Day 94: Snowy With A Chance of Sweat

At 6:45 a.m. my friend Laura and I went to Down Dog Yoga in Georgetown.  Down Dog is a Baptiste style yoga studio that cranks the heat to 95 degrees and has around 50% humidity to enhance a yogi’s bendy practice.  I immediately started to sweat and within 15 minutes of class starting I had a puddle forming on my mat.  The  sweat eventually dripped into my eyes, ears and mouth; each salty drop was met with a contentment.  The happiness was not only because I would be done sweating for the day before 8 a.m., rather it was the reflecting on the first time I timidly stepped into that studio two years ago with no yoga background- terrified of power yoga, yogi’s and tight clothing.  Today I boasted strong backbends, powerful warrior’s and comfortably sported a tight shirt while practicing next to a peaceful friend.   The way that life changes over time truly astouds me.

After practice finished, I quickly made my way home to say goodbye to my family and get on the road to Ohio.  Mike and I finally pulled into his parent’s driveway after eight hours on the road and the threat of treacherous driving conditions the last two hours.   It looks like tomorrow’s workout might include some playing in the snow or at least shoveling the driveway a few times throughout the day.  OH (IO), how I missed you!!

Day 93: Nostalgia

Typically my workouts consist of a yoga/running combination, but due to a long trip across the country my version of working out is going to vary everyday.  This morning I went on an hour-long walk with a friend through downtown DC and past the White House.  What I love about this city is all of the historical buildings, unique architecture and the thousands of companies headquarters.  It just makes walking seem more fun since my mind is busier than the multiple Occupy DC sites we passed. 

After the walk my fiance and I picked up a 16 foot moving truck and emptied out the storage unit that my life has been sitting in for the past seventeen months.  I was feeling very nostalgic for parts of my past while looking at my belongings covered in cobwebs and dust.  However, the nostalgia quickly passed when I glanced up and saw my fiance carrying all of my heavy boxes.  My future, carrying my past.  It was actually a comforting thought to think about and a beautiful thing to watch- and not just because he was carrying the heavy things.   Tomorrow we leave for a stint in our hometown of Columbus, OH before making the trek back to Denver.  More friends, family and loved ones to come and I could not be more thrilled.

*A tip to Denver readers:  if you have been wanting to tryout a barre class then checkout today’s Groupon for Purre Barre:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/pure-barre-denver-2?c=all&p=5

Day 91: Baby It’s Cold Outside

Day 91:  One of the worst feelings in the world to me is getting out of a warm bed on a cold day and today I had to do that twice.  That might sound lazy, but let me explain!  Mike and I had to drive from Washington, DC to Norfolk, VA at 3:30 a.m. for him to finish up some paperwork to process out of the Navy.  We were back in the District eating pizza by 1:30 p.m.  We were tired puppies.

When we got home we both crashed for about 90 minutes, which only left time for a quick 45 minute workout.  We raced down to the gym in my parents building and did our own respective body moving.  I’ll admit, I was incredibly low energy.  I kept going back to the warm bed lazy feeling and then I’d think about this and perk my bod right up:  Denver Post Debut

Needless to say, that helped me get through the busy day.  Now I am off with my darling man, big brother, Mom and Step Dad to celebrate Michael being out of the Navy!  Afterwards, I get to reunite with some old DC pals.  I’d say today is pretty wonderfully, perfectly, fantastically (cold)!

Day 90: Tranquil Space

Day 90: I lived in Washington, DC for a year and a half and did not stumble upon Tranquil Space until the last two months of my time here.  Once I started practicing here it instantly became my favorite studio in the city. It is tucked into the bustling heart of Dupont Circle, yet when I step inside the entryway I am immediately calmed by the cozy relaxed feel.

Today I went to an open flow class with my friend Stacy.  The class was packed mat to mat, each mat filled with a seemingly skilled yogi.  The instructor, Siobhan, has studied under well-known yogi’s Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste and loads of other dreamy practitioners.  Her love for the practice shines through like the sun on a bluebird day.  She found her way over to adjust me numerous times and I felt incredibly lucky to be given so much special attention.  I’d like to think that it was not because of my lack of skill, but because she could feel how happy I am and she was drawn to me.  Yep, that was definitely it.

Days 88 & 89: Livin’ It Up In The Capital

Day 88:  I apologize for the lack of daily blogs, but my life is overflowing with love, family, friends, food, wine, beaches and travels right now.  Finding the time to write has proved difficult.  Yesterday I crammed in a 53 minute worked at the Navy Fitness Center in Norfolk while Mike spent some time wrapping up his time in the Navy.  I did a sprint workout on the treadmill, weight lifting circuits with a ton of ab work crammed in between sets to make it higher intensity.  It was fun working out in a Naval facility, they have great cable.  It makes it hard to get off a cardio machine.  Seriously.

After that, we drove up to Washington, DC to spend some time with a few members of my family.  My Mom, Step-Dad and brother took us out to our favorite restaurant, Central, to celebrate Mike’s return home.   It was a nice reminder of why I workout as much as I do;  to ensure that I can continue to eat whatever I want.  Cheese puffs, mushroom risotto, lobster burger and a chocolatey desert?  Don’t mind if I do…

Day 89:  Today Michael and I ran 5.5 miles together from my parents house in Glover Park up to American University, over towards the National Cathedral, down around the Naval Observatory, through embassy row, ending in Georgetown for a brunch date with my friend Stacy.  This was our first time running together in six months and I was able to keep up with Mike a little better than I have in the past.  We stayed at a 9.15 pace for the whole time and were able to hold a conversation for the majority of the run.  It’s a good feeling to know that this challenge is paying off in numerous ways.  Building up my speed is definitely an added bonus.  And if I continue to eat the way that I did last night, there is no amount of speed or distance that can save my waistline…