September 1st and there’s already a fresher feeling in the air, hinting that soon my brain might not be in as much risk of boiling inside my skull just a few steps outside my LA apartment door.
Joint health and flexibility are top of mind. I might not be doing any more marathon distance runs this season, though I’m not ruling it out.
Whereas before I saw running long distances as a way to prove myself, now I am much happier being a generalist.
(BOOOOO!!!!!!!!) 👎👎👎👎
I know I hear you it’s not sexy sounding. But thanks to a partially torn calf injury a few weeks ago, I know it’s time to regroup.
While working on a certification for Olympic lifting, combined with the ungodly heat in LA recently, I had been neglecting both running and the stair machine- 2 exercises that stretch and strengthen my lower legs.
And then it happened. While transitioning into a switch kick (something I’ve done thousands of times with no issue) at 7AM Muay Thai, I heard a small snap and all of a sudden I could barely put any pressure on my left leg without great pain. And this just after another student had torn their Achilles tendon doing the same thing a few days before. I was the lucky one.
My conditioning is already at a high level so I usually bounce back from these types of things quickly. I spent one day off my feet and then managed to do a light 4 mile hike the next day after that. But it was painful and I was unsteady.
That’s when I realized… I’ve been doing yoga off and on for years. My flexibility is flagging. I learn better by coaching. And Dog Gonnit. I’m just freaking jealous of how bendy, beautiful and grounded all those yogi women and men out there seem to be.
Hence, I am now taking a 200hr yoga teacher training which will help me to drill down on the fine details of technique, as well as fully immerse myself in the languages of kinesiology and anatomy. Maybe I’ll never get a degree in either of these 2 awesome fields but I’m sure as heck leaving that door open.
Still, I think there’s a gap between those who study and those who do. And for better or worse, that’s a space I like to occupy. I don’t know how anyone could shoulder the academic load that degrees of that kind demand while also being abreast of one’s own physical potential. Sitting down staring at words, analyzing, memorizing, writing papers, doing tons of research in a static, low energy position all day just isn’t my cup of tea at least right now.
Not to mention, I’m so happy with how my body is beginning to look, how it already does look after just tweaking a few things that I genuinely want to see how far this physique train goes. I don’t find it vain in the slightest because I know how much work I put in. I know my level of passion and it’s the most natural way I know how to express myself. I don’t take steroids and my ultimate goal is to spread the benefits and joys of fitness to as many people as I can. I know my heart and soul are in the right place. So on that basis I’m happy to mix with market demand which tends toward physique. It’s not easy!
Starving yourself doesn’t get you a great body. Complaining about not having one doesn’t get you one. You have to buy books, take courses, experience all types of exercises first hand and continue on this way for years to achieve a truly great body.
But they’re not handing out degrees for doing something like that right? Because in Western culture, we denigrate the body.
Here.. now, drown yourself in tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of debt to come to our ‘prestigious’ university to achieve our idea of mastery. Then people will really look up to you. You will have secured your place in the subjective social hierarchy.
But… achieve body mastery…
To many, it might not hold the same weight but I’m hopeful, as we’ve seen the corruption of medicine and education on a global scale, many will wake up to the Good News of preventative medicine, holistic living, whole foods and beyond.
[Insert Long-Winded AND TOTALLY JUSTIFIED Vegan Rant Here]
Today in HIIT class, I had my attendees do five sets of these five (1)-minute rounds:
- Turkish Getups (Higher weight than usual) (30 seconds each side)
- Leap Frogs into Deep Squat
- Single Leg Box Jumps
- Ab Variations
- Lateral Raises
Everyone had a challenging time doing the single leg box jumps but some were able to get it after a couple rounds. Reflecting on this, I think I need to include more plyo work as well as power-developing exercises
Leap frogs, I didn’t see anyone land into a deep squat with their tail bone close to the floor. Being as the squat is such an important movement, I need to place more attention there.
Ab variations and lateral raises looked good. I think the students could have gone heavier with the Turkish Getups but their form was great and they performed the movements safely so I give that an (A-) grade overall.
With 10 minutes left in class we did sprints back and forth as well as a 5-6 minute long relay race in pairs. Everyone was gassed by the end but it was super fun!
21 days until the Fall equinox. Hang in there. I know I’m already sipping on my ginger-turmeric herbal tea. I hope you’ve got some cozy socks, a comfy pullover and bouncy running shoes at the ready.
Be safe on the roads and trails. God knows I’ve had my close calls with LA drivers not paying attention or not caring.
And by the way I’m just curious if you have any transitions you’ve been making in your life recently, big or small?
Leave a comment! I’d love to know! And please like and subscribe! It would truly mean a lot to me.
Thank you for spending some time with me here. If you have the means, please donate to my cause so I can get more gear, expand my travels and document some bigger greater adventures. Thank you!!! 🙂
And just remember that it’s all training. So… train amazing!
Take care of yourself! You deserve it!
-M
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