Another week

Rest does the body good, yes?

Okay, it wasn't my intention to rest so much this week. However, sometimes life just dictates such. Or, more precisely, the body has says no, but the mind says yes. This week, the body won.

At the beginning of the week, I awoke with a crick in my neck. Who knows what happened? Slept in a weird way? It became worse two nights later, awakening me until I finally got out of bed (gingerly) and looked online for a remedy. Yes, this is 4am.

Every morning took hours to get to a point that I could function fairly well, when things loosened to some degree. When I needed to look at something to the side of me, by body followed the direction of my head. It's like I had whiplash. Coughing and sneezing hurt. So did walking. Running? Wasn't even gonna try.

Tuesday night, I had to do something active so I went to yoga after my stitch-n-bitch. Glad I did. I think the next morning was slightly better with the neck. Slightly.

Fast forward to Friday. By this point I was tired. Hadn't been sleeping well. After work, I went to the gym to warm up in the steam room (had spent several hours outside in the windy cold for a work event), cool off in the jacuzzi, and dry off in the sauna.

Think it helped my neck? Ha.

Went to 12:30 yoga on Saturday. Had to try. Everything hurt, including down dog. Even child's pose. By the end of the 90 minutes, my neck was vaguely starting to loosen. More steam room, jacuzzi, sauna.

This morning I went for a run since I wasn't in excruciating neck pain. It was so nice to be out. I wore my Shuffle, but didn't power it on. I ran watchless. I didn't map out a route. There wasn't too much traffic, so I didn't have to worry about whipping my neck around to keep on eye on cars. The pull in my groin area seems to have just about healed. All of the unintentional rest was worth it for a 3.5m pain-free run.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4121464

Yoga or ITB hell

I requested some ITB work since I ran this morning. Who am I kidding? My IT bands are always tight regardless of whether or not I ran that day. So, the instructor fulfilled my request with a specific pose. OMFG, it hurt like a %$#. Now, there's high discomfort and there's surgery-inducing pain. This was of the latter variety. I had to stop. And I felt badly for stopping because I'd requested it. But I only have two knees and I like to keep 'em. The original ones.

The REST of the practice was nice...

Om

So glad I went to yoga. Lengthening and opening was necessary.

Chest openers (my request) and plenty of twisting.

Such a nice way to end yoga tonight: Om.

Namaste.

Goga

Got home in time for a 20-minute lie down. Bolted out of bed when I saw the time. Found a premium spot in the packed studio.

Holy crap, I'm tight from all of this running. Garudasana was even a challenge or maybe it's my bulging quads! Yeah, bulging quads, that must be it. Anyway, they are getting bigger.

Tons of twists in yoga class tonight. Love. Twists.

soga

So, yoga, to go or not to go? I'd been planning throughout the day to grab a 5:30 class. Ate well (but didn't hydrate enough). Left the office with plenty of time to spare.

Then the games: I don't HAVE to go. I can go TOMORROW. I'm too dehydrated. It won't be THAT good. I don't love the instructor. I'll just lie down on my bed. For a bit. No, really. That'll make ALL the difference.

"Alright, but not 'til everything's ready", I told myself. I stripped, got my yoga clothes and mat out, looked at the time and plopped on the bed for a six-minute power nap. If I miss it, I miss it. "But Jen, you really want to go. Besides you need a good stretch." Yeah, but. "But nothing." But it's so cozy in bed. And I could do laundry instead of yoga. "Gimme a break." Fine, I could use some arm toning.

5:21pm Throw on clothes. Check look in mirror. Hey now, I look kinda tan.

So, yoga. I went after all.