Football Friday

I have another blog called NCAA lives here but I haven't posted much on it simply because I couldn't come up with enough sports topics so I haven't done much with it. One major issue I have is that I simply do not know enough about football/sports to have a blog solely dedicated to it. Instead, I've decided to sprinkle in what I will be calling "Football Friday". Maybe when football season is over, I will have "Monday Madness" for basketball or something along those lines.

First things first: fashion for today - Clemson has something called "Solid Orange Friday" where the fans should wear orange on friday to signify their devotion to Clemson. I even through in some purple bracelets so I feel extra spirited today!

why does this pic look so terrible :( - oh well, you get the point

For my first segment of Football Friday, I am going to discuss College Pick 'ems games. People love to gamble so there are always contests/games where you pick the winners for the games of the week. Living in the south, everyone wants to participate, even the girls, but it gets tricky when you don't know what's going on with each team. For example, LSU vs Oregon - Oregon is a pretty good team, but LSU is too except  that LSU just lost their QB to some off the field issues, so will that hinder them, I don't know. But what I do know is that I will pick Oregon simply because I know their starting QB is sidelined! What if I don't know anything about that team? Their record last year, their history in general, how many starters are returning, etc etc? I've developed a system for all of you ladies so that you, too, can participate in the activities.

1. Colors - so simple and I think most of us already do this. Which colors do we like the best? You could already know the colors, you may have to look them up, but once you can compare, simply pick the ones that you like best.

For example: (let's use one of the games this week which can easily be found on ESPN

OREGON DUCKS (source)

VS

LSU TIGERS (source)

I personally will pick Oregon because I prefer Green and Yellow to Purple and Gold (yes, that is supposed to be gold) 

Pick taken care of - BAM

2. Location - one thing the south is proud of, being in the south. We will pledge allegiance to anything is it's based in the south. 

For example:

OLE' MISS REBELS (University of Mississippi) (source)

*I chose this pic because it shows that yes, their mascot is a rebel and that's what he looks like

VS

BYU COUGARS (source)

You could go one of two ways, depending on your knowledge. Assuming you understand the SEC is a conference, it's one of the top conferences and Ole miss is in the conference, you could choose that way. Or Ole Miss is in the south - chosen - done

3. Who did your last crappy ex boyfriend pull for? 

I think this is self explanatory and also a personal experience so it's hard to give examples. You always pick the team that is playing your ex boyfriend's fave team. Done

4. Last but not least, which mascot would win in a real life fight?  I have thought a lot about this and it's actually one of my fav things ever and I have had this discussion with some boys about this so it's not that far off!! 

First, let me cover a couple of ground rules: 

1. It MUST be the school nickname and NOT the on the field mascot. So, it's Auburn Tigers, not Auburn War Eagle, It's Alabama Crimson Tide, not Alabama elephants, it's Tennessee Volunteers, not Tennessee's dog Smokey, etc. 

2. We are assuming their weaponry is what is shown on the field. So, Chief Osceola from FSU will have his spear, the Trojan will have his sword, and we're assuming that all tropical weather is the worst it can get, category 5 hurricane (Miami), worst Cyclone that's gone through Iowa ever.. 

Ok, now that those rules are out of the way, for example:

USC TROJANS (source)

VS

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (source)

You may be wondering, why is Minnesota's mascot a gopher - that I cannot answer. But what I will say is that this isn't even a fair fight. USC hands down. Even without the sword, the gopher only has a slim chance

So ladies, I hope this helps. It may not be as scientific, but you'll find it works just as well. most of the time. maybe not for last night. 

Why I practice

First things first, my outfit for the day!! I am liking the new fashion portion of my blog because it's forcing me to dress a little nicer!!

What might be nice is if I staged it a little better, but based on my post about my hubby yesterday, I get what I can get :)

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Another thing I've been discussing here is my lack of motivation to train. Yesterday morning, we had Wednesday morning intervals and the scheduled called for an out and back negative split. I was leading a group that had many different paces, and it was dark, so I tried to stay in the middle to insure everyone was safe. That forced me to run a little slower and I actually enjoyed it. So that was nice... I remembered why I ran and didn't push myself thinking I should always be running fast! Sometimes, I need a little boost to remind me why I run. 

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If you've been following my blog for anytime, you know that A Southern Yogi is not the original name. I decided to change the name earlier this year to reflect more of how I perceive myself. I felt like that name was more appropriate BUT as I review my blog posts, I don't seem to be speaking much about that aspect of myself. I think that is probably because 1) I use this blog as a diary of my marathon/race training and 2) although I am very diligent in practicing prayer/meditation as well as developing a more thoughtful side of myself, I don't know that I want to discuss all of what I find with everyone or do I want my blog to be so heavy and contemplative. I want it to be fun because that's probably what I am mostly, light-hearted and fun!

So why go there now? When I post about something, I typically like to discuss whatever topic is on my mind. Since I started yoga teacher training last week, and all that it entails, I wanted to talk about some of my personal goals as it pertains to my practice and really, my goals in life. In my late teens up until about 20, I was very unhappy and spent most of time seeking some relief through outside things. I still do that, but what the outside thing was has changed. In the beginning, it was through alcohol, food, shopping and relationships. As time has passed, it has been obvious that those things don't work so where do I go next. It was time for a major change of perception. I started working out which lead me to start taking yoga as a form of fitness. The thing I liked about yoga was the fact that it helped me quiet my mind. I have always had lots of thoughts swirling around my head, either worry about the future, or regrets about the past. When James and I first got married, he started his business and I had a lot of worry over financial stability. I was also in a place where I felt a lot of guilt about things I had done while I was drinking. It consumed me, and yoga was a way to help calm my mind. 

Over the last couple of years, one thing I've learned is that when I quiet my mind in the morning, leave behind all of my worries about future and past, I become available to listen to God. Through forgiving myself for things I have done, and learning to trust that He will provide, I can become useful to God. It's been amazing the amount of stress that I no longer have, simply through meditating for 5-10 minutes in the morning. And it's also amazing, how much easier it is to meditate when I am consistent in going to yoga. The biggest thing I've learned is that my purpose in life is to help others. That has inspired me to go to Africa, which I hope to do next year, to volunteer my time for others, and really just realize, I am not the center of the universe. 

So in a long post with no pics, that is why I practice and why I am so excited to continue to move forward!!! 

I love Rock n Roll

So, someone found my blog by searching for the phrase "tomorrow wendi is going to die". THAT IS TERRIBLE!!

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Here is my outfit for today. My husband took it while going #2, so it is at a weird angle, and that information is probably weird but I was in a hurry.

Also, our bedroom is a mess, so please don't look and I know it needs decorating. 

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On to my thought for today. I just saw on Facebook where the Rock'n'Roll Savannah is sold out. That means that with 10 weeks left, 23,000 participants have signed up to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles in one of the most awesome cities EVER!!

My hubby & I took a trip there a couple of years ago. 

'

wtf am I doing here? the Sam Adams pose? 

It's similar to Charleston if you've ever been there but much more quaint & almost a little more European feeling. It's also flat but not in a bad way. So it should be awesome. 

The Rock n Roll series is so awesome, I don't even think about running other races. 

1. it is well organized. They usually start on time, start line is clearly marked, your corral is clearly marked, lots of potties, lots of water/Gu stations and lots of help. The expo is usually HUGE and they have lots and lots of vendors with lots of fun things. There is also a band on just about every mile marker. I don't wear headphones because I like to hear what's going on. In Nashville, they had a Gospel choir and it was so uplifting (especially on such a hilly course). I wonder what type of music they'll have for Savannah. 

New Orleans

Nashville

My motivation was waning a bit, but after a good morning run and some excitement about Savannah, I think i'm getting it back. I hope so anyway. 

Piri what, piri who??

I hope everyone likes my Jay Z reference...

So, every time I train for an endurance event, I get a little something that bugs me the whole time. The first time, when I trained for Nashville, it was my front right hip. It was always sore and sometimes, it felt like it was catching. When I trained for New Orleans, I thought it was my sciatic nerve but turns out, it was probably my SI joint. Now, in training for Savannah, my SI joint has come back but it's a lot weirder and I know the culprit. It's my piriformis tendon. It was tight likes no one's business and not only can I feel it in my connecting back muscles and SI joint, I can also feel it in the top of my hamstring and now it's going to further. Awesome.

source

source

So how do I fix it...

1. not run - not happening
2. Chiropractor - it gets worse when I don't go, it gets better when I do. So, if I can actually try to go more, I'd probably feel a little better
3. Massage - I have been trying to get a massage for the past couple of weeks but it's so hard to find the time. I can't go to a frou frou massage place and have them gently rub my muscles. It's a waste of money. I have to go to a sports massage therapist and tell them what's hurting so they can rub it painfully until it's fixed. That is something I need to do immediately.

I made my husband rub my hamstring out with The Stick but it's not helping. I need a serious massage.


What kind of pains do you get when running/training?
Do you get regular massages? 

Yoga Teacher Training Weekend #1

The focus of my post is going to about my yoga weekend but first, a few house cleaning things:

1. Continuing on with my fashion pics... This is officially fashion pic #2:

I got this dress from old navy and I love it BUT the best part of my outfit is my bracelet. I bought it at the Market in Charleston. The artist's father was from Africa and she loves her African roots so she travels to Kenya (just another sign I'm supposed to go) and gets the material to make jewelry. You better believe I found something I liked!!!

2. Training for the week: as you will see below, I have to take 2 yoga classes a week which is going to change training a bit. I'm still hitting my 3 running days, but I will only swim once and bike once. Then I'll have my two yoga classes which will include the strength I need so I don't have to worry about doing strength anymore. I should've just thought of that in the first place. 

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Swim - morning, yoga - evening

Wednesday: Morning intervals

Thursday: bike

Friday: Run

Saturday: rest, it's the first football game of the year so I'll be busy ALLLLLLLL day

Sunday: long run and yoga at 3:00

Yesterday, I ran 5 miles. I had to walk some because it was so hot, but overall, I had a good time. My back hurts really badly and I think it's because I haven't been to the chiro, so Dr Rob, here I come. I also made my husband rub my hamstring and my piriformis with the stick so hopefully, that'll help too. 

3. FINALLY - on to what's most important - YOGA WEEKEND NUMERO UNO!!!

First of all, let me say that I was a little bit nervous about being attentive. The hours were friday from 5:30-8:30, saturday from 8:00-6:30 and Sunday from 8:00-5:30. I was like, even though I love yoga so much, that's a long time to be in one place. The time flew by. I couldn't believe it went so quickly. Since I love to make lists, here are some things that I took away from the weekend. 

a. I love everyone in my class. They are all very different but we're all there for one purpose. Everyone is very open and very nice!!! So I'm super excited about spending 9 months with them!!

b. Everything that I have studied and developed over the past 4 years was reconfirmed this weekend. Love is all that is important and that is what we are responsible for. We have lost ourselves in the need to blame others and find the culprit when what we should be doing is loving our fellow brother. Also, I can't change others but I can change myself so if I just focus on being the person I want others to be, maybe I can be a positive influence on everyone around me. Lastly, when someone bothers me, it's because it's a reflection of something in myself I don't like. Through God's grace, I can change those things but I have to remember that the person I encounter is a messenger and to take that judgment and reflect inward. We also have to wear a rubber band on our wrist so if we say anything bad about ourselves, or others, we pop it. I have popped my rubber band a lot, mainly because I say mean things to myself. 

c. We learned a couple of the basic poses such as Tadasana, or Mountain pose

source

Utkatasana, standing chair pose

source

and Warrior I, Virabhadrasana

source

We learned the basics of each pose, how to do them and most importantly, how to teach them. This was fun, although it definitely challenged my shyness when in a small group. I'd rather stand in front of 30 people than 5, I don't know why. 

d. My favorite part: OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Om is the universal "Amen". It helps with so many different things and is always one of my fav things about class. What we did was break it down into 3 sections. 

First: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

We all chanted it together and felt different parts of our body. We felt our heart, our temple, our forehead and the top of our head to see where it was vibrating. During this part, it vibrated the most around our heart. 

Second: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

We felt this vibration a little higher in the chest and throat

Third: MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I felt this higher in the chest, the vibration was faster and I felt it on the top of my head too. 

What was so cool about this was all of us doing it together. I love singing anyways, and when a group gets together and sings, it always feels so good. Like, at Brookwood when everyone is singing together, it just lifts my spirits. This was the same. With our eyes closed, the sound was overwhelming and almost deafening. My ears did hurt a little after we were done but it's one of the most amazing feelings. 

I was very sad that it was over so quickly and can't wait until September 23rd, 24th and 25th for the next one. I do have an even that saturday, so I'll miss part of it :(... 

What's your favorite thing about yoga???