oh. hello.

Hungry

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:02:21 -0600

Day 4 was pretty standard. Felt fine during the day and no real issues. 6 glasses of lemonade.

Day 5 was good for most of the day but I started feeling pretty anxious about the weekend and feeling like I wanted to eat. I started feeling pretty frustrated about the whole thing in the evening, but I drank some more and calmed down. 6 glasses of lemonade.

Today, Day 6 has been hard. I’ve wanted to eat all day and contemplated just one little bite a number of times. I got really sleepy mid-day (probably from lack of energy and trying to keep up with a two year old) and passed out for a bit. Tonight, my stomach kind of started to hurt a bit. It feels like stomach cramps. 5 days was my original goal, extending to 7 if I felt fine. I could probably do 10, but at this point I feel like 7 is enough. Not sure I would gain much more, plus I might lose my sanity. More than anything I wanted to see if I could do it. Not eating for 7 days is an interesting adventure. Tomorrow is not going to be easy, but one day left.

What cleanse?

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:14:50 -0600

Woke up this morning again feeling great. I found out that I’m actually supposed to warm the salt water in the morning, and that made it MUCH easier to drink. Still feels odd to chug that much water.

Had 6 glasses of lemonade today. Some of them I look forward to, others I feel like I HAVE to. I don’t know how I’d drink any more than 6, as it already feels like a lot.

Went to lunch with a bunch of co-workers at Buca di Beppo today, which was an interesting experience. The food all smelled so good. Oddly enough (for a vegan) the thing that looked the best was the chicken parmigiana! I drank a few glasses of water and just chatted, and it wasn’t as difficult as I had thought it would be. Then back at work, there was a bunch of food sitting out in the kitchen that smelled great too. I keep thinking about what I’m going to eat when I come off this cleanse. A veggie burger and fries sounds excellent.

The hardest time of day seems to be at night. I feel kind of hungry right now, but I’ll probably just drink the tea and head to bed. Overall I’m surprised with how good I feel at this point. It’s good because I feel like I can definitely pull off 7 days.

Lemonade Overload - Day 2

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:32:56 -0600

I woke up today feeling great. A LOT less hungry than I expected to feel. I was nervous about the salt water flush this morning…two teaspoons of sea salt in one quart of water. I chugged it, but getting down a quart of water quickly is not a fun task. The taste isn’t even that bad, it’s just the amount of water. Blah.

Felt great most of the day, only a little hungry once around mid-day. A glass of the drink made it go away. I had 6 in total today, with my last one at 8:30pm. That’s perfect as it leaves enough time before the tea at night.

My sense of smell seems heightened, and everything smells good. Tara just made a rice cracker with a bunch of peanut butter on it and it looked goooooood.

Day 2….easier than I expected. And on we go.

Master Cleanse Day 1

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:17:07 -0600

After downing my first glass of the “lemonade” at 8am this morning, I was off and running. I took all of the ingredients with me to work, except…I forgot the lemons. I realized this when I went to go make my second drink. An auspicious start indeed.

I had to quickly run to Whole Foods where I grabbed 5 lemons, and I headed back. I drank 3 other glasses of the drink at work. It only takes a couple of minutes to make the concoction, but I feel kind of goofy doing it. I had 1 more this evening. So 5 in total. I’m supposed to drink at least 6 a day, but I’m thinking of just drinking the tea and heading to bed, and planning better so I get the requisite number of glasses tomorrow.

I feel kind of dizzy tonight and anxious because I would like some food. It’s easier to not eat when you are sick because you don’t feel like it. It’s an odd feeling to WANT to eat, but not be able to. A quick trip to Taco Bell sounds nice. I have a feeling Day 2 isn’t going to be any easier.

My Top Bands of 2011!

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:29:00 -0600

As told by last.fm…

This has been an interesting year in music for me. I feel like my tastes have shifted and broadened a bit, what with listening to a lot more dubstep (thanks Skrillex) and the occasional Taylor Swift. Emarosa, my top band of 2010, didn’t even make the top 10 this year….partly because they kicked out lead singer Jonny Craig, who rejoined Dance Gavin Dance this year. DGD was my top band of 2011! Their album, Downtown Battle Mountain II, was amazing and I still love to listen to it all the way through on repeat. The most interesting band of 2011 for me, was actually my #2 most listened to band….Sleeping with Sirens. What makes this interesting was that all of those 640+ listens happened over the last 6 weeks of 2011! I love their two albums and am excited to see what they put out this next year. I’m also glad to see Bowling for Soup stayed in my Top 10 this year, since I loved their new album, and since Jaret ribbed me a bit for not even making Top 20 last year!

My top songs and artists of 2010

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:16:00 -0600

As told by last.fm. I listened to over 400 DIFFERENT artists this year!

missing classes and new studios

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:00:00 -0600

25 down. 35 to go. 5 behind.

I went to the Wednesday 6:30p class and had a pretty strong class….the heat at our studio can be overwhelming at times though! We were flying to California the next afternoon, so I had wanted to get to the 5:30am class…..but that didn’t happen. So I missed class on Thursday AND on Friday since we were setting up all day for my Dad’s surprise 50th Birthday Party!

On Saturday, I used fitfindr to find the closest Bikram studio to me. There are quite a few studios in downtown San Francisco, but I decided on Bikram Yoga Castro. I drove there for the 4p class, and I loved the area. The studio is probably the smallest I have ever practiced in. There were only 9 people in the class….candles lit around the studio….light meditation music in the background….just an overall cool (and different) vibe. The whole class was very different. The owner/instructor, LaMott Atkins, teaches a pretty quiet class. A lot of his dialogue is very simple and focuses on breathing in and out of the postures. He doesn’t speak the normal Bikram dialogue, which was a bit refreshing, and a lot of the class was pretty silent. This actually made for a tougher class, because you really had to have focus going in and out of the postures.

It’s nice visiting new studios and seeing how the practice is a little bit different!

never again

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:00:00 -0600

23 down. 37 to go. 3 behind.

I went to 8:15p class on Monday and Tuesday so I could spend a bit more time at home after work and prior to class. These late night classes are hard because I don’t eat dinner until after 10p and it gets really late fast. The Monday class felt like it was at midnight….

On Tuesday, I got in the room pretty early and did my pre-stretches and then laid down. When I got up at the start of class, guess who was next to me….remember this guy? Mr. I Don’t Respect Personal Space. I was already aggravated. Little did I know it would get worse. The guy wipes himself from head to toe in between EVERY posture in the standing series, with a large towel. I almost asked the teacher to have him stop. It’s so distracting. During Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana I noticed as my head was on my knee that he was actually gripping my mat as he stretched forward. I felt like I was about to lose it. I had already decided my next move. During the second set, I looked for him to do it again, and he did. I reached back and YANKED the mat away from him and folded it over. After the posture was over, I unfolded it, stared straightforward, and breathed. On the floor, he HAD to put his hand on my mat as he stretched out into full locust. During spine twist, when he placed his hand behind him, he stretched back and placed his hand directly on my mat. I should note, our mats were NOT that close, so there was absolutely no need for this….and considering the last time he did this (and my obvious annoyance) I took it as him doing this on purpose.

Again, I know I shouldn’t let him or these antics distract my focus, but he does….if he ever sets down next to me again, I will just pick up my towel and move elsewhere. One of the most frustrating 90 minutes ever.

recovery and then a double

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:00:00 -0600

21 down. 39 to go.

I finished my class on Wednesday night at 9:45p, had not eaten, had not seen much of Rosslyn or Tara that day (they were already asleep) and was frustrated….during class, I figured out in my head that during the length of the challenge, I would be missing over 4 whole days of Rosslyn’s life by just being at yoga. With how quickly she is growing, that’s a lot of time! I think Camel Pose must have thrown me into an emotional breakdown! ha….

So I took Thursday and Friday off. My best friend came in town (on Thursday night) from Atlanta to visit us for the weekend and I needed a break. I was really contemplating just letting go of the challenge, as it just felt like I should for a lot of reasons. Though, I’m sure a lot of people doing the challenge feel the same way at one point or another….

On a grey and dreary Saturday afternoon, I went to the 4pm class and had a decent class. The muscles feel nice and rested after 2 days off! I headed straight to Sonic after class for a Cherry Limeade and Tater Tots….a perfect compliment to yoga!

On Saturday, Tara went to the 8am class, and then Becky and I went to the 10am class. Class was not as packed as it had been most of the other days….Again, I felt pretty good (though Camel has been a struggle) and felt sort of back on track. Went home and showered and ate lunch and then went on a long walk with Tara, Rosslyn and Becky along the Katy Trail. I had decided I could make the 4pm class and get back one of my missed classes today. I’m glad I felt the motivation, because I had been lacking it! Made it to class, and they were surprised to see me again so soon. This class was a MAJOR struggle….mainly because I was just tired very early on. I got to class 15 minutes before class and was stuck on the third row with not much space around me! Bummer! I actually don’t remember a lot from the class, because I just wanted to get out of there quickly! I was exhausted at the end, but glad that I got in a double….

So the challenge is still on…..I am planning to adjust my schedule a bit and go to some morning classes so that I can spend more time with Rosslyn and Tara when they are awake after work!

I’d love another day off today….but I have class a 6:30p.

and scene

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:19:44 -0600

18 down. 42 to go.

I might be done. Going to sleep on it. Will explain tomorrow either way.

mind readers

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:56:51 -0600

17 down. too many to go.

One of the many abilities of these Bikram teachers is the ability to read minds. On more than one occasion, I’ll be thinking something about a posture, or how I’m feeling in class, and the teacher starts talking about it. Today, about three quarters through class, I was thinking to myself how I have NO idea how I’m going to finish this challenge. I’m tired, worn out, dehydrated, electrolyte depleted, constantly overheated, and missing my girls at home. 43 more classes? Seriously? And as I am thinking this, our teacher today (also the studio owner) says “Eric, how’s your challenge going?” I could only muster a “struggling” but said it with a smile.

If it was easy, it wouldn’t be called a challenge. So I’ll be back tomorrow.

water challenge

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:00:00 -0600

16 down. 44 to go.

Everyone knows that after Garurasana (Eagle Pose) is the first water break of the class. In fact, I don’t think there is a greater sign that you are a n00b in class, than if you pick up your water before that time. Most teachers will reprimand you. The majority of the time, I am more than ready to get water after this pose. I’ve been to so many Bikram classes now, I feel like my water breaks are pretty much on a schedule, and I get water at the same time each class. Water can definitely become a crutch in class, and can become more of a distraction to the practice than what you benefit from it. Some yogis even go without water all 90 minutes, every class….they just don’t need it.

I’m not one of those people. I need my water.

But in this evening’s class, I didn’t need water after Eagle Pose. I decided that if I didn’t need it, I would just skip it and get water after Balancing Stick. By the time I got there, I had decided to see how long I could go without water. I wasn’t struggling without it, and it really made me focus on myself, rather than when I was going to get water. I ended up making it through the entire standing series without water, though, I was more than ready to drink when we hit the floor. I was glad I had done that, but I was thoroughly wasted during the entire floor series. It was crowded and quite humid all class, but I think the lack of water did me in. The floor series was tough (possibly because I overcompensated and took huge gulps when I did get water) and I was exhausted the rest of the night.

It was an interesting experiment in focus. While I may not forgo my water during long stretches like that anymore, I definitely want to focus more on myself and less on how long until my next water break.

second row isn't so bad

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:51:01 -0600

15 down. 45 to go.

I got to the studio 22 minutes before class today, and there were no more spots on the front row already! The 4pm classes on the weekend have been packed lately. I was actually ok with being in the second row today. There is pressure involved with being in the front row. Everyone behind you can see what you are doing. The front row yogis need to be rockstars, and examples for others in the room…especially new people. I went into the room today feeling tired, plus bummed that the Cowboys lost. I actually fell asleep in the fourth quarter, and woke up about 20 minutes before I had to leave, telling Tara, “I may not go today.” I knew I had to go, but I didn’t want the pressure of the front row. Luckily, the class was pretty cool, temperature-wise, most of the way.

Progress: During the second set of standing head to knee, on the right side, I was able to kick out with a straight leg for the duration of the posture! The left side leaves much to be desired.

short and sweet

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:58:00 -0600

14 down. 46 to go.

there were 67 people in class today. all four rows were completely packed. normal classes normally have about 35 (maybe). it was so hot, i really struggled. at points, i thought i might not make it. thank goodness, our teacher opened the side door as we hit the ground for our first savasana and that saved me. that blast of cold air was like a gas tank refilling my energy!

a note for new people/beginners
it is not ok to talk with your friends during class. thanks.

funnel cake yoga

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:13:39 -0600

11 down. 49 to go.

A lady in my class this evening finished her 60th day. I was envious.

Class was hot, as usual and expected. After the day off yesterday, I actually felt really good throughout class. The soreness that had been lingering around my first 10 classes seemed to be gone and I had definitely gained flexibility in my forward bends! All good.

Funny thing….during the first set of wind removing pose, for some reason I thought I smelled and then started thinking about funnel cakes! I kept seeing a funnel cake above me throughout that posture. Random! One sure would taste good right about now though!

50 more classes. wait, what?

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:00:00 -0600

10 down. 50 to go. still.

I felt like I had a ton to do today and I didn’t want to rush to yoga at 6:30p, get home at 8:30p and not have seen my adorable 4 month old all day! I had decided to go to the late class at 8:15p, but then rethought that idea too….getting home at 10p and not having eaten dinner just wasn’t going to work for me tonight. Getting nailed in the head with the corner of a dresser, while moving it, was just the icing on the cake!

I made the decision to miss a class today and just do a double, sooner than later….most likely this weekend. I have to be realistic with this challenge. I can and AM going to get the 60 classes in 60 days, but there are going to be some days that I just can’t make it. Thus is life when you have a job, a cute wife, an adorable 4 month old, and countless other responsibilities.

how many more?!

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:00:00 -0600

10 down. 50 to go.

Thinking that I have 50 more classes to go is daunting.

I’ve been a bit lazy in the challenge blogging, but I am going to attempt to be better this week. Since I normally go to the 6:30pm class, I get home at 8pm and the night disappears so quickly that writing about the class is pretty far down the list!

Classes 6-10 were pretty normal. One of the classes (#6 if I remember right) was actually quite cool throughout the class! It may have been because it was about 20 degrees outside and I was by the windows, but I really didn’t mind. A break from the heat is nice. Oh, and I normally practice on the left side of the room, but the two times I have practiced on the right side of the room, the same lady has been on my right and she smelled bad :/

I was telling Tara tonight, the two postures that I really dislike the most right now are Pranayama Deep Breathing and Janushirasana with Paschimotthanasana. Both are fairly unremarkable postures, with the former being at the very beginning of class and the latter being right near the end. Pranayama just gets old quickly, to me, and I always find myself wanting to be done with it. Plus, I am not a fan of when the teacher says “a couple more breaths,” and we end up doing five more! With the stretching postures at the end, I guess I’m just ready to be done and I never enjoy doing two sets of this one! Since I don’t like them, I probably should focus MORE on these postures!

I am seeing improvements in some postures and in my overall flexibility. Being able to see progress is always a plus.

Oh….in class #8, during Standing Bow Pulling Pose, I was in the first set with my right leg and as I was stretching I all of a sudden got a SHARP pain in my left hamstring that made me fall right out of the posture. I was concerned at first because it felt like a pretty good strain. It was pretty tender during the rest of that class (noticeable during Triangle Pose) and has been a bit sore the past couple of days, but I don’t think it’s anything major. I have injured that hamstring before during a challenge, so I probably should not overdo it over the next week or so.

This morning (Sunday) I went to 10am class and was tired, a bit grumpy and not flexible at all. I made the decision early that I was going to take it easy during this class and not push every posture to my limit. It was great because I actually felt like I did better in some postures when not focusing on pushing so hard! Another long week of Bikram Yoga coming up!

one fifteenth done

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:59:00 -0600

4 down, 56 to go

Fractions and percentages….I seem to do this each time I am in the challenge. After tomorrow, I will be one twelfth done. On Wednesday, I will be 10% done!

Today’s class was a lot less crowded than yesterday, but still a lot of people. And more new people. I really do love the look on first-timer’s faces about 6 or 7 postures in. It’s a look of, “why the hell am I here?” And we’ve all been there. One guy today asked me prior to class if he should bring water into the class. I laughed and said it was up to him, but I need mine! Same guy, after Triangle Pose, up and leaves. Our teacher, Mike Z, tried to stop him, but the guy yelled out, “I can’t! I’m cramping all over.” A quick silence, and we all continued. A couple postures later, another new girl with a dazed look on her face starts to gather her mat to leave! (once one person leaves, it becomes contagious) She explained how she was “seeing stars” and “prone to blackout.” Mike calmed her and had her lay down, which she did pretty much for the rest of the class.

To be fair, it did feel VERY hot again today. I was pouring sweat already during Half Moon pose. One regular next to me had to sit out of most postures in the floor series because he was struggling so much.

I felt hot, but actually quite strong. I didn’t struggle as I had the last 3 classes. I realized today that I had done 4 classes in a row this week, yet had only done about 4 classes in the previous six months! It really is amazing the differences you feel when you practice regularly. Or even daily! Postures don’t seem to take as long, and you can really feel yourself working through a posture for depth rather than just struggling through it. We’ll see how it goes the rest of the week.

hottest. class. ever. plus an annoying guy.

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:07:00 -0600

3 down, 57 to go.

I skipped watching the Cowboys game so I could sleep in and go to the 4pm Sunday Bikram class. My car was ~~low on~~ about to run out of gas, so I stopped on the way to put 10 bucks in because I wanted to get a good spot. I got there 13 minutes before class, I hurry into the room to set my mat down and it was already packed!

I had to settle for the second row.

I’ve become kind of a first row snob, partly because you definitely get the best view of yourself in the mirror, but also because I don’t like to deal with other people’s stinky feet. By the time class started, there were 61 people in there. While that wasn’t a record, it was the most I have ever had in a Dallas Bikram Yoga class.

Now I know I should be focusing on myself during the entire 90 minutes and blocking out distractions, but the guy in front of me and to the left bugged me. THE. WHOLE. CLASS. It was very crowded, so everyone needed to move their mats up to give others behind them more room. Everyone moved their mats up except for him. In fact, I think he even moved his back a little, because during Pranayama, I noticed the back right corner of his mat was ON MY MAT?!?!?! Granted, he was tall, but he EASILY could have moved up 6 inches and still had plenty of room. Hand towels are frowned upon during Bikram. In between postures, you are supposed to be as still as possible. Some studios ban hand towels altogether, while others just suggest you not bring them in. The guy in front of me had a ~~hand towel~~ large towel that he used to wipe himself off with in between EVERY POSTURE in the standing series. He’d wipe his face, chest, and even his feet! This didn’t annoy me as much as the fact that when he was done with it, he would just drop it down, sometimes on the mat of the woman next to him and sometimes on my mat! I really felt like I was going to lose it, but I kept focus. During the spine series, as he was getting into Locust Pose, he would flopback and forth and even hit me in the head with his foot at one point, to which I let out a “come on, man.” During the floor series, in between each posture when we turn around for Savasana, he would plant his foot on my mat as he would turn over. Unreal. Some people just have no concept of personal space. I realize that in a crowded room especially, that is hard to come by, but some of this is just common sense. Ugh. Rant over.

Other than that, it was a pretty tough class. With 61 people in there, it got VERY hot, VERY quickly. I could see that the new people in class were struggling mightily. By the time we got to Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana, I could barely get a decent stretch, I was so tired. As ilovesweat tweeted yesterday, with all the new year’s resolutions, there will be a lot of new people in class, making more crowded and hotter classes. Oh the challenge.

so, the challenge begins.

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:41:00 -0600

2 down, 58 to go.

On 01-01-10 I began the Bikram Yoga Challenge at Bikram Yoga Dallas. That’s 60 classes in 60 days. When I complete the challenge on March 1, I will have completed my third Bikram Yoga Challenge. I plan on trying to write a little blurb on here after each class in order to document the adventure. It should be an interesting (and tiring) couple of months.

Goals for the challenge….

Complete my first 30 classes in a row without missing a class
Touch my head to the ground during Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Paschimottanasana (Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose)
Not complain too much

My first class on January 1 was at 10am. I’ll be honest, we had a lot of champagne on New Year’s Eve and I was feeling pretty lousy when I woke up at 9:30am. I actually contemplated not going and starting on January 2, but then I remembered that this challenge is going to get hard, and I needed to start off on a good note. The 90 minute class seemed like the longest one I’ve ever taken. It did in fact end in 90, but it felt like 3 hours. I thought the standing series would never end. My back started to get pretty sore once I got to the floor. The third part of locust and camel pose both weren’t possible due to the back pain. Was glad to have that one done and in the bag.

Class 2 was at 4pm and was Issac’s last class to teach at Bikram Yoga Dallas for a few months. The class was PACKED and it was HOT! Things went more smoothly during class and despite a bit of soreness, I was happy with the class. I did experience some back pain during the floor series, but I actually seemed to find the pain during the poses and was able to work through it. I really need to work on improving my Triangle Pose. I alway seem to get a bit lazy around this pose, and I’d like to stop this! I plan to pay closer attention to it tomorrow.