supercheesegirl | Entries tagged with yoga2008

Just had an awesome workout at the gym this morning. 40 minutes on the elliptical! Burned 450 calories, which hopefully will help with all the damn food I ate yesterday, and went almost 3.5 miles.

I have to admit that part of what kept me on the machine for so long was that they were showing Tomb Raider on TBS on one of the TVs, and the Liverpool/Manchester game on another. I've never been a soccer fan, and I'm trying to figure out why not. I mean, soccer players are my kind of men. I knew this in high school, because I knew the Corrado brothers played soccer and I loved the Corrado brothers, but I don't know why I never, oh, went to a soccer game. My younger self missed out on many a hot athlete. Also, who wears red, Liverpool or Manchester? Mr. Lucas on the red team is a fox.

I also did all the arm weight machines, and the thigh one. And I did a bit of stretching and some of my strength-building exercises. And I had a really successful moment with side plank pose. Usually I wobble a lot on this one and can barely hold it for 3-5 breaths. Today I rocked it: my arm wiggled some, but I felt solid, and held it, and was able to stretch into the pose and actually enjoy it. It was really awesome. One of those yoga high moments. Whee!

Tonight was a good night! This morning, I somehow got my sorry tail out of bed at 6:40, so I was able to catch the 7:38 train and get to work at 8:15. \m/ That meant I could leave at 4:30! I had to go to the library after work, to return some books and clear up an issue about a book I had returned that was still listed as checked out to me, but that was easy--I found the book on the shelves and brought it up and had them check it back in. I meant to go to the gym after the library, but it was pouring teeming rain, so I got soaked walking home from the library, and once I got home and put on warm clothes I just did not want to go back out again. So I did yoga here at home! A good 45-50 minutes of yoga! I was very pleased. It was a good workout, too, and I did all my strength-building exercises that I hadn't done in ages. I also did a load of laundry, made myself nice pasta for dinner, washed all the dinner dishes, wiped down the stovetop, folded and put away all the laundry, and watched Gossip Girl. (Serena, just tell him whatever it is! I like Nate with the dark-haired girl, too, that's cute. Will Dawn play an annoying teenager forever?) Now I need to get ready for bed!

I need to get so much better about going to the gym. Tonight was awesome, and it's entirely worth it to rush home and change so I can get to the gym and have a night like tonight. I left my apartment by 6:25, got to the gym at 6:35, circled the parking lot twice before pouncing on a spot, and was on the elliptical by 6:40. Managed 18 minutes before yoga class at 7:05. I also did my little circuit of the four arm weight machines. Yoga class was excellent--a good workout. I got surprisingly sweaty. My latest observation is that my arms are much stronger lately than they've been in a long time, because I've been working on them and really paying attention to the weights when I'm at the gym and my plank pose in yoga class. My arms still look the same (i.e., well on the way to middle aged lady chicken wings), but they are noticeably stronger. However, my legs are jelly. I need to start doing my squats again, because my thighs can hardly hold a pose at all. I might even consider starting the thigh weight machine.

Weight, after yoga class and before dinner, including sneakers: 160.

I just sat around my apartment for almost an hour with my coat on. I only meant to check my email quick before I took out the trash. Well, trash is out now. At least I was warm.

Lucia's yoga class tonight was really good. I did a Wheel. It was a good Wheel, not even wobbly, and I felt like I could have hung out in it for much longer. The is the first sign I've had that the weight lifting at the gym is having an effect. Yay!

I realized today that I took my first yoga class five years ago in January. Wow! I haven't been reliably taking classes for that entire time, but I have been practicing regularly for a good four years. I think that's pretty awesome. I like that yoga has grown into an important thing in my life. I never would have expected that. Neat!

::edit:: Okay, so F couldn't picture what a Wheel looked like when I told him about it, so I got Jean to take my picture. (Did we need to get away from our desks at the end of the day on Friday afternoon? Yes.) ( Me in a Wheel, in my work clothes. )

In other news, I went to the gym tonight. Going to the gym is awesome. I did probably 32-35 minutes on the elliptical--I don't know exactly because my machine was stupid and reset itself and then I had to go ask a question at the front desk. But it was definitely around there, because I did 30 minutes in row that it counted. In less awesome news, the closed captioning is broken on the TVs at the gym. This means I can either listen to music and watch Jeopardy but not hear the answers, or plug in to the radio thing and watch and listen to Jeopardy but not keep up nearly as a good a tempo without my music. Argh. Tonight I compromised by listening to music at the commercials. I also did all my usual weight machines, at the lowest weight setting as usual, for 15 reps each, and I added the thigh machines because I got to the gym early and it wasn't time for Jeopardy yet.

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I have gone to Lucia's yoga class the past two Thursdays. Last week's class was awesome. I am looking forward to tomorrow's class. That reminds me, I need to go put my yoga mat by the door so I won't forget it.

I tried to go the gym on Monday this week, because I liked the Monday night yoga class so much, but I was unsuccessful. I left the house at 6:45, and all the parking spots in the entire world were taken by the time I got there. So I went to the grocery store for lean pockets and and lunchmeat instead.

Hopefully I'll get some gym time in this weekend. Might not, though, because I'm spending a lot of time with my parents. I think painting their bedroom counts as aerobic activity, right? I'm betting my arms'll be sore afterward, at least.

I had a crappy day at work, so I really had to drag myself to the gym tonight. I've been meaning to try the Monday night yoga class, but I really didn't know if I was up for it tonight. I went anyway, and I'm so glad I did. It was a really good vinyasa class--the closest thing I've found to Gene's class here in Philly. I really enjoyed it and it felt really good! I will definitely go back to this class again.

Went to Lucia's yoga class yesterday at lunch. It was good, arms feel a little sore today. We concentrated on opening up the throat chakra. Lucia told us to imagine a pure blue light shining out from our collarbones, imagine the light spinning freely... and of course, what else would come to mind but my mother's front lawn. So not zen.

I should be going to the gym tomorrow, but it looks like the weather is going to be horrible. I'm not driving even the ten minutes to the gym if it's snowing and nasty out. I might do yoga at home, but it's chilly in my apartment so I don't know if I will.

The gym tonight was awesome. I got there around 6:45 and didn't leave till almost 9:00! I did probably around 40 minutes on the elliptical, but I don't know exactly how long because I had to stop twice--once to switch to a different machine, and then again to go ask the front desk person to change the channel to Jeopardy. It was definitely around 40 minutes, though. Also, "Gabriel Garcia Marquez" was a Jeopardy answer, and none of the contestants knew it! Of course, I totally bombed on the "Military Aircraft" and "African History" categories, but there you go.

After Jeopardy, I did the four weight lifting machines for arms, and then I did over an hour of yoga! Usually it's hard for me to stick it out through a long practice on my own, but I really needed it today. I did Gene's numbered series of leg stretches (they have really long names in Sanskrit, so he came up with a nice flow and numbered them in order to make it easier to remember). I hadn't done most of those in a while. Plus just the usual standing work, which I hadn't done in ages, since Lucia's class on Wednesday was mostly seated work. I'm having issues with my tree pose standing on my right leg (see icon)--my left leg just does not want to stay up properly, and it's annoying. Need to work on that, and also on stretching my left side, can't bend it nearly as well as the right side. I didn't do some of my strength-building yoga exercises, but I think I can be excused on that. I did do my bethak squats, and hopefully if I can get into a good routine with squats and with weight lifting for the arms, I'll start seeing some results soon. I know I can hold bent-knee yoga poses longer and more easily when I've been doing squats regularly. Anyway, I was so psyched after the gym tonight.

Tonight's weight: 162.

Yesterday I went to Lucia's first yoga class. She's teaching a yoga class at our work, on the 20th floor. It was pretty good--she has to move kind of slow because there are some beginners in the class, but it felt good to take the time to hold the poses. I was pretty sore today, but I also haven't really done yoga in two months.

Today I meant to go to the gym, but I was headachy and grumpy so I didn't. I was still sore from yesterday anyway. Instead I walked to the liquor store and bought three bottles of wine. I drank most of the cheapest bottle, the Sutter Home white zin, tonight. The nicest bottle I'm saving for my V-day pampering, with the second nicest bottle as a backup in case I finish the first one, which is skinny. I also read my Buffy comics, clipped the coupons, ate Annie bunny pasta, and caught up on LOST, even though I didn't really know it was going to be on. When I sat down to eat the bunny pasta, I was clicking channels and saw that last week's new 4th season episode of LOST was on, so I could catch up. I only missed the first 20 minutes. So then of course I sat through tonight's new episode. I'll keep watching, but I'm telling you right now I am not getting sucked in to this bullshit.* Although I was glad Locke asked what the black smoke was. Also I hope someone shoots Juliet. But at least Poliwhirl is happy.

This weekend:

Friday: gym!
Saturday: world's largest sausage patty, and new grocery store grand opening, with my parents, then going to Walmart for new speakers and then Kohl's or Famous Footwear for new sneakers. Speakers and sneakers--HA! Also I need to stop at Whole Foods for truffles and cran-actin. IN THAT ORDER.
Sunday: church, then gym.

Sometime this weekend: cleaning the apartment!
Sometime soon: sending out submissions, and doing my taxes.

*Ok, fine, maybe I'll get a little sucked in. I missed Desmond. His sweaty chest was all gleaming!

Tonight at the gym: 33 minutes on the elliptical, 2.5 miles. I lost in Final Jeopardy, but I think I'm getting better. I like watching Jeopardy while I work out.

Tonight I started a new program on the weights. My upper arms are fat. I want them to be not fat, so I have started lifting weights. I did all the arm machines, with the lowest weight possible (10-15 lbs), for 15 reps each. I plan to continue this on each visit to the gym, and hopefully soon my arms will look more toned and not so fat. I can already feel my arms aching a little bit.

I did some stretching, but no serious yoga. Wednesday, my friend Lucia's yoga class at the office starts, so I will start my new yoga routine then. It'll be good to get back into a class. She's only charging $10 per class, so that's a good thing.

I am very unhappy with my body right now, and have been for a few months, but I've just been too damn busy to do anything about it. I was either traveling or visiting with F for fully half of January, and I don't think I made it to the gym once all month. Sometimes that happens, I don't have any regrets. But now that I'm home and I can go to the gym again, it's time to take care of this. I know I don't look my weight, and that a lot of it is muscle, but at this point I am starting to look it, and the extra weight is evident in photos. (This is the one bad thing about going to Key West in winter--less clothing to cover up with.) This is the heaviest I've been in a while, and I'm not happy about it. I think if I work at it for a few weeks, I can drop maybe five pounds to get back to my usual weight, and if I keep it up I can maybe drop a few more to get closer to where I'd like to be. Although if I could sustain my usual weight, only with slimmer arms, I'd be happy.

Tonight's weight, post-workout, while wearing sneakers: 161.

Today so far: slept in. Watched Project Runway while eating breakfast and putting away laundry. Got to the gym around 1:30ish. 35 minutes on the treadmill, almost an hour of yoga. It felt so good, I really needed to do that. I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Today, the only soreness I experienced involved various bits of my fat bouncing around as I worked out. NG. After gym, drove home, then walked up to Borders and got a new day planner half off. Really really needed that. Walked home, transferred Life to new day planner. Listened to new Rainer Maria cd (well, old Rainer Maria cd, but new to my collection) while taking down and boxing up holiday decorations. The apartment is now free of holiday decor except that I didn't take down the cards people sent me (they make me happy), the white lights in the kitchen or bedroom (pretty any time of year!), or my front door mat or front door star (still wintery appropriate). Brought up the new space heater, the lava lamp, and the other stuff that went away for the holidays. Next I think I might try to pack for Key West, or put stuff in my exciting new security box.

Yesterday: slept in way too late. Got gas in the car, discovered that CompUSA has indeed closed, as they have been threatening to do for months, went to Best Buy instead, and got really intimidated by the high prices and lack of products to fit my needs. Called F, felt better, went to Mom's house. Walked dog with Mom, did research online with Dad for computer products, felt much better and also disdainful of stupid Best Buy, which does not in fact offer any of the best buys. Watched Redskins vs Seattle (we rooted for Seattle). Dinner with Mom and Dad. Cake! Chatted with Chancellors. Ate delicious snacks. F was jealous. Watched Steelers vs Jaguars. Really tight game. Was sad to see Steelers lose (I was practicing, because F is a Steelers fan). Got home around 12:20. Tired.

Friday: Movies with Colleen. We saw Atonement. It was a really amazing movie. It was also not a movie I should not have seen, as its main theme is lovers who can't be together. This is why I didn't want to see PS I Love You, because the thing I'm most afraid of in the world is F dying, but at least PS I Love You would have been lighthearted with a happy ending. Atonement was not lighthearted, and did not have a happy ending. I cried in the bathroom. It was an excellent movie, as movies go, just not one I should have seen, that's all.