I’m changing up my workouts now that my running ‘season’ is over. That includes 2 yoga classes, which I’m proud to say, I went to last week.
Gosh the studio was packed: I had to go smack dab in front of the instructor to avoid sweaty split shorts guy and the yoga diva who windmills her legs from headstand.
It was hotter than I remember too. A flipping wall of heat. Better to warm the muscles so they don’t snap the way my violin strings did in third grade I guess.
Most of all it was harder than I remember. I’m all about upper body strength but one can hover in chataranga only so long. The second class I got to ‘late’ (meaning 30 minutes before the start) so I had to take the sliver of floor in the corner dead in front. It was only open because they removed the ficus tree I hid behind on that fateful day last year when I ruptured my hamstring doing an overzealous straddle forward fold. My mat was hard up on the window frame and there’s no mirror. Who needs a mirror anyway? A dude with gorilla-caliber hair on his legs was directly behind me. I swear he’s on the local news. So I need to rock my down dog in front of gorilla legs? Latecomers can’t be choosers.
Anyway both of these classes left me a simpering, sweaty ball of water-guzzling mess. Since when did yoga get so hard? It certainly wasn’t like this when I USED to hit up two classes per week. I’m a washed-up dancer/ice skater. Yoga SHOULDN’T be this hard. What changed?
What changed is I haven’t been going to yoga classes regularly since 2008.
But know what? Running is hard too. So is weight lifting and swimming and cycling and even walking and really anything we don’t make the effort to do regularly.
So I’ll keep going to my yoga classes and at some point they won’t feel as impossible as they do now. And maybe someday I’ll be the one windmilling from headstand? Don’t hold your breath on that one.
***
Have you seen this machine? It’s called Coca-Cola Freestyle and it’s at our local Noodles & Co. The kids love some N & C mac n cheese action now and then.
Thing 2 is a lemonade connoisseur. I took a sip of hers the other day to discover the most delicious orange lemonade. The Caveman enlightened me about the machine and told me it has all sorts of cool and unique drink options. I had to go see for myself.
This contraption was daunting to me at first but, once I got the hang of it, holy wow. It reminded me of the time we were stranded in Florida because Chi-town was snowed in and all flights were cancelled. So we drove to Atlanta and hit up Coca Cola HQ and sampled the drinks of the universe to our heart’s content.
Before you go getting all high and mighty on me about how pop (yep, it’s pop here in the Midwest!) isn’t healthy, know that there’s also Powerade, Seagram’s Seltzer Water and Dasani water in I think at least a million different flavors. I counted 8 flavors of lemonade alone before we even get to the light lemonade. Thing 1 is a Fanta Zero Grape fan. Who knew there was such a thing? Not I.
Once I pressed the Light Lemonade button, I got a whole bunch of flavor options. It’s like that for every freaking button on there: tons of possibilities.
I didn’t get my usual Bangkok Curry since I’m doing the gluten-free thing (or at least trying to). Instead I treated myself to a raspberry Coke Zero…followed by vanilla Diet Coke…and a splash of peach (yes peach!) Sprite Zero.
Have you seen the Coca-Cola Freestyle? What drink would you go for?
I’m going now to pick a Blue Ridge Marathon Giveaway winner. Stay tuned!
The Freestyle machine looks so fun! I would have to do a vanilla diet sprite or something like that.
That machine looks like it would be a lot of fun! I love to add vanilla flavoring to my Diet Dr. Pepper. And I’m originally from the PNW, where I called it soda but everyone else said pop.
I love Noodles Corner and haven’t been there in ages. Boy would my kids love that machine!
You are reminding me that I haven’t been faithful to yoga in about six months. Gotta get back on track post marathon! Good for you for already doing it!
I love soda so much, so I definitely won’t judge. I also won’t say anything about you calling it pop; that’s what my family calls it (being from Michigan and all). That machine looks amazing.
Your yoga experience cracks me up. I’ve been trying to work on my upper body strength by doing Mike’s push ups and pull ups routine during the week and I am pathetic at it.
I read that soft drink machine was originally designed to dispense oncology drugs. Then of course someone thought of the idea to dispense soft drinks with it – so American!
Also, that machine(at my local noodles) makes the line to get ice (i drink iced tea) a long wait…people love to experiment with it.
Those coke machines are so neat! The options for drink flavors seems endless.
I’ve got a great way for you to get more space in yoga class. It involves copious amounts of baked beans and the opportunity for you to get an embarrassing reputation BUT people will clear a space for you.
Speaking of following blogs for the writer, I love your writing style! Your yoga story is hilarious!
I just pulled out a new-to-me yoga dvd last night and it kicked my butt, too. Really need to be more consistent. I know I can’t to twice a week right now, but I hope to get this video in once/week and a few other stretches when I can.
Omgosh, that machine is awesome!!! I so want one in my house!!!!
Kudos to you for being the yoga queen!! I have zero patience to sit still that long. 🙂
I’ve seen it, but not tried it. I will have to wait until my son is with me to show me how it’s done. Still, if I want a soda (as we say in the mid-Atlantic) nothing hits the spot like plain old Coca-Cola!
I’ve read that yoga and running are a great combination and for a while there I did both. But then I started running daily, and yoga just kind of disappeared…
You are so brave to go to the front of the class. If that was the only spot left I would have high-tailed it outta there! The Turtle is obsessed with those Coke machines!
I need to try a yoga class…I’ve only tried videos and I hated them! Our Fuddruckers has the Coke machine like that and I love it…it’s the only place I can get my Diet Coke with lime. 🙂
I am right back into yoga right now and love it. My hubs can’t go over that the dudes at hot yoga go shirtless.
Never heard of these “POP” machines. 🙂
I think Yoga is also evolving, as it is gaining more popularity. Make sure to listen to your body, and don’t push that forward fold!!
I saw one of those machines!! And I was boring and got water out of it, but that’s okay. Yoga is really hard for me too and that discourages me a lot. I like how you point out that running is hard too, but I generally sweat way more running…which I guess in my mind makes it more worth it. Even though I KNOW how awesome yoga is.
Yesterday, John had the day off but the KIDS HAD SCHOOL! Woohoo! So we did Fuddruckers for lunch, and they have that machine there. So cool! I ended up with cherry vanilla coke zero. Yummy 🙂
That soda machine is pretty awesome! I love Noodles and Co, it’s one of the few places I can go and get some gluten free food. Love the pad thai with tofu!
It’s POP here in Western Canada too. Which is odd cause my WA state buddies don’t know what POP is.. they don’t know about toques either!
I am always so entertained by your yoga class stories but now really getting scared off ever going to one myself!
I wish our N&C had that machine! That sounds pretty fabulous!
We just went to N&C Friday night and they did not have that! We don’t have many N&C’s around here so it’s a rare treat. I had the Indonesian Peanut Saute noodly thing, and it was very spicy but in a good way. I would definitely get it again! I’m glad you’re trying new (old) things! It’s fun to try new stuff in the “off-season!”
i love those coca cola machines! i usually get sprite and top it with different toppings every time! this was a pretty sweet invention!
I am so ignorant! I declined the freestyle review because I do not drink soda, and now I am seeing them on all the blogs and seeing they have more than soda. That is good!