Sunday, Nov. 27:

Just over 11 minutes rowing on the Concept 2 to get to 2,000 meters, and I think this was partly due to the machine, because its drive chains seems to be stretched out. My usual setting of "5" had very little tension or resistance.
45 minutes arm & shoulders routine
45 minutes arc trainer, hill interval, resistance at eight
60 minute yoga class, during which I fell over with an audible thud while in a lunge and turning to reach my arm straight upward. Boom. Yoga is so solemn, there was no acknowledgment of it. (Just like no one acknowledges when someone has farted spectacularly.) As with riding, I got back on the asana and kept going. This class is really beyond me and has very little spiritual aspect but I like what the stretching does for me.

"Giddy up!" seems appropriate here, for balance reasons and for horsey reasons. No bruises, I hope, saef? Yoga is so dangerous. I shan't elaborate here but reasons come to mind.

45 minutes of walking along the coast and through the woodland of a country estate. I can't tell you how lovely it was to walk with my knee properly aligned, and at my own pace. But just a few miles away a merchant ship foundered last night with at least one seafarer dead and five others missing. Sobering.

I generally find the yoga classes at community centres, through the Toronto Parks and Recreation department, to be fun, chatty, and full of laughter. Most participants show up in old t shirts and such. There is no chanting of ommmmm and any farting/falling over is met with gales of sympathetic laughter. Music is generally upbeat and quite energizing. And both genders attend, although the majority are women. Sometimes afterwards, particularly when a session of classes ends, coffee and doughnuts or muffins are served.

Contrast that with the classes I've taken at yoga "studios". Everyone (other than me) shows up in $200 Luluwhatsis outfits with everything matchy matchy. They all bring their own special yoga mats. Everyone whispers and tiptoes around. All are silent during practice and any bodily functions are met with embarrased silence. Almost always all participants are women and they speak in a special yoga jargon. And at the end of the session we are sometimes served herbal tea.

Now I do think there is a place for "serious" yoga but it doesn't have to approach the religious rite these women seem to be performing. I tend to be supressing giggles in most of these classes and want to shout out "whoohoo - great pose" or the like. I do tend to attend more of these as the community run ones are hard to get into. I wish there was a "light-hearted" yoga studio. I would go there. I feel like the court jester at times.

Dagmar

Saef, yeah, I bought a 10-visit pass when I went to the yoga studio last weekend so I am hoping it motivates me to go more often. I tried taking a yoga class at work, which was cheaper and convenient, but it was far too "beginner" for me. I've been to this studio a few times. The "gentle/moderate" borders on too easy but is okay, the "moderate" is perfect, and the "moderate/vigorous" is a bit too hard for me.

Dagmar, I've found different instructors have different styles. The class I took at work was very laid-back and informal and had lots of laughing. The classes I've taken at the yoga studio vary. One instructor was more formal - no fidgeting allowed, etc. The instructor I had the other day on the other hand was cracking jokes about how we had to do digestive yoga work because we all ate too much for Thanksgiving. I think they both have their benefits.

11/26: none
11/27: about 30 mins swim intervals (5 laps warmup, 2 laps drills, 3x1 lap 15s RI, 4 laps kicking, 2x2 lap 30s RI, 1 lap cooldown backstsroke)
11/28: 20 min dog wog 4:1, planning pilates at lunchtime

Monday, Nov. 28:

45 minute spin class, during which one of the new girls jumped off the bike, ran for the garbage can in the corner, and knelt before it. I don't know what happened except the instructor got off her bike & was with the girl, then walked her out of the room, but eventually came back. It's a tough class, with a lot of serious athletes in it, but not that bad.

60 minute beginning Kripalu yoga class, doing a sequence which I'm actually not that bad at, because of working with weights three days a week. That would be the sequence in which we go from downward dog to plank to danda pushup to cobra and back to downward dog. But as for the balance sequence, when we go from tree to crane to flamingo -- that, I have trouble doing. Some days I think my balance is getting better, other days not so much.

Tuesday, Nov. 29

20 minutes warmup on the Stairmaster stepper, aerobic intervals, resistance at six
60 minutes shoulders, triceps and back routine, the one with pushups, with me swapping out some bench presses for some of the pushups.
40 minutes recumbent bike, Pike's Peak, at resistance of eight, and this was a challenge.

11/28 continued, 30 min pilates total body workout
11/29: 20 min stationary bike ride, hill program level 5

I'm grumpy that I haven't worked out since Saturday due to my cold. I feel much better so hopefully I'll work out later today and be able to post something. Not exercising isn't helping my mood or my weight!

Wednesday, Nov. 30:

45 minute spin class, a good, hard workout with a lot of climbs, and a lot of standing at heavy resistance and then dropping and peddling at the same seated resistance

I wanted to go to yoga last night but unexpectedly had two writing assignments shoved at me at 4 PM.

Nov. 27-29: sick

Nov. 30: 30 minutes Boot camp and 30 minutes core training

Totals:
21 days
1357 minutes

Not a stellar month. Hoping for a better December but December is always so busy!

tuesday- 4.5 mile run
wednesday- spin class
thursday- 6 mile run

Thursday, Dec. 1st:

Yeah, I know, it's not November, there ought to be a new thread, and you know what? I am just too damn tired today from my workout and an intense deadline-driven day at the office and I have no inspiration to make one.

But I got to the gym, though I wanted to lie down on the sofa.

20 minutes Stairmaster stepper, aerobic intervals, resistance at six
60 minutes back & shoulders routine, with way too many lat pulldowns
40 minutes recumbent bike, random hills, resistance at nine