Needling in Haystacks.

The last few months, I’ve been in what you might call a workout funk. I have a weekday alarm that I’ve shut off every morning for months that’s set early enough for me to get to the gym, eat breakfast, take a shower and be off to work by 8. As for my excuse for not going to the gym in the evenings, I’m usually pretty drained after a day at the office and talk myself out of going to the gym after work even when I don’t have other commitments AND I have my workout clothes packed. Shameful. My general lack of motivation to workout has extended into a general lack of motivation to do much of anything – a sure sign that I need to shake things up and try a different path.

That’s why I’m both nervous and excited about my plan to do 30 days in a row of Bikram yoga. Bikram’s beginning yoga class runs 90 minutes and is done in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%. I will be doing this EVERY day for the next month. I’ve done the class twice before, and both times I had to stop and rest mid-way through and felt like I was going to throw up. It’s a very challenging workout, but something that’s good for your mind, body and soul.

A happy side effect of doing this is that I’ll get to spend more time with my friend Kira. It was actually her idea. She did bikram yoga regularly a few years ago and said she looked and felt great. Both sound excellent to me. Our challenge is as follows: Both of us have to do 30 days in a row of Bikram yoga (we started yesterday). If one of us quits, they have to pay for the other one’s month of classes. If both of us quit, we have to eat a can of dog food.

So there you have it. Where mind power fails to motivate, the threat of eating the most disgusting thing you can imagine will surely succeed. Here’s to the next 30 days.

I am not a morning person. Frankly, between the time I roll out of bed to the time that I walk out the door, even my cats try to avoid me. Daily, I delay the inevitable painful process of waking up, getting out of bed, rushing to get ready (because I’ve slept in) by sleeping in, of course. It makes sense at the time, every time.

For me, waking up most mornings falls somewhere between throwing up and cleaning out the litter box on the “things I like to do” scale. This is unfortunate given the frequency with which I have to wake up (really, I don’t like waking up on weekends that much more than on weekdays). In an attempt to try and find joy in the act of waking, I’ve tried multiple types of alarm clocks (one that softly flashed a light 10 minutes before an alarm sounds to wake you, one that offer extended snooze times, one that played soothing sounds instead of the classic alarm tone), going to bed early, an iPhone app called Sleep Cycle – I even pre-ordered a cool-sounding device called a Wake Mate (which I haven’t received yet).

I’m pondering ideas for how to make myself enjoy waking up. Getting on a good workout routine seems like a good choice. Does anyone have recommendations?

In the last month I’ve been from Boulder to Vona to Bloomington to Vegas for CEyeS and then back to Boulder. I decided to give snowboarding a try – I’ve been 3 times so far. I currently have a bruise on my knee the size of a grapefruit from falling getting off the lift. Not even a good story. I’ve met my best friend’s baby – Cashill James Ostler (love him so), wished my other best friend congratulations on her engagement to an awesome guy (yeah Courts and Owen!), worked about 120 hours (what? the month isn’t over yet!) and made some plans for an awesome February. I’ll be in Boulder for only one weekend next month so I should have a decent list of “dids” for February also. Pics of all of it coming soon. 2010, I like you so far.

The lovely Clare boards

Two days in over the weekend – done. My lovely friend Clare is in the pic. She came along for day 1 of snowboarding; a full-day class. The second day was spent trying to get comfortable with heel-side and toe-side turns on the bunny hill. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sore in my life!

I’ve been needing to get my blog started so I’m officially translating my 2010 resolutions into digital immortality by posting them for all of my readers (hi mom) to see.

1. Learn.

I’m thinking of things like learning to knit, trying snowboarding, figuring out how to customize my blog, learning to drive a stick-shift, etc. I also want to read more – let’s start with a goal of 3 books/quarter.

2. Go outside.

I’m a pretty pathetic Coloradan. I think I went hiking about a dozen times last summer and most of those consisted of quick hikes up Chataqua or Sanitas. I’m going to attempt to OD on vitamin D in 2010.

3. H2O Competency.

Embarrassing admission: I suck at swimming. I mean, I can do it. Sort of. Being able to float isn’t the same as being confident in the water.

4. Skin.

Go to a dermatologist.

5. Eat.

Cut out the Mac n cheese, up the green leafies, cook more.

6. Travel.

Compared to my previous rate of travel I’ve been a jet-setter the last two years. I’d like to continue that trend in 2010.

7. $.

Ah yes, like most college grads, I accrued debt in the years immediately following graduation. I want to be dug out by end of year. And yes, I think it’s possible to do this AND travel.

8. Sexy.

Get in shape, be healthy, feel good.

Alright, that’s the plan for 2010. Excited for all this year has in store!