Ice Baths and Utkatasana

Almost two years ago, I ran the Nike Womens' Marathon in San Francisco. This may be the coolest marathon in all of history because a) it's all women and b) at the end you are greeted by firemen in tuxes and one of them hands you a Tiffany blue box with a silver finisher's necklace. Amazing, right? Sure it was a little awkward seeing a horde of fantastic looking men after I had just ran 26.2 miles and wasn't looking . . . awesome. But really, I'd do anything for that blue box.

I'm the one in the hypothermia blanket. Claudymom is on the left! Isn't she a babe?

I've run a few shorter races since then and, even though I don't plan on doing another marathon, I still think about it a lot. As I've said before, there is something about pushing your body that makes you feel alive. We were designed to run, walk and even swim and I try to be grateful for my body every day (even on those days my "skinny jeans" seem much more like "thank God these zipped up today jeans").

One of the most challenging things I had to do in training for the marathon was take ice baths. Any time you run over 10 miles, it's a good idea to take a bath in ice water for about 15 minutes. This is even less fun than it sounds. I remember the very first time I did this . . . I bought a few bags of ice from the store around the corner, put on my fleece hat, poured the ice in the tub with some very cold water, and proceeded to get in.

If you know me well, you know I did not go quietly. From the second my big toe hit the water, I began screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs. If pressed, I can curse like a sailor-- it's a gift. My husband ran around the apartment closing windows because, according to him, "kids live in this neighborhood!" and would apparently need therapy for years if they heard what I was screaming. I really didn't give a crap.

In this painful state (and it was SO painful), I could feel every part of my body. Even though I hated my life at that moment, I was so acutely aware of it.

I experience the same awareness when I am in the yoga pose utkatasana (oot-kuh-tah-suh-nah). This pose is most commonly known as "chair pose" because the person is supposed to look like they are sitting in an invisible chair.

In some yoga circles, this pose is known as "awkward pose." I truly didn't get that name until I saw this image from Yoga Journal. I swear most people don't look like this in this pose. Yoga is cool, I swear.

As you can imagine, this pose burns. But, if you can stomach it, it has the potential to remind you that you are, indeed, alive.

I know I spend too much time taking for granted that I am alive and well. That my heart pumps, my lungs fill and empty and my body is able to work hard.

So today, I am thankful for ice baths and even "awkward pose" for the awareness they have brought to my life. Awareness is what I need. I am also thankful for my yoga practice and the way it blends so well with my running practice. Yoga complements running and running complements yoga. They work together in my life to make me a saner, more aware person.

Yogini in Central Park

I have been traveling up the east coast for the last few days having many adventures. I am no longer at my parents' home so I am finally safe from snakes but I did travel through New York City which, as you may know, is a pigeon's paradise. Needless to say there was some awkward ducking happening on the streets of NY just yesterday. By the grace of God I escaped unscathed (unlike Fabio on the roller coaster circa seven years ago . . . I'll never forget, Fabio! you have not suffered in vain!).

Being in New York is always fun. I love shopping, sightseeing and, of course, visiting my roommate from college who now resides on the Upper East Side (how very Carrie Bradshaw of her. . . ).  She lives just three blocks from Central Park and five from Museum Mile-- what a great spot.

One of the things I was dying to do while I was there was go for a run in Central Park. I was so fixated on it for some reason that I literally could not sleep on Sunday night because I was too excited to explore the park in my running shoes the following morning. Yes, I really am that big of a loser. So, I got up at 8 the next morning after sleeping about three hours, and went for a run. I ran around the reservoir and then down through much of the park. Of course I had no idea where I was going which made it all the more fun. I had a great run.

I am completely overjoyed by my random display of enthusiasm for running because, you see, I have been in a major running slump. My knees were hurting, my routes seemed boring and running just seemed like such a chore. Instead of it being something I looked forward to, something that gave me energy, I dreaded it and went on strike.

You may have guessed this about me but it is not easy to get me to do something I don't want to do. Just ask my father about bringing me to Mass every Sunday growing up. I was not above hiding in my room or throwing temper tantrums to get out of going to hear some old guy bore me to death. Even though my plans never worked, I never gave up my quest for a Mass-free Sunday. Once my father wrestled me there, I would sneak off to the bathroom and practice my cartwheels. If there was one good thing about my church, it's that the bathrooms were HUGE. Perfect for my routines . . .

Thankfully, my desire to run has returned-- the strike is over. I am so grateful to have the will back because I do love running. Not all the time, but it really is a gratifying thing to do. It's hard not to be thankful for your body when you run. Raising my heart rate, getting in sync with my breathing and pushing myself are things that I really love to do. Perhaps all I needed was something new to explore to make me remember why I do it in the first place.