1) What did you have for breakfast?
Blueberry bagel w/peanut butter and a pot of coffee

2) Have you grown your own food?
sort of.. I've harvested and cooked the fiddleheads growing wild on my property (and my neighbors)

3) What is your favorite beverage?
The PC thing to say would be water, but it's a toss up...coffee / wine then water

4) Do you like to cook?
I do, mostly becuase as a runner I really like to eat!

5) What is your favorite vegetable(s)?
I'd say tomato, but that's really a fruit isn't it?  Carrots then.

Mornings are still chilly bordering on cold.

Hats, gloves heavy coats required.

We rise early, the dog and I.

He waits on his bed till I've had my coffee and checked my email.

Then he eats and out we go.

If the morning is like today, cloudless sun rising.

We head North East on our road.

We turn at Mayweather estates, a two home subdivision sometime in the future.

It's marked no trespassing but we don't care, besides Ben cannot read.

At the end of the cul-de-sac we wade through the prickers and brambles.

To the eastern most end of open space a long rectangular field that perhaps is hayed in summer.

We walk west Ben and I.

The sun at our backs, me casting a 30 foot shadow pointing the way west.

Ben's shadow trotting besides mine.

There is a small fieldstone cairn rocks balanced one atop another.

In the center of a small fieldstone patio. No more than 6 feet across.

This stonehedge rising there cold Maine granite, mysterious.

I pause there, silent, respectful while Ben nose to the ground scenting who has been to our field.

There is birdsong here, as the sun warms and wakes the choir.

We follow our shadow till the field ends in an apple orchard, or perhaps pears I cannot tell yet.

A small graveyard sits there, at the edge of the orchard.

Short stone pillars with 3 iron railing between each ring this small plot.

20 markers dot the ground, some simply a rock others formal covered with lichen or faded beyond legibility.

I pause here too, silent and respectful.

In what to me epitomizes all that is wrong with the Republican party, Senator McCain's supported booed and shouted out derogatory comments whenever the Senator mentioned President Elect Obama.  After the mean spiritedness and arrogance of the last 8 years it was obvious to the American people if not to my party that it was time to stand up to the class bully.

Bikram class 5

I've noticed that the right front corner seems to attract the most limber practitioners. 



Today there was a tall, well long woman in that spot today.  Come to think of it the other classes that space has been occupied by long women.  I had gotten there early so I sat for about 20 minutes getting acclimated and unwinding.  This woman did the most amazing upward bow!  then added the variation where the leg goes straight up.   I watched her do some pushups earlier, and I thought after class I'll mention the 100 pushup challenge, well then she went to the wall, and did inverted pushups.


I figured she didn't need any pushup challenge.  At least in the 100 range.

Another new instructor, four classes four different instructors.  Instructor #3 was on the mat next to me today and didn't seem particularly advanced.  This instructor, while talking about how difficult the poses can sometimes be, and how it's hot and all, said I've taken a few classes.  So three and four both intimated that they hadn't practiced much or long,



and I've noticed that there is a certain repetition to the instructions throughout class.  So I wonder if I memorized the lines, could I instruct?  Dawn any thoughts on that? From the way you described your training it sounded intensive, much the opposite of what I'm sensing from the last two instructors.

I've noticed my balance poses have gotten better.  I can do, at least the basic pose without getting all wobbly and having to catch my balance.  It would be great to move into the more advanced part of the pose, maybe next week :)

AND NOW MY FAVORITE SUBJECT, sweat!  I noticed a dark spot around the center of my space today, where the tidal surge of sweat overwhelmed the ninth ward of my towel and darkened the carpet.


Just out of curiosity I wrung my towel out in the sink afterwards...next class, I am going to bring a measuring bowl with me, and see just how much comes out of my towel.  It was impressive! 

As long as we, ok me, is on bodily fluids, let me talk about urine.  Being a runner, I know that the color of your urine is an indication of your hydration level.  The clearer the better.  Now I have had some long training runs prior to a marathon where I have had urine the color of coke-a-cola. 


If  it had lumps in it I wouldn't have been surprised.  This past week, it hasn't been that bad, but it's been a very dark yellow.  Somewhere near a black & tan beer.



 No, that's too dark, more like a J W Dundee Honey Brown ale.



To combat that I have been drinking a lot of water, and yet I can't seem to keep up.

I also figure that the cramping I've been getting in my feet



 has to do with my hydration level and perhaps a potassium deficiency.   So I've been working on those two.

Bikram #4


I've noticed that I've been eating better food and less of it too as of late.  Last Monday we had a office party, they served fried everything.  I took a plate and was looking forward to digging in, but after a few bites, it just felt gross.  So I dumped it and got a salad.  I've dropped 6 pounds in a week and my body fat pct is down around 11.  I have been tired on my runs and played the two worst games of hockey this week that I've played in awhile.

OK I'll get right to it, no one farted!  Brings the average down to 50% of classes someone rips a few.

When I took my first class at this studio, they said to grab a dry mat off of the rack to use.  Afterwards I asked where should I put it, and they said "on the rack".  I had assumed that they were drying off after being cleaned (the first studio cleaned them) not drying off from being soaked in sweat.  It seems like I should be grossed out by that but I'm not really. 

The teacher last night was the friendliest of the three I've had there, but I had overheard her talking to someone and saying that she hadn't practiced much.  Would have thought that was a prerequisite.

This was by far the toughest class...it wasn't just me as afterwards several people asked if it was hotter than normal.  No was the answer, the highest the temperature got was 102 but the humidity was higher than normal.  So it's true, it's not the heat it's the humidity. 

I know I am belaboring this, but geez it's amazing the amount of sweat I'm coming up with!  At pose eight the river starts to flood off the hem of my shorts, last night it started at five. 

AND WHATS WRONG WITH MY ARMS?  Why is it so hard to hold them up?  My shoulders are killing me.

I had more trouble than usual  doing one legged poses last night, I'm guessing that my muscles are tired and are having a tougher time handling balancing poses.




By  the time we got to camel, pose 22,  I was feeling dizzy and stayed down for them both. 




Wonder what it is about that pose that gets me every time.  Moving from laying down to being up on my knees?

The guy in front of me had white scabby looking things on his feet, really made cobra more challenging then it needed to be. 



Then doing the situps, put your hands over your head, fingers clasped, my hands kept hitting his feet!  EEEEEEYYYYYYEEEEEEEWWWWW!  I kept scooching down my mat till finally my feet were on the wall! 


But then I'm sure it's no picnic standing next to the human sprinkler either!



Ok, I'm going to have to dip into the testosterone for a moment,
 "WHAT??? MORE!  YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FARTS AND BODILY FLUIDS FOR THREE DAYS"
 Yup one totally male observation coming up, there is an added dimension of beauty and grace brought to yoga by a woman wearing only a sport bra and boy shorts, IMHO.

(sorry no pictures)

Ok..so it seems farting is pretty common. Or I am on a streak. There are times besides when I have my hockey equipment on that not having a sense of smell is a blessing. Someone near me, not the same person from yesterday, had a flatulence issue! Nearly every time she bent at the waist....


Better teacher today, very upbeat, kept the tempo going by talking throughout the poses even serenaded us at the end with a song, he has a very good voice.

One of my concerns (there are many) is the amount that I sweat, I don't think it's normal.



When I mentioned that before signing up they just laughed and said everyone sweats, don't worry about it. But I don't see anyone else with sweat running in a stream off of them, I don't see anyone else with a towel leaving a trail of water as they walk out of class. Which begs the question what is the proper procedure for exiting so as to leave as little a sweat trail as possible?


What do you do when you're in stick pose and you realize you are dripping on the water bottle of the person in front of you? Do you discretely mention it? Do you offer to buy them another? Not that either will do them any good during class, do you do as I did, hope no one else noticed and move slightly?

They don't cover any of that in the FAQ's.

Most likely class 4 tomorrow!

Bikram two

Session 2 at 10 am this morning 
Studio one (the gas chamber) had an intro offer for $20 you get your first two classes if used within three days.  I went on a Tuesday and planned on going again Thursday.  An unfortunate run in with jello shots on Wednesday night left me a little to wobbly to attempt class on Thursday.  Friday an incredible thunder storm rolled through with hail and torrential rain, I rushed home to rescue my ponies.  They of course were perfectly fine, I think that the worst of it bypassed them.

Found Studio 2 near my home, they have an intro offer, $30 one week unlimited use.  So I signed up for that because Dawn says I really should go 6 days in a row, what she didn't say was and then you die.

Got to say, did not get the same warm and fuzzy feeling from this studio two as I did from the gas chamber.  The instructor was working the front desk just as at the gas chamber, but seemed far to distracted to explain the procedures, me with one whole class under my belt is still not sure of the etiquette nor did he seem able to focus on my questions. 

Once class was underway he offered no corrections, now it could be that I'm a bikram savant and got everything right, but considering he did often say that first timers should just concentrate on getting a taste for it, perhaps thinking that the attrition rate is so high among first timers that he needn't spend to much time with them untill they commit?



I have to say one of my biggest fears or concerns was actualized, not by me luckily, and I no longer have that to worry about.  Coming out of Standing separate leg stretching pose, this large gentleman nearby farted, two, loud wet, blubbery farts in quick succession.  Imagine sweat soaked cheeks flapping in a rippling duck call.  AND NO ONE LAUGHED!  I have to admit that I have been afraid that while concentrating hard to maintain a pose that I might inadvertently squeeze one out, so I now know that I don't need to be embarrassed.  However given the way I sweat, it is not going to be pretty.  Then I had to hold back a giggle...because what I pictured was his shorts ballooning out with the trapped air!  Like mens bathing suits will do when you dive into the water.  I had to cough to hide it.


I did get light headed again, in the camel pose.  I couldn't do them today, and stayed with my hands on my hips but that was the only time that happened.  I remembered Dawn's tips, to smile when it got tough to trick my mind into thinking it was having fun, and to chant, didn't remember her chant exactly but came up with something close enough breathing in "Eeeeevvvvveeeeeerrrrrryyyy cccccccccceeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllll" breathing out iiiiiiiiissssssssss aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllliiiiiiivvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee".  That worked, and I kept my eyes open, when it was tough I tended to close my eyes, which I think contributed to feeling light headed.

Once again the sweat flowed out of me like the tap was left on, my towel was sopping, I don't know what they do with those floors but I can't imagine it's very clean under that carpet.

Finished up and with the exception of camel pose, did everything and hung in there.  Class 3 is tomorrow, I'm trying for the 8 am because it should be a bit less crowded. 

I have never wanted something to end so much!  Well maybe that time during basic training where we went into the gas chamber, filled with tear gas and had to remove our gas masks and then stand there till the drill sergeants thought we were ready to leave, but other than that nothing else has ever been so hard, it's a million degrees and the heat weighs on you, assaults you!.



They give you a mat, a big towel, a little towel, and a bottle of water.  The big towel goes over the mat, the little towel is to wipe the sweat off your whatevers or use as a strap in some of the poses, the water bottle is your manna from heaven.  After about 15 minutes, it's of course warm water.  My towel was sopping wet.  If I were a wrestler trying to make weight, 90 minutes of this would move me down two weight classes.  I was doing this pose, feet about 4 feet apart, hands gripping my ankles (kissing my a$$ goodbye!) head on the floor, ok head near the floor, and I look back and sweat is pouring off my shorts between my legs, not dripping pouring.



I'm pretty flexible, can do a reasonable split, I'm familiar with all of the poses that we did and can do most of them, I have weak ankles (too many sprains over the years) so the one legged stances are a challenge but I was able to wobble through them.

Anyone who has ever taken my blood pressure has always commented on how low it was, I've always taken that to mean I can eat all the salt I want,  in the second half of class, when we were on the mat, we would rest in corpse pose, and then raise our arms over our heads and do a sit up, and then move into the next pose, each time I'd have this wave of light headed-ness wash over me that I would have to pause before moving into the pose.


When it was over, my throat was so constricted I couldn't talk much above a whisper.  I drained a juice box of coconut water, and 2 two liter water bottles.

Driving home, I realized I had never felt so incredible before! It felt like every cell, every muscle was charged up and alive!

I came across this yesterday and liked it so much I decided to post it .

From Miguel Ruiz at miguelruiz.com

The Four Agreements

1. Be impeccable with your words.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean, Avoid using words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.  Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.  With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.

What a great topic...Hours spend playing 'army' in the woods and yards in my neighborhood. I was an expert in urban warfare by the age of 11. Too bad paintball came along so much later. We would generally play in the woods behind my friends house, there was a pond rimmed by hills on all sides, and the brush was way overgrown, it was our own Vietnamese jungle, and in winter the arena for some fierce hockey games. It was also where all of our tree forts got built, including the three story one we built from doors and old 2x4's and bent nails.

Because all of the kids in the neighborhood had responsible parents who insured that they did things like homework, studying and the occasional bath, I spent a lot of time alone wandering the streets of my hometown. I would come home from school and head down to the river and play on the empty docks, hopping on and off the barges. Playing on the two story sand and gravel piles. I found a way onto the building and would launch myself into space only to fall into the sand pile.

The towns original jail was on the street to the dock, and being agile I learned how to break in the second floor window and explore the cells and dank basement..I also learned that a cigarette lighter and a can of paint makes an adequate torch to see by in dark abandoned buildings, not to mention a few other interesting uses.

My imagination soared in the countless hours I spend exploring both the town I actually lived in and the complex vivid one I built inside of my head. Where could fly, captain a barge on the Mississippi, crouch unmoving in the jungle waiting to ambush an enemy patrol.

We didn't live in the worst part of town, but you could see it from where we lived, looking back I would have been easy pickings for a pedophile...if he got close enough to catch me that is...I could always fly!