left knee is a bit sore, but it seems to be coming from a tight left IT band. rolling my left outer thigh on a ball seems to help loosen that up and boy does it hurt! it's a good hurt though, there's obviously some deep tightness in there.
so i'm sitting here now planning out my week and enjoying a tasty smoothie: 1 banana, 10 almonds, ~1 cup rice milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla. blend! yum!
these are the things i want to do this week:
- finish Anatomy of the Spirit and maybe write the exam at the end of the week
- go berry picking
- grind it up
- go for a hike - since the weather forecast is so freaking awesome I was thinking maybe of trying Mt Cheam, Mt Gardner or Garibaldi Lake. we'll see.
- go to kits pool
- book a limo for Nicole's wedding
- sew new curtains for the van
i'm so super impressed with my roses this year. they are flowering like mad and they smell wonderful. as i was walking home from yoga this morning i could smell them from about a block away. every now and then the breeze coming through our apartment carries the scent in too. my sweet peas are blooming now as well and i am in flower heaven.
victoria this past weekend was a ton of fun. had a great visit with my granny and spent some quality time with the girls. went to the silk road spa in victoria and we each had a super relaxing treatment. the pampered chef party was a huge success and i think i will have made enough to pick myself up a super sweet zoom lens. :)
i'd better get moving so i can start crossing things off that list... happy monday!
so i'm sitting here now planning out my week and enjoying a tasty smoothie: 1 banana, 10 almonds, ~1 cup rice milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla. blend! yum!
these are the things i want to do this week:
- finish Anatomy of the Spirit and maybe write the exam at the end of the week
- go berry picking
- grind it up
- go for a hike - since the weather forecast is so freaking awesome I was thinking maybe of trying Mt Cheam, Mt Gardner or Garibaldi Lake. we'll see.
- go to kits pool
- book a limo for Nicole's wedding
- sew new curtains for the van
i'm so super impressed with my roses this year. they are flowering like mad and they smell wonderful. as i was walking home from yoga this morning i could smell them from about a block away. every now and then the breeze coming through our apartment carries the scent in too. my sweet peas are blooming now as well and i am in flower heaven.
victoria this past weekend was a ton of fun. had a great visit with my granny and spent some quality time with the girls. went to the silk road spa in victoria and we each had a super relaxing treatment. the pampered chef party was a huge success and i think i will have made enough to pick myself up a super sweet zoom lens. :)
i'd better get moving so i can start crossing things off that list... happy monday!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
July already?
Happy belated Canada day and welcome sunny weather!! I'm having a hard time blogging regularly. I doubt I'll get much better while the weather is nice and there is so much to do that doesn't involve computers.
So I took my prednizone for 4 days. The swelling is gone and the blisters too. The skin on my palms is just really dry and rough now. Glad that's over with.
I finished my Nutrition and Mental Health course last week and started today on the Anatomy of the Spirit course. From what I can tell so far, this course discusses the control we have over our health and healing through positive thinking and overall outlook on life. I agree that our attitude affects our health, I'm not so sure about how far that can be taken... the author of the textbook discusses a case where an HIV positive patient was cured of AIDS. I need to see more information before I can fully accept what she's claiming.
We had a wonderful weekend camping in Manning Park. Aside from the torrential rain on the way up we had beautiful weather. I've put up some photos here. I was hoping that my new wide angle lens would have arrived in time, but it didn't. I had a call from FedEx today, and it will be here tomorrow. As soon as I got out of the car at our campsite on Friday I was instantly reminded why I like Manning Park so much. It smells wonderful up there. Ok, so I think it smells wonderful in most of the forests I've been to, but there's something a bit different about Manning Park, not sure what it is. We went for a couple nice walks and on Saturday morning before anyone was up I found a nice quiet space for a wilderness yoga session which was very nice.
Did the grind today with Nicole in an hour and 14 minutes. It still kind of surprises me how much harder it starts to get when it's hot out. I didn't make it up last week so maybe twice this week?
We bought a van today. It's a Mitsubishi Delica and it's pretty cool. Looking forward to taking it camping. Here's a photo. Runs on diesel or biodiesel, has sunroofs, an icebox/hotbox, and built in karaoke! It was kind of an impulse but we're pretty happy with our decision. With Luke being able to work from anywhere with internet, and me being away from work, we're pretty flexible and having a car makes it easier for us to be more mobile. We realized this summer that we were going to have to rent a car nearly every weekend and with me home during the week we've been using the co-op a lot more too. Anyways, we've got a 2002 scooter for sale now. Excellent condition, just tuned up, comes with 2 helmets and a large trunk, all for $2000. :)
What's next? So we stopped and bought some berries on our way home from Manning. Going to have to get back out there and do some picking soon. Raspberries are ready now, blueberries should be ready in a couple weeks.
I'm heading to Victoria this weekend to do 2 Pampered Chef shows so that should be fun. I have to say I'm really disappointed with the Pampered Chef recipe collection. I have to choose a PC recipe to prepare during the show, but I'm having a hard time finding easy, quick and healthy recipes. There are very few vegetarian options and it just seems like so many of the recipes call for premade croissant rolls or blocks of cream cheese.
I haven't had much time recently to work on my website, hopefully next week. I'd like to get the recipes section up and running and get this blog fully transferred over.
I've planned out my Anatomy of the Spirit course and I should finish this week or early next week. I'm looking forward to the following course which discusses the business side of things and talks about the legalities of giving nutritional advice and setting up a consulting practice. Once that course is over I'd like to spend some time working on my case studies and then I'll be halfway through the program!
One thing that's been on my mind a lot lately is the idea of hiking solo.... I've got a huge list of hikes to do and not enough weekends to fit them all in. Is hiking alone a terrible idea? I think maybe I'll try something familiar on my own first and then maybe work up to an overnighter. I think it could be really fantastic as long as I'm ready and prepared to handle whatever might come up. I'd like to get back up to Manning Park for the summer wildflowers and I'd love to take Luke back to Black Tusk and try to get to Panorama Ridge too - maybe a 2-night trip. I also would like to do the Musical Bumps again while the flowers are in bloom. That could also be worked into an overnighter by heading up to Russet Lake and staying at the wilderness site there. We'll see. There's so much to do, I'm so glad I'm not working right now. I'm really looking forward to the August long weekend. That's when we did Black Tusk last year and I think this year we might go to Golden Ears.
That's all for now. Kind of a random update, but better than nothing I hope. Got to get settled into a routine. No time for that now though. Maybe in the fall. :)
So I took my prednizone for 4 days. The swelling is gone and the blisters too. The skin on my palms is just really dry and rough now. Glad that's over with.
I finished my Nutrition and Mental Health course last week and started today on the Anatomy of the Spirit course. From what I can tell so far, this course discusses the control we have over our health and healing through positive thinking and overall outlook on life. I agree that our attitude affects our health, I'm not so sure about how far that can be taken... the author of the textbook discusses a case where an HIV positive patient was cured of AIDS. I need to see more information before I can fully accept what she's claiming.
We had a wonderful weekend camping in Manning Park. Aside from the torrential rain on the way up we had beautiful weather. I've put up some photos here. I was hoping that my new wide angle lens would have arrived in time, but it didn't. I had a call from FedEx today, and it will be here tomorrow. As soon as I got out of the car at our campsite on Friday I was instantly reminded why I like Manning Park so much. It smells wonderful up there. Ok, so I think it smells wonderful in most of the forests I've been to, but there's something a bit different about Manning Park, not sure what it is. We went for a couple nice walks and on Saturday morning before anyone was up I found a nice quiet space for a wilderness yoga session which was very nice.
Did the grind today with Nicole in an hour and 14 minutes. It still kind of surprises me how much harder it starts to get when it's hot out. I didn't make it up last week so maybe twice this week?
We bought a van today. It's a Mitsubishi Delica and it's pretty cool. Looking forward to taking it camping. Here's a photo. Runs on diesel or biodiesel, has sunroofs, an icebox/hotbox, and built in karaoke! It was kind of an impulse but we're pretty happy with our decision. With Luke being able to work from anywhere with internet, and me being away from work, we're pretty flexible and having a car makes it easier for us to be more mobile. We realized this summer that we were going to have to rent a car nearly every weekend and with me home during the week we've been using the co-op a lot more too. Anyways, we've got a 2002 scooter for sale now. Excellent condition, just tuned up, comes with 2 helmets and a large trunk, all for $2000. :)
What's next? So we stopped and bought some berries on our way home from Manning. Going to have to get back out there and do some picking soon. Raspberries are ready now, blueberries should be ready in a couple weeks.
I'm heading to Victoria this weekend to do 2 Pampered Chef shows so that should be fun. I have to say I'm really disappointed with the Pampered Chef recipe collection. I have to choose a PC recipe to prepare during the show, but I'm having a hard time finding easy, quick and healthy recipes. There are very few vegetarian options and it just seems like so many of the recipes call for premade croissant rolls or blocks of cream cheese.
I haven't had much time recently to work on my website, hopefully next week. I'd like to get the recipes section up and running and get this blog fully transferred over.
I've planned out my Anatomy of the Spirit course and I should finish this week or early next week. I'm looking forward to the following course which discusses the business side of things and talks about the legalities of giving nutritional advice and setting up a consulting practice. Once that course is over I'd like to spend some time working on my case studies and then I'll be halfway through the program!
One thing that's been on my mind a lot lately is the idea of hiking solo.... I've got a huge list of hikes to do and not enough weekends to fit them all in. Is hiking alone a terrible idea? I think maybe I'll try something familiar on my own first and then maybe work up to an overnighter. I think it could be really fantastic as long as I'm ready and prepared to handle whatever might come up. I'd like to get back up to Manning Park for the summer wildflowers and I'd love to take Luke back to Black Tusk and try to get to Panorama Ridge too - maybe a 2-night trip. I also would like to do the Musical Bumps again while the flowers are in bloom. That could also be worked into an overnighter by heading up to Russet Lake and staying at the wilderness site there. We'll see. There's so much to do, I'm so glad I'm not working right now. I'm really looking forward to the August long weekend. That's when we did Black Tusk last year and I think this year we might go to Golden Ears.
That's all for now. Kind of a random update, but better than nothing I hope. Got to get settled into a routine. No time for that now though. Maybe in the fall. :)
Monday, June 25, 2007
conflicted
i really feel passionately about the whole body approach to health. i think that many of the chronic illnesses that plague our society today are a result of poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle (heart disease, cancer, atherosclerosis, etc). i think the trouble most of us have, is when we are knocked down by bugs, stress, or whatever, we want a quick fix. we go to the doctor, get our prescription and head home feeling better already. how much of that is psychological? it takes a long time to notice the effects of a change in diet and lifestyle, so long that we often get discouraged and lapse back to our old habits.
i've been really trying to get to the root of the skin problems i've been having - a couple rashes around my wrists - and i've been seeing a naturopath to help me along. a lot of the dietary information she's been giving me coincides with what i'm learning in my courses and i find it really interesting. i really want to follow her guidelines, but it is hard sometimes, especially not knowing if i'm going at the problem from the right direction. are the bath and beauty products i use irritating? is it allergies?
less than a year ago i had an allergy test with a conventional allergy specialist. a few skin scratches later and i was given the all clear - no allergies. a few months ago now i had an allergy test (blood from a finger prick was tested) from my naturopath. i reacted strongly to dairy, sesame and strawberries and to a lesser extent to wheat, olives and cinnamon, of all things. who do i believe?
i'm not a milk drinker. not since reading fast food nation and learning about how dairy cows are treated, the hormones they are given to increase yield, and the antibiotics they are given to treat the infections from irritation to the udders from the increased milking. there is pus in your milk. yuck. not to mention the fact that humans are the only creatures that consume milk post-weaning. cheese is my weakness, i can buy organic and feel ok about it, reduce my consumption and maybe lose a couple pounds too! great! i can avoid dairy if it's going to clear up my rashes, but if it's not? how long do i wait before i try something new?
the past few days i've been dealing with another outbreak on my hands (this is different from the rashes on my wrists). what the hell's the deal? the aches and pains, chills and sweats i've been having indicate to me i had a virus, which is how these flare-ups usually start. the timing was suspicious though... a big bbq, ate too much, had a bit of dairy... which led to digestive system upset on my part. did that weaken my immune system so that i was more susceptible to any roaming bugs? or did it send my immune system into overdrive and confuse it enough to start turning on me? this is an autoimmune problem... i just don't know.
what i do know is that prednizone is my fix. i went to the clinic up the street yesterday and the doctor wouldn't prescribe me any because she felt the risks were too great. risks for who? was she worried there would be complications and didn't want to be held responsible? for me, if i don't take it, i basically lose the use of my hands for about 2 weeks and that's not a risk i really want to take - especially with a super camping trip coming up this weekend! my hands swell (i barely got my rings off this time), they itch and they burn. then the blisters appear... tiny little patches, the blisters get blisters on top of them. eventually they dry up and crack and then a thick layer of skin peels off - it hurts and the new skin is very sensitive. prednizone can be dangerous, but it's dangerous for people with chronic conditions that are forced to take it daily for years to deal with their symptoms. prednizone is a steroid and is used to treat a ton of different ailments. i take it for 5 days and i'm done.
i'm conflicted though. i rarely take medication. have a headache? drink some water. back aches? use a hot pad. i know that's not for everyone, and that's fine, but i really think my body is trying to tell me something, and just dealing with and masking the symptoms isn't getting at the root of the problem. however, when my hands flare up, i'm first in line to see the doctor asap and i probably won't bring up my recent dosing with prednizone to my naturopath. she probably would have some suggestions, but as with any holistic treatment, i need time and time is not on my side when i'm trying to bring down swelling and prevent what i know can turn into a miserable 2 weeks.
so pick and choose your remedies? find what works best for you? i still think diet is key and that disease prevention through adequate nutrition isn't given the attention it deserves. and who really to promote this idea? well i hope to do my part with my new website (jencloss.ca is under construction), but who am i up against? there is a lot of money in drugs. pharmaceutical companies will make a lot more money treating someone for life than for curing them with one pill. of course it's not always that easy, i realize that, but i really think the focus should be on fixing the diet and thereby giving the body the nutrients it needs to repair and maintain itself, rather than just treating the myriad of symptoms that pop up, treating the side effects of the drugs with more drugs and so on.
my Mental Health and Nutrition course takes the controversial opinion that mental disease can be cured through proper dietary adjustments and supplements. that's a bold statement to make, but not entirely unreasonable when you look at the supplements suggested and how the nutrient and chemical balance in the body is affected. we aren't made up of separate organ systems and tissues; everything is connected and reacts together to stimuli. we really truly are what we eat. i think the holistic approach to nutrition and to general health deals more with looking at the body as a whole. a rash may not just be a rash, but may be an external manifestation of an internal imbalance.
which brings me back to my present conflict. i'll treat my most irritating symptoms with the harsh prednizone, but at the same time be sure to nourish my body appropriately so that it can efficiently process the drugs and heal itself and bring itself back to neutral. perhaps over time, as i get better at figuring out the right and wrong foods for me, good stress management, and just generally maintaining the right balance, my outbreaks will become fewer and farther between and i won't have to make this choice as often. :)
i've been really trying to get to the root of the skin problems i've been having - a couple rashes around my wrists - and i've been seeing a naturopath to help me along. a lot of the dietary information she's been giving me coincides with what i'm learning in my courses and i find it really interesting. i really want to follow her guidelines, but it is hard sometimes, especially not knowing if i'm going at the problem from the right direction. are the bath and beauty products i use irritating? is it allergies?
less than a year ago i had an allergy test with a conventional allergy specialist. a few skin scratches later and i was given the all clear - no allergies. a few months ago now i had an allergy test (blood from a finger prick was tested) from my naturopath. i reacted strongly to dairy, sesame and strawberries and to a lesser extent to wheat, olives and cinnamon, of all things. who do i believe?
i'm not a milk drinker. not since reading fast food nation and learning about how dairy cows are treated, the hormones they are given to increase yield, and the antibiotics they are given to treat the infections from irritation to the udders from the increased milking. there is pus in your milk. yuck. not to mention the fact that humans are the only creatures that consume milk post-weaning. cheese is my weakness, i can buy organic and feel ok about it, reduce my consumption and maybe lose a couple pounds too! great! i can avoid dairy if it's going to clear up my rashes, but if it's not? how long do i wait before i try something new?
the past few days i've been dealing with another outbreak on my hands (this is different from the rashes on my wrists). what the hell's the deal? the aches and pains, chills and sweats i've been having indicate to me i had a virus, which is how these flare-ups usually start. the timing was suspicious though... a big bbq, ate too much, had a bit of dairy... which led to digestive system upset on my part. did that weaken my immune system so that i was more susceptible to any roaming bugs? or did it send my immune system into overdrive and confuse it enough to start turning on me? this is an autoimmune problem... i just don't know.
what i do know is that prednizone is my fix. i went to the clinic up the street yesterday and the doctor wouldn't prescribe me any because she felt the risks were too great. risks for who? was she worried there would be complications and didn't want to be held responsible? for me, if i don't take it, i basically lose the use of my hands for about 2 weeks and that's not a risk i really want to take - especially with a super camping trip coming up this weekend! my hands swell (i barely got my rings off this time), they itch and they burn. then the blisters appear... tiny little patches, the blisters get blisters on top of them. eventually they dry up and crack and then a thick layer of skin peels off - it hurts and the new skin is very sensitive. prednizone can be dangerous, but it's dangerous for people with chronic conditions that are forced to take it daily for years to deal with their symptoms. prednizone is a steroid and is used to treat a ton of different ailments. i take it for 5 days and i'm done.
i'm conflicted though. i rarely take medication. have a headache? drink some water. back aches? use a hot pad. i know that's not for everyone, and that's fine, but i really think my body is trying to tell me something, and just dealing with and masking the symptoms isn't getting at the root of the problem. however, when my hands flare up, i'm first in line to see the doctor asap and i probably won't bring up my recent dosing with prednizone to my naturopath. she probably would have some suggestions, but as with any holistic treatment, i need time and time is not on my side when i'm trying to bring down swelling and prevent what i know can turn into a miserable 2 weeks.
so pick and choose your remedies? find what works best for you? i still think diet is key and that disease prevention through adequate nutrition isn't given the attention it deserves. and who really to promote this idea? well i hope to do my part with my new website (jencloss.ca is under construction), but who am i up against? there is a lot of money in drugs. pharmaceutical companies will make a lot more money treating someone for life than for curing them with one pill. of course it's not always that easy, i realize that, but i really think the focus should be on fixing the diet and thereby giving the body the nutrients it needs to repair and maintain itself, rather than just treating the myriad of symptoms that pop up, treating the side effects of the drugs with more drugs and so on.
my Mental Health and Nutrition course takes the controversial opinion that mental disease can be cured through proper dietary adjustments and supplements. that's a bold statement to make, but not entirely unreasonable when you look at the supplements suggested and how the nutrient and chemical balance in the body is affected. we aren't made up of separate organ systems and tissues; everything is connected and reacts together to stimuli. we really truly are what we eat. i think the holistic approach to nutrition and to general health deals more with looking at the body as a whole. a rash may not just be a rash, but may be an external manifestation of an internal imbalance.
which brings me back to my present conflict. i'll treat my most irritating symptoms with the harsh prednizone, but at the same time be sure to nourish my body appropriately so that it can efficiently process the drugs and heal itself and bring itself back to neutral. perhaps over time, as i get better at figuring out the right and wrong foods for me, good stress management, and just generally maintaining the right balance, my outbreaks will become fewer and farther between and i won't have to make this choice as often. :)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
rainy sunday
last week was BUSY. i finished my coursework, but still need to write the exam for Nutrition and Mental Health before moving on to the next course. did the grind twice - the 2nd time was by myself and it was the fastest so far this year at 1hr3min. looking forward to breaking 1hr!
we had our summer solstice party on friday night. last year i made all the burgers (beef, turkey and veggie) and had fancy toppings prepared like bacon, fried onions, veggies, different cheeses, etc. this year i bought veggie burgers and veggie dogs and made some tasty salads instead. there is a photo up on my flickr page. thanks to everyone for coming! hooray for summer!
yesterday luke and i cycled out to ubc and went down to wreck beach for a while before cycling home again. my jaw and hips started aching yesterday and my guts were unhappy with something i had eaten at the party the night before (bloating, heartburn - i think i'm learning that is one of the ways i react to dairy, maybe i just overdid it? there was only one salad with cheese, and then one dessert with dairy, but i hardly had any, a couple spoons at most. maybe my body was already stressed? i wish i understood what brings this on so that i could better prevent it. i guess i learn a bit more each time it happens).
my aches have gotten progressively worse and this morning i woke up with swollen hands. DAMN!!! i thought before i take my prednizone, i'll try what the doctor suggested and take an allergy pill and see if that helps. that was at 5am when luke was leaving to go to the airport to fly away for a conference. i went back to bed and have now just woken up to giant, hot, red hands and a jaw that will barely open enough to pop a few pills through. i jumped out of bed, wincing at the pain in my hips, and quickly downed my prednizone saviour and i can already feel the swelling going down. at least it's raining today and i had no plans anyway. i'm going back to bed and i'm going to wake up feeling great.
we had our summer solstice party on friday night. last year i made all the burgers (beef, turkey and veggie) and had fancy toppings prepared like bacon, fried onions, veggies, different cheeses, etc. this year i bought veggie burgers and veggie dogs and made some tasty salads instead. there is a photo up on my flickr page. thanks to everyone for coming! hooray for summer!
yesterday luke and i cycled out to ubc and went down to wreck beach for a while before cycling home again. my jaw and hips started aching yesterday and my guts were unhappy with something i had eaten at the party the night before (bloating, heartburn - i think i'm learning that is one of the ways i react to dairy, maybe i just overdid it? there was only one salad with cheese, and then one dessert with dairy, but i hardly had any, a couple spoons at most. maybe my body was already stressed? i wish i understood what brings this on so that i could better prevent it. i guess i learn a bit more each time it happens).
my aches have gotten progressively worse and this morning i woke up with swollen hands. DAMN!!! i thought before i take my prednizone, i'll try what the doctor suggested and take an allergy pill and see if that helps. that was at 5am when luke was leaving to go to the airport to fly away for a conference. i went back to bed and have now just woken up to giant, hot, red hands and a jaw that will barely open enough to pop a few pills through. i jumped out of bed, wincing at the pain in my hips, and quickly downed my prednizone saviour and i can already feel the swelling going down. at least it's raining today and i had no plans anyway. i'm going back to bed and i'm going to wake up feeling great.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Hooray for sunny days!
i'm about halfway through my nutrition and mental health class. i should finish it tomorrow and then write the exam on thursday.
slept in a bit yesterday, did my morning yoga and then did the grind with Nicole, Beth and Jen.
had a very fluid-feeling yoga practice this morning - i think i'm close to being able to jump through in my vinyasas. just got home from lunch with Renee; she's due to have a little baby boy pretty much any day now!
i've got so many things to do but i'm not really sure where to start... that's probably why i'm on the couch with the computer. i feel less organized than i did while i was working. i've realized that often during my downtime at work, i would make lists of things to do, chores, groceries, etc. i just need to sort out my routine and start using my planner more.
i think it's time to go chill on the patio with a book...
slept in a bit yesterday, did my morning yoga and then did the grind with Nicole, Beth and Jen.
had a very fluid-feeling yoga practice this morning - i think i'm close to being able to jump through in my vinyasas. just got home from lunch with Renee; she's due to have a little baby boy pretty much any day now!
i've got so many things to do but i'm not really sure where to start... that's probably why i'm on the couch with the computer. i feel less organized than i did while i was working. i've realized that often during my downtime at work, i would make lists of things to do, chores, groceries, etc. i just need to sort out my routine and start using my planner more.
i think it's time to go chill on the patio with a book...
Sunday, June 17, 2007
not so good at posting once a day
i meant to write this on friday but i forgot. after going to mysore friday morning, i got the first lesson (of 4) of my course done on friday and it took about half as long as i had planned. i think i'll be able to finish the course this coming week, which would be great.
friday was my first real day at home and not having to go to work. it went quite well. got up early and went to yoga, did some work, had a nap... i could get used to that routine.
yesterday we went to bowen island to hike mt gardner. i was really impressed nobody cancelled and we all made it to the top - a little rain couldn't stop us! i'm looking forward to many more hikes with friends. i think that's one of my favourite things to do. photos here.
happy father's day to all you dads out there. we're heading to abbotsford to visit our dads today. hoorray for dads!
friday was my first real day at home and not having to go to work. it went quite well. got up early and went to yoga, did some work, had a nap... i could get used to that routine.
yesterday we went to bowen island to hike mt gardner. i was really impressed nobody cancelled and we all made it to the top - a little rain couldn't stop us! i'm looking forward to many more hikes with friends. i think that's one of my favourite things to do. photos here.
happy father's day to all you dads out there. we're heading to abbotsford to visit our dads today. hoorray for dads!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
woot
i bought a new lens today. it's the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM. i hope it arrives before our camping trip to manning park at the end of the month.
1h30min up the grind with mel today. about forty 4th and 5th graders were on a field trip climbing to the top too. the bears were out at the top!
i started prepping for my next course today - Nutrition and Mental Health. i photoread the textbook (~100 pages) and did a brief postview. i prepared a schedule a while ago and so i looked it over again and i plan to start tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
day 5
i'm tired. i wanted to go back to sleep this morning. i scooted to the studio for john's morning led class, instead of cycling as i have been. i decided i would stop my practice when i felt tired and unfocused. the sun salutes woke me up, the standing postures felt grounding. the seated postures were deep and the vinyasas were energizing. the closing postures were calming and i felt taller and steadier than usual in headstand. savasana was great - i bundled up in my sweater and was warm, comfortable and totally relaxed.
~
i forgot to finish this post last night. this last session was a bit of a question and answer period. john talked about vegetarianism and ayurveda. he also revisited the idea of the breath and using it to start anew. exhale and create an empty space. you can now choose on the next inhale what thoughts to allow, and what patterns to follow. so, start everything with an exhale and lead with a lifted, open heart. this workshop has been wonderful, and i look forward to deepening my practice with the things i have learned these past 5 days.
~
i forgot to finish this post last night. this last session was a bit of a question and answer period. john talked about vegetarianism and ayurveda. he also revisited the idea of the breath and using it to start anew. exhale and create an empty space. you can now choose on the next inhale what thoughts to allow, and what patterns to follow. so, start everything with an exhale and lead with a lifted, open heart. this workshop has been wonderful, and i look forward to deepening my practice with the things i have learned these past 5 days.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
day 4
today for the first time, i put my feet behind my head. it was exciting. to begin this morning, john led us through a tibetan mediation practice. it was very relaxing and the cloud of sleep that still hung over my brain made it easier to clear my thoughts.
we then started our morning practice, going at our own paces - more like a mysore-style class, rather than the led classes we've had in the previous morning sessions. i got a few great adjusts and then it was time for kurmasana (turtle pose). i've only just recently been able to clasp my hands behind my back for supta kurmasana (sleeping turtle). today, just as my fingers caught one another john came and helped. he had me relax my hips and as he lifted each leg and placed my feet behind my head i was able to squirm my shoulders further under my knees. my feet were hooked behind my head and he raised me up so my legs pointed up to the ceiling and i was looking straight ahead. from there i planted my hands and lifted up into tittibhasana (firefly). then john said "head down, bottom up!". i swung around and with his help suddenly i was in a handstand. it was exhilarating! he helped me lower into plank and then i was back through my vinyasa and into the next pose.
~
this afternoon john spoke about some of his experiences with guruji (Sri K Pattabhi Jois' students address him as guruji). i like hearing these stories. i always enjoy it when fiona (my teacher here in vancouver) talks of her visits to india. john said that when guruji is adjusting someone, he holds their body like a musical instrument, as if they are dancing together. fiona often has said that when she's adjusting someone, she looks to see where the prana is leaking out, where things may be kinked or hardened. there is a fluidity and grace to the practice that becomes much more obvious when the breath and energetic alignment come first. no forcing or overexerting.
in our practice this morning, john kept reminding us to take rest (go into closing and then into savasana) when we lost our focus. you are more likely to injure yourself when you aren't fully present. breath comes first - john said "observe the breath, focus on the breath, fixate on the breath."
to finish off this afternoon, after "dancing" with our partners and giving a couple adjustments, we did some pranayama (breath exercises). it was very calming and energizing at the same time. i think i actually dozed off in savasana at the end today, it was wonderful.
we then started our morning practice, going at our own paces - more like a mysore-style class, rather than the led classes we've had in the previous morning sessions. i got a few great adjusts and then it was time for kurmasana (turtle pose). i've only just recently been able to clasp my hands behind my back for supta kurmasana (sleeping turtle). today, just as my fingers caught one another john came and helped. he had me relax my hips and as he lifted each leg and placed my feet behind my head i was able to squirm my shoulders further under my knees. my feet were hooked behind my head and he raised me up so my legs pointed up to the ceiling and i was looking straight ahead. from there i planted my hands and lifted up into tittibhasana (firefly). then john said "head down, bottom up!". i swung around and with his help suddenly i was in a handstand. it was exhilarating! he helped me lower into plank and then i was back through my vinyasa and into the next pose.
~
this afternoon john spoke about some of his experiences with guruji (Sri K Pattabhi Jois' students address him as guruji). i like hearing these stories. i always enjoy it when fiona (my teacher here in vancouver) talks of her visits to india. john said that when guruji is adjusting someone, he holds their body like a musical instrument, as if they are dancing together. fiona often has said that when she's adjusting someone, she looks to see where the prana is leaking out, where things may be kinked or hardened. there is a fluidity and grace to the practice that becomes much more obvious when the breath and energetic alignment come first. no forcing or overexerting.
in our practice this morning, john kept reminding us to take rest (go into closing and then into savasana) when we lost our focus. you are more likely to injure yourself when you aren't fully present. breath comes first - john said "observe the breath, focus on the breath, fixate on the breath."
to finish off this afternoon, after "dancing" with our partners and giving a couple adjustments, we did some pranayama (breath exercises). it was very calming and energizing at the same time. i think i actually dozed off in savasana at the end today, it was wonderful.
what do i know?
i restricted access to this blog yesterday. i got a bit self-conscious of what i'd written. but i feel better now and so on i go. this workshop has given me a lot to think about and i like to write. i can assemble my notes and my thoughts and put things into perspective. i worry about what the people who read this think but i have to remember and hope that everyone realizes that i'm writing from my own perspective and by reading what i've written you are seeing through my lens. i don't have all the answers, i'm just trying to sort things out for myself, trying to make sense of it all. what works for me might not work for you. i like to have a place to write and get it all out, it clarifies what i'm thinking and settles my thoughts.
Monday, June 11, 2007
day 3
one-pointed focus (eka tatva). fully grounded with energy and lightness swelling in the heart-centre. connected. connected within with the breath and the bandhas, connected as a group with energy flowing as we breathe together. being connected makes us light and gives us lift. lift!
~
this afternoon left me confused and a bit frustrated. i don't follow all the tangents and abstract ideas but i do feel that there are many ways to say the same thing. maybe one metaphor fits better for some people than others. i'm not worried, and that eases the frustration. i think it comes down to finding your true self and having your thoughts and actions come from a place of compassion. what we learn when we study the ashtanga system are the tools to help us find who we are and how to keep the stillness and joy when we are off the mat so that ultimately we can help others. we need to slow down, to listen and to feel what our bodies are telling us. when tired, take rest. the eka tatva is dependant on the energy which is moved by the breath. it always comes back to the breath.
john said he is giving us gifts, tools and advice we can put to use or set aside. he said these are pearls of knowledge on a continuous thread, just as the asanas are linked together by the continuous breath. once again, i'm looking forward to the sessions tomorrow. :)
here's a verse spoken by the buddha and recorded in the dhammapada that luke sent me a while ago. i taped it up in my locker at work and now i have it tucked away in my desk. i like it and every time i read it, it makes me stop and think...
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings...
As the shadow follows the body,
as we think, so we become.
~
this afternoon left me confused and a bit frustrated. i don't follow all the tangents and abstract ideas but i do feel that there are many ways to say the same thing. maybe one metaphor fits better for some people than others. i'm not worried, and that eases the frustration. i think it comes down to finding your true self and having your thoughts and actions come from a place of compassion. what we learn when we study the ashtanga system are the tools to help us find who we are and how to keep the stillness and joy when we are off the mat so that ultimately we can help others. we need to slow down, to listen and to feel what our bodies are telling us. when tired, take rest. the eka tatva is dependant on the energy which is moved by the breath. it always comes back to the breath.
john said he is giving us gifts, tools and advice we can put to use or set aside. he said these are pearls of knowledge on a continuous thread, just as the asanas are linked together by the continuous breath. once again, i'm looking forward to the sessions tomorrow. :)
here's a verse spoken by the buddha and recorded in the dhammapada that luke sent me a while ago. i taped it up in my locker at work and now i have it tucked away in my desk. i like it and every time i read it, it makes me stop and think...
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings...
As the shadow follows the body,
as we think, so we become.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
day 2
i was tired this morning and my upper body was stiff. in the led class we were about halfway through the standing postures when john stopped us and asked us to gather round. he gave a bit of a demo and then we started again from the beginning. there were a few more asides where we sat and listened and we stopped shortly into the seated postures, with a brief closing as our 2 hours were up.
yesterday john mentioned something about resolving your issues on the mat. you meet yourself on the mat as the layers unfold and your true heart finds it's voice. as you let go of your ego and find the balance and quiet within, your heart and body opens with grace and you find sukha.
~
so much metaphor. the lotus seed that sinks to the bottom and then roots and takes hold and starts climbing upwards with a great explosion at the top where the bud forms and bursts into a beautiful flower. plant that seed in your pelvis, at the root chakra and have the energy/strength/lightness run up the energy channels to the heart centre and then up and through the top of your head....
this afternoon's session is going to take a while to fully digest. i got home and have spent the past hour looking at the wikipedia pages for chakras, nadis, bandhas, and various other references to explain the subtle body and the energy flow within it, not to mention the history of ashtanga yoga itself and the sage Patanjali who wrote it all out. i've got nearly 20 tabs open in firefox.
the ashtanga yoga practice is meant to teach the tools that help us be to grounded and to give us the strength to be compassionate and open, which then enables us to observe, absorb and react to our environment. i think.
ok, now i'm going for a walk in the sun. i'm excited about tomorrow morning's session.
yesterday john mentioned something about resolving your issues on the mat. you meet yourself on the mat as the layers unfold and your true heart finds it's voice. as you let go of your ego and find the balance and quiet within, your heart and body opens with grace and you find sukha.
~
so much metaphor. the lotus seed that sinks to the bottom and then roots and takes hold and starts climbing upwards with a great explosion at the top where the bud forms and bursts into a beautiful flower. plant that seed in your pelvis, at the root chakra and have the energy/strength/lightness run up the energy channels to the heart centre and then up and through the top of your head....
this afternoon's session is going to take a while to fully digest. i got home and have spent the past hour looking at the wikipedia pages for chakras, nadis, bandhas, and various other references to explain the subtle body and the energy flow within it, not to mention the history of ashtanga yoga itself and the sage Patanjali who wrote it all out. i've got nearly 20 tabs open in firefox.
the ashtanga yoga practice is meant to teach the tools that help us be to grounded and to give us the strength to be compassionate and open, which then enables us to observe, absorb and react to our environment. i think.
ok, now i'm going for a walk in the sun. i'm excited about tomorrow morning's session.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
John Scott workshop day 1
this morning's session was a led primary class. i'd say there are around 60-70 people in the workshop and you could feel the excited energy as everyone was arriving and laying out their mats. chanting in with so many voices was cool to hear and be a part of. the practice was great, i like john's way of teaching and i really like sanskrit counted classes typical of this ashtanga style.
the message that stuck with me was the awareness of being fully grounded through whatever contacts you have with the earth in the postures - your feet, hands, sit bones - feel yourself pushing down into the earth and feel the energy of the earth coming back up into you and feel this lightness coming up and through your heart centre, bringing this open-ness and connected-ness throughout your entire body. carrying this lightness throughout the practice by the engagement of mulabandha and udiyana bandha and using the drishti (gaze) and focus on the breath to quiet the mind.
john said at one point to "lead with the heart" and i think that can be taken as good advice both in the yoga room and out. to work through the asanas with an open heart indicates to me good energetic alignment (relaxed engagement) and a full breath with energy flowing freely down the lines of the body. to lead with an open heart could also be a way of coming from a place of loving-kindness and compassion in our interactions with ourselves and with others in our daily lives.
looking forward to this afternoon...
this afternoon was a discussion of what was touched on in the morning session. we worked more with the gaze and looked more into what can be achieved through yoga which is the opening of the heart, called sukha. through surrender and by unravelling the layers we learn to lead with the heart and see through the labels we use to describe things.
to feel the lifting of the heart in the asanas and in the transitions, we must be grounded and we worked a bit today to feel the strength and balance in all four limbs while in a forward bend and then carried it through a counted vinyasa. it is easy to let the legs do all the work and i find it hard to trust the strength in my arms to carry equal weight.
looking forward to tomorrow morning's practice. my intention is to lead with the breath and to focus on the more subtle energy lines to bring awareness to the deeper layers of the body. sounds easy right? ;)
the message that stuck with me was the awareness of being fully grounded through whatever contacts you have with the earth in the postures - your feet, hands, sit bones - feel yourself pushing down into the earth and feel the energy of the earth coming back up into you and feel this lightness coming up and through your heart centre, bringing this open-ness and connected-ness throughout your entire body. carrying this lightness throughout the practice by the engagement of mulabandha and udiyana bandha and using the drishti (gaze) and focus on the breath to quiet the mind.
john said at one point to "lead with the heart" and i think that can be taken as good advice both in the yoga room and out. to work through the asanas with an open heart indicates to me good energetic alignment (relaxed engagement) and a full breath with energy flowing freely down the lines of the body. to lead with an open heart could also be a way of coming from a place of loving-kindness and compassion in our interactions with ourselves and with others in our daily lives.
looking forward to this afternoon...
this afternoon was a discussion of what was touched on in the morning session. we worked more with the gaze and looked more into what can be achieved through yoga which is the opening of the heart, called sukha. through surrender and by unravelling the layers we learn to lead with the heart and see through the labels we use to describe things.
to feel the lifting of the heart in the asanas and in the transitions, we must be grounded and we worked a bit today to feel the strength and balance in all four limbs while in a forward bend and then carried it through a counted vinyasa. it is easy to let the legs do all the work and i find it hard to trust the strength in my arms to carry equal weight.
looking forward to tomorrow morning's practice. my intention is to lead with the breath and to focus on the more subtle energy lines to bring awareness to the deeper layers of the body. sounds easy right? ;)
Friday, June 8, 2007
hello
today was my last day at work. tomorrow is the beginning of my year long leave of absence. i'm excited, and slightly nervous.
for the next 5 days i'll be attending a yoga workshop taught by John Scott who is a senior ashtanga teacher.
after that it's study time. i'm about a quarter of the way through a nutrition diploma from the canadian school of natural nutrition. next course up is nutrition and mental health.
tomorrow i'll have more to say. goodnight.
for the next 5 days i'll be attending a yoga workshop taught by John Scott who is a senior ashtanga teacher.
after that it's study time. i'm about a quarter of the way through a nutrition diploma from the canadian school of natural nutrition. next course up is nutrition and mental health.
tomorrow i'll have more to say. goodnight.
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