That moment you realize you can have resistance on the bike

Post surgery, its all about the little wins. I realized now that I'm off crutches I can actually put resistance on the bike for a workout. Granted it won't be a lot yet, I'll have to work my way back up slowly over time and based on pain level, but ANYTHING is better than spinning on a "1" thus far.

Now I can actually focus on getting some strength back in my legs, work on developing turnover/speed AND building up my once award-winning legs again. Hahaha!

Baby steps...

At this point I'm just trying to slowly (no really, I am) work myself back into the gym and the training routine.

An solid hour on the bike followed by medicine ball throws and standing wall ball throws. Nice to have the place all to myself. Since I can't do anything that puts weight/stress on the hip joint I have to to seated/machine lifting or standing (no bend at the waist) medicaine ball work...but, but, BUT, no more crutches!!! I at least look like a normal fluffy cat waling around the gym.

Now to get back into beast mode...

There's a "back in the saddle" reference here somwhere...

Late night bike ride for some cardio/hip rehab...check! I really don't have words for how much I truly working out late at night. It's always been kind of "my thing" and it feels great to be getting back into "my" groove.


Not gonna lie, my hip/leg was a lil gassed after that swim and aqua rehab session. Nice to sit and get some pedal time in. Bonus the gym is empty. And, and, and...I can ditch the crutches on Friday. YASSSSSSS

Believe it or not, I was actually looking forward to getting back in the water

The last couple weeks of my recovery has had some ups and down. I knew it wasn't going to be smooth sailing but I was actually excited to be able to get back in the water. Why? Because I'm neutrally buoyant (helpful with my more fluffy than normal bod) and I can only "pull" which plays to my upper body strength.

So my steri-strips finally fell off after getting my stitches taken out...and that means I could break my long hiatus from the water. I'm no Aquaman nor am I a great swimmer but I'm decent in the water and I've been out of it for way too long. Hopping in today I couldn't have felt more comfortable. It felt GREAT to be back in the pool. Since I can't kick or engage my hips  needed to focus on pulling to get the laps in. 300m opener pull and then 9 sets of 100m pull, 50m aqua jog, 50m sidestep walking (both part of the rehab and dare I say, were comfortable to do in the water). I'm tired...but it's a great tired!

Maybe this is gonna work out afterall...

Look at this guy...no, not the guy walking by that photobombed me...but me!

A solid hour on the bike today and the hip feels pretty darn good. At this pint I can't have any resistance but its nice to be able to do something  and burn some calories while getting blood flow and movement in the hip for rehab while NOT suffering any strain or pain.

Kinda funny, the guy beside me on the bike asked me what I was recovering from and then asked if I've had any other injuries or surgeries...I recapped all of my injuries and surgeries over the years...and the look of horror on his face as I rattled off the list was hilarious. Then he asked me my age. I kind of forget how old and beat up I am. Hahaha Well, it's always about focusing on dong what you can and moving forward.

I freaked out a little, but I got better...

I'm not gonna lie, after the doc freaked out (at my follow up appointment to take out my stitches) about how much I was already doing...and that I was off crutches...I kinda lost my mind.

The thought of any more setbacks after the last 3 years...of set back after setback...was just devastating. Especially if another setback was caused by me doing too much. Of course, as is my MO, I went in the opposite direction and spent the next week only on crutches or laying down and being inactive. I spent the whole time worried that I've caused some damage and that I might not ever be able to get back to being "me" again. But, the doc did say that if I wasn't in pain and could do what I was doing...then I must not have hurt myself or undone any of the surgery repairs. I just couldn't do the be afraid thing anymore.  So today was 45mins on the bike (no resistance...I hate that) and then a 45min heavy lift, only with seated machines in order to not put any stress on the hip. Ya, I feel better.

And one step back...

Day 16 post surgery - back on crutches and taking antibiotics because the suture sites got infected.

So the follow up with the doc to get my stitches taken out didn't go so well. Taking out those stitches was fun (no, NO it wasn't). And, and, and, you should've seen the look of horror on the doc's face when I explained what I was already doing. I was so proud of myself for ebing off crutches and being in the gym...but it seems 4 weeks on crutches is non-negotiable given the bone repair/surgery I had and I was doing too much in the gym and on the bike already.

 Ooph. Just feels like two steps forward, one step back...literally. So much for being ahead of the curve.

Just gotta keep building

Day 5 post surgery...stopped taking pain meds, 45mins on the bike followed by pull up/dip sets to failure. There's lots I can't do because of the surgery but the key is to focus on what I CAN do. Looks like there'll be lots of seated and machine assisted weight lifting in my future. Now to keep building on this...everyday

Time to get back to it!

Day 4 post surgery...get on your crutches and get your butt to the gym. I got clear guidance from the doc...recover/rest and then get on the bike on Tuesday. Yes sir! 35mins on the bike felt good...dare I even say great. Other than the fact I'm black and blue from mid-calf to mid-chest, and I'm swole up like a tick (this post surgery, painkiller stomach bloat is killing me)...I seem to be recovering pretty well. Now to do this again tomorrow.

Finally repaired, now on to recovery and getting back to being me

Well, a lil over 2 hours of surgery, femoral-pelvis repair/reshaping/resurfacing, labrum repair and I'm all done. The surgeon said he was happy with what he saw when he opened me up and with the surgery he doesn't see any issue with me getting back to Ironman training and racing...after a proper recovery of course. That's really exciting. I hadn't said anything before but we were concerned my Ironman racing might be over. I've got so much left to do and so many more races I want to do that I'm ecstatic that it's back on the table. He also got a kick out of the fact that I labeled my legs before showing up. Hahaha. It's all about having fun and a positive attitude no matter what you're doing. Is it wrong that I was excited to see my name on the hospital tracking board like in an episode of "House"?! Bwahahaha And, and, and he told me I can get on the bike on Tuesday. Sweet!!! Now, the rebuilding begins 

I just wanna make sure

Dear doctor...I know you're wicked smart with your medical training and all...but make sure during my surgery today, you work on the CORRECT leg. I only need to recover once. Hopefully the surgical staff will at least get a chuckle

Sometimes the best thing you can do is go workout.

It's been a tough few days. The day in day out grind of work, life and now dealing with post election fallout. No, not my issues...but my "friends" who have now decided that since I differ with them in their political views (and anyone else who differs with them) are not worthy of their friendship. Oh the things that make people show their TRUE colors.

The words of a former platoon sergeant of mine have kind of resonated in my head "...bad day? Go do PT. PT makes everything better!". Well, ain't that the absolute truth?! So I headed off for some gym time. I buried myself on the bike while capturing some thoughts in writing (well, typing away on my phone anyway). 65 minutes, 21 miles and 896 calories later I'm gassed but feeling lots better. Ya, training does indeed make everything better. Be good to yourself and more importantly be good to your friends, friends.

You have to build on the little wins

Forgive me training gods for I have sinned...it's been 3 days since my last workout. For some reason it seems that I just can't seem to string a day together where I get work, sketching, range time, and gym all done but you gotta keep trying right?!

One good take away from tonight's workout is that my hip can deal with a 55min bike ride with little to no pain. It's not optimal and not as fulfilling as running but at least it means I can get solid cardio in now while my hip surgery date draws near. I can't wait to be able to go for a long relaxing run again. Can't wait I tell you! I also got long sets of battle ropes and medicine ball throws to finish up. Now I feel a little better.

Operation bag smash...

Because some days...you wanna go in the gym and just work out as hard as you can...pushing you to your limits...to the point of making yourself throw up from exertion. Honestly...I thought I would've burned more calories before the nausea set in. haha

Fight through it

That moment when you realize you had to drag yourself to the gym and hated every minute being there...you had no desire to grab weights, train, or even stay at the gym...but then you look around to see that you're the only one left, your bags are smashed and you added big weight to all your lifts...

Well, at least I can swim.

Supposedly, you're buoyant in the water...it didn't feel that way tonight. That mile (200m opener and close with alternating 100pull/100kick sets) swim was no fun at all. But since the doc said the only thing I can do until surgery is swim, lift (waist up and knees down) and yoga...I'm expecting to spend LOTS more time in the water. It's gonna get better right? Right?! Ugh

When the doctor tells you he can't believe you're even walking...

So I've been suffering from hip pain for a while but chalked it up to the on again off again run training I've been doing or just the fact that the wear and tear on my body was finally becoming apparent. But the other day, after a 30 mile bike ride, when I couldn't get my leg over the bike to dismount..I figured there was something wrong.

So I went to the doc, who agreed, who then sent me for and MRI...which revealed I am pretty banged up. So much so that he actually looked at me open-eyed and said "I don't even understand how you're even walking right now". UGH. Then, when I said what if I quit running and he responds with "no matter what, you need surgery".

So this is the skinny: as I've been suffering from hip pain for a couple years and it wasn't getting better AND now that I'm trying to get back to real training and the pain was getting way worse, the doc scheduled an MRI. The results came back and I have a torn labrum, severe femur/pelvis bone edema and a misshapen femoral head due to extended impact. 

Seems the crash back at Timberman and the resulting hip pain wasn't from a modified body position on the rest of the 47mi bike and 13.1 mi run...it was because I hit so hard that I punched the head of the femur through the labrum. Sure there was a huge cantaloupe-sized edema on the hip but I was way more focused on the rib pain and trying to breathe and finish the race to notice at the time. Then I spent the next 2 years continually banging it up, spending the day after races in bed to recover because the pain was so bad or even abandoning races all together because I couldn't physically continue (if you know me...you know it must've been bad for me to stop).

This is just the cap of a very frustrating last couple years. I went from being at my peak, racing 20+ races a year and ending up on podiums to a string of setbacks: injured, flu, emergency appendectomy/recovery, flu, lung infection, the heart rate spikes, the gut stuff and now this. And just to be clear, I was not trying to be a hard ass and fight through it. If I had ANY inclination that I was really injured, I would've had it taken care of right away! Honestly, I'm just gutted. The thought of not only ANOTHER surgery but the 4 month (or longer) recovery, hopefully coming back to 100% and then starting back at square one with training again is a little daunting. Maybe I'll just focus on becoming a better swimmer or look into becoming a wheelchair athlete. I am working on a huge list of movies to watch/re-watch. Now pondering a path forward... 

Cycling is just the bestest

Sure I swim, I run, I bike, I lift, I yoga...but cycling, cycling is what I love. It was my first love. As a geeky teenager I got my first bike and realized the joy of long, hard rides...just me, my bike and the road. There's no hill too high, not distance insurmountable. There's just something about hearing thh hum of the tires on the road and the mechanical click, click, click of upshifting and downshifting...that just makes everything right in the world. There ain't much on the planet that makes me as happy as a long ride on my bike. I haven't taken my S5 out on the road yet much this year and since it was a nice day I figured it was the perfect time to go for a ride. What started out as an easy ride, turned into a 90 minute, 30 mile, time trial. I just felt too good not to push it and see where my fitness is at. Nice to be back on the bike and getting after it.

Feedback Sports NAILED it. Finally, a REAL training tool created by cyclists for cyclists!

Cyclist are always forced to train indoors for whatever reason: weather, temp, targeted training sessions, multiple training sessions or just because you can't get in a ride during daylight hours. That means that you were either gonna use a set of rollers (not for the faint of heart), an indoor trainer (which I HATE because it puts pressure on a bike's rear triangle/hub/axle) or you head to the gym to ride the bike there. But, if you were watching the Tour de France coverage you might've seen THIS! It's the Omnium Trainer from@feedbacksports. This thing is awesome, no wonder it's used by the pros!!! It's sleek, attaches to the bike via the front fork (way less stress on the bike frame) hasmagnetic rollers that increase resistance as you pedal harder AND it's collapsible and fits into a carry bag which means it's perfect for small spaces (houses/apartments) AND you can travel with it. Honestly, I HATE trainers but when I saw this during the TDF coverage I was like "yes, someone finally gets it", I've got to get one of those! Go check out their website "feedbacksports.com" to see this and all the other great products they have. FYI, their customer service is AWESOME!!!

Never give up the fight

It's always going to be difficult...anything worth doing ALWAYS is! The way you win the war is never giving up the fight.

I'm not like everyone else...I'm worse

I'm like everyone else. Well, actually I'm way worse. I berate myself for every workout or lack of workout I've done. Are the training events too intense? Not intense enough? Am I fit enough? Too fat? Am I tired, run down or just being lazy? In the cycling/swimming/triathlete world I am not the exception to the rule...I'm just better at self doubt than most. 

But, it's always about learning and getting better. I have been struggling to get back in some type of training rythm and was hoping to get a real long run in today. How long? 7 miles sounded good on paper. But, after realizing I was a lil smoked from yesterday's swim and that the day was getting hotter than expected, I cut the run to 5 miles and I throttled back to a 8:55 pace to get through it. Then, taking the time to walk, stretch and cool off post run rather than just stopping. Little things, little wins.

You can't start over...unless you actually wipe the slate clean.

The problem with starting all over is its impossible unless you wipe the slate clean. I normally show (1) in my posts, but I normally run tired and driven by my brain (2), when I should be just listening to my body (3) with every workout. Even though I tell everyone else that after you have a layoff you need to ease yourself back in and old times/speeds don't count...I am always holding myself to old times and speeds...not listening to my body...and ending up more workout or injured because of it. Ya, I know, insert eye roll there. So even though I had hoped to get a 6 miler in today, the heat and the ride from yesterday seemed to take a took its toll so I decided to cut the run short. A smart move and one that I rarely do. Normally I just tell myself "toughen up p**sy" and fight through it in order to get the mileage on the schedule...regardless of how detrimental it might be, because I'm trying to get all my fitness back in one session. Yes, I know how dumb that sounds but somehow it makes sense in my head. It's always about learning and growing as an athlete. Who knows, maybe I finally am?!

"Active recovery" is still recovery right?

I wasn't happy with yesterday's race. I honestly don't know what I expected after not racing for a year but after getting passed on the bike...a few times, I decided it was time to spend some more time with rubber on asphalt.


I know that the day after a race should be a rest/recovery but my bike was still in my truck and it was a gorgeous New England day, so rather than take a rest day I hit the road.

I also thought I'd just take it easy and enjoy the ride...but if you know me, you know that wasn't what happened at all. A hard 20 miler on the Cervelo S5. My legs are gassed and I need a nap but it was great to get out and get a good ride in.

The Worcester TriFest Duathlon...its just like...getting back on a bike

Because duathlon setups are so easy!

Because nothing says welcome back to your first week of solid training...in a year...like a race (insert eye roll here)! I honestly am just not that smart some days...well, most days. The Worcester TriFest Duathlon was today. Since I haven't put rubber on pavement in a year and it was pouring rain I opted to go with my Cervelo S5 over my Cervelo P2. The thought was it would give me better control and be a lot more responsive on bad road conditions.

I had a lot of internal agitation about racing. I haven't been training with any frequency (tons of contributing factors ranging from health to work to personal lack of motivation) and didn't know how bad the race was gonna be. I'm also accustomed to doing well at races and the thought of coming in dead last was not an appealing one...partly because I never want to be that person and partly because of the toll on my psyche. But I signed up for this race 3 months ago (honestly thinking I'd be in tip top shape by now) and couldn't stomach a DNS more than being DFL.
I honestly spent a day ripping my apartment apart just trying to get all my multisport gear together! I figured if nothing else I'd just go into it as a training event rather than a "race". Better to use a real race as training session to get back into the habit of multisport racing with transitions and such. Ya, it would become quickly evident I'm not practiced with this later on.


1 mile run - 6:55, 6:55min/mi pace
The run started on the beach (joint start for the event, triathletes one way and duathletes the other) and I thought I'd just jog the first mile...but then I realized it was a race...and needed to get in front of people. Coming into T1 after that effort, I was a little gassed. I mean duh, I haven't turned a sub 7 mile at a race in any shape form or fashion in a while.

T1 - 1:39
After that effort from the run I decided to just catch my breath and get my cycling gear on. Speaking of, remember the "I tore my house apart to find gear"? Well, I thought that since the weather was going to be bad and I haven't been on my tri bike yet, that my Cervelo S5 would be the better choice. Only problem is I changed pedals on my S5 and the cleats required is not the same as my tri bike. So, my easy on-off tri shoes wouldn't work so I had to grab my road shoes. They work fine but were a lot harder to get on in transition.

10.5 mile bike - 39:33, 16mph
So it was pouring rain and the course was hilly. My only plan was to to attack the uphills, use the downhills (which I guess I did well because at one point I hit 43 mph going by several people on tri bikes) and see how it goes. The plan was to use the course to shake out the bike and train...until I got passed..and then I got passed again. Ya, that was no fun at all.


T2 - 1:37
As a testament to the fact that I haven't done a multisport race in a while, this should've been a 30 second transition but just the mechanics off getting cycling gear off (those aforementioned road shoes kicked my butt) and run gear on proved to be a challenge.

3.1 mi run - 27:15, 8:47
Around the first 1.5 miles of the run was uphill...including 4 sets of stairs (come on, that's just mean) that I knew was coming, but I was nowhere near prepared for. All I kept telling myself was "get to the top and catch your breath", which sounded great in my head but in practical application...not so much.

Ya, remember my getting passed on the bike? That happened to me time and time again on the run. I know I shouldn't be upset since this was the first multisport race in a year...and I haven't been training with any frequency in as long, but it stung nonetheless. Once I got to the "flat" leading to the finish I just tried to give it all I had to cross the line, which was also on a bit of an uphill (that's just mean) and finish the day.

Although the initial plan was o use the race as a "training event", it quickly turned into just another race day filled with max effort and dissatisfaction. Due to the bad weather and a small field my 1:17:00 was good enough for first in my age group. I battle with the thought of "that's not too bad considering you haven't been training and racing" and "how are you in this kind of shape and this point in the year". Well, I spent most of the day red-lined and it hurt like a motherf'er but it did feel really good to be back racing. Now to make sure its not a year before my next one. 

I love you fuelforfire...let me count the ways.

Okay, so a key part of training, racing and recovery is...eating! No, I'm not even talking about the "proper balance of micros"...I mean literally getting food into your pie hole and then onto your belly!

I seem to be in the minority of multisport athletes I know in that I just don't eat enough, often enough OR the proper amount of macros (protein, carbohydrates, fats) in order to fuel or recover from training or racing. Most of my athlete friends complain that given any moment during a training cycle and especially after a race, they would happily consume half a side of beef...and then the other side if possible. Or literally fight themselves to not eat everything in sight  all the time. That however is not me, nor has it ever been me. I'm the guy that no matter how hungry, small portions fill me up quickly. I try to force myself to eat or eat more and it just makes my belly bloat and makes me feel sluggish.

So, in order to fuel I need to graze all day by eating small portions of palette pleasing and nutrient dense foods. Enter...(angels singing)...fuel for fire. I got turned onto this product last year and can't get enough of it! Each 4.5 oz packet (the perfect size to fit in your gym bag, transition bag, jacket or car) is only 100 calories and has 10 grams of whey protein. With flavors like: Sweet Potato Apple, Mixed Berry, Tropical and Banana Cocoa (my personal favorite) there's something for anyone to like when it comes to taste. As for consistency and mouth feel, think of a cross between apple sauce and pudding. It makes it easy to squeeze/suck out of the single serving packets and swallow (keep your dirty thoughts to yourself). It's easy on the stomach, obviously because of that ingredient list...ya, all natural there! You can find out more about fuelforfire here or you can look for it at your local grocery store or health food store (or you can look for places to buy on the website). Have you tried fuelforfire? Yes, then let me know in the comments below. If you haven't and this review got you to try some, let me know what you think!

The Guinness Celtic 5k...you gotta start somewhere

Well, you've gotta start somewhere...and today was the day for me. Forgive me competition gods, its been MONTHS since my last race.

Over the last 12-18 months my training and specifically my racing has waned partly due to my health issues, partly due to my listening to everyone tell me I train too much/too hard and partly because my thought that if I'm not going to do well...why pay money to go do a race at all. But the only way you get back on the proverbial horse is to climb your butt back up there.

Today's Guinness Celtic 5k, a race I've loved and ran for years seemed like just the event to break my cherry. Its a relatively flat out and back course (they shut down a 6 line highway so you get 3 lanes worth down and 3 lanes worth back) with a slight downhill to the turn. I've turned a sub 19:30 5k on this course so I figured I could maybe harness some mojo. At the very least I know the course really well and that would help with being anxious. This race normally has way over a thousand entrants so I tried to pt myself in about the first quarter of the field. The thought was it would make me slower and my normal jack rabbit take off would be in check and I wouldn't get burned out before the first mile. Hmmm. 

The gun goes off and I spend the first mile just weaving in and out of people trying to find clean pavement to run and hit the first mile marker at 7;28. Not fast by any means but at least I wasn't gassed out already. Now it was all about trying to find a decent rhythm/turnover/pace for the rest of the race. Did I mention its been months since I raced? So I get to the turn and and start the slight uphill back. I hit the second mile marker on a 7:43. I was hoping I'd stay closer to a 7:30 but could already feel my legs and knew there was a "just bear down and get through it moment"coming...and it came a few hundred meters into mile three. There's a little kicker rise and then it flattens out to the finish. All I cold think was "if I'm not about the throw up, I'm not working hard enough".  

I crossed the finish line in  24 minutes flat (7:44 pace) officially. That was way off my PR on the course (19:45) but hopefully I'll just keep getting faster now that I'm cleared by the docs to get back to heavy training and racing again. Its certainly eye opening to feel what you think is max effort...only to see that pace is no where near what you max effort used to be. Well, back to the track and speed workouts for me...

A stroll, well more like a stumble, down memory lane

Digging through photos and photo albums to put together images for a family member's present, I came across this lot of pictures. Hard to believe that it was a whole TWENTY FOUR years and SEVENTEEN marathons ago I crossed the finish line of my first marathon!

Why did I do it? Well on a dare/challenge of course. My battalion commander at the time challenged us to run a marathon with him. By that he meant enter, start and finish a marathon he would be running because if memory serves, none of us saw him until the finish. Ya, as a 40+ year old guy I think he ran that marathon on a sub 7:45 pace and was grinning like a Cheshire cat as each of us dragged our asses across the finish line. 

He was fond of saying running, and marathons specifically, were the best metaphor for life: it takes great preparation, you can't cut corners, you need a good plan and focused execution in order to finish it successfully. Hmm, I had none of those! I went into that marathon with only a 12 miler as my longest run. I was only logging 25-30 miles a week going into it and I got the experience the "wall" first hand...and in great depth. Even now I remember making a deal with myself that "if I finish this damn race, I'll never do another one"...sadly, a deal I think I've made with myself at some point in EVERY marathon I ever started. But, but, but, that first marathon taught me so much and as my battalion commander said "once you finish one, you know you can always finish another".
 SO true! Sometimes just having the experience of knowing you've gotten through something like that gives you the mental toughness of knowing you can do that and a whole lot more. I wouldn't say that first marathon cemented my love of running...but I will say it taught me to enjoy pain. Does that make sense? Did you have any pearls of wisdom or learning from your first marathon?

Just run...

Sometimes the only measure you need...is that you did it. 

I get as wrapped up in the "numbers" as anyone else. Maybe even more so! I get so focused on keeping my heart rate in a certain place, monitoring effort, hitting a ceratin pace and hitting specific mileage that I lose sight of the world around me...literally. 

How could I not SEE this?! My favorite trail on a crisp New England afternoon. I mean of course I had my HRM/GPS on me..I just wasn't looking at it every 5 seconds. Haha! A great 6mi trail run, on my favorite trail...that I never really noticed until today. I always gauged the trail by "x" distance and the sets of hills and downhills...but its so damned pretty. The flora, the fauna and running beside that lake...so peaceful. Weird how all my agitation with training (or not training as mush as I've been wanting to) just melted away. Talk about finding your moment of zen. The world got a little better after that run. Now if I could just do better with time management to get work doe, my art projects and more training runs like this.

A Transformation Tuesday indeed.

The journey from fat guy (250lbs worth with a 44-46in waist, post broken back/pelvis and that's the only picture that exists of me at that weight) to fit triathlete/gym rat has been along a long and winding road. That "me", while almost unrecognizable to what I see in the mirror today, always sits in the back of my brain to this day. At times filling me with doubt about any endeavor and always telling me to take a day off. It's a constant reminder to never want to be that kind of me again. It forces me to strive to be a better me everyday. If it were easy, we'd all be healthy and shredded all the time. One of the reasons I scoff at those half my age or more. Try getting and staying fit with a 40+ hour a week job, bills, a mortgage, a spouse, a family...that's when being healthy and fit is a true testament to the work you do. I'm not gonna lie, NOTHING has come easy and yes some of it was self induced. I have beat, torn, broken and broken down my body and mind a hundred times over...and I'm likely to do it a few more times still...but it's always about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and going at it twice as hard the next time. Eyes on the prize friends, eyes in the prize.

I don't know if I've angered the yoga gods or made them happy. Well, it is yoga so the gods should be sweet and benevolent right? 

But...OOPH! It's been WAY too long since I got in a practice of Bikram Yoga. Class was fantastic, if not extremely difficult due to the layoff. Yoga and especially Bikram yoga is a perishable skill. It was crazy to realize my lack of flexibilty and inability to get into and stay in poses that were a struggle before...but are now damn nearly impossible. 

There's no doubt about the multitude of positive things you get out of Bikram. Not the least of which for me is burning almost 900 calories while not pounding my back/hips/knees/ankles like with running. Its a great change with the bitter cold of New England and I never cease to be amazed at the little nuggets of wisdom that always drop out during class. Bikram was spot on with that quote. Now, its just a matter of keeping at this and making it a part of my weekly routine.