Feeling the Heat

As part of my renewed vigour this year, I was keen to ensure I was putting enough emphasis on training elements that weren’t just all about running…a long way…slowly.

Being married to a PT is a blessing a curse…Clark tells me a lot of good things (about how to train better and smarter), and I haven’t always acted on them, despite wholeheartedly agreeing with (most of) them. 

Doing what I’ve done before, won’t necessarily get me where I want to go.

So…what can I do differently…

Aside from the obvious focus on eating less crap, drinking more water…I’m making a conscious effort to get back into Pilates and do regular hot yoga.  I’ve been a fan of Pilates for many years (still totally missing the guru that is Gill Webster) and have joined a local class (in Braco Church Hall (man is it cold in there some weeks)) and gone back to basics with a bunch of middle aged locals.  Who knew that the basic moves could ‘hurt’ so much two days later when you really focus on doing them ‘right’, having been out of practice for the best part of a year…!?!  Thanks Gi, it’s definitely working!

Having previously been a doubter of yoga (did a class with a load of old ladies years ago and it was proper dull!), at the end of last year I found some ‘pop up’ hot yoga classes, being run in Bridge of Allan, by Jack and Jules from Heat Fitness, back in the UK after a life in Aus (or something like that…not my story to tell!).  So I gave it a try and loved it…despite being significantly challenged by my lack of balance (see previous posts about falling over a lot!).

Skip forward a couple of months, and having found it hard to make the BofA Friday evening class often enough, Heat finally got their studio at Springkerse opened, and with a cracking “£20 for 20 days” introductory offer, it would be rude not to try and make this work!

The first time you go into ‘the box’ (actually a fairly big room), the heat is immense (38-40 degrees celcius) and you wonder how you will ever be able to do anything useful.  You do get used to it after a few minutes, and start to get all the benefits it brings – for me in particular the appeal was around driving increased length and flexibility into my muscles, to offset all the pounding the running brings, and the potential to help prevent injury.  There are a number of other benefits quoted (see the website for more!), and the more I attend (trying to commit to the 0630 class at least once a week), the more I feel these develop.  Combined with my other training, things are definitely starting to take shape!

A few observations:

-        It’s not all skinny hippy-types doing yoga, there’s a broad cross-section of society – men, women, national athletes to the other extremes, and everything in between…and don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll be ‘better’ at it than some more generously proportioned or “old” people….(and don’t be put off by the svelte, skinny people!)

-        Listening is key – there are few demo’s, part of the training is to focus on the dialogue and move accordingly.  There are a couple of moves I’m still struggling with where to fixate my gaze (and consistently ignore Jules request to stare forwards at my outstretched fingers…but I know she’s right and that’s what I should do….)

-        It’s sweaty!  The first class, I looked around as a river of perspiration cascade off my head whilst doing ‘Standing Bow’ (or something similar), wondering if everyone else had the same going on….turns out they did!  (Two towels are best…one for your mat and one to mop your brow!)

-        It’s a great workout – the calorie burn is good (yes, I’ve been wearing my Garmin), and there’s definitely significant strength gains to be made....and DOMS to be felt a couple of days later!

-        There’s no chanting, or funny ‘ommmmmmm’ noises (hurrah!!)

-        You’re allowed to hydrate during the class (a couple of folk have asked!)

-        Don’t moisturise your hands/feet the night before….this makes grabbing your feet/ankles during some of the balancing postures a bigger challenge than it already is!

-        When you’ve tried it, you’ll want to do it again!  I’ve recommended to several people and most of them are now devoted!

-        It takes a while to stop sweating afterwards…even post-shower…..cue me driving to work in a vest in the middle of winter so I can get dressed and do make up at the office sweat free!

-        100% feel great afterwards…and now miss it when I’ve not been!  If only it were closer, and I had more hours in the day!

So hopefully you'll get the idea that I'm quite enjoying this new element to my training, and it's something I hope to continue throughout the year.  I'm sure the heat adaptation will do me good for the sunnier climes of Chamonix later in the year!