Yoga Sunday

Waking up to 27 degrees shouldn’t have seemed quite as bad as it did. Temperatures below freezing after a warm day with lots of melting on the roads is a recipe for disaster in the form of black ice.

Since I’m transitioning into my rest week I decided to go to yoga at Yogave instead of taking the bike on the road. I thought that a little yoga would be a lot easier than a 2-hour ride. Boy, was I WRONG! The first pose was rag-doll (basically stand with your head hanging down by your knees and your arms folded to grab each elbow with your hands) and my legs were quivering in short order. Not to mention I could feel how tight my hamstrings were. Most of the class was like that – quivering quads and dripping sweat. (Yes, you sweat a LOT in yoga if you are doing it right.)  Attending yoga on a more regular basis was good for me and I’ve gotten out of the habit and need to get back into it for strength training.

You see, I’m a higher intensity kind of gal. I think the only beneficial kinds of workouts are intense cardio workouts, to the verge of puking, even though I’ve read lots to the contrary. Weight training is very good for cyclists of all levels. Though I’m not one to hit the gym for weights. I find that all pretty boring. Yoga fits that bill for me – building strength while also encouraging some flexibility. Some also call it a “balancing” of the body, especially for those areas that are neglected while cycling, like the core and the upper body.

If I can lift my arms tomorrow it will be a small miracle. Another session of yoga is planned for tomorrow as I promised a friend I’d take him there to check it out. It will probably help flush my arms from the soreness that I can feel building already.

I’m also going to struggle this week with my rest. I know when I get on the bike I’m going to want to push hard but that’s not the goal. It’s going to take a fair bit of discipline to be on the bike and go easy. Being on the bike is still key without taking the week off the bike, which could be detrimental. Gotta keep the legs pedaling in circles ya know.

The DOMS

Sunday a group of friends were organizing a ride. I didn’t feel like joining them. However, I did feel like going for a run. So I did.

I ran 4 miles around the Baxter Boulevard, only stopping to grab a quick drink at each of the three water fountains. That’s not half bad for someone that hasn’t done any running since before cycling season.

This is the time of year I wind down with cycling and explore other workout options such as walking or running. Last November I even ran my first 5K. I’m considering another race this fall. Although just running a bit on my own is just as good.

I jokingly told a friend that the following day I probably wouldn’t be able to walk. I hate it when I’m right.

I had a really bad case of the DOMS Monday. I hobbled around the office all day. Not only did my quads, hamstrings, and glutes hurt, but my abs also hurt from the situps I did after the run.

I am a stupid enthusiastic fool!

I managed a walk Monday evening. I started out very slow but picked it up after a while because my legs were finally stretching out. I think it worked because today I was much less sore.

I’ll run again as soon as I can. It’s good strength training, my ultimate goal for next year. I might even manage to lose a few pounds in the process.