I Can Bring a Friend to Yoga, But I'll Never be a Yogi

Ok, I have to admit, I haven't been to yoga much lately. It's a very crowded power yoga class, and what I really want is restorative yoga, or a yoga for runners (and since I already belong to 2 gyms, I don't want to pay extra for a yoga studio). Anyway, I did go to class at the Y with my friend Kelly a short time ago.

She is super-yogafied (it's a word; I'm sure I found it in Merriam-Webster on Urban Dictionary).

Before class, we chatted about different yoga styles and she told me about one that involves lying down and requires very little movement.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, she also asked me to go rock climbing with her.

I mean, she has read this blog.

Once the class started, Kelly was all business.  While we were in Warrior Two I glanced over at her to see if she was enjoying herself.  She was focused on her *drishti...really focused.

*For those who have not done yoga, your 'drishti' is a point a few feet ahead that you look at to help you keep your focus and balance.  You have to be sure to relax your eyes.

Hmm, it's possible I'm thinking of something else.

Anyway, the class continued.  While Kelly expertly executed the half moon, I didn't even bother with the block and just trotted over to lean against the wall.  I still fell over.

I soldiered on as we progressed through our sun salutations.  We were told (as usual) to place our feet 6 inches apart for many of the poses.

Does anyone know what a 6 inch space between your feet is just by eyeballing it?  My yoga instructor seems to. I do not.

I always end up like this:

or like this:

And on the topic of distance, you know-if you do yoga-how you're always supposed to swing your leg forward out of downward- facing-dog straight into a lunge?  Well either my legs are really long (they are not), or my arms are really short (they are not), but either way my leg always gets stuck about halfway through; and the day I went to class with Kelly was no exception.

Once we completed the falling over balancing portion of the class, it was time to get on the floor and work the core.  We did bridges over and over (and over) again.

It sounded like a birthing class with all the deep breathing.

I didn't mind the huffing and puffing in class; we were working hard. But I could honestly have done without the moaning accompanying every movement. Furthermore, the half-hearted, super high-pitched singing along with Celine Dion was not appreciated.

Don't worry, it wasn't Kelly.

Thankfully, I do not ever sing out loud in class, because every time we've done the Superman move, the instructor has said to reach to the window with our hand, and to the wall with our foot.  And then she chants softly:

And then I have Sandra Bullock in my head, dancing around the forest with Betty White.

And that does not help my focus at all.

Ok, holy crap, I just googled that song and wow.  Dirty.


I'm over at Yeah Write this week on the Hangout Grid.  Come check out some other great reads by clicking on the button below!

UPCOMING POSTS:  CHELAN MAN RACE RECAP, LONG RUNS

Some Michiganders and a Californian-My Rock 'n' Roll Weekend

My Rock 'n' Roll half marathon race weekend last month was EPIC.  Not only did I have a great race, but I got to meet some of my very favorite online friends in real life (IRL!) It was akin to meeting the cast from your favourite T.V. show.  The one that you've watched forever so you feel like you know the people, yet you would still be completely starstruck to be sitting amongst them.  

The switch from online friend to IRL friend can be tricky.  After all, everyone has their online persona.

Confession time:

The first person I met was Adrian from Happy Girls are the Prettiest Girls.

She writes one of the first blogs I ever followed and is among my very first bloggy friends. When she first emailed me to ask for hotel recommendations for the race, I offered Casa de la TriGirl.

Once we both agreed that it totally wasn't weird to invite a sort of stranger to stay in your house, or to accept said invitation from a sort of stranger, the plan was set.

Adrian flew in the day before the race, and I recognized her immediately.

She kinda gets that a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

We drove straight to the race expo and chatted the whole way. It wasn't weird, for the record, and it took my mind off driving on crazy overpasses and into the middle of downtown on a weekday in the pouring rain, which apparently means that suddenly no one knows how to drive (because you know, it's not like it doesn't rain here EVERY DAY!).

After checking out some free stuff at the expo,

we met more bloggers for lunch at a nearby restaurant.  As we rounded the corner, another familiar face that I had only ever seen online was grinning at me.

It was Megan! And her boyfriend Ryan was right beside her! 

It was like a celebrity sighting; like Brangelina, but Rygan...Myan? Anyhoo, like that, minus the multicultural children, and the weird tattoos, and the creepy beard that Brad sports on occasion. Plus, Megan totally gets along with her dad and has even turned him into a runner!

Along with them were a few more familiar faces:  Megan and Kevin, and their baby, Charlotte.

Those blue eyes were soooo big!

Erika and Julia were there, 

(I just love the pigtails) 

along with some of Erika's friends.

Then more local bloggers joined us: Lindsay, Nicole, Tasha, Lauren, and Stacie!

After some more expo-loring (get it? expo and exploring?) it was time to go home.  Adrian had brought me a bag of gifts that was fantastically awesome.

The next morning we raced, and that evening, we went out for sushi.

We had a great time getting to know each other better, and after dinner we went to a pub. We sat around in a little side room with flamingo beer bongs and mustachioed guitars hanging on the wall. Suddenly, Erika noticed that Ryan had attracted some unusual attention.

Megan shooed the (presumably drunk or otherwise altered) woman away and asked Ryan what that was all about. He replied matter-of-factly,

Touche', Ryan.  Touche'.

The next day, TriGuy, Adrian, and I went out for breakfast, then we went downtown for some sightseeing. We met up with Erika and the Megans, with the menfolk and childfolk in tow. We did the regular, fun touristy stuff, but one of the highlights of my day was watching Megan walk backwards while she was talking, and knock over a magician's table with his magic trick movies on it.

It proved to me that she is exactly who she claims to be on her blog...and that we are most definitely kindred spirits.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend, and the only sad part was having to say goodbye to so many good friends that I had just started getting to know.  Perhaps it's time to start looking for more races...

UPCOMING POSTS: MORE RACE REPORTS, YOGA (for real), LONG RUNS