Today didn't start very well. Lots of nighttime troubles in the wee hours of the morn including some shrieks that probably woke up my neighbors. I am, unfortunately, plagued by nightmares (this is an ongoing problem that has been ongoing since I can remember being able to dream).
After several hours of no sleep, I wake up with a start and glance at the clock. Five til nine! Oh NO! I am not going to make yoga! (Yoga starts at 9am). Quickly grab the phone to find out what happened to my alarm....Whew! It's only 7:57am, not 8:57 am.
Get up, still feeling terrible, and get ready for the day. Get to yoga, am there 10 minutes before class starts, and am in a modified corpse pose, waiting for the class to begin. My friend who is my hero because he agreed to take the class with me shows up, and we chat a little. I'm still not really in the mood to be at class. Still trying to get beyond the nightmares and hours of lying restlessly awake.
The class begins and we move faster this time, through more poses. Stork pose into tree (my favorite!). I feel centered, and I think I am a tree. I feel firm and solid in my foot, my root, and I reach up high, growing towards the sun--growing, growing, growing. After moving out of the pose, I realize how much more balanced I have become as a tree. I'm proud of this achievement, and I think about how much I love this pose: how it has helped my mental health and my physical. We even do a half moon pose in the class today, which helps me feel beautiful and flexible, very strong.
At the end of class, as I'm taking my last sun-breath, I realize I feel good: extremely good. The bad mood, the anxiety, and the stress of the night have completely left me. I'm ready for a run.
And run I do. I'm still on the treadmill because the track is hurting my shins so. Shorter runs I can do on the track, but 3+ miles is better left for a shock-absorbing treadmill. I ran fast. I am amazed. I have never run this fast on a treadmill before--not for extended periods of time. I am running a 6.0/6.4/6.7 run. I'm a little over 3 miles in 30 minutes (largely because I warm up with a 1-minute 4.0mph walk, which means I have to make up the rest in some quicker moves to get rid of that essentially lost minute). <--Why do I do this? Because the rec limits our treadmill time to 30 minutes. I get my run in and am impressed with myself. 3.04m in 30 mins. I'm keeping to work on it. I'm going for speed, not so much distance, because I know the two work together anyway. After my run, I decide it's lifting time.
Not just lifting time, though. It's "go up on weight day." I move from 15 pounds to 20 (10 per hand, since they don't have a 20 pound bar, which is what I wanted to use). This is tough, but I make it through two full sets. I bump up my legs to 25 pounds (legs can always take more weight than arms, for me anyway). I do ok the whole way through. I'm struggling, and it's tough, but I know I'll get stronger. I don't need massive muscles, and taking 3 months to go up 5 pounds total is not a big deal. I figure it will be a nice long while before I really have to start using the boys machines. Maybe I'll just move to more reps when I hit the most weight I want to lift. We'll see.
I also get in my ab workout, but I'm not feeling so good now. I think I strained a muscle in my neck and shoulders when using the new weight. I'm not sure how or which muscle or during which move, but I definitely have a slight injury.
I decide it's time for the sauna and about time to get home. 5 minutes in the sauna feels like heaven, and I leave the locker room only to find there is a guys' volleyball tournament going on in the gym! I'm so very excited! Volleyball is my ultimate favorite sport. There is no better sport in the world; it is truly amazing. (Did I mention, I used to play?) I take up residency watching the game. I can't help but cry out "help it, help it!; get to it! sweet! nice! ACE! good get! nice dig!" I'm sure the other spectators are irritated, especially because I'm not routing for one team; rather, I'm just excited by the game. I'm full energy, just watching. It's like magic, and I find I can't stop smiling.
The game ends, and I look at the clock. I have work to do, so I unhappily and unfortunately tear myself away from the next game, and go home.
It was a great day at the rec. I seriously considered staying there the whole day. I considered biking some and walking, or watching more games, but ultimately, I knew I had to leave. And now here I am, still avoiding my work! I just can't let go of a morning that really turned my emotions around.
~Court
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