Slugging it out

But not how you think. Yesterday I was as much of a slug as I was a machine on Sunday. I ate whatever, whenever, and didn't break a sweat until 6:30 p.m., walking up the hill to the recreation building at the prison, where I spent an hour in un-air-conditioned discomfort teaching a drawing class.

[Last night's class was great: At one point all of them were hunched over their drawing pads, intent on their work, totally removed from prison and schedules and head counts and guards. Success!]

Yesterday was a scheduled rest day, but I'd planned to do some yoga. Didn't happen. I'm a morning exerciser and the morning totally got away from me.

My plan is to make up for it today by doing a yoga session before I run. I checked the Fit TV schedule and at 8:30 a.m. Eastern there's a program called "Head to Knees." It's described as "yoga for the long-distance runner." How cool is that?

Well, I don't know how cool it is, really, but I'm going to check it out. And then I'm going to stretch the scheduled easy two-mile run into three, with half-mile walks before and after.

Jeannie suggested in a comment yesterday that I concentrate on moving my arms faster when I run. I'll try that; I've studied the way runners use their arms when I watch races, but I don't consciously make any adjustments to my form. I'm just happy to get to the end of the road and back. Heh.

The little dog who found us week before last has settled into her new home. I don't think our dogs miss her at all. I must admit it was a little strange pulling into the driveway last night and not having her run out to greet me. I think she'll be much happier being an alpha dog, though; she didn't care much for the competition here.

My daughter sent a link to a news story that ranks West Virginia University at the top of this year's party-school list. And according to CalorieLab, West Virginia [the state, not the school] is second only to Mississippi as the fattest state in the nation.

I'm just so proud to be here!

I suck at yoga …

but the lovely and stick-thin Patricia Walden assures me that with practice, practice, practice I will, one day, be able to do this:

Yeah, right.

I will, however, maintain a positive mental attitude about it and maybe schedule some plastic surgery in the meantime. My lovely lady lumps get in the way when I do forward bends; if I got rid of them I could certainly bend better and I'd probably lose a few pounds, too!

Hmmmm. Gives weight-loss surgery a whole new meaning, doesn't it? Heh.

Every yoga class I've experienced, whether in person or on DVD, has been led by flat-chested women with six-pack abs. They have no idea what we lumpy Rubenesque women go through when instructed to 'gently lean forward and wrap your hands around your toes.'

I was more body-conscious yesterday, more aware of how I moved and carried myself. That's what I love about yoga. Even practicing sucky poses, I get the benefit of better posture and more graceful carriage.

Moving on … it appears that Mr. Shrinking Knitter has found a home for the stray dog, who has certainly made herself at home here in the Middle of Nowhere. One of his co-workers has agreed to adopt her. We're keeping her this weekend and then Monday she gets to meet her new family.

Today's run is a five-mile speed drill – run like hell for two miles with a half-mile recovery jog after each. Plus warm-up and cooldown miles. I'm still at the "I can barely jog a continuous mile" stage of training, so I'm not promising anything, to you or to myself. I'll be happy to do five miles and still breathe somewhat normally.

Okay, okay! I'll be your guinea pig!

It appears that some of you are more than happy to cheer me on as I explore yoga as a method of increasing stride length. Don't know where that idea comes from? Do the math:

Yoga = Increased Flexibility = Longer Stride

So I'll start today, even though it's absolutely the Most Perfect Morning for Running since, oh, maybe, June. Right now it's 53° F. Humidity is 88%, according to weather.com, but hey – 53°!

Here's what yesterday looked like:
Gotta love cooler temps! And I must say that yesterday's run was easier, more comfortable and more satisfying than any since oh, maybe, June.

But not much faster. Ahem.

I know that running every day, even if some of those days are short-and-easy runs, isn't a good idea. Too much risk of injury, too little recovery time, too likely the ol' bod will get used to it and quit burning calories – which, of course, has already happened. [I've stayed the same weight, regardless of intake or output, for six weeks. 'Nuff said about that.]

So Wednesdays will be Yoga Day here in the Middle of Nowhere. I have four DVDs – three yoga and one New York City Ballet, which is more Pilates-like – which I will load into the DVD player, and I'll do a different routine each week.

I must learn to like this as much as I like running, though, or I'll feel like Wednesdays are Punishment Day.

Knowing that increased flexibility should, theoretically, lead to a slightly faster running pace should keep me motivated about doing yoga.

I'll keep you posted. Namaste.

Toga … toga … toga

Oops. That should be 'yoga, yoga, yoga!'

You can call me lazy right now, if you like. Yesterday when I went to the second-floor office of our detached garage and saw that the only exercise DVDs up there were ones I'd already done, I decided it was a cosmic message to do an hour of yoga. So I'll have to post a review of a new-to-me routine later this week. Today is rowing, and thanks to the anonymous commenter yesterday who opined that rowing might actually be considered a cardio workout. I know that after 30 minutes at a vigorous pace I feel like I've really worked out!

I have two yoga DVDs; the one I like best is called "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss." I'll admit to buying it for the title, and will further posit that it doesn't, for me, do a whole lot for weight loss. But I like that I can choose which level [of four] I'd like to do and that it covers a lot of ground. And at my weight, it's truly a weight-bearing exercise.

In case you readers in the United States haven't noticed, it's Election Day. By the end of the day we'll be back to watching pharmaceutical commercials, instead of negative political ads. [I'm firmly against direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, and would gladly vote for anyone who promised to stop that practice!] Since no one in my district has taken a position on that issue, I'll just have to take my chances and hope for the best.

Mr. Shrinking Knitter and I have been quite politically active this year, something new for both of us. We've met with candidates and political advisers, gone to a political rally and put our [well, his] money where our mouths are. We're supporting someone out of our district – we can't even vote for him. But we like his message and his heart, and we have a lot of hope that those who are able to vote for him will do just that.

Unfortunately, those with a good message and a good heart to match usually end up in education or social work.

At any rate, you know the old saying: If you don't vote, don't bitch.

Yesterday afternoon I dug through my craft stuff and put all the bead and jewelry supplies in one box. I then sat down and made two necklaces and a bracelet. This scan of my new bling also includes the sweet little bracelet my granddaughter made for me, and my first project, which she helped me make. I realize these aren't innovative or unusual in any way, shape or form, but they've already served one purpose: I didn't eat a thing while I was busy making them!

The process is interesting, putzy and time-consuming, moreso than I would have thought.

Much knitting has been going on here in the Middle of Nowhere. I'll try to have at least one project photo tomorrow, and I'm lining up projects to be done for the holidays. A neighbor has asked if I'd be willing to do a sweater for her granddaughter, with a matching one for her Bitty Baby. I'll probably do a Wonderful Wallaby [do a Google search if you're not familiar with it].

I'm also doing a sweater for each of the grandchildren, and will probably make something for my daughter, her husband, my son and his wife and my mother-in-law.

Kidding! I soooo crack myself up.