Yogatones: Tri Stories: Sometimes ya gotta UNPLUG….

Tri Stories: Sometimes ya gotta UNPLUG….

My RIDE! Yup, milk crate is My TRUNK!! Holds Three bags of grocery!!

I Love this time of the year, Spring is just about a mile away, sending signs that a change is near…….Sunday, I headed into the bike room and gave my ride some TLC……Nice bath, followed by a trip to Kozy’s bike shop to get the once over on the brakes, and advice on any changes needed in prep for the triathlon, topping things off with air in the tires!! I also purchased some grease remover for the ride, and off we went peddling up and down the Chi-city streets feeling free.....WHEeeee!! The end of Winter winds blowing across my cheeks, smells of the city following me around, and the random dudes that call out to me with some of the most ridiculous & sometimes RUDE statements(I'll keep it clean), “Heyyyy baby” or “can I come with you” or the best one yet, “can I get a ride in your crate”.....Yea, just what I'm interested in......that's HOTT.....NOT!! Once a guy circled the block in his car waited for me at a light just to say (in the most polite voice ever) “you look really cute on that bike” OK, that one made me blush…..Lol….. Oh how I love bike riding weather!! The dude in the bike shop was so helpful, and chuckled as I mentioned I would be taking my *trunk* (milk crate) off the back of my ride on tri day….”good idea” he said and also commented that it was “awesome” that I was participating in the tri. I’m attempting to get a bit better about fixing things on my bike, but I swear Menolike all that bike grease on my hands…..Ewwww…….Nevertheless this season I’m going to get down and dirty when my ride needs me……I’mma try…..Lol……I ruined a pair of gloves yesterday, as I cleaned all that grease off the chain....darn it! I ask dude about upcoming bike maintenance classes, "schedule will be up in a couple weeks" he responds……I'm going to attend one....We shall see if it helps! I believe people are hired to do what they’re good at, and that’s why I DON’T work at a bike shop…..Lol, but I always feel a little silly, once they show me how to fix a problem that would have taken me less than five minutes and less than $20.……TRUTH……..I’m such a princess underneath it all….Lol!!

Let the feet breathe....Chillin' on Lake Front!!

Well, when I put the key in the door Friday evening, I knew I would NOT be training on Saturday, NO HOW, NO WAY….no two hour yoga no spin class…..NOPE…….I needed to unplug from people and training…..I was not feeling like myself, I was physically tired, mentally spent and emotionally drained! When I feel like that, I like to stay away from groups of people, thankfully I had coverage for one of my Saturday classes, and the other was no biggie, as I slip in and out of there barley being noticed. I was also fighting off a bug, and felt all kinds of vulnerable…..Menolike, feeling vulnerable…..So instead, I spent 90 minutes hula hooping and practicing my hula tricks (my hoopers have no idea what I have in store for them )…..Wow, my abs were on fire the next day, this hooping is a great workout, not to mention it lifted my spirit’s a bit…..I make a be line home after hooping, Chi-city was full with a bunch of DRUNK folks, wearing Shamrock Green and actin’ the straight up FOOL!!! I mean these peeps were DRUNK at 9:00 am, kids runnin’ behind them or completely lost, yelling “mom, dad”……..Ewwww……I can’t get down with that, so home I went!!

Peace & My Laughing Buddha is what I needed....

Training today was Good, not great but good…….I decide to swim, bike, run, today…I was up at 05:45 meditation, then off to the gym to teach my 07:00 class…..I rode my bike to the gym! After class I move through my personal practice…..being back on the bike and spinning I moved into some asanas for hips, knees, hamstrings and quad, I do two variations of pigeon pose some seated leg work, Janu sirasana, Paschimottanasana and Hanuman pose….my inversion today sirasana (headstand) topped it off with a few other poses and some core work, then it was pool time…….John and I have not met in two weeks, both our schedules are crazy! We're going to scale back and meet two times per month instead of four…..which I think is good, it’s motivation for me to get in the water and practice what I’ve learned fom him…….motivation & dedication!! I swim six laps today, two laps practicing kicks, and four laps swimming……Swimming AIN’T NO JOKE!! I really feel the work in the upper and lower body….I’m sooooo thankful for my yoga breathing exercises I practice regularly, ‘cause, the lungs really work hard when ya swim……..I take my breaks when needed, I've noticed (but not attached), that I swam a bit further without a break on two of the laps……People are so friendly and helpful when they know your trying to accomplish something……I mean the support and advice I get from complete strangers in the pool is heart warming, it keeps me positive and focused on my journey!! It’s very obvious I’m learning how to swim, and the encouraging words are much needed and appreciated! There is one young lady, who I see all the time…she is a excellent swimmer…..today she say’s “you're looking great”, adding, “I’m so proud that you keep coming and just practicing” Awwww…..I feel like a swim dork sometimes, and peeps always know how to make me feel better!! Out of the pool with 10 min to spare before my spin class…..I dip in the hot tube for five minutes, when the dude who was swimming in the lane next to me say’s “nice swim” , “thanks I say”…….Peeps can be madd cool sometimes…..madd cool, I say!!!

Lovin' the Swim training!!

Spinning today…..Ugggh…..OK, so Heather was not there…..The sub was…….I’m going to leave the name and sex of the sub out of this post…..why…..because I’m gonna BUST them up! AWFUL, awful, awful, awful!!! I mean…….on the real…… I could have taught that class with no music and a blind fold on, it would have been better than what we were served up today!!! As a teacher I really refrain from criticizing other teachers or walking out of a class…..Arrggghh…..it took all I had to stay in that class today!! The first 15 minutes we rode with the lights up so bright that I could not focus, finally someone said “can you turn the lights down”……the teacher seemed annoyed and responded with a loud sucking of the teeth and “UGH, well OK!”……..WOW, WORD, teacher!?……WORD?!….I give the side eye…..and…..blank stare…..The music selection had to be a Timberland compilation CD, all I remember was Timberland, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, the ENTIRE CLASS……Ugggh…..the KICKER, this teacher was FATIGUED, I mean huffing and puffing in the mic……NO…. teacher was, PANTING in the mic, gasping for BREATH…..……REALLY?!…..blank stare….Oh, I so wanted to walk out, I stay ( I dislike walking out of a class)….. No direction, NO guidance, NO ENERGY….. just muttering a few words here and there……I tuned the teacher out……it was that or leave the class….I really think the entire class tuned the teacher out……I saw a few regular strong riders who looked just as annoyed as me, we all seemed to be on our own ride….the energy was scatterd and low……If ya gonna teach, TEACH! I don’t like when people do a half arse job……such a pet peeve of mine……TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK…..OR…..FIND NEW WORK!! It’s that simple…….I will NEVER, I mean NEVER take this teachers class again! Sorry, but that’s the truth!! I left that class a bit irritated…….wasteofmytime….Thank GOD I’m back on my bike ….. I took the long way home to make up for that pitiful spin…….Oh, at one point, the teacher asked, outloud..…..”where was I?”……..REALLY!! “Um, 9:30 spin @ WAC ring a bell?” I wanted to answer…..I just kept peddling…….

Hanuman (splits)

After that ummmm…..spin class?! I was full of energy, so I ran for 40 minutes, cranked my tunes and RAN!! I don’t know but every since I’ve increased my time in the pool my knees have been happy, happy, happy!……My runs have been enjoyable and stronger!! Soon I’m gonna take my runs outside……I’m a little nervous about that, because running outdoors is much different from running on the treadmill…….I’m already having flashbacks of my marathon training…….shudder, shudder……

Head time at the Lake..

Well.......I’m more than delighted to say, I need to go shopping for clothes that FIT!!! Yayyyyyyy, momma slimmin’ down and the clothes are falling off……I’ve been holding off so I don’t purchase a bunch of winter gear…….Oh, I’m so excited, I’m going to treat myself to some well deserved new rags….Ummmm, Yayyyy ME!!
After Friday……I need a pick me up…..I deserve it!! Gotta treat yourself well……I do it with balance, as I don’t believe in spending money just to spend it……Well I’ve learned that along the way…..nothing is special if you take advantage of it…….everything in moderation!!