Monday, April 30, 2012

4 Races in 8 Weeks

While filling in the calendar for April and May a number of weeks ago, I realized I'm running four races in the next eight weeks:

Saturday, April 28th - CARA Lakefront 10 miler
Saturday, May 12th - Chicago Spring Half Marathon
Saturday May 26th - Soldier Field 10 miler
Friday June 8th and Saturday June 9th - Ragnar Relay: Madison to Chicago

In past year's I've done a race in the spring. Not two. Or four.

I guess this is one way to mix things up!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Yoga Studio; Take 2

Last summer I found a yoga studio just a few blocks from my house. They had classes that worked with my schedule. The commute was non-existent. Life was great.

Then the studio announced they were closing their Rogers Park location. They encouraged everyone practicing at Rogers Park to check out their River North location.

Sounded fancy.

In truth, I put off going to the River North location for months, mainly because it's not convenient. When I finally went, it was January and I was wearing Uggs, riding a bus way out west (well, in relation to work) to this studio.

The building was locked down like Fort Knox. On top of that, there's a trick to using the Fort Knox security system - Apparently it's learned over time. So I stood outside cold and frustrated until another woman was able to open the door. Not a good start.

By the time the elevator comes down there's a small pack of us with our yoga mats. We crowd in the elevator. When the elevator doors open up, we're inside the lobby of the studio. The lobby space was quite small, so we shuffle around each other to tuck our belongings away in cubbies before practice. We all have similar jackets and boots. This is going to be a nightmare when we leave.

As we enter the studio, I see that this is going to be a full class. Mats are getting moved closer and closer together. Then I notice a noise - yep, that's the brown line. Just what I wanted to hear while doing yoga.

I debate leaving. Then I decide that my 2' x 6' space in this room is valuable River North real estate I should use over the next 90 minutes. Then the teacher walks in. He's a happy, very chatty fellow. I'm happy to get to know him in the first few minutes of class, but not throughout the entire class where I'm trying to breathe and let go. He seemed to be popular with many in the class, but overall, not for me.

That's ok though. I'm sure there's another instructor there.

So I go again. The bus, the buzzer, the stupid brown line, the cubby, another not-for-me teacher, then the two train ride home.

And once more, since three seems like a better number. By the end the third class, I'm asking why anyone uses public transportation in Chicago as I wait forever for a train at the brown line stop.

This yoga solution seemed like too much work.

And so, like so many, I stopped going out of inconvenience (though I still have a few classes left there).

Until tonight. Tonight is class one at Yoga Studio two. Studio two is also located west, but has parking. Parking eliminates the bus and the train nightmare, so I'm game.

I'm cautiously optimistic that studio 2 is the yoga I've been dreaming of.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Damn You, piriformis!


On Good Friday, I woke up early and got my 9 mile long run out of the way.

It was my first run testing out Motorola's Motoactiv. My first test product. Thanks Motorola! I'm not going to blog too much about the device yet as I think it's only fitting I use it many times before writing a fair review. But I will say this - Out of the box, it had music loaded and was ready to go - literally. For some reason, that made me really happy.

Not the best 9 miler of my life. I dressed too warm. I was in a rush.

I got home, showered, threw my bag in the car and started driving south. Far south. Hundreds and hundreds of miles.

Around mile 100 I was feeling a bit stiff. Then it dawned on me. I didn't stretch after my run. I too often forget to do this.

I'd had a stiffness in my hip earlier in the week which I hadn't given enough thought to.

Over the weekend, it throbbed more.

Now the drive back from my southern destination was really the killer. My hip hurt when I drove. Because driving requires use of your hips? Who knew? Either way, not a good sign.

Again, not thinking, I rest on Monday and Tuesday. I reintroduce myself to the foam roller. Do some basic yoga. Then out of boredom, do back to back runs later that next week.

The hip's still not liking me. Now I'm listening.

Advil, ice, rest, try to compress, and yes, foam roller, we're hanging out during the 10 o'clock news.