finding the groove: the gym thing, part 2

So it's been a few weeks since joining the gym and beginning to learn how to work out. A few resistance sessions, a couple of yoga classes (and we won't discuss the spin class anymore, but yeah I did one of those and tweaked my knee but good).

Tonight it was a lovely yoga class. By candlelight. Nice, long stretches to work out the kinks and help strengthen the core (ouch! my core sucks), with lots of focus on breathing. Because we were in near-darkness the instructor did a good job of softly describing each position and offering suggestions for making it more or less intense, as desired. By the end of the hour I felt like I'd really done something and my head was in a calmer place. I'll be using some of these stretches at home in the coming week and will definitely go back to this class again.

The resistance thing is still a work in progress. I'm uncertain of proper positioning on some of the equipment; on a couple of pieces the weight required is simply too much for a tweaked shoulder that is really taking its time to heal (and riding to and from in the last week of extreme cold -- lows in the 20s, which is quite cold for us -- probably isn't helping either). Then there's the abs exercises. The Activetrax program suggests four different sets and I'm so far good for maybe two of them. No worries. I am going at a pace that doesn't do me harm but still lets me push myself a little. Will I get stronger? I hope so, but it will take some time. Check back with me in a couple of months.

Stress reduction is one of my goals, and today I definitely needed to alleviate some stress. I announced at work today that I wanted to transition back to working with the public, to be a salesperson and a mechanic again; and that another owner in the co-op would need to assume the Buyer's role by next November. So far, people are not thrilled. (I tried to give this position up a year ago, and no one wanted the job; ergo, I was asked -- okay, begged by some -- to stay on another year at least. Well, it's been another year and I am frying. So today I made it clear that 2011 needed to be my last year as the Buyer, for quite awhile. We'll see what happens.)

Tonight after yoga and a brisk ride home through the freezing night air I am finally relaxing more. Time for tea. And maybe a footrub. (Yessss!)