Triathlon Training with a Bum Shoulder

This weekend I took the first step toward triathlon training and participated in a 3-hour swimming workshop focusing on technique and drills that should be the cornerstone of how I am to prepare for a half-mile swim. To sum it up: I'm a decent freestyle swimmer, but my breaststroke is so bad that I look like I need a lifeguard to blow a whistle and tell me I'm cut off. Until I took this workshop, I thought I was proficient enough in all four strokes. Nope. Not even close.

Actual photo of me trying not to drown after three hours of
swimming.

I have a shoulder injury that has been bugging me for nine years and counting, and I was relieved that the swimming neither bothered it nor did I feel any increased shoulder pain when I woke up this morning. My physical therapist friend took a look at it recently and confirmed it's in pretty bad shape, but unfortunately, there's not much I can do other than maintain flexibility and mobility until I'm ready to make peace with the idea of a surgeon cutting into one of the most important joints in my body. Surgery poses its own risks, though, so that is absolutely a last resort for me. For now, on the bad days I just live with chronic pain and take Ibuprofen when it flares up to the point where I can't sleep. On the good days, I barely notice it.

Extended Forearm Stand
Mother of Pearl Cami and Rockstar Shorts by INKnBURN

I'm sure it doesn't help that I spend a disproportionate amount of time practicing circus tricks like the pose above, but the yoga really helps keep my shoulder strong and flexible with careful, controlled movement. As long as my arm moves up toward my ear, I don't feel pain. I have to be careful with certain movements when opening my arm out wide and rotating it around from the joint. This might be part of the reason I find breaststroke particularly miserable. 

Two swimming sessions per week for the next few months was my coach's recommendation to be ready for my targeted triathlon. It's going to take some schedule-wrestling for me to work this into my weekly workout plan. Don't even get me started on the fact that I still have to 1) get a bike; and 2) actually ride it. 

The last time I rode a bike I was in Germany for the summer sometime in college. I may or may not have fallen off the bike in front of a ton of people while trying to navigate my way off a ferry, and there may have been more than one person laughing at me. This was before smart phones, thank goodness; otherwise, I'm fairly certain I would have ended up an internet meme sensation. 

Monday Humor: Don't Be This Yogi

I love Mondays because my favorite yoga instructor teaches a power vinyasa class in the late evenings. Every time I attend her class, I walk out of the hot room with my entire body feeling like putty. While I enjoy my quiet, at-home yoga practice (which is particularly great this time of year because the warmer temperatures mean I can do yoga in my backyard), nothing beats the dimly-lit 105° room filled with mirrors that prove I am capable of sweating enough to drown myself in the massive amount of sweat I produce in the span of one measly hour. Honestly, I think the amount of liquid pouring from my body during a good yoga session has the power to scare small children and grown adults alike.

Basic Side Angle Pose; Sarape Top and Skirt by INKnBURN

But that disgusting note aside, I had this comical set of thoughts rolling through my mind yesterday as I flew from Phoenix back to Seattle after a quick, whirlwind family reunion weekend. As a stupidly anxious flier (even though I *know* I'm safe), I usually have to pull out an entire bag of tricks to keep any looming anxiety attacks at bay. The flight was bumpy, and James got hit with what we think is a case of food poisoning just before boarding, so he was either busy accosting the single lavatory in the back of the small jet or writhing in agony in the window seat next to me. It was bad enough that I can't even make a joke about the dreaded MANCOLD.

In short, I had to occupy my hyperactive mind with a stupid movie that I won't bother naming, a glass of wine, and a list of my favorite yoga pet peeves, which I'd like to share:

1. The vocal yogi. You know which one I'm talking about. It's the person who moans and groans during every move. I find the moaning particularly annoying. Look, it's tough. I get it. But if you must be vocal, limit the use of noise to a few per practice or find a yoga place not specifically advertised as a "silent" room.
2. The I-am-so hot yogi. You know, the one checking themselves out in the mirror during every single pose. The occasional glance to check one's form is fine. The gawking is a little overboard, especially when duck face is involved. 
3. The let-me-take-a-selfie to show off how awesome I am yogi. Oops... I might be this one *cough*. Just not during class. Does it make it a little more bearable if I can make fun of myself? #sorrynotsorry
4. The smelly yogi. None of us smells particularly fresh during yoga practice in humid, triple-digit temperatures. That said, if I can smell your B.O. from six feet away, you need to pay more attention to your personal hygiene. We're supposed to be breathing through our noses during practice. Don't make this more difficult than it already is. Namaste. 
5. The over-extender yogi. You know who I'm talking about... the person who can sloppily make their way into an extended pose while skipping the basic just to prove they can do it, then they look around to make sure everyone sees them doing it. I sheepishly admit that I have been this person, and trust me, it's way cooler and much better practice if you surrender the ego, slow down, and breathe into each part of the pose before taking it to the next level with control. It can be even more impressive if you skip the extended pose and focus on having a strong and properly-aligned basic. #liveandlearn
6. The close-quarters yogi. I have personal space issues, so nothing annoys me more in the hot room than when someone lays their mat down too close to mine. I'm fine with having close neighbors during busy classes, but if there's plenty of room, there's no need to be bunkbed mates. I like to extend my arms without bumping into other people, and I have freakishly long arms. 
7. The gawker non-yogi. I rarely see this happen (thank goodness), but I always find it irritating when I see someone in there checking out all of us in our yoga tights. Don't be the guy or gal who goes to yoga with the intention of finding a date. We're there to practice yoga, not to have our backside checked out by a creeper. 
8. The farting yogi. Yup, I went there. One little slip is a forgivable offense, and I especially can't hate on postpartum moms because I know how rough it is having babies. If you let more than one rip, though, I hope you have the good sense to avoid eating chili, broccoli, and onions before going to your next class. If you feel a toot coming on, fake feeling spent and peacefully drop down into a relaxing tight-cheeked pose until the urge passes to let it blow.
9. The sick yogi. Look, if you're suffering from a little sinus pressure or some sniffles, I totally understand how therapeutic and medicinal sweating through a hot yoga class can be. However, if a massive amount of snot is draining out of your face, you're coughing up a tuberculosis-infected lung, or you're running a fever, please stay home. Don't be that jerk who gets all of us sick. You never know which one of us is a teacher or new mom or has a compromised immune system or an elderly parent at home, and exposing us to your infectious disease is just flat-out irresponsible. Stay home, drink some hot soup, and call your doctor. Don't be the sick yogi in class. Just don't.
10. The judgmental yogi. You know, that person who is supposed to be focusing on their practice, but they're secretly noticing the groaning, farting, body-odor and coughing peeps around them and plotting writing a blog post about it... #BUSTED 😂  

With all that said, my ego has calmed down extensively during the last few years of practicing yoga. While I used to always notice everyone around me, I rarely feel distracted by others these days. Instead, I really try to focus on the breath as I'm supposed to, and if I'm not feeling an extended pose, I stick to the basic one. It makes for a much more peaceful and rewarding practice.

Dancer Pose
Fire Rooster Top and Feather Capris by INKnBURN

Happy Monday! And if it's not a happy one, try adding some yoga to your day.

Training Pitfall: Overdoing It

A friend of mine dealing with a reoccurring injury recently reminded me of a common fitness and dietary pitfall that I have felt myself fall into on more than one occasion: overdoing it.

How often do we find ourselves becoming excited and feeling pumped about a new diet or exercise, begin it with a bang, and fall off the wagon a few days or weeks into our new trend due to injury or just the inability to continue doing something so drastically different than what we were doing before?

I have always prided myself on being the type of person who is dedicated enough to stick by a new "thing" I decide to adopt. When my friend dragged me to a hot yoga class for the first time, I did it with the understanding that if I found it to be a challenging yet positive experience, it was going to become part of my life. When the same friend convinced me to get off my lazy bum and start running to train for a half marathon, it took me a couple of weeks to commit because I knew that if I was going to run that race, I was also going to stick with running until my legs or my heart give out. Or, you know, until I get hit by a speeding bus... whichever happens first. The truth is, I always wanted to be a runner, but I was afraid of it after being such a weak teammate on my high school track and cross country teams. Learning that I have a minor heart issue, which limits my speed, was a frustrating diagnosis, but it also shed light on why I struggled with running so much when I was younger despite how hard I trained. It also lit a fire in me to press on in the face of adversity.

Yoga and running were both activities that, because I knew I was going to stick with them, I took the "slow and steady wins the race" approach. I started with a once per week beginning hot power yoga class. Even though I wanted to race to the top because it was something I felt my years of dance and background of martial arts made it possible for me to learn quickly, I forced myself to take my time. I didn't go daily. I let the next-day burn in my muscles simmer until I walked it off. I spent time trying to understand how each pose worked, how to modify as a beginner, and months later, I added a second hot yoga class each week. I added running to the mix a few months after I felt like I was getting the hang of yoga, and I started with a 3x/week walk/jog method that eventually turned into a slow run.

I wish I had a "before" photo for comparison. I have
come a long way in the three years I have been
practicing yoga.
Sakura Singlet and Mejiro Shorts by INKnBURN.

Despite knowing that this slow approach usually brings me to what I consider success in a new endeavor, I'd like to share two recent "I failed because I overdid it" examples: 1) I fell off the "Iron Strength for Runners" cliff (remember that post from months ago?); and 2) I didn't make it through my March core workout goal. Not even close. When both of these "oops, I fell off the wagon" examples happened, I felt more apathetic about my failures than I would expect. Considering how driven I normally feel when I set a goal for myself, I was kind of irritated by my own nonchalance. Especially because both goals were something I committed to as necessary cross-training for Ragnar and the potential triathlon I may do this year.

Delving deeper into this attitude, I realized something that seems rather obvious now: when I jump into a new activity full-force rather than taking my time, it is because my expectations are out of alignment with reality. I am expecting immediate results despite knowing that they are both rare and unsustainable without constant maintenance, and my practice is ego-driven rather than coming from a place of desiring true self-improvement. I want to look and feel the end result without committing to the good, bad, and ugly of the practice necessary to achieve the goal. When this is my mindset, I will inevitably fail.

True change takes time, commitment, character, and a letting go of the ego that often drives us. With this in mind, I realize now that the only way to become stronger is to start over. Rather than doing the full 60-minute Iron Strength workout or the daily core strengthening workout, I need to back off and start slow.

"When ego is lost, limit is lost. You become infinite, kind, beautiful."

                        - Yogi Bhajan

New goals:

1. Iron Strength workout for 20 minutes once per week until it becomes habit, then slowly increase.
2. Forget about adding a separate core workout for now. Cover that workout with yoga practice and Iron Strength instead.

Playing in the Snow

I know that Sunday was the Super Bowl, but this photo sums up how I spent my day...

Just before my friend took that picture on Sunday morning, we went for an icy, somewhat miserable run that ended with running face-first into a mixture of rain and snow and increasingly colder wind for the last mile or so. By nightfall, my backyard looked something like this:

SNOWMAGEDDON: Seattle Edition 2017

Now you might be thinking, "Um, so what?"... to which this Arizona-born gal is going to respond, "HOLY SH** YOU GUYS! IT'S SNOWING!!!"

Though Seattle may have a reputation for rain and chilly weather, snow is relatively uncommon here. When white fluffy stuff does occasionally fall from the sky, it usually dusts the ground in a few patchy, half-melted areas and sticks around for less than a day.

With that being said, we have been covered in a layer of several inches of actual snow since Monday morning, and the entire Greater Seattle area has been a gorgeous winter wonderland that included my kids' first "snow days" from school. And, because James' flight arrived from India and his taxi couldn't make it up our neighborhood hill, I got to watch him trek his way through the snow lugging his suitcase while wearing pajama bottoms. I'm not going to lie... I thought this was pretty hilarious and proceeded to snap photos of him rather than help. Don't judge me. He was laughing, too.

Nothing to see here, folks. Keep moving along.

Due to the weather, we have had a mellow and fun couple of days off. While my girls enjoyed playing in the snow for several hours with their neighborhood friends, my close neighbor friend who coerced me into trying yoga and running (which, by the way, I am eternally grateful to her for this) came up with the great idea to drag a couch into my front yard so we could drink hot coffee and watch our kids have the time of their lives while lounging comfortably. It was a great couple of days, and I took the opportunity to play a little in the snow myself because no one ever told me that I have to act like an adult all the time.

Learn from me and wear gloves before trying this at home.
Lotus Pullover and Blue Cable Knit Capris by INKnBURN

Every once in awhile I have this realization that I am now the age that I once considered to be kind of "old." In my early twenties while working at a ballroom dance studio, a few of my friends were in their mid-thirties, and I always thought - wow, when I'm their age I hope I'm in as good of shape and as young-seeming as they are.

I think it's safe to say that at thirty-five, I'm not that old.

Sunrise

Regardless of your race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, size, economic status, political beliefs, nationality, occupation, hobbies, habits, health, abilities, history, dreams for the future, and anything else that could possibly be questioned of you, today and always I wish you peace, love, kindness, and acceptance.

I have always been afraid of the dark, but I've learned to remind myself that without the darkness of night I could not possibly appreciate the beauty of the light of day. Sunrise is inevitable, even on the longest and darkest of nights.

Namaste.

Hoodie and Capris by INKnBURN

Soaring With INKnBURN - An Honest Product Review

As I have mentioned many times, my favorite athletic wear is designed and made by a small company in California called INKnBURN. Why am I obsessed with their gear? It's simple, really... just look at this gorgeous butterfly tech shirt and tights!

The Soaring Tech Shirt and Tights set is the most recent duo released by the company that completely broke all my self control and left me screaming, "Shut up and take my money!" I think I ordered it the same day it was advertised because FOMO is a very real thing for me and there's absolutely no cure for it when I do miss out on a favorite design.

And streeeeeetch.... ahhhh.

Decent athletic clothing can be both difficult to find and a bit on the pricey side, so I will admit I was skeptical of branching out and trying the brand. None of their products are sold locally, so I had to trust their online size chart and customer reviews. Luckily, I also have some friends in town who had already purchased some of their clothing, and they assured me it was both worth the price and accurate sizing-wise.

I have already had the chance to wear this latest set multiple times, so I'd like to give you an honest opinion of the products. Why? As someone who has worked for small businesses for the majority of my professional life, I want to be supportive of companies who deserve a shout out. And trust me, INKnBURN is definitely deserving of a massive cheer and pat on the back. Heck, I'd throw them a huge party if I could because I cannot rave enough about their apparel.

Here's a breakdown of what I love about the Women's Soaring Tech Shirt and Women's Soaring Tights (and all of the other INKnBURN pieces that I own, for that matter):

• The artwork on every piece they create is amazing, and the colors do not fade or bleed onto my skin or other clothing despite sweating enough to create a flood, excessive wearing, and constant washings. One of my favorite aspects of this design is that it is just as intricate on the back as it is on the front. I'm hoping that when I wear them for an upcoming race that the people running behind me will enjoy looking at my backside so much that they'll forget to pass me. 

Front view of the fabulous Soaring butterfly design

At least my roadkill gets to enjoy the bright colors on my behind?

• The tech shirt fabric used is high quality, stretchy, moisture-wicking, extremely breathable, and silky soft against my skin. 
• Sweat stains are invisible against the butterfly pattern, which is nothing short of a miracle for those of us particularly sweaty folks *cough*....

Yup. That happened. I should have
worn an INKnBURN shirt.

• The seams are flat, mostly double-sewn for durability, and the stretchy thread used is soft and not scratchy. For someone with sensitive skin like me, this is a necessity. Additionally, the seam on the back of the neck is covered by a soft layer of smooth fabric in place of a tag. I find this far more comfortable than other popular tech shirt brands, many of which leave the seam on the back of the neck exposed. I took a close-up photo of my Soaring Tech Shirt to show the neck seam and the inside stitching vs. that of one of my other tech tops below. You should be able to click on the photo to enlarge it.

Soaring INKnBURN Shirt Stitching vs.
Bright Orange Brand-Not-Mentioned Tech Shirt Stitching

• In comparison to the shirt, the tights are made of a thicker, very smooth fabric that feels like a second skin and breathes well. They have a snug fit, which I prefer because they don't creep down while I'm running, but they're not quite as tight as compression wear. Like the shirt, the seams are flat and smooth.
• Like the INKnBURN capris, the full-length Soaring tights do not chafe me in the *ah hem* upper-most thigh area where the seams of the diamond crotch meet the seam of the upper thigh during long runs. I have had this problem with some of my other full-length tights made by other brands recently, so this is a HUGE plus for me. I shouldn't be surprised, though, because all of their gear is tested by ultra runners. In other words, crazy super-humans test out the tops and bottoms and other items by running distances of 50K to 100 miles at a time wearing these clothes before they are deemed worthy of selling to the public. 
• Bonus feature: a camouflage pocket big enough to hold your phone on the thigh!

Soft, perfectly stitched seams and surprise! a pocket!

• One of my favorite features is the wide waistband, which fits comfortably over my hips to about my belly button. After birthing two humans, this is exactly where I like my running and yoga pant waistbands to sit. If you prefer a lower rise, the waistband folds over to reveal more beautiful design work. 
• Additional bonus feature: stretchy drawstring hidden in the waistband!

Confession: I haven't needed to use the drawstring yet.

While I have obviously found my activewear soulmate, no review would be honest without the inclusion of a wish list:

• I would love to see the option of petite sizes in the future for all my teeny friends out there. These tights are quite long. If you are a petite peep and prefer not to fold or bunch the ankles, you may want to consider purchasing a pair of the INKnBURN capris instead of the full-length tights. For reference, I am a long-limbed 5'6" (though I'm going to sheepishly admit that sometimes I tell people I'm 5'7" because I thought I actually was that height until my husband measured me in recent years), and these fit me perfectly with plenty of wiggle room if I had even longer legs.
• It would be great to see this print ending in a wider leg in addition to the tights-style leg. For those with extremely muscular calves, the compression may be a bit more than you like. Again, if this is the case, I do recommend the capris as I find them a little stretchier through the calf area, or you should check out a pair of their performance pants, which afford more room in the lower leg. 

Finally, I want to comment about the prices because I used to balk when purchasing a tech shirt that I didn't find on the clearance rack at Target, and now I am more than willing to throw my cash at INKnBURN like a lovestruck teenager screaming at a Justin Bieber concert. Here's the bottom line: you get what you pay for. The prices are better than what I've purchased from Lululemon, and comparable to other high-quality activewear. What I feel really sets INKnBURN apart from other companies is that all of their products are made here in the USA. I love supporting a small business with high integrity and good business practices, so it is no surprise that I was thrilled to also find that their clothing performs second to none. 

Happy Toe-Standing, INKnBURN-Wearing Yogi

If you love the Soaring print as much as I do, you can purchase them here and here. If they're sold out of your size, keep checking back. They will not get more in stock BUT they will certainly come out with a new must-have print soon. 

The Beginning of a Good Thing

Four years ago, I was in the worst shape of my life. Due to a random favor of genetics stemming from the line of tall, lean humanoids in my family, I was not overweight. My 5'6" body, however, was soft and somewhat flabby in all the wrong places, my energy level comparable to that of a sloth's, my exercise and eating habits at an all-time low. I walked somewhat regularly and enjoyed hiking, but that was the extent of my physical activity.

I had lost all the baby weight gained from growing and birthing two giant infants, but I had never returned to my previous early-twenties professional ballroom dancer physique. While I did not expect my body to appear identical to my pre-baby state, I did expect to eventually feel strong and healthy again. Much to my despair, neither attribute reappeared willingly. Mental illness, prescription medication, and a stressful career involving sitting on my rump in front of a computer several hours a day did not help my physical state, either. What a shocker, right?

At the height of my unhealthiness, I backpacked the Grand Canyon for the second time in my life. Yes, I realize that I had to be in somewhat decent shape to handle that kind of rigorous activity, but trust me, I was miserable. Not evident in the photo below was my belly bulging over the top of my pants - I really should have sized up, but I had ordered them online and did not have time nor the money to purchase a new pair before the trip. I remember hoping they would stretch out over the few days I would be wearing them - they didn't - and discreetly unbuttoning them to sit comfortably. Also not shown was the fact that a bipolar trigger had me pondering the very real possibility of stepping off over a cliff and putting an end to it all. Don't let the lovely red rock behind me and cute headband fool you. That smirk on my face says it all. I was not well, physically or mentally, when this photo was taken.

Stuffing my face with an energy bar while backpacking in 2012.

When we returned home from that trip, we were faced with some of the most stressful months of our lives as we sold a house that had been built in 1900 and moved our family to a new home in a much safer neighborhood. I am fairly certain I gained a few pounds and was in even worse shape after that, but there appears to be a lack of photographic evidence; probably because I shied away from the camera knowing I was going to feel bad about what I saw. That wasn't who I wanted to be, and I was miserable.

In hindsight, the move to our new house was where my journey to health began.

So what changed? Almost everything. I switched to primarily eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet, began exercising several times per week, made some great friends, and most importantly, I decided I wanted to live a healthy life. Sounds easy, right? No, I'm kidding. I know that none of the life choices I made were easy. They took years to incorporate, and they are a constant work in progress. But they were essential, and they eventually became habit to my state of being.

It all started with diet. Having been raised in a health-conscious family, I was well aware that frequent eating out, loads of carbohydrates and sugar, and highly processed foods blah blah blah were, in general, a bad idea. With an hour-long commute into Seattle, two young daughters, and full-time jobs, cooking dinner daily seemed impossible. It wasn't, but it took some time to figure out how to meal plan and do the shopping on the weekends to ensure we didn't pick up crap from a drive-through on our way home.

Next, I made a wonderful friend who lives only two doors down. Usually too reserved to seek out new friendships, I happened to get into a long conversation with her over wine at another neighbor's fire pit get-together one night. We had a ton in common with young children, similar upbringings, type A personalities, and instantly became good friends. One day several months after moving to the neighborhood, we had a text conversation that went like this:

A:    Want to come to a hot yoga class with me?

Me:  No.

A:    You should really come with me.

Me:  OMG no. Not happening.

A:     Please? You would LOVE it! Your body feels AMAZING afterwards!

Me:  Okay fine. I'll do one class with you. ONE CLASS.

Three years later, I am still hooked on hot yoga, particularly the power vinyasa classes. It's all my friend's fault, and I am forever grateful that she convinced my unwilling, stubborn (flabby) ass to leave the house and sweat miserably, all limbs shaking pathetically, in 105-degree heat. That week following my first yoga class, I experienced whole-body muscle soreness that rivaled the intensity of birthing my second daughter in the middle of my living room (true story).

I started slowly, taking one class a week for a few months. When recovering from the muscle soreness in between classes limited itself to only a couple days, then I started going twice per week. I have kept that habit for nearly three years now, and I went from struggling to hold Downward Dog for more than a few breaths to enjoying all kinds of crazy poses that I never thought I would be able to do.

Amazing capris and top from INKnBURN.
And yes, my walls really are painted like that.

October 2016 - Pasty White Girl Yoga Skillz

Months after beginning yoga, my friend once again convinced me to do something I considered borderline insane. That conversation went something like this:

A:    I want you to run a half marathon with me.

Me:  No. I hate running. 

A:    You should really run a half marathon with me. You would LOVE it.

Me:  In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'd willingly be eaten first just so I don't have to run. 

A:    Please? It's not until June, so you have plenty of time to train.

Me:  Ugh... I'll think about it.

Eighteen weeks later, I crossed the finish line of that race having run the entire 13.1 miles. It was tough and I may have cried a little along the way, but I did it.

2014 Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Finish Line

And thus began the start of an incredible few-year journey to where I am today. I am in the best shape of my life, and yet, I have so many more physical and mental health goals to achieve. None of it has been easy, but if I have learned anything in the last four years, it is that health is definitely worth the uphill battle.