Blog Directory - Blogged A Kiwi on the Run: September 2008

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Nick Willis wins in New York

Nick Willis has again shown his class this week by taking out the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York the week. It caps off a great season for Willis who took the Bronze medal at Beijing last month.



Click here for an interview with Nick where he sheds some light on his recent success and future aspirations. Thanks to Peter Gambaccini of Runnersworld.com for the interview.

As for my training , I don't want to say too much right now other than that I have started to take some slow baby steps. I'm not going to talk (blog) too much about my running until I'm happy that I have something positive to report.

Keep running.

Photo credit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparcnz/

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

Return to Bikram



Originally uploaded by TheC2life
I attended my first class of Bikram Yoga in seven months tonight.

For those that don't know one type of Yoga from the next, Bikram Yoga is an intense form of Hatha Yoga which is practiced in a heated room, almost sauna like. The heat not only warms the body and muscles but also adds to the intensity of the class by placing you outside your comfort zone while you are taken through at least 20 different poses over 90 minutes.

I still remember back to the first class Bikram I ever did, almost a year ago to the day, I swear it almost killed me. This time round I knew what to expect and I'm quite happy with how I went, managing to complete all but a few of the poses and keeping my breathing well under control.
The last 15-20 minutes are brutal. The heat is almost unbearable but you try not to think about it. Keep it out of your mind and it is almost unnoticeable. Let it get to you and you will just wish for the class to end.

In between each of the floor series of poses you get a brief rest, known as Savasna. This is when you just lay in complete stillness for 30 seconds bringing your breath under control. I try to think of how many poses are left before the class is over and I can escape to the cool air outside the studio. That's all part of the challenge though, staying to the end and completing the class.

The hamstring stretches are the penultimate pose, followed by back twists and a final breathing exercise, then a final Savasna. I made to the end and I'm one of the first ones out the door.
**Warning - Locker room scenes follow **

After a class is always a strange feeling. The men's changing rooms are silent, it's like no one has any energy to talk, I know I don't. I have a cold shower to cool off and try and return my body's temperature to something more normal. The cold water is so refreshing , it cools and revitalises the body.

Afterwards I'm still totally drained, but I know it's all worth it in the end.

If you haven't done it yet, give Bikram Yoga a try.

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