Strong

It is Day 17 of my challenge. I have gone to class every single day except for the first Saturday and Sunday of the first week, and that was because my work schedules on both of those days directly conflicted with the class schedule. However, I am determined to make up for those two days lost by doing two-a-days. Not sure when that will happen..but I am already so much stronger. People are watching me in class to correct their own form. I feel healthy, which is the best part.

I'm pretty sure this is going to be a life-long practice. I don't think I'll be able to stop going once I'm finished with this challenge. I will have to find a studio closer to home after my 30 day membership expires.

It was actually pretty ironic that the Groupon I bought back in February could only be redeemed at a specific location.

There are some coincidences in life that are just too ridiculous. I mean, what are the odds?

Anyway.

Bye.

Day 2. I am sore.

Felt nauseous in class yesterday. Went to the 9:30 am class instead of the 6am. I probably wasn't hydrated enough. I also didn't have my N.O. Intensity or L-Carnitine before class. I also was directly under the heater. I had to take a couple 30 second breaks throughout the class, but overall I think I did fairly well. On a scale of 1-10 I'd say my personal performance in class yesterady was a 5. I want to get to a 10 by the end of this 30 days. Nay, an 11.

I HATE THE HALF LOTUS POSE!!! Full lotus is ok, but half lotus completely killed my forearms. I could barely grip a tub of protein powder at work. I also hate camel pose. I can get into it just fine but I feel like it's really bad for my neck and that at any second it is going to snap like a twig and the thought of it breaking makes me sick. Our instructor did say though that because camel pose is so constricting for your spine, it will stimulate your nervous system and might cause an emotional reaction. It's crazy how the human body works. We have millions of tiny little emotion deposits all throughout our body - and occasionally we tap into them, and everything just breaks loose.

I vividly remember an experience I had at the chiropractic office shortly after my roll-over car accident. I was on my stomach and he proceeded to simply touch several points up and down my body, most of them along my spine, but he also touched several points on my knees, ankles, and ribcage. There was a place he touched very lightly, in the middle of my back, and it didn't hurt at all, but I immediately started crying. It was the strangest thing. He told me he it happens a lot and he still doesn't have an explanation for it. He simply triggered a physical part of my body that was linked to emotion that as soon as it was barely touched, caused instant waterworks... Only I wasn't just crying. I felt sorrowful. These weren't just "I didn't pass Spanish class" tears; I was crying tears of deep, deep despair. I fully believe that emotional pain and physical pain are very closely linked - if not one and the same. Anyway.

Camel pose. I hate it. Blech.

I will say this though, when I woke up this morning, I felt like my entire spine had been shifted an inch to the right. I looked in the mirror though, and realized that my posture is actually much improved. It's been hard for me to slouch today. My muscles don't want to slouch, they are more comfortable when my spine is aligned. And vice versa. Crazy, right?

I hope I can do this 30 days in a row. I wonder if I need to take a day or two off to let my muscles relax and heal - but Bikram yoga itself is SO healing and amazing already, and it's not like I'm doing any heavy lifting - I'm simply performing a series of postures that require an immense amount of concentration, flexibility and muscle control in a sweltering hot room with 25 other people.

I definitely need to take the N.O. Intensity before class today though. It was almost a completely different workout for me yesterday. My intensity level was down, I wasn't nearly as flexible, and I fatigued more easily than I had before.

So. Lesson learned. Off to class 3!

Day One: The New Leaf

As promised, here I am today. I just got back from my first 90 minute Bikram Yoga class.

Well, I was actually only there for about 65 minutes - I thought the class started at 6:30 but it started at 6. Fortunately the instructor was kind enough to let me in through the side door. As I stood there, yoga mat in hand, she turned to the class and said, "Do we want to let this one in or do you think we should tell her to turn back now while she has the chance?" To which I replied, "I would love nothing more than to come in, please." She smiled, and stepped aside. As I entered the sweltering heat, I could feel my muscles begin to loosen. My N.O. Intensity kicked in and within minutes, I was drenched in sweat.

Wow.

I am proud to say, I stuck through it all, didn't have to take a break, and despite the fact I found out I was on a cooler side of the room, I remained drenched in sweat for the duration of those glorious final 65 minutes.

I calculated it out - I burned about 865 calories this morning. If I had gotten there for the whole time, I would have burned about 1065 calories.

Needless to say, it was the best workout of my life and I can't wait for tomorrow morning.

I made sure to hydrate myself thoroughly before, during, and after class. I downed two servings of coconut water immediately after class and could almost feel the electrolytes shooting through my limbs, saturating my burning, exhausted muscles with health and wellness.

MAN can you tell I'm pumped? 29 more days to go. I have a feeling I just might have to do this for the rest of my life. I have never felt more connected to my body, more alive and more exhausted in all my life.


This Morning's Routine
*Click on bolded supplements to get a link to the products I used!*
-Woke up 5:20 am
-Had 1tbsp. of NOW Foods Liquid L-Carnitine 1000mg, Citrus, 16 ounce
-Took my multivitamin, New Chapter Perfect Energy Tablets, 36-Count and my antioxidant, focus formula New Chapter Lifeshield Mind Force, 60 Count
-Drank 1 serving N.O. Intensity with 1tbsp Twinlab Amino Fuel Anabolic Liquid Amino Acids, Mass, 2 Pound (Pack of 2)


I love that I feel this great and awake and accomplished and it's not even 9am.

This leaf? This new one, right now? I like it. It's pretty.

What Starts Tomorrow

The Challenge: Practice Bikram yoga for 30 days straight.

The Challenger: Ellyn Elizabeth Heald


The Objective: Get to know just how good my body is designed to feel.


Tools allowed: Besides willpower and the grace of God? Nutritional supplements.


I'll do a detailed post about which supplements I'll be taking, but it's pretty simple:

-Whole Food Multivitamin by New Chapter
-Omega 3.6.9 Oil by Udo's
-L-Carnitine by NOW
-Amino Fuel by Twinlab
-Lean 1 Protein Powder by Nutrition 53
-HGH 3x by Ultraplan (night-time fatburner)
-N.O. Intensity by X-Rated (Nitric Oxide for pre-workout)

I am STOKED to use the N.O. Intensity before my Bikram class tomorrow morning (at 6:30 am...) I've been using it for my at home yoga workouts and it makes SUCH a difference. I wasn't a believer in pre-workouts before I, you know, tried them, and I can tell you now I never want to work out without the N.O. Intensity. In short, it increases blood flow and gives you AMAZING controlled, steady energy for about two hours. I take a scoop of delicious Cherry Lime flavored N.O. Intensity, mix with water, and half an hour later I am ready to go. I have noticed I am much more flexible with the N.O. mix; the arginine dilates your blood vessels thus improving circulation and promoting flexibility.

I'll be posting pictures and I hope a few videos along this challenge.

Even if no one else is out there reading this, I'm glad I'm doing this on here. Putting it out in the open, even if it's for my eyes only.

Must get to bed! Gotta get up early.


"The early worm catches the worm." -Michael Scott