Bend It Like Beckham (aka Hot Yoga Revisited)

I think it's been about 4 months since I have been at hot yoga...before Momma died I think it was..so yeah..its been a while.

Then I kinda sorta started early marathon training and this, that and the other just kept me from forking over the dollars for more classes.

I am going to admit something:

1. I should never have stopped going.  Period.  I think that the greatness I was feeling on my runs was due IN WHOLE to the fact that I was doing hot yoga, plus it didn't seem quite as hot when I ran(which really doesnt could cause well, it wasnt hot outside in February like it is now and has been since April).  So my admission of being an idiot is posted for all the free world (including some prisons) to see.
2. I honestly am (possibly 'was') of the thinking that I needed to be running all these days a week to train for another marathon.  I am not so sure about that anymore.  This is the main reason that I stopped going.  When I do hot yoga, unless I get up before work, a run isnt going to happen.  And we all know how awesome I am at getting up and running before work, right?  :O) 

The point I make about acclimating to the head/humidity outside while running was proven yesterday.  I fully expected that after such a long hiatus from hot yoga, that upon entering the room at 115deg/40% humidity, it would yet again take my breath away as it did those first few days I had gone back in October.

Not the case.

As I sat/laid there on the floor, waiting for class to begin, my friend Amy asked "so are you dying from the heat?"  Um.  Um.  No.  The longer version of that went something like "when you run outside in hell on Earth, this is nothing." 

Bible.

I cannot tell you how fantastic it felt to be back in the studio.  I was a bit worried because the normal instructor (my fav) is out this week (last minute) and Mo was the fill in, and she kiiiiiiills me!  But being as it was my 1st time back in such a long time, I went at it without overdoing it and just enjoyed the sweatiness, stretching and zen of it all...just like I remembered.   90 minutes of pure joy on my insides.

And here's the kicker.  No hip pain this morning. 

Gotta love that.

So I only bought 5 classes and this will take me into the 1st week of August.  I am going to give this whole run 4 days a week, hot yoga 2 days a week thing a try and see if it makes any difference...one way or the other...If I think its impairing my endurance in any way, hot yoga has to go.  This will make me sad.

Having said that, I did in fact get up and run before work this morning (78deg/93%humidity)...however its (mainly) because I didnt have to be at work at 7 as I had a doctors appointment.  Still I was out the door at 5:30am when normally I would dread it...maybe, just maybe one day a week, possibly 2 ... I will come in to work at 7:30/7:45 ...

I only did 4 miles this morning, picking up the pace in the last mile, so I have the speed portion of my mileage this afternoon...which will be done on the treadmill.  Threshold pace run.  Blech.  4 miles at 9:31.  Double blech.  Maybe I will just make it a progressive run and call it a day.  :O)

Do you do hot yoga?  If not, what is your cross training look like?  Do you any of your training runs on a treadmill?  Do you think doing long runs on a treadmill is smart or that it is not a good enough simulator for the actual marathon OUTSIDE on race day?  Do you have problems getting up to run before work or am I the only loser?