This Beautiful Life

My only regret is that I have no pictures of today to share with you. Well that's not true. I suppose I could share pictures of my food with you, however odd it may be that I have pictures of my food. And yes, I should be doing homework. But I got about midway through my lab report on measuring wavelength of light by means of a diffraction grating, and I got to project two which was a mess of data, and just had to call it quits for the night.

So here I am.

I have recently taken up yoga, and with my current schedule being what it is, I have managed 9 days straight of yoga. I didn't mesh well with the yoga at my gym (meathead gym) so I just erased the thought from my mind. But it was undeniable that I needed to increase my hip and ankle flexibility, made obvious to me by the sports medicine physician at school. I tried to make stretching a habit, but with gym and running in the morning before class, I was always rushed for time. And how could I stretch after school when my muscles and ligaments were cold and tight again (heat wave not withstanding)?

My friend Shelly, who is always doing some crazy form of activity, informed me she had just gone to Bikram (hot) yoga and was totally hooked. I hadn't considered going elsewhere for yoga- probably because I would then be technically paying for two gyms (not to mention the free gym I can go to at school). It just didn't make any sense.

Or did it?

Who really goes to yoga studios? The real ones I mean? Not me. I go to meathead gyms that have multiple squat racks.

So I googled it. I hemmed and hawed for a couple days, and then picked one that had a 3 week unlimited yoga trial offer for $40. What a steal!

Let me tell you. Yoga is expensive. For real. The drop-in price for one class is $20. And that's fairly typical. Thankfully this place also has student discounts in case I want to come back after my 3 weeks are up (which I will).

Anyway, 9 days straight of yoga....and my feet have gone from torn up, to blissful, to broken, to blissful, all in just over a week. Yoga works your feet. For real. My feet are not used to having to be strong and hold myself up while stretched or flexed. When we wear shoes, our feet don't really have to do any work. The shoe does it. Boy are my feet getting strong now! So much so that I have just ordered my first pair of barefoot (5-finger vibram) running shoes. That will obviously take some time to transition to, so all my training runs will still be in my regular running shoes (which I actually just got an outstanding new pair that I love) and then start adding a quarter mile here and there in the five finger shoes. Anyway, more on that later....when I actually get them. You'll get all the details, I'm sure.

So Friday's are trail run days. Because it turns out I have lost the ability to run uphill. Because I'm a flat-lander now. Looking back at old training logs, I realized that while on the crew, 3 out of 4 runs per week were on substantial hills, since I would run at work, and no matter which way you go there, there's always a mountain. Only my long runs were on the flat valley floor by my house.

I live in a valley now. But at sea level. Fantastic. I actually have to drive to find a hill to run on, which is sorta lame, but I make it work.

I decided to add a weekly trail run to my routine so I can be sure to get my hills in. My first choice was just what I was already familiar with from riding my bike around and knowing which trail systems were by my apartment.

New Almaden is an old quicksilver (mercury) mining town that has been converted to a park with a fairly extensive trail system. Reminds me a little of Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. Big trail system smack dab in the middle of the city.

The past couple of runs at New Almaden have been up the old mining road (aptly named Mining Hill Trail). It looked easy on the map. No. It's just up. Somehow always up. Today I decided to be brave and take the trail up to the old English Camp. They're clever with the naming. English Camp Trail.

It was a little brutal. But in just over a mile and a half (still at fairly low weekly mileage), I found the ruins of the English Camp. I stopped my garmin and walked around and explored....and cursed myself for not bringing my phone to take pictures. I went up the little 0.1 mile "Church Hill Trail" to an old stone chimney. The only remaining portion of some sort of building (perhaps a church given their trail naming convention). An old weathered wood fence wrapped around it to keep visitors from getting too close. Bright purple wild sweet pea stretched out along the base of the old chimney. The sun was just starting to peek over the hill. Dammit Carrie.

I considered going back to the car to get my phone. I thought of the great deal of effort that would take. I sighed. I was just going to have to take a long good look and keep it as a memory. I took in the quiet for awhile, then walked down the hill. There was a scuffle in the brush and I looked over and saw a momma deer and her baby foraging in the grasses and shrubs. She looked up at me, considered for a moment, then went back to eating. I stood and watched. Baby perked up and was slightly more concerned than mom. Big huge ears stuck out from his small head. He ducked behind a bush and I watched for a few more minutes as they peacefully munched, just 20 feet from me. I could hear the momma chewing the fibrous material between her teeth.

After awhile, I left them alone and explored what remained of the other buildings, then jogged down the hill, greeting hikers as they came up- all of them surprised that someone would run this hill.

I got home and made a delicious breakfast (and to make up for lacking photos of the run....).

We've got two eggs, a peacharine (peach/nectarine hybrid), some little heirloom tomatoes, and a few slices of brie.

I may or may not have had popcorn as well (like an hour later...and natural made in the pan).

I went to yoga, and then came home and started in on my lab report.

For dinner I had this:

First course was a salad of kale, golden beets, heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese, and a glass of merlot.

Second course was turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's (no cooking during the heat waves of course, so this was microwavable).

I considered having some watermelon and brie for third course, but I'm not really very hungry and it's past my bedtime now anyway.

The weather has cooled down nicely. I had to use my portable air conditioner for two days, and then it just magically cooled down. I like to think that my days of hot yoga are also helping me cope with the heat. Anything is a more pleasant temperature than a 98 degree room, kept at about 50% humidity while doing chatarangas and downward dogs, and warrior 1's. Or plows of all things.

One more week of class and I get summer vacation!!!!