I’ve said this before but I really prefer to practice yoga in the mornings. Most Tuesdays, I practice ashtanga before work. I opted to forgo today’s practice in favor of sleep since I am still trying to get over this cold. As I went through my day I realized that I was feeling exponentially better than I had in days and decided to go to an evening ashtanga class.
The recent time change has kind of thrown me for a loop. When I leave work at 5:30 and it’s dark out I feel like I should be home and not out and about. When I got home I procrastinated on getting ready for yoga and kept questioning if I really wanted to go. Finally, Brandon told me I would regret it and be bored at home if I didn’t go (he knows me so well :)) so I headed to class.
After Saturday’s disastrous ashtanga practice, I was not sure how tonight would go. I just tried to go into it with an open mind and positive attitude. Well, my body and mind ended up totally surprising me and I had an awesome practice. I finally mastered two things that I have been working on for months – jumping from down dog to seated (like on your bottom with your legs straight out in front) and dropping back into a backbend and coming up by myself.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with ashtanga. I love that it challenges me and that I can turn totally inward while I’m practicing it but I hate that I often lack grace on my mat and feel a little beat down by it sometimes. I have really tried to focus on my ashtanga practice lately and it’s finally paying off. Practice is making me BETTER but I am far (so very, very far) from perfect.
Off my ashtanga rant…and onto food. Oh, and I promise that I will do an overview post soon of what ashtanga is since I talk about it so much.
I’ve had lots of this the past few days.
I’ve been drinking hot tea like crazy. Today’s tea tag made me smile.
Simple but powerful. I know this sounds silly but I love Yogi teas and look forward to making my afternoon tea to see what my tea tag has to say.
Breakfast this morning was apple cinnamon oatmeal. (Basic recipe in this post.)
I picked up organic thick rolled oats at Earth Fare Sunday and they are so good and chewy. Much thicker and fluffier than my normal Quaker Oats. Loving them for a change. I topped my oatmeal with Crofter’s and almond butter.
Lunch today went unpictured because I had a work lunch but my food was very unremarkable. I had a wrap with portobellos and guacamole and some sad, flavorless pasta salad. The company was good though! I definitely reached for a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar for a snack this afternoon to make up for it!
I wasn’t really hungry for dinner tonight after yoga so I had a big salad. My appetite has been off this week. I think my body is finally trying to reset itself from the constant state of hunger I was in while I was marathon training.
This mix was incredible. Baby greens, baby spinach, tomato, carrots, green pepper, roasted kabocha squash, pears, feta, dried cranberries and toasted pecans with homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Whole wheat toast on the side.
Runners…do you find that your appetite returns to normal after the race when you cut back on training? How long does it usually take for you? I was so hungry all the time the last six weeks of training and I’m glad I’m starting to feel back to normal.
It took me a looong time after my marathon to realize my hunger wasn’t the same…like 6 weeks!
Have you ever done a yoga for beginners post? I really want to get into yoga but am so intimidated!
Aren’t those Yogi tea quotes great?? Totally one of the reasons why I buy that brand 🙂
I definitely identify with you about Ashtanga… sometimes my lack of grace is almost distracting.
Ha! When I trained for the Half Iron, I felt like I could eat an entire cow…daily. The only bummer seemed that when given options the high cal, high fat always appealed more than healthier fare. I was just that hungry. It is kind of nice to have more realistic balance with exercise and food when not training. But like you Jen, I am always up for the next challenge. Half Iron again this spring. This time I am really going to try to focus on balanced nutrition with the extra cals. Your blog will help 🙂 Good job in the MCM!
I get more hungry after track and speed session for sure! But now that i am just enjoying easy runs and fun runs, I definitely do get nearly as hungry in the morning. Kinda miss it, haha.
About a week after my marathon, I felt normal again. I could eat like a regular person and didn’t feel like tearing into the nearest snack at a moment’s notice. Keeping up with the hunger was getting old after awhile. I like being able to eat big salads at meal times again.