Yoga Hell

I hate when I attempt to do something good for my body and mind, and it backfires. Like the beginning yoga class I took Wednesday evening. Oh we'll just start with learning the sun salutation, and then build on to that every week, says the instructor, as if it will be easy.

Hah! Downward dog, you are the devil. Thank you for killing my shoulders and triggering the migraine that wiped out my Thursday, including my evening dance class. Today wasn't a picnic, either, but taking it easy in lunchtime pilates seemed to help.

I am finally feeling better, thanks to a enjoyable evening listening to storytelling, songs, and poems at the Waverley Bar. Of course, the last batch of pain killers has yet to wear off, so we'll see. At the moment, at least, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's 8-mile walk in the Pentlands with my new camera! Here's hoping we don't get too wet.

Oh yes, I forgot

Plan for this next week:

• Run 3 WEEKDAYS for a total of 3 miles
  
• Yoga class Wednesday
  
• Dance class Thursday
  
• Pilates class Friday
  
• Stretching 3 days for 10 minutes each
  
• Walk to or from work each day
  

Carrot I get to buy this book:

I actually had this book in hand at one point this past week, but I made myself put it back. By the way, the odds of me walking out of the bookstore without a book I've identified as one I want is about 1 in 10,000. I showed fortitude, because I told myself I could use the book as a carrot for this week.

Third time's the charm?

It is Sunday night. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It was a pretty good weekend except for the lack of running. The walk yesterday along the canal was good.







And with the exception of my bedroom, my flat is no longer a disaster area! I can even eat at my kitchen table again!

Last week I said I would:

• Run 3 days for a total of 3 miles
  
• Dance class Thursday
  
• Pilates class Friday
  
• Stretching 3 days for 10 minutes each
  
• Walk at least 3 miles this weekend
  

Note the stars. If I'd run all three times, there would be three stars. Guess I didn't want the chocolate enough. :p

New camera!

After much gnashing of teeth and railing against the fates, I finally have a new camera! It is this beauty here.



You may or may not recall that my last camera is now off cavorting with sheep. I've gone back and forth about whether to get a new one or just use the camera on my new phone. And once I decided that indeed I did want a new one now, because it's a bummer to be out walking and not be able to take good pictures, plus my 'rents are coming for a visit soon, the question was whether I wanted it to just be a cheap, inexpensive one (in the event I drop it on top of another remote Scottish hill) or one that was a bit better.

So far, based on taking a few pictures of flowers in George Square over lunch on Wednesday, I'm going to like this camera.

The slugs are winning!

AAAGHGHHHHGHHHH!

Photo stolen acquired from http://mochimochiland.com

With one run and one walk, I obviously didn't make any of my goals last week. :p

So let's try this again. Goals for this next week:

• Run 3 days for a total of 3 miles
  
• Dance class Thursday
  
• Pilates class Friday
  
• Stretching 3 days for 10 minutes each
  
• Walk at least 3 miles this weekend
  

This week's carrot if I accomplish my goals: chocolate from Coco.

Goals and Plans and Goals

It's funny how you can be thinking about and meaning to do something for days and weeks (e.g., run), and then something happens that seems to flip a switch and suddenly it seems possible again.

Well the switch was flipped for me last week, and lo and behold, I went for two (very) short runs! In the morning even!

As I mentioned last week, my new running goal is not to train for this race or that race, but to get to the point where I'm running 4-5 days a week, ideally 2-3 miles each day. The hope is that this will help keep a lid on the anxiety-depression duo that rears it's ugly head more often than I'd like.

Getting to that goal, however, requires a plan. Making a plan, in and of itself, isn't the problem. I quite like to plan things that only involve me. I am a planner. It's the sticking to the plan where I tend to run into trouble. And that, brings me back to goals.

My new running plan is to set small, attainable, weekly goals, slowly building toward my bigger, long-term goal. I know, WHAT a radical idea. I'm using Buckeye Outdoors to keep track of everything. And borrowing from Merry, I'm going to post my goals for each week on Monday, and report back at the end of the week. The theory is that this will inject a bit of accountability into the process.

As an additional motivator, there's something that I really, really want that is a complete luxury: an ebook reader. Specifically, this ebook reader. I'll be working out how I can somehow use the BeBook as a carrot for the running and other fitness/health stuff. More on that another day.

Without anymore further ado, here are my goals for this week:

• Run 3-4 days for a total of 4 miles
  
• Stretch 5-6 days, 10 minutes each time
  
• Pilates 2-3 days, for 20-30 minutes each time
  

Can I get myself out the door tomorrow morning before work? Right now I'm optimistic. Hopefully, it won't be another story in the morning!

Edit: Yes, I got out and ran my short mile this morning!

Pretty

Walking to work today...

Another mile

Got the running shoes on again for another 1-mile run this morning. I'd hoped to run yesterday morning, but I was surprisingly sore from my measly 1-mile run on Wednesday. Also, I stayed up too late the night before. :p

That is all.

Merry, got any more walking scheduled for today?

One mile

I actually went for a short run this morning! True, it was only a mile, but what a sense of accomplishment just putting on my running shoes and getting out the door.

Three cheers for small accomplishments!

I've been thinking about this, and I'm going to try something different. I'd like to get to the point where I'm running 4-5 days every week, preferably on weekdays. More than anything else I need the regular aerobic exercise to help keep a lid on the stress and anxiety, most of which I tend to self-generating out of thin air.

Because I want to be running almost daily, my plan is to keep the mileage low. Reeaaally low. Like running one mile at a time to start, and working up from there. Since I'm such a slow poke, this actually takes me about 13 minutes. At this pace, one mile may not be a lot, but it is something.

I'm looking into different ideas for setting goals and tracking. So watch this space. Miracles could happen and I might actually surprise myself and start blogging regularly.