Workout #34

38:100

I had the idea to write about this for almost two weeks.  And here I am finally doing it.

In my journey to accomplishing 100 workouts I knew that there would be a few mountains and a lot of molehills.  For example, as I write this, I am potentially going to be dealing with a knee injury thanks to an accident I had with my boyfriend on the couch, lol.  (I feel like most athlete-type fitness fans ALWAYS hurt themselves; doing nothing, at any given moment.)  On this day in particular, the day of workout #34, it was an interesting day.  Read on for more...  

It was a normal day.  Like any other day.  And I originally planned on doing my workout that morning before heading in to work.  Alarm goes off and as I began to rise, my inner voice says:  "OR...Or...you could sleep IN.  Huh?  Huh?" *nudge nudge*  I say to myself.. "Girl!  You right!" and pull the covers back over my body and close my eyes to enjoy an extra hour of sleep.  I go to work and am complaining in my mind all day about how much I don't want to do this workout when I get home.  (I'm actually working on my inner voice through meditation over the past week and a half.  More details soon.)   So I get home from work and chill, eat dinner, watch t.v. (I never watch t.v.--I was desperate for a distraction.), and I lie there.  Just staring at my ceiling.  Knowing that my laptop was calling.  

I am kinda doing the Barre 3 #ALLin challenge.  Barre 3, to me, is the most amazing barre method in the whole entire universe. *Vera from Harlem Nights voice*  To kick off the year they are doing a five-week fitness challenge.  Since I am doing Soul Cycle and Studio Lagree, I am not doing five classes a week as planned and I'm not eating every meal in the cookbook either because cost.  Because I live with another human.  Because I don't want to cook every day of the week since we split the cooking responsibilities.  (I like a snatched waist.  I also like living life.)  Unfortunately, Chicago does not host a Barre 3 barre studio within its city limits.  Very unfortunate.  The great thing is that the studio does online classes that you can subscribe to and do in your own living room.  They're SO good.

So I'm chilling on my couch.  T.V. blaring in the background.  Scrolling on Instagram.  And I finally shout in my head:  Get up!  Get it done!  You guys.  15 minutes in to the workout I was feeling so strong and the sweat was really starting to build.  45 minutes into it, I was verbally exclaiming that I was glad I got up and did it.  By the hour mark I'd decided to add the triumph to my Insta Stories and not until then did I realize that it was 10:30PM.  I cleaned up and scurried to bed, but I learned a few valuable lessons on this day.

1.  Some of that negative self-talk at work was that "I was going to fail horribly at my goal of 100 workouts."  That "I had missed so many by now and I knew that it would come to this"... Wrong!  I was actually coming off of the appropriate amount of rest days and was/am still on track to reach my goal.

2.  Just do it.  (Self explanatory.  Thanks Nike.)

3.  Keeping perspective when the odds seem stacked against you is vital.  

4.  Calm TF down.

5.  Self-scanning will help break through the wall more quickly.  Seriously.  Understanding where the "stop" is and why it's happening.  Taking a few moments to think about it will save you a few hours or days.  

So here's to the next 59 workouts (Lord willing) and here's to you and whatever journey that you are on for yourself.  Woo!

Melissa

100 workouts by 30

okay.  as I inch closer and closer to my 30th birthday in 2017 I am realizing more things about myself.  one of the glaring realizations is that I am not the woman I was just four years ago.  i have a true admiration for her.  she took the odds, beat em, and strung her successes along to build a bridge from one point of her life to the next (which is now).  

a lot of the work I've been up to in the past few years has been awesome and some of it has been fruitless.  the woman who I look at every day in the daytime and at night; I have the utmost respect for her.  she is bonafide.  her support system is real.  her love is loud.  her conscience is 110% clear.  AND she is in a starkly different place than the young 20-something she was just a few years ago.  for example:  she's 20 lbs heavier and she really isn't clear on what goals to take on next.  

should she move to a distant land?  can she really bring that dream to reality?  where should she spend most of her time these days?  although I am a lot more sure in myself and who I am inherently, I have grown to truly trust myself, the future is a little unsure--and that's okay.  the less I know, the more I can create!  on that note I introduce a part of my work as I venture certainly into my 30s (and uncertainly in to what's next).  between now and April 2017, I will do 100 workouts in +/- 125 days.

what this goal means to me is a few things:

1.  my commitment to growing old powerfully (physically + mentally)

2. finally taking on my goal to lose 15 of the 20 lbs I've gained over the past 2.5 years

3. giving myself a fair position to take on the next steps.  i am a firm believer in sweat making life a level playing field.  you see more clearly and no one can outdo their best effort.  pushing myself physically daily challenges my mind, heart, and spirit makes the game more fun and engaging.  i will have to put in to it what i do actually want back out and that method will show up in my life elsewhere and in significant ways.

the ultimate goal is simply to end up stronger.  the second ultimate goal (lol) is to weigh 15 lbs lighter by the time my actual 30th birthday arrives (April 10th).  the final ultimate goal is to see what being honest with myself about an innermost desire gets me.

obviously I will document what's appropriate and what's possible and I will definitely track my successes and failures in the end.  so far, I have done one workout. :) this is one of the few goals I've set that excites me and scares me at the same time.  100 workouts will cost dollars, time, and inauthenticity.  i am incredibly tied to my physical being.  be it because I am an Aries or an athlete, for every bump there may be in my road, I can already call it that a real reaction will be expressed physically, verbally, and mentally if I come up against a tough time.  maybe I'll use this space to express myself, maybe I won't, but I am glad to have said it all aloud to the interwebs as I begin it.

whatever the case, I will see you all in April physically lighter, mentally fortuitous, and spiritually sound.  

peace

Melissa

Yoga Six

Yoga Six is the newest wave of studios to hit Chicago.

I am a big fan.

My favorite part is the environment.  By now I've done a handful of classes at Y6 and I have to say that for a national chain, they're pretty cool.  But don't tie much to that.  There is nothing wrong with being a chain of yoga studios the same way that being 1:1 doesn't make a stu more soulful. (But any time a chain exists you have to wonder about the consistency and authenticity of your experience.  Here I have no doubt that these peeps are on top of their game and can say that the Yoga Six instructors are in it for the love.)

This space is just so chill.  In my experience the desk encounter is always a little quirky since they are brand new here, but once you're in the space you're in the zone.  The bathrooms are superb.  Dope shower area, razors, and this cool "air shower".  The air shower blasts you down after your flow to bring your temperature lower which is especially great for us Chicagoans headed in to wintertime elements aprés savasana.

  

There's a lot of orange and I wonder if it's because the color reps warmth, enthusiasm, and happiness. (?)

The studio floors are probably the greatest in the game.  They're padded and have parking spots on them.  That means that someone went through with a ruler and made marks to ensure that the class can fill comfortably. It's so freaking cool.  They borrow out towels and (Manduka) mats to those who forget or travel light. Personally, I'm a big fan of The Mat by lululemon athletica for all things hot yoga.

From what I understand the classes are formatted from corporate and then instructors just add their own flare from there.  (Which, so far, hasn't been disappointing.)  They also offer warm and hot classes as well as slower pace, deep/restorative, and the power/sculpty style.  The play lists are cool and I'm assuming created by the instructor as well.  (I've heard that chime stuff, the Super yoga chant music, and some Bone Thugs n Harmony).

Check em out!  Currently they are in Lincoln Park (Clybourn), the South Loop (Roosevelt Collection), and Gold Coast.

Lululemon Athletica Halsted is partnering with the Lincoln Park Yoga Six studio to offer free classes at 7:30PM on Tuesdays at their Clybourn studio. 

The welcome to Y6 South Loop!

Camel at Lincoln Park

Here with Jesi (friend & Y6 manager) after a 6AM class at the newest South Loop location.