Sheez. I went for a run today at lunch and I needed my flyers! I was all by myself on a very simple run - only 30 minutes and totally flat. It was one of those “cruddy run” days and I knew it as soon as I started out.

Anyway, I was JONES’IN for some company and I realize that I need you guys as much as you need me. Even though the Saturday FoF’s are more difficult, they are also sooo much more fun than these poopy solo lunch runs. I could have used some energetic little beings for some laughter, silly antics, and encouragement to keep me going. I even tried my “o” breathing technique but I got into pouty mode and just slugged along.

I know you have all felt the same thing at some point. You come to class but don’t feel like being there, yet once you’ve finished you feel loads better. Some of that has to do with the people around you, some has to do with your pilot (me), some is endorphins, and some has to do with YOU showing up for yourself.

And when all THAT doesn’t work, you must reach for Madonna. Not the holy one, the one originally from Michigan.

I swear Madonna’s “Spotlight” came on (you can laugh at me, I’m not afraid) and I started to zoom. I listened to it twice…okay twice through and then 1/2 way again until I finished my run. It’s BY FAR my favoritest, secretest, guiltiest, pleasurest, workout song. It’s super uplifty. I recommend it for your workout playlist (ok, maybe just for the ladies). The version I have is off of Madonna’s “You Can Dance” album. It’s worth the 99 cents.

So when you’re thinkin “Holy Mother of God, get me through this workout…” *bing!* she just might come through!

Today I got an email from a dear friend of mine saying that she has been working out lately, but that when she weighed herself, she actually gained weight. She was a bit upset and said that she will just ‘press on.’ Those damn scales. I’ve seen a lot of this and it can really take a toll on our self esteem especially when we are trying to be mindful and healthy about our bodies. But do the pounds really matter?

I believe it is far more important to know our own bodies, nourish them, exercise them, and practice mindful eating. I don’t own a scale and haven’t since I left for college because I have always weighed more than people my height/size. So big deal. I was an athlete! I didn’t need numbers on a little dialey thing to freak me out and make it seem that I was unhealthy. Wrong-o.

And it’s not only women either. A male friend of mine came to me at one point when he thought he was too skinny. He was considering taking supplements and I talked him out of it - at least I hope I did! Thing is, let’s work with what we’re given and do the best we can for ourselves. Unless there is a serious medical issue, leave the bmi formula, charts and scales behind. Let’s go with what FEELS right in our own skin.

When you really ask yourself, you KNOW when you don’t feel right (whether too heavy or too light), so just listen to that inner voice and make the changes accordingly.

Below is what I wrote to my friend. If you have comments, I welcome them. This is an important topic and I have been asked MANY times about the ol’ scale, so please share your thoughts if you have them.

Ok honey, gym stuff. Women fluctuate about 5 lbs. per month. So, take that into consideration. Another thing is that if you are gaining muscle, we do that before we lose the fat…and muscle is heavier. Hence, weight gain.

When I did bootcamp, the ladies would train for 4 weeks and then got weighed in for evaluations afterwards. Many would weigh more – there were sometimes tears actually. But once they got their measurements and did the body fat stuff, they turned out to be smaller, just more dense. It usually took until the 2nd bootcamp that they saw weight loss.

PRESS on. Don’t quit. It will probably take 6-8 weeks of working out before you see movement on the scale because you are building muscle.

The other thing is, if you work out too hard, your body will be extra hungry. People who train for marathons and triathalons can actually gain weight because they eat so much to fuel their bodies. So, note that and make sure when you exercise, you are at a comfortable and happy level.

So, keep going!! There are many reasons why you gained weight - or maybe that sassy scale is off. Overall though, pay attention to how you FEEL, how your clothes fit, if you’re sleeping well, if you can concentrate better, if you are less stressed, etc., Exercise has many health benefits besides losing weight and sadly we tend to overlook that in this country.

Many of us have those pesky computer jobs where we are hunching over our key boards and mousin’ around with our right hands for 8+ hours a day. This can cause lots of undo tension in the upper traps because the chest (pecs) muscles become shortened while the upper back (traps) muscles are over stretched. Over time, your chest muscles are trained to stay short and your traps stay over extended resulting in hunchy posture and tight, crunchy shoulders. Although I’m not hunchy I totally have crunchy shoulders. And while I’m not judging, it’s definitely something we can all work on

To help relieve some of the stress on the upper back and to open the chest, you can simply remember: Up, Back and Down.

What it means:
1. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears
2. Pull them back aiming for the wall behind you
3. And then drop your shoulders straight down so the rest below your ears

Feel that? Huge difference, right?

So now, you have opened your chest and engaged the muscles in your back so they continue to work to hold you up straight. In yoga, we always lead with our hearts and keep an open heart. Doing this simple posture correction several times a day will strengthen your core and back while keeping your chest and heart open - for all possibilites and for all new choices you can make today.

Another cool thing about Sports Basement is that they have a speaker series where you can go listen to people lecture on various topics dealing with athletic, outdoorsy and healthy schtuff - for free!

Aaaand, they have invited me to be a part of the series! So I (Monica) will be doing a lecture on Thursday June 12th 6:30 pm @ Sports Basement (Bryant St) on the topic of Ayurveda. I would love to see a packed house so that I can share this knowledge with a LOT of people. So please, bring all of your friends. Here is the blurb about my lecture:

Monica Bloom, owner of Feet on the Fly and an Ayurvedic student, will teach you the philosophies of Ayurveda and how to balance your mind, body, and soul for optimum health. Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old Indian holistic healing science meaning, “The Knowledge of Life.” It teaches us how to stay disease-free simply by knowing what energies (doshas) govern our unique bodies and how to remain in flux with nature. Through this self knowledge we are able to take responsibility for our own health, mental well being, and spiritual growth. Monica is excited to give you the gift of self knowledge so you can start applying this fascinating ancient science to your own life.

Dude. Let me tell you how much Sports Basement rocks. I called to see if I could get the Flyers a discount on merchandise…they not only gave us a discount, but they are throwing us a party, coming out to a Feet on the Fly class to do a gait analysis for everyone AND they are helping us grow! I was amazed at the help and support they are giving us. Holy schnykees. Info on the party below:

The party is on Thursday, May 22nd from 6-8 pm
FREE BEER, FREE FOOD and 15% off anything in the store
Sports Basement on 1590 Bryant Street (between 15th & 16th)
If you have not been to the store yet, Sports Basement is a close-out sporting goods store that offers gear and apparel for snowboarding, hiking, biking, swimming and running at 30%-60% below retail. Brands include The North Face, Burton, Salomon, Asics, Adidas, Hind and many more. www.sportsbasement.com

In addition, on Wednedsay May 14th, Jim (from “the SB”) will be coming out to do a gait analysis of the flyers come to the 6:15 pm class. This means that he will watch how you run and make sure that the shoes you are wearing are the right ones for your bod. And if they’re not, he will happily make recommendations based on his analysis of YOU. Yeah…we like that.

The Pilots and Flyers thank you Sports Basement!!!

Last night when I was running up a not-to-steep-but-long hill, I found myself eager for breath. In the past some of you have asked me how to breathe while you run. So I thought I’d offer this tip.

Don’t ask my why this works, but I found that if you form your lips into an “O” breathing becomes much easier. I don’t know if the air flows directly into your air passage or what, but it works. My body became calmer and my breath seemed to be coming from a deeper place. And I beat that sassy hill. Give it a try!