Tuesday 26 June 2007

Rain, walk and yoga

This morning's run was rained out. I can't blame the rain for the fact that I didn't out of the house though. The gym is only 10 mins down the street and the rain keeps the temperature up. No, I stayed tucked up in bed this morning, finishing a book I bought at Borders the other day. My 13 year old nephew recommended the author - Matthew Reilly. I bought "Ice Station" which was the earliest of his books I could find. I was a little dubious when I read the cover, but I decided to trust Andrew's taste. I'm so glad I did. It was a real page turner. I'll definitely read his other books.

I also bought a Lee Childs book, as I've become a Jack Reacher fan, and "It's not about the bike", which I've wanted for ages. I kept meaning to borrow it from my brother, but I cracked under pressure the other day and bought it.

On the exercise front, I ended up walking home from work. The rain had stopped and I just missed a bus, after running down to the bus stop. There was a half an hour to wait for the bus and the trip generally takes about fifteen minutes followed by a ten minute walk so I figured I'd be home earlier if I walked. I was out on the time estimate though. Instead of 40 minutes it took me an hour, which means that it's further than I thought. Even though it was getting dark and there was a chance of rain I didn't mind that it took extra time which is another sign of how much my lifestyle has changed over the past few years.

I'm glad I walked from work to home first, as I wouldn't have known which paths to follow. I seemed to be all over the place. The 'rural' road wasn't exactly confidence inspiring, as there were a couple of white posts out of the ground. This bit is fine in daylight but would be a challenge in the dark.

Part of the route is along a busy road, so there are walking paths that take you under the road. There weren't any people out and about while I was on these paths, which was a little intimidating. I don't think I'll be doing this section on foot in the dark. When I got closer to home I took the back way for variety, but it was poorly lit and there was quite a lot of traffic. I'll go home via the brightly lit shopping centre next time.

I spent most of the walk thinking about cycling or running along the route. The journey is quite hilly, which will be a challenge for me on the bike or on foot, but I'm going to give both of those options a go once I get proper building access. At the moment it would be a hassle to have a shower at work, but it won't be a big deal once the access is sorted out. At the moment I'm thinking I'll take my running gear to work with me tomorrow and run home. I have to get panniers for the bike now too. More accessories = more shopping. :-)

I made it to Yoga this evening. I enjoyed it again. I feel great afterwards but it's definitely a challenge. There were some movements I just couldn't do. One was called the pigeon. I couldn't even start to work out what I needed to do to get my leg into the right place. I got better at some moves, like walking out and back with my hands. I love being more flexible than I used to be.

Another bonus of tonight's class was that I caught up with one of the Team Black runners before and after class. Lola did really well at the Terry Fox fun run the other week, improving her time by six minutes. She also pulled up really well. It was good to have a chance to exchange notes with another convert.

4 comments:

Celeste said...

I with you about the whole attitude-mindset thing. There was a time in the not-so-distant past where I would have caught a cab rather than walk somewhere. (Now I would catch a cab because I am injured!! Hee Hee!) But the point is I've changed my attitude - the thought of exercise doesn't frighten me anymore.

Anonymous said...

I though the pigeon was something Bert did on Sesame St. :) Love Matthew Riley books very fast pace, unlike me at the moment

Andrew(ajh) said...

I have just read both "It's Not About The Bike" and "Every Second Counts" the follow up book. Lance is one of my heroes, his attitude to things is so good.

Anonymous said...

I loved it's not about the bike, I hope you find it really inspirational.