It can happen to the best of us…we wake up with some big goals to attain, and suddenly, with only one foot out the door, we are hit by unassailable feeling that we just have no juice in the tank. This rarely happens to me, and usually I can push through my feelings, (thanks to years of bullet-proofing myself with Bikram Yoga). My strategy is generally to start doing what I have planned out, and see if momentum can carry me through. Sometimes how we initially feel about something isn’t reality, and once we get a kick-start, good habits take over and before we know it we are having the best training session or yoga class ever. It’s kind of like the sweet reward for overcoming negative feelings. Today is a big conditioning day. That means I start off with a Bikram Beginner class on an empty stomach for more fat-burning, followed by a small refeed then a crazy long Bikram Advanced class with the Bandra girls and Christina. I love Tuesdays and Thursdays because they are devoted to tons of yoga with people I really like. I’ve also had a horrific stomach problem since last Thursday, and this morning was the first pain-free day I’ve had since it started. I’ve also officially got the dial-in diet blues, where everything I’ve been eating for the last 2 weeks is suddenly unpalatable, and I feel like if I have to eat one more piece of chicken, no matter how delicious I’ve made it, I will die! So I started off the day with an egg fried up in a little bit of ghee and 2 wafer-thin slices of bacon. Why does bacon make everything taste good? I haven’t been having eggs for breakfast like I’ve done on previous dial-ins, and suddenly I fell in love with them all over again. Because the bacon adds a lot of fat to the dish, I cut down to one egg from my usual 3, and it was just the right amount of food to get me through the first 20 minutes of yoga class. After that my stomach started growling, and I just concentrated on the yoga, happy that I was burning up body fat. The only problem was that I also had zero energy. Why? Well, it’s that time in my month when I just want to hole up in bed, and I’ve been on a very low carb diet for over 2 weeks now, and I’ve been sick for several days, not sleeping well…combined, I was brought to my knees today, and no motivational video or slogan was going to rescue me. I had to make a tactical decision: should I stay for the 2 hours advanced class and try to push through this incredible lethargy, or should I go home and sleep and come back and take a second Bikram Beginner class? Well, as I walked, no, as I trudged up the stairs to the cafe, and Marc remarked if I was okay because I looked like death. So, I opted for the second choice. I didn’t want to waste a workout, and I really felt that staying on would do just that. I had tried my best to power through, but it my mo-jo was a no-go!
Now, 3 hours later, while still feeling about 80% of my usual great energy, I feel better able to kick out a decent class, and stay with my protocol. Mandeep is one of our strongest teachers, and will be sure to kick my butt. I can do some extra postures after class so I don’t feel like I’ve lost my flexibility gains. It’s a win-win. As a treat, I’ll be dining on some steak left-over from Indigo cafe, a little bit of my tomato ragout, and maybe I’ll tuck into my Harissa rubbed Lamb before Lights Out.
As I said, this can happen to all of us. You always try to start your workout, and see if you can pick up some speed once the blood is pumping, but if that doesn’t work, it is better to walk away and not waste your training session. Come back later or save if for the next day. Most of us who train seriously will tell you the same thing. Don’t waste your time at the gym or the yoga studio. Make every second count!
