Exercise Adventure: Ashtanga Yoga

I mentioned yesterday that I had returned to Yoga after a hiatus. It's funny... I love Yoga...but I am so inconsistent about it. And since I am inconsistent, I never really get "good" at it. Last Sunday was my first class in months, and it felt so good that I promised myself I would do better from now on.

When I woke up yesterday, I thought to myself, "How should I spend my last free Friday?" (After today, I will go back to working Monday-Friday instead of Monday-Thursday.) I scoped out the Yoga offerings at the gym we belong to, but there wasn't anything for today except beginner Yoga, and I didn't want that. Then I remembered Om Yoga in Fort Mill.

Last summer, I really wanted to try out Om Yoga, but I never got around to it. So today, when I saw there was a noon class (AND first visits are free), I decided to give it a go.

Only one problem: what the heck was Ashtanga Yoga?!

I've taken Power Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga... But never Ashtanga. I called the studio to see if they thought I would be able to take the class (being a little out of practice) and they said to come on and give it a try. It turns out that Ashtanga Yoga is like Power Yoga, but the series of poses and flow is always the same. Sometimes the instructor gives out a handout with the sequence on it to the group and you can choose to follow the instructor or go at your own pace.

I loved the way the girl at the front desk showed me around and kind of told me where I might want to set up. She also helped me to feel at ease about taking the class. The studio is really pretty and SO different from a typical aerobics room.

While I was waiting for the class to begin, I started a conversation with one of the other participants. She said, "Have you ever been here before?" When I told her I was new, she said, "And you started with THIS class?! This class is HARD!"

I thought to myself... "What have I gotten myself into???"

(What's with the footprints on my mat? I must have walked right over it in my dusty flip flops!)

 

Class began the way a typical yoga class might begin- with a purpose statement. I knew right away that I really liked the instructor. She was very real and calm and funny, too!

Then came something that was way different from other classes. We started chanting! We said a mantra together, and I literally have no idea what we said because I am pretty sure it was in Sanskrit. Seriously, I am not joking. At this point, I was still wondering if I should run for the hills.

But once we got going, it was awesome! It was hard, but I was so proud of myself for being able to keep up! I loved the hands-on personal attention the instructor gave everyone. If you weren't lined up quite right, she would come over and "fix you." I thought it would be weird for someone to come over and push or pull on my body during Yoga, but it really wasn't weird. I promise.

The first 30-40 minutes of class was intense- lots of sun salutations, quick flow. But then we moved to slower poses and finally down to the floor. At the end, I was dripping with sweat!

Then came the best part. Just before the Savasana, the teacher came around and dropped a lavendar-scented, cold wet towel onto our mats to put over our eyes. Umm...can I just tell you that it was absolute heaven? Those few minutes of Savasana were probably the most relaxed moments of my week.

I can't wait to go back and try out some more of their classes, and now I don't have to be scared of Ashtanga Yoga any more.

If you're local, you should definitely check them out!

Namaste, y'all.

 

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Fitnessy Weekend: Electric Run and National Dance Day!

Happy Sunday, friends! I'm a little under the weather today, so I sent the husband to church without me. Mucinex and Drop Dead Diva on Netflix are helping me through the morning.

How was your weekend? The first half of the weekend was pretty full of action. Friday night, my friend Allison and I headed to Charlotte for the Electric Run! Here's a little recap/review of the Electric Run for you!

I actually registered for this run way back in the spring. I thought a night run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway sounded pretty interesting and exciting. I intended to do a little more running this summer... but I just hate to run when it is hot outside. Ugh!

The Electric Run Course at Charlotte Motor Speedway

 

However, lucky for me, the night of the Electric Run was surprisingly (uncharacteristically) cool! Allison and I (and about 20,000 other people) gathered at the gigantic start line.

 

This is BY FAR the largest 5K i have ever participated in. The Electric Run is so big that they have to release people at the start line in "waves" of about 1,000 people at a time. Believe it or not, when I FINISHED the race, there were actually people still waiting to START! We were in the 3rd or 4th wave, starting around 9:20 p.m.

If you do the Electric Run, you will not need your headphones- there is a speaker system set up all along the route with music. And there are tons of cool light displays set up all along the route, too. I had to stop a few times and snap a coupe of pics. (Where are the Google Glasses when you need them?!)

 

My time wasn't awesome- 44 minutes. But I will take that, considering I have not been running routinely. My first mile was about 14 minutes. Mile 2 was my quickest at 12-13 minutes. Which means I was dragging a$$ on mile 3, at about 17 minutes! Oh no! I need to work on my endurance.

After you cross the finish line, there is a huge after party. I have to say, I was blown away by the after party. It was HUGE. I was expecting a DJ and some dancing and people standing around chatting. Nope. It was actually a full-on RAVE.

For a minute I thought I was back in that episode of 90210 when everyone goes to the Rave and Emily gives Brandon Ecstasy. It was a little insane. Or a lot insane.

So overall... It was definitely an interesting experience. Would I do it again? Maybe...it was pretty expensive, as far as 5ks run. (It was over $50) But it was pretty cool. We also encountered a lot of traffic on the way in, but we realized we were caught up in TI/Lil Wayne Concert traffic. (Taking place about 2 miles away on the same night).

Thinking of doing the Electric Run? I would definitely recommend getting there early so that you can be in one of the first waves. I would HATE to be starting the race at 10:00 or after. Also, even though Electric Run claims this is a "family friendly" event... I would leave the kids at home. It's really loud, and there are definitely some drunk runners using some not-so-kid-friendly language. Get a babysitter. Unless your children are into getting their rave on.

You'd think that after running a late-night 5K that I would, sleep in, but Saturday was National Dance Day! So...I was u bright and early to help my friend Ashley and host a 90-minute Zumba class to celebrate! Aother instructor friend, Jennie, also came to help. It was so much fun teaching together, and we had such a fun group of ladies dancing with us! Happy National Dance Day!

(Photo credit: Ashley)

 

Now, THAT is what I call a "fitnessy weekend." How was YOUR weekend?

 

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Cutest Soccer Player in the World...

 

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Outdoorsy Weekend & Baked Chicken Wings

How was everyone's St. Patrick's Day? I really had a planning fail. Being Scotch-Irish, I really should have planned better and made something Irish yesterday. Oops. Being a food blogger, that kinda should've been on my radar.

Let me back up a bit and tell you about our weekend. First of all, the weather was amazing-- close to 80 degrees Saturday AND Sunday! It really gave me a case of spring fever. On Saturday, we took advantage of the warm temps and spent the afternoon riding bikes and hanging out at the park.

Then on Sunday, we hit the local St. Patrick's Day festival. You know, it is funny how things change over time. A few years back, I would have spent most of my time drinking green beer. There actually was no green beer, just regular beer. And, we spent a lot of time in the kiddie area anyway.

There were fried pickles...

and lots of opportunities for people-watching, that's for sure!

We headed home for dinner because I was making baked wings!

So simple, you really can't call it a recipe, but it turns out great every time!

Simple and Delicious Baked Hot Wings

 

1. Put your chicken wings in a ziplock bag.

2. Dump in a generous amount of Frank's Hot Sauce and marinate for an hour or more.

3. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Brush on extra hot sauce (if desired) after baking.

5. Enjoy with celery! (I also added jalapeño-stuffed green olives!)

 

Happy Monday, everyone!

 

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Power Breakfast: Sausage and Asparagus Scramble

Happy Saturday, peeps! And happy St. Patrick's Day Weekend! Are you wearing green this weekend and drinking green beverages and eating green food? I know I have lots of friends who are. We have big plans to hit a kids' birthday party and possibly go to a baseball game today. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so we want to take advantage of the sun and mild temperatures!

Breakfast first, though, ok?

If you are looking for breakfast ideas... You may also want to check out some of these posts!

The Ever-Popular Mimi's Christmas Breakfast

Sour Cream Coffee Cake (indulgence!)

Paleo Power Breakfast with Sweet Potatoes and Sausage

I mentioned on Facebook and Twitter last night that I had a new favorite power breakfast. This is my third time making this meal this week. It is fairly quick and very filling, and most importantly, it is delicious!

Sausage and Asparagus Scramble

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. ground breakfast sausage (I like Earth Fare's sausage or Neese's if I am at a regular grocery store)
• About 6-8 thin asparagus spears, chopped into thirds or fourths
• A few slices of thinly sliced red onion (I just use a little for flavor)
• A few mushroom pieces (fresh)
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Then add your sausage. Break up as it cooks.
2. When sausage is starting to brown but is still a little pink inside, add your veggies. You really don't need any additional cooking fat because the sausage has its own.
3. Sauté the veggies and sausage until the veggies are crisp-tender. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low.
4. Once the sausage and veggies are done, add your eggs to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring to scramble the eggs with the veggies and sausage.
5. Serve hot (with coffee, of course!)

I added a small grapefruit to my breakfast and it was delicious!

Here is a short picture tutorial...

 

Veggie mix from Trader Joe's

 

Browning the sausage...

 

Breaking up the sausage as it browns...

 

Add the veggies...

 

Add the eggs (not pictured)...

 

Serve!

Enjoy!

 

I am looking forward to seeing where the weekend takes us! I plan to do some dancing, some running/walking, and who knows what else!

You know, back in January, I thought about tracking my mileage for this year to see how many miles I walked or ran this year. Of course, I didn't do it, so now I am trying to backtrack and think about what might be a good estimate. I think that I have probably covered about 18 miles so far. I actually think that is a low estimate, but better low than high. I plan to creat some kind of ticker that I can post so that you can keep track of my progress when you visit the blog. I also thought about setting a mileage goal, but I think for now I am going to stick with just tracking. I also have been doing lots of Zumba and dance fitness, since I teach twice a week and attend other classes from time to time when I can. I wish I could track "miles danced!"

 

How about you? What are your fitness goals for this year? How are they going?

 

Sadie has started soccer and is loving it! Here are a few pictures of her in her soccer gear as she was kicking the ball around the yard.

 

Random thought... As I was typing up this post, Sadie was watching The Lorax.

 

You know what? This movie is pretty darn deep. It really makes you think!

 

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Real Women Sweat

Hey friends.  I bet you thought I forgot about you.  I didn’t.  One of these days soon I will be blogging regularly again.  I’ve been trying to really throw myself into my new job and try to learn as much as I can.  It’s been crazy busy, but I love it. 

I bet you thought I was going to share a recipe.  Nope, not today.  Today I want to talk about real women.

Last Saturday, I woke up a little earlier than usual.  5:15 a.m., to be exact.  Sounds crazy, but it was all for a good cause.

I was up to walk with a group of friends in the Susan G. Komen 5K in Uptown Charlotte.  It’s kind of weird to be driving down empty streets at 6 a.m. and then happen upon a whole village of people wearing pink.  Pink hair ribbons, shirts, unitards, tutus, feather boas… all pink. 

It reminded me of the weekend that my sister Adrienne and I walked in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The Susan G. Komen walk was pretty amazing.  Our company was dance-walking.  If you want to see what dance-walking is, take a look at our video we made.

 

We carried a big speaker and an ipod full of great dance-worthy tunes.  We gathered quite the crowd to walk with us, and we all got to watch the sunrise.

Everyone was singing along and smiling.  What was most amazing about it was the feeling amongst all of the walkers.  Most people were walking in teams in honor of friends or family, or in memory of friends or family.  Even more amazing than that was the amount of survivors.  Some were still going through treatments.  It made me think about how often we complain  about trivial things.  As I was getting to the end of the race, there was a woman in front of me who had lost her hair.  We were playing the song, “I will Survive!”  She was just belting out the lyrics and fist-pumping.  It made me think, “What do we really have to complain about?”

All this week, our company has been fundraising for a local organization, Pretty in Pink, who provide mammograms and support for under-insured and uninsured women.  They also support women who have been diagnosed with financial help.  They are a great organization.  It’s been a pleasure to dance in the name of ending this terrible disease!

So… if you’re healthy, be a real woman.  Real women sweat. Make the most of your health!

 

Disclaimer: I realize I talked mostly about women here, but I want to point out that men can and do get breast cancer!  It’s not just a women’s disease!