Oxymoron of a Runner
I am looking forward to this coming weekend more than usual. Despite last weekend being a holiday weekend, I spent much of it working. Even when I wasn't working, I was still thinking about what I had to get done. Therefore, I didn't get much of a mental respite over the weekend. It is catching up to me now and I am mentally tired. All I want to do is go for a run and then sit on the couch.
Seoul Glo (extra credit for anyone who recognizes this reference ;-) )
My trip to Korea next month to visit Helen is starting to sneak up on me. WOO HOO! I need to start doing some planning.
Is it bad that the first thing that came to mind was the episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations where he went to Seoul?
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| Bourdain attends a martial arts class in Korea Source |
No gravity
I enjoy doing yoga very much, but I am a fairly middle-of-the-road yogi. I have been working for a long time on being able to do crow pose.
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| Crow pose |
To this day, anytime I try it, I topple over and have to scramble to keep myself from hitting my head on the ground. (Thankfully, with crow pose, the ground is not too far away!)
Speaking of landing on your head, it seems like yoga headstands are all the rage these days. I've even seen store mannequins in this pose to display yoga attire.
How the heck do people do this? It does look very acrobatic, but I can't imagine it's at all comfortable. I am wary of ever attempting this pose for fear of the pure disaster that may ensue.
And finally...
Hello, nice to meet you!
I've seen other folks share the search terms that led to their blogs. Just for giggles, here are a few of mine:
chicago deep dish pizza
fartlekking
cookie monster
left hands
irish flag
i love summer
nhl teams
clamshell exercise
rockettes
I have no words...!
I love searches! I get a lot of "brushing teeth" google searches from when I wrote about meditating while doing things you typically go into pilot mode, like brushing your teeth.
ReplyDeleteAnd, kudos to you for trying Crow! I attempt, but never go too far that I'm falling. My yoga studio hosts inversion workshops from time to time and I always think about going, next time I know who I can con into going with me! :)
Isn't it hilarious how you might randomly write about some bizarre thing, and then all of a sudden you start getting search terms for it? I love the "brushing teeth" term for you - I think it's so appropriate given your amazing focus on living balanced and healthfully!
DeleteKudos to you too for trying crow! Isn't it still scary to start falling, even though you are only a few inches from the ground!?!?!? Oooh, and inversion workshop? No conning needed - if the scheduling works out, I would love to check it out with you!!!
Ooo, I am excited you are going to Korea! How long will you be there?!
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you get the rest you need this weekend! :)
Thanks, Kim! I will be there for a week, but with all the travel time I'll actually be gone for almost 9 days. Then, add in the extra few days for jetlag recovery and it's going to go by in a flash!
DeleteCheers to all of us getting the rest we need this weekend!!!
I did not know you were going to Seoul! How fun!!! And that pose, yeah, looks too hard to do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Zenaida! My friend Helen has been teaching in Korea since last August, and I am super excited to go see her.
DeleteI feel like I've been seeing crazier and crazier yoga poses these days. Who comes up with all these gravity defiances? LOL
You have such nice search terms!! Mine are terrible - BMI scale/female BMI chart, old man running, 4 am wake up call, big ass gif, and the worst one ... peeing leggings. BLECH!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I sort of achieved crow a little over a year ago when I was more regular with yoga. I couldn't hold it long, but I could get into it. What pushed me over the edge was that I finally realized it's not just arm work - if I heavily engaged my abs, it helped support my weight and balance.
And I bet that tripod headstand isn't as hard as you think. I didn't get to it when I was at my best, but I could do shoulder stand without even thinking twice. Again, engage the core, not just arm strength.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Did the peeing leggings one come from writing about that woman we saw at the Chicago Half Marathon with, uh, issues? =D
DeleteYou know, you hit on a very good point about how so much of these poses are about engaging your abs. When I first started doing planks, it felt so hard on my arms and shoulders. An instructor said that engaging your abs would take the pressure off - and it's true! So it defnitely makes sense that the abs would help in these other balancing poses.
If I ever do try those headstands, you better believe I'll be doing so with a wall nearby to help catch myself, plus a nice soft floor surface. =D
Yay for Korea! What a great adventure. The Caveman spent January in China and Malaysia. I'd love to go! I had crow, but now it's eluded me. What's up with that? The headstand I can do, Just channel your inner 5th grader. The handstand baffles me.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I remember when the Caveman went to Asia and brought back all those cool souvenirs for you!!! So cool that he got to go there on business!
DeleteRock on, Marcia! Between being able to do pull-ups/chin-ups and headstands, plus all your triathlon prowess, you are really a master of fitness!!! And I love the tip about channeling the inner 5th grader. I still need to try doing a cartwheel from when you mentioned it awhile back. =)
Coming to America reference, FTW!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever gotten into crow pose but, then again, I rarely do yoga. So, kudos to you for even trying! I did see a girl at my gym randomly practicing headstands in the corner and was in awe.
YAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! I thought that you'd be one to get the reference since you are so good with movie quotes! =D "Just let your soul glow...!"
DeleteI remember you mentioning that you're not into yoga very much. I have my good days and my bad days with it, too. A good instructor makes a big difference, I think. Wow on the girl practicing headstands in the corner! I've only ever seen a couple of people doing headstands live. It looks even more intense in person than in pictures!
I was feeling really tired as I was leaving work yesterday, but I had signed up for a class at CrossTown Fitness and of course there is a penalty for a late cancel or no-show, so I went. It was a grueling class, but by the time I got home, I felt a lot better!! Getting the blood flowing can really help.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I remember from my CP trial how much I wanted to avoid that late-cancel or no-show! I dragged myself to many a class because of it, but almost always felt better afterwards. Truly the hardest part sometimes is just getting started! BTW - I am loving all the CP reviews that you are sharing. Super helpful!
DeleteRan this morning and on the couch as we speak. What a crappy day, weather-wise!
ReplyDeleteHeadstand isn't as hard as it seems. It's all core, believe it or not. The hardest part is getting over the fear of falling over. If I can do it, anyone can.
Those severe thunderstorm warnings, lightning, and humidity are pretty crazy! Good for you for getting your run done and out of the way early!!! I think it's going to be a treadmill day for me today.
DeleteWow, kudos to you for being able to do the headstand! It certainly doesn't look like it's all core but I take your word for it! For me, the only way to get over the fear of falling over is to have a nice soft surface available, plus a nearby wall that I can use to catch myself. =D
I've never done a headstand *quite* like that, but I've had a headstand with my hands palm down next to my head (as opposed to clasped around my head) for quite some time. It's honestly not that hard at all once you figure out how your body's supposed to feel in that position. I did yoga last week and had my strongest crow to date, which was very exciting! I can't hold it for a long time, but getting in it and holding it at all feels like a great accomplishment. Just a practice thing with both of those!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, interest detail you noted with having your hands clasped around your head rather than palm down next to your head. I didn't even realize that difference - I was too intimidated by the concept of a headstand, period, to notice! Congratulations on achieving your strongest crow to date! I think the hardest part is just nailing it for the first time for more than a split second. That means that you've gotten over the hump of doing it! Being able to hold it for lengthening periods of time will probably come much easier with more practice!
DeleteWow, I bet you are excited to go to Korea! I've never looked to see what search terms people use to find our blog. I should do that!
ReplyDeleteYes, very excited indeed! Although, there is so much that needs to happen between now and then. Sigh.
DeletePlease do share the search terms that people used to find your blog - would love to hear them! It is funny how random some of them can be. =D
I've been working on my headstands! They're definitely challenging and a little uncomfortable at first, but it's an amazing feeling when you start seeing some progress. Plus it's actually a great way to build up strength!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is awesome that you've been able to experience progress in your headstands! I am feeling more encouraged now from all the positive feedback on trying them out. Thanks so much for hosting these Thinking Out Loud link-ups - I love them because they are always such a great showcase of personalities!!!
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