Update

Arthritis

Still pain free! My rheumatologist is sending me for an MRI to see if there’s any inflammation in my joints that she can’t detect. If everything comes back clear, then we’re going to start scaling back my medications!

 

Half Marathon Training

Half marathon is in three weeks!! I’ve gone from being nervous to being super pumped. I did 19.75K yesterday and felt good for about 90% of the run. The last 2 kilometres were tough. I was able to keep a decent pace (8:20min/km). I’d prefer to be around 8min/km but most likely I’ll speed up a bit at the actual race.

I added a new leg to my usual running trail to get the extra distance in and it’s beautiful. Meandering paths through a forest, by little creeks. The ground is pretty uneven and there’s some brutal hills but it keeps me motivated.

I’m focusing on keeping my diet relatively clean and I’ve cut out alcohol until the race is done. A cold beer with be a nice reward once I’m done with the race.

13K

This morning I did a 13K run.

The weather was pretty much perfect for running – slightly chilly, overcast. I was comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts.

I felt good throughout the entire run. I did 2:30/2 run/walk intervals. I think I’m going to move to 3/2 to improve my pace a bit.

6 weeks to the half marathon. EEK!

Passport to Prana: Yoga Sanctuary Danforth

A few months back, I picked up a Passport to Prana


Passport to Prana gives you access to one class at a bunch of different yoga studios. It’s available in a bunch of different cities in both Canada and the U.S. Basically the cost ($35 for Toronto) works out to be about 2 classes. It expires one year after activation.
Yesterday, I took my passport to The Yoga Sanctuary – Danforth.
I used to live up the street from this studio and it’s where I first discovered yoga.
I went to a 90 minute Hatha level 1 class on Sunday afternoon.

The studio itself is beautiful. Very large with wood floors and brick walls. I always liked to position myself by the windows to get the occasional view of the busy street. Being right at a busy intersection, you do hear the streetcars and traffic below, but that doesn’t bother me.
The class itself was very relaxing. The last yoga class I attended was a bikram class so this was the complete opposite. The instructor kept telling us to do what feels the most comfortable and offered a lot of options for poses.
I would come back to the yoga sanctuary however I think that a different class would work better for me. Something with a bit more of quicker pace that’s a bit challenging.
My plan for September is to either attend one yoga class a week or do a yoga DVD. My muscles have been very tight after my runs lately so I think this should help.