Ironman African Championship

It's admittedly been quiet on the blog for the last few days.  I have been working odd hours for the last week as I have been running the Media Centre for the Ironman offices in Nelson Mandela Bay.  The Ironman African Championship took place on Sunday 29 March, and so today life went back to normal and I can catch up on some much-needed sleep.

The pics below are from the weekend.  They are not very artsy or even very good as I took them with my cellphone camera.  Most of them are blurry, but they commemorate where I was and what I did.

I have the photos on another device, so will post them on the blog when I get hold of them.  Just wanted to post this quick update to explain my sudden disappearance.

https://instagram.com/p/0zCXRxjyMd/
https://instagram.com/p/02n1J5jyMk/
https://instagram.com/p/02o4XqjyON/
https://instagram.com/p/02n1J5jyMk/
https://instagram.com/p/0zCXRxjyMd/
https://instagram.com/p/0zmEtvDyKz/
https://instagram.com/p/0y_wgzjyHq/
https://instagram.com/p/0vRWsLjyET/

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 2

Hamstring flexibility takes consistent practice and work, and so today was part 2 of the hamstring practice that started yesterday.

You definitely need to warm up a bit before you start this session as it's quite intense but rather fun.  It's so easy to become impatient with yourself and your body's limitations, but listening to your body is definitely important to your practice as well as for body-mind connection.  It's important to know when you can push yourself to feel the stretch, to know when you have reached your limit and when to ease up.

Always be patient with your journey.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 1

Today's session focused on hamstring flexibility and stretching.  Hamstring work, like shoulders and ab work, is difficult for me because I don't have the flexibility I dearly desire.  But because I know the hamstrings need work, I never pass up the opportunity for a stretching and lengthening practice.

This was a relaxing practice and perfect for the end of a long day.  This practice reminded me how important it is to bring awareness to the body and to the breath.  I went into meditation and surrendered my day to the universe.  I trust that my actions today were fuelled by good intentions, I believe that I brought love to my work, and I treated people with kindness and compassion.  That's all I ask from myself and I trust that this is the path on which I am meant to be walking.

xoxo

Foxy

Workout Mon 23 Mar 2015

I decided to get back into training this week.  Last week was chaotically busy and ended with a visit to the chiropractor who booked me off exercise for Friday and Saturday.

I really felt stiff in my neck and back after this chiropractor visit and really battled with my yoga practice this weekend.

Today was leg day and the programme was as follows:

Workout time:  6:40 - 7:25 pm

1. Elliptical trainer - 10 mins - 0.85 km

2. Leg press - 3 x 12 - 37.5 kg

3. Seated calf raise - 3 x 12 - 37.5 kg

4. Lying leg curl - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

5. Leg extension - 3 x 12 - 10 kg

6. Deadlifts - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

7. Walking lunges - 3 x 12 - 2 x 5 kg weight plates

I will probably be a bit stiff tomorrow.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 7

Today's session was about working yesterday's work into today's practice.  I thus made sure to include my newly-acquired jumping skills into the flows.

I definitely got a bit hot and sweaty during my practice, but enjoyed it so deeply.  Today's session was my me-time, the time I took for myself to allow myself to recharge.  I felt peaceful and relaxed and was grateful that I spent time on my mat.  I sometimes feel guilty for taking me-time because there is an endless list of important things to do (laundry, washing up, tidying the house, work that needs doing).  What I need to remind myself is that those things are not going anywhere, that 30 mins of my time won't make the tasks any more urgent, and that more sleep will do me more good than the harm that could come from pushing those tasks back by one evening.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 6

Jumping back from a Forward Fold and jumping forward from Downward Facing Dog were the focus of today's practice.  Though this session is a bit shorter than the others, don't let that fool you into thinking that this isn't a challenging one.

During my Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) practices, I always step back or step forward.  That's just where I am in my practice, and it's what I have been used to doing because it was safer for my body.

I'm so thrilled though, because I managed to jump back and jump forward.  I totally did it - not just once either.  I practiced it quite a few times to make sure I had the correct form, wasn't hurting myself and could incorporate this progress into the rest of my Sun Salutation flow.  The jumps didn't look like Erin's, but I'm sure that with practice, my jumps will look more fluid and I'll be able to lift my hips a bit higher when jumping back from Downward Facing Dog.

Today progress has been made.  I am so excited to work this new ability into my next yoga class.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 5

The focus of today's session was ab work.  This felt pretty intense, but was definitely worth doing.  I made sure to do this session properly and not just speed through the exercises to get them done.  Part of the fun of doing core work is that you really feel the muscles in your abs working.  Sometimes it really can burn.

Core work is about consistency.  Keeping a consistent practice will lead to noticeable increases in strength - and core strength is beneficial for so many yoga sequences as well as for general functional strength.

xoxo

Foxy