Book Review: Marathon Man

One of my goals during my summer break is to read at least one new book every other week. This is my first review.

Bay Staters love locals who accomplish great things; they also love their sports heroes. The best example of this is Doug Flutie. If you ever want to start a fight in Massachusetts, walk into a bar and tell someone that Doug Flutie was overrated or was too short to make it in the NFL. The subject of Marathon Man, Bill Rodgers, is another figure who is among those folk heroes in Bay State history. To clarify for my runner friends who think I'm a running poser, I picked this book up, not as a runner but as a Bay Stater who grew up watching the marathon and being told tales of a time when local kids were competing to win and crazy Boston Billy who stopped to tie his shoes en route to a marathon win.

This autobiography, told in the first person, plays into the mythology of the local boy who wins the Boston Marathon. Rodgers' life pre-1975 is told, interspersed with his account of the 1975 marathon. The story telling device is particularly effective in establishing Rodgers' personality, laid back but confident and knowledgeable about himself. It also plays into his love for Boston and the marathon, clearly demonstrating how the first twenty seven years of his life played a role in getting him to the finish line.

Rodgers' talks you through how he went from decent college runner to typical twenty-something to New England sports legend. Having just quit my job, this section of his story resonated with me. Rodgers' wasn't driven by money; he simply knew that he loved to run and that he was very good at it. He knew what he was willing to sacrifice to achieve his dream of winning the marathon. The passion that Rodgers has for the marathon is obvious; given my history with the marathon, my gut tensed up and I grew anxious as he related the 1975 race. He recounts several other races, including his first win at NYC, but it is only when he talks about the marathon that this passion really shows.

Rodgers pays homage to his New England running lineage. From his college roommate Amby Burfoot, to Burfoot's mentor Johnny Kelley, to the working class winners from the early days of the marathon, Rodgers never paints himself as the greatest runner in New England, nor the greatest of his age. He understands that eventually a new generation of runners will come along and it is his responsibility to foster that talent and help them grow. He talks about how he'd always say yes if anyone invited him to run, claiming "that's how [he] ended up going out on more runs with local running clubs than probably anybody in history."

He runs because he loves to run and he races because he loves to win. He draws a distinction between the two and demonstrates what happens when one races only with his heart and not with his head. When he got drawn into someone else's race, the results were catastrophic. Rodgers' advice, applicable to nearly everything in life,

"Let them call you crazy. They will anyway. Run your own race. I’ll repeat that: Run your own race. Trust me, you will find much more success in life if you do. And you’ll have a lot more fun along the way."

I wasn't sure that it was possible but this book makes Rodgers even more likable. It is the story of someone who, in a roundabout fashion, discovered what was most important to him in life and wholeheartedly pursued that goal while still helping those around him. For someone who grew up on Bay State sports legends, this book will deepen your understanding of the history of running in the area and deepen your appreciation for the role that sport plays in the Bay State. I'm sure runners will appreciate reading Rodgers' struggles with training/work balance, injuries, and disappointing finishes. If you have ever run the marathon and can relate to the stories of the Newton Hills or you have ever run that perfect race (or a complete disaster of a race), you will find something here to capture your imagination and inspire you.

Yoga for Endurance Athletes Workshop in July

I will be offering a workshop for endurance athletes on 20 July from 5-7pm at Tranquil Space Arlington (3528 Wilson Blvd Arlington,VA). This workshop will be focused on learning what poses may be beneficial and which are counterproductive at various points in your training cycle. From there we will discuss how to incorporate these modifications into an all levels class so that you can still enjoy your weekly yoga class without worrying about taking a performance hit or developing yoga injuries. Recovery is also a big issue for endurance athletes so we will also discuss how to work recovery methods into your training.

This workshop is open to anyone and all experience levels, but since we will be working with modifications to an all levels class, it would be helpful to take a class or two before this workshop; home practice is perfectly fine, as long as you have a good idea of what it is you usually work on.

Because every sport has different needs, and every athlete has different goals and constraints, when registering please make a note as to what your sport is and what your goals for the next season or two are.

If you can't make it but this is of interest, let me know and I'll let you know of upcoming workshops or we can meet in a smaller setting at your convenience.

Adjusting to Altitude

Heading to Peru, I was particularly concerned about the altitude. The only time I had ever really spent at altitude was a weekend in Denver while I was already sick. I knew that the primary issue at altitude is lack of oxygen and I had been doing a lot of hypoxic training this spring and summer, but I really didn't know how it would translate.

While most athletes are familiar with the concept of VO2 max, or the maximum volume of oxygen one is able to use, this season I have decided to focus on lowering my VO2 min, or the minimum volume of oxygen I need to use. As a swimmer, I have messed around with hypoxic sets for most of my life. When I started running this past spring, I started doing the same. While I haven't been able to find any research suggesting this is beneficial to running (and a friend who is a running coach confirmed) I do this mainly to increase my ability to resist the urge to breathe.

I have been doing two types of breath hold training: high CO2 tolerance and low O2 tolerance. For the purposes of the Inca Trail, I am focusing on low O2 since the lower O2 saturation was my main concern before the trek.

I arrived in Cusco on Friday, three days before we left for the Inca Trail. Cusco sits at 3400m above sea level; for comparison, the highest point in Washington, DC is 125m above sea level. While I waited for my friends to arrive in Cusco, I wandered around the city, charging up and down the many hills. I noticed a slight headache while charging upwards. It was the same headache I get when I'm low on oxygen so I stopped running up the hills and after that I was fine.

I've always preferred uphills to downhills. So, although breathing was difficult on the uphills, my legs got trashed on the downhills. The first day and a half were great. We just climbed on and on, stopping to breathe a little, then continuing up. I recognized the feeling as that at the end of a stair race, when your legs are fine but the lungs just can't pull in enough air. There isn't much point in resting as a longer rest interval doesn't increase the amount of oxygen available. However, after this trek, I really do think that I should be in good shape for stair racing this season. I am mentally tougher and I think that my primary limitations right now are mental, not physical.

In case I hadn't climbed enough, I decided to climb up a hill to the
side of the pass while everyone else was at the bottom
catching their breath

Trust Your Gut

As I wrap up my first stint in the corporate world, I've been doing a lot of meditating on what my next steps are and what I envision my life to be. When I left for the winter, I could feel myself physically rejecting my job. I was getting sick, lethargic yet had trouble sleeping, and gaining weight. As soon as I left, I immediately felt better and lost the weight. So, when I returned in March and fell right back into that pattern, and fell back into bad personal habits I used to deal with these other problems, I knew I needed to make a change.

So far, my gut hasn't steered me wrong. It may seem really bizarre and not quite rational, but if you listen to your gut, you'll probably make the right decision for you. Doing what is right for you versus what is right for someone else are two very different things. If I had listened to my conservative colleagues last summer, I would be twenty pounds heavier, depressed, and passionless. Instead, I lost the weight, discovered diving, and realized that life doesn't have to be miserable. I've had enough close calls to know that life can end unexpectedly. I've been accused by those close to me of living too much in the moment, that soon the funds will dry up and I'll look back and think I've wasted so much time.

An ancient building being subsumed by the jungle;
even so called permanent things change

I'm not concerned. I know I'm not alone in the world. If the worst happens and I can't take care of myself, I have family and friends who will help me get back on my feet. I would do the same for them, and I hope they know that. Life is too short to not enjoy it, so once I walk out of my office for the last time today, I'm opening myself up to new adventures and not looking back.

My Current Obsession: Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero's Pose)

For those of you who know my love of binding, twisting, and inverted poses, my latest love will surprise you. I've taken to practicing this pose daily, either before practice or just laying in bed: supta virasana.

I find that many yoga classes I take focus a lot of the back body: hamstrings, calves, back. Practicing supta virasana, I feel a deep stretch in my quads, hips, abs, and shins; my feet are forced to relax. For some reason, I find it very calming, This pose is particularly beneficial to many athletes who have overdeveloped quads, tight shins, and inflexible ankles. Cyclists can especially benefit from reclined hero's pose as the shape is almost the complete inverse of how one would posture themselves on a bike.

via mylotuslife.com

Reclined hero's pose requires a lot of flexibility in the ankles, hips, and shoulders. If you cannot comfortably rest your sit bones on the ground while the tops of the feet are on the floor, then you should work with the upright version of hero's pose. Root your sit bones onto something, so if the floor isn't within reach, use a block to support yourself. Both poses develop flexibility in the ankles, stretch the quads, and help protect the knees by taking the joint through its full range of motion. If you have a pre-existing knee injury, please check with your physician before practicing. Alternatively, you can practice half hero's pose by only bending one leg back, either keeping the other knee pointed towards the sky, foot planted on the floor, or extending the opposite leg (see images below).

via yogazal.com

via melissawest.com

Each of these variations provide the same benefits; play and find the one that allows you to relax the most while still opening through the front of the body. There is no advantage to pushing yourself into a deeper variation than you are ready for; in fact, this is actually counterproductive.

via yogajournal.com

In either the upright or supine variation, first focus on the feet. The tops of the feet will come to either side of the hips, toes pointed in line with the lower leg; if you're more flexible or have muscular calves, you may need to move the calves to the outside of the thighs to make this more comfortable. If the ankles won't extend far enough for the tops of the feet to rest comfortably on the ground, roll up a blanket or towel to support the ankles, and stay in the upright version of the pose.

If the sit bones do not reach the floor, bring the heels under the sit bones and rest here, stacking props to close the gap between heels and sit bones. If the sit bones reach the floor and you don't feel much stretch in the quads yet, begin to recline. Coming all the way to the floor requires a lot of flexibility so have some props handy to ease yourself down. Using blocks to support the middle and upper back allows you to easily adjust the height of your props as you slowly ease into the pose; this may take months or years.

If you feel any pain in the knees, sit up and ease off the knees. If you are normally very flexible and you feel something in your knees, it could be a sign that the ligaments are being stretched. I suffered from overstretched ligaments in my knees in high school and it kept me from being able to run safely. Overstretched ligaments are very difficult to fix so avoid them by easing off from unnecessary deep stretches.

This pose is a great way to stretch and relax after a good workout, but always be mindful that you aren't pushing too far. Pain is a sign to back off, so always listen to your body.

8 Tips to Become a Better Cyclist

Several of my runner friends recently bought bicycles and are riding more as part of their training. This is the advice I'd offer to anyone getting on a bicycle for the first time in a long time.

1. Get on the bike
Waiting until the weather is nicer or you are in better shape is a sure way to never become a better cyclist. Just get out on the bike, even if it is just a quick spin around the block. It's never too early to start.


2. Learn a few basic mechanical tricks
Knowing how to fix a dropped chain and fix a flat tire can give you the peace of mind to ride farther away from home. Basic skills will also enable you to complete a ride without worry that otherwise would involve a call for a pick up or a bus ride home. Most local bike shops (LBS) offer basic bike maintenance classes; this is a great way to meet your mechanic, meet other cyclists, and learn some valuable skills.

3. Don't be intimidated by spandex. 
Those guys were just like you once. Remember, spandex doesn't make you fast, but it can keep you honest once you finally lose the gut. However, once you've committed to riding, investing in a few key pieces of cycling specific clothing can make your ride much more comfortable. A padded pair of shorts (there are non-spandex styles available) will allow you to stay in the saddle for longer, and a lightweight windbreaker can keep you at just the right temperature year round. I commuted and rode for fun with just these two pieces for almost two years.

4. Make predictable movements

via commutesolutions.com

The easiest way to prevent an accident is to ride defensively and to move predictably. When riding in a group this is the most important skill to have. If you are touching your brakes without warning or indecisive in whether or not to stop at a light or speed up to beat the yellow, the chances of an accident occurring go up. Be considerate of those around you and be decisive and predictable. A few basic handle signals will help you to alert everyone around you as to your intentions; this will keep you safer on the road.

5. Wind is not your friend

The wind is a much larger factor in cycling than in most other sports. Focusing on tucking in your elbows and dropping into a lower profile will save you a lot of energy when facing a stiff wind. Your bike might be much more difficult to handle, depending on the direction of the wind, so be prepared for more than normal soreness in your upper body. Additionally, even on a warm and wind free day, the wind can cause you to get a chill. Invest in a lightweight windbreaker to keep yourself warm on days when it is too warm for a jacket and but the wind is keeping you chilled. I have been wearing my Pearl Izumi jacket almost daily for several years, over a sweatshirt in the winter and over a tank top in the summer.

6. Learn to shift efficiently
Efficient shifting will allow you to ride longer and more comfortably. The most common place I have seen dropped chains is when the cyclist decides to shift while riding uphill. The mantra that I have always ridden by is "shift early and often." By shifting before you absolutely need to be in a different gear you have enough time to get into the gear while keeping your cadence steady (see next item). Once you feel like your cadence is changing (faster or slower), it is time to shift. Don't wait until you've lost your momentum to shift.

7. Focus on maintaining a steady and easy cadence.
By focusing on your cadence you will learn when to shift. Try to keep a steady cadence for the whole ride, adjusting the gearing to add or remove resistance. A fast cadence in a lower gear (spinning) is more efficient than a slow cadence in a higher gear (mashing). Mashing fatigues your legs earlier so rides become increasingly difficult. Find a cadence that works for you and work to keep it for the entire ride.

8. Don't use your brakes (most of the time)
My sister and I rented a car and drove from Portland, OR to San Francisco last summer. When it came my turn to drive (my first time driving in several years) my sister complained that I drove like a cyclist. She said that I never quickly accelerated, choosing to slow down (when possible) by not adding more gas. When you ride, you realize how much more tiring it is to stop and start constantly; accelerating is physically taxing. Anytime you apply your brakes means that you spent energy accelerating that you didn't need to spend. Obviously, brakes are a necessary safety tool for stopping short of obstacles or at red lights. Pay attention to how often you apply the brakes when you aren't stopping for anything in particular. Once you're more comfortable on the bike, you will probably apply the brakes far less frequently.

If you have any additional tips for a new cyclist, please leave it in the comments!

The Savings Account that Everyone Needs

via aviaforum.ru

Back in 2010, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater made headlines with his dramatic exit from a twenty year career. This incident came just a few months after I graduated from college and a month after I started my first full time job. It got me thinking about how a person could be driven to do something so dramatic and what the consequences for those actions are. I was raised with the belief that financial independence is something to aspire to, but also that it is fully attainable for everyone with the proper sacrifices.


Growing up, we talked about money a lot; how to save, different financial strategies, the importance of an emergency fund, how compound interest works. My first major financial decision, one that still affects my choices today, was where to go to school. I had a few options ranging from free to nearly $50k/year. I made a calculated decision to go with the $50k/year option. People still like to tell me I made a bad choice. It wasn't easy, but I do not regret this decision. I was able to study in an environment that challenged me on every level; it was this challenge that allowed me to thrive. Additionally, working through school made me better appreciate what I had. I promised myself that if I didn't feel it was worth it I would leave school and just work until I knew what I wanted; I graduated in four years. I was also given an additional push to take a job when I graduated because I knew that the best way to get rid of those loans was to pay them early.

After graduating, living my relatively frugal lifestyle, I came up with a financial plan. My primary goal was to pay down my loans as quickly as possible. I know this is not the right choice for everyone, but I wanted to be free of debt more than I wanted to put a down payment on a house or buy a car. I knew I needed an emergency fund, but, after hearing about Steven Slater, I decided that I needed an additional liquid fund at my disposal. This fund grew to be almost equal in size to my emergency fund. However, the two had distinct purposes and were equally untouchable for daily use: the emergency fund would be there if I lost my job or something catastrophic happened while the second fund was there to cover me if I lost my cool and did something impulsive, much like Slater.

Last summer I was planning a two week vacation to Hong Kong, working extra hours to offset any time that I took off so that I could spend as much of my precious vacation time as possible in Asia. After a series of emotionally charged decisions, I decided that I was bored and unchallenged at work and that I didn't enjoy getting out of bed and going to work everyday. My solution: I bought a one way ticket to Hong Kong. I didn't know what I was going to do or how long I'd be gone for but I did know that my secondary emergency fund was sufficient to cover me through a comfortable, fun, and exciting winter in Asia. Given that I planned this trip about two months before I left, having this fund available to me was the only reason I was able to take an open ended leave of absence without much worry.

I recognize that not everyone is in a position in which they are able to sock away enough extra cash to float them for a few months of travel. However, skipping a meal out every week or walking to the grocery store instead of driving will free up a few extra dollars that may turn out to be the peace of mind you need when everything around you is crazy.

Follow Your Passion...

Follow your passion, and success will follow you. ~Terri Guillemets

This is advice that my peers and I have been told all throughout our lives. Find something you love and eventually the money will follow. This makes intuitive sense; if you do what you love for a job then you are willing to commit to it and tough out the hard times. However, the reality that I see in most of my friends is that they are very talented individuals, but lacking in passion. A friend of mine complained to me a few weeks ago after she started a new job. She said that her new coworkers seemed to truly be passionate about her organization's mission. Neither of us could come up with anything that we would feel comfortable devoting that much time and energy towards.

I know people with this passion exist. My cousin is an artist who has demonstrated a passion for his work since we were really young. He pulls all nighters to work, and sacrifices the stability of a comfortable 9 to 5 job to pursue his work. I know others who work in my field who volunteer to help people trying to learn new skills and take great pride in their work. However, for most of my friends, we do not believe that our jobs are helping us to grow nor are they helping us to better the world.

I spent the winter traveling, attempting to find something I am passionate about. I discovered that I love to dive and be in the water. I love to travel and explore new places. I need to wake up with the sun, not an alarm, and I need to be outdoors and see the sun mark the passage of time. However, these are all lifestyle issues, not something I can apply to my professional life. So, I have decided to take some more time to explore some professional opportunities that I have been batting around for awhile but haven't had the time or energy to deal with.

back to basics: the vinyasa

As most of you have experienced, relationships change with time. When I first began practicing yoga I was focused on developing strength and concentration. Later it became very meditative for me; eventually this became a problem as I tackled thoughts that I preferred to push away rather than deal with. During this period my practice became dangerous; I sought pleasure from my practice so I would intentionally push past my edge, or neglect entire groups of poses just so they would feel good when I reintroduced them. Luckily I didn't physically injure myself during this period and I moved onto a more playful practice and began to focus on practicing safely.

This winter I took four months off of my physical practice to challenge myself in other ways. Upon returning to my practice in February I had new challenges in my life that I needed to deal with on the mat. I decided that I would run a marathon in October and and the training was beating up my body in ways it had never been before. I've seen athletes have their performances enhanced by yoga but I have also seen it ruin an otherwise strong training cycle.

I teach a style of yoga known as vinyasa. It effectively links breath with movement and flows from one pose to the next. In class you may hear the instruction to "flow through your vinyasa." This refers to a common series of poses that is repeated frequently in classes. The series goes:
Inhale to plank
Exhale to chaturanga
Inhale to upward facing dog or baby cobra
Exhale to downward facing dog

You may be instructed to go through this series a few dozen times depending on the class. I began noting what was bothering me in this series and came up with the following notes on the vinyasa.

via http://www.satyaliveyoga.com.au

Plank
This seemingly straightforward pose offers many points of reflection. Begin to build body awareness (and core strength) by drawing the navel up and in towards the spine. Focus on stacking the heels over the balls of the feet. Reach the chest and crown of the head forwards while the gaze stays to the ground so that the vertebrae of the neck remain in neutral alignment with the rest of the spine. Rotate the upper arm so that the elbow crease points forwards.

via http://www.poweryoga-goettingen.de

Transition to Chaturanga
Keeping the body still, simply bend the elbows. Since the elbow creases are pointed forwards, this brings the shoulders forwards, lowering them to the same height as the elbows. Chaturanga and plank are virtually the same alignment so if you focus on rotating the upper arm, you will be able to transition here without moving anything.



Transition to Upward Facing Dog
The elbow crease should still be a major point of focus. Straighten the arms as if you were going back into plank. Gently draw the hips forward just enough so that you must roll over the toes and onto the tops of your feet.

via http://yoginisam.com

Upward Facing Dog
Keep the arms strong while pressing into the hands so that the shoulders aren't creeping up towards the ears. The palms and the tops of the feet bear the full body weight in this pose so it will be much easier if you stay engaged in the core to prevent your whole torso from becoming dead weight. Play with this and notice how different the pose feels. Relax the glutes and feel the low back release.


Transition to Downward Facing Dog
First, pay attention to how the feet transition. The feet move from bearing the body's weight on the tops of the feet to the bottom. This requires bringing the feet through almost 180 degrees of motion while still bearing that weight. To protect the ankles, make sure that there is no rotational motion in the ankles; the lower leg, ankle, and foot should remain in the same plane. Try to drive this transition just by engaging the core to lift the hips up and back towards the heels.

Downward Facing Dog

via fitbie.msn.com

Focus on pressing the palms fully into the mat while rotating the upper arms in so that the elbow creases work towards pointing forwards and the shoulders are stable, the upper back broad. The neck relaxes, allowing the head to drop down, bringing the gaze towards the feet. Keep drawing the navel up and in so that you don't sink into your low back, placing undue stress there. Pay attention to your knees. Depending on how naturally flexible you are, it is really easy to lock your knees in this pose. I consciously try to keep a noticeable bend in my knees now which takes a lot of strain out of my calves and ankles. Bending deep into the knees and rising up onto the toes allows you to stretch the feet. Focus on shifting weight backwards into the hips and your shoulders won't struggle throughout your practice.

Turns out French is Actually Useful in the USA

The last month has been kind of rough for me and has inspired me to do even more soul searching than expected.  This past month I have spent every other weekend out of town; first for Easter, then for my half marathon, then for vacation. I planned this all out as soon as I returned from Asia but the timing of that last vacation turned out to be perfect.

It was Vermont so I opted
 for tie-dye

In order to give myself enough time to travel a little now I decided to make up all the hours I was missing at work by pulling longer days when I was in town. So, a little sleep deprived, I hopped on a plane one Friday afternoon to head up to Vermont. I'm not known for planning trips out terribly well in general, but this one was even more sketchy than usual. Instead of flying into Burlington (my actual end destination) I opted to fly into Hartford (my usual airport) and meet my friend who was driving to Burlington. This way, instead of getting to Burlington in the early evening, having dinner, and getting to bed early, I stayed up until after midnight after a long car ride. Despite a lot of dumb decisions I made that week (not sleeping, using that week to have my highest mileage week to date) and the snow that was still on the ground, the actual race went really well. I ran it with my friend who was celebrating her birthday that weekend, and we finished in 1:50:10. I'm not sure how she felt, but we ran negative split and I felt very strong at the end of the race. After recovering from the race we got ice cream and dinner (in that order, this is New England after all).

In Lake Champlain

My favorite flavor: Bovinity Divinity

The next morning we headed wandered down to Lake Champlain so that I could get some time in the water; the Vermonters walking there thought I was nuts. Finally, we headed to the Ben and Jerry's factory. Somehow I had made it through life never having visited; given how much of the company's revenue comes from me, this trip was mandatory given our proximity. We got several samples while on the factory tour, and even more at the scoop shop. The factory tour imparted the enthusiasm the company has for its product. It was really refreshing to see the company's commitment to its employees, community, and customers.


After our visit to the factory, my friend and her boyfriend drove me back to Worcester with them; from there I headed to Boston for the marathon. It was my weekend of being a New England tourist: B&J factory, marathon Monday, ice cream, and maple candy. People up there seem to really identify with their community and take action to improve it. This is something that seems to be lacking in the DC area and I think it is what I find the most off putting about DC.

My strategy to make up all the hours I had taken off was thrown off by the bombings; I could not focus at work to begin with and I preferred to be at home or running around outside than sitting there, getting lost in my own head. I took the weekend to stay home, sleep, and work out because the next week I was back to banking extra hours so that I could go to New Orleans for JazzFest the next weekend.

People dancing on Bourbon St

The timing of my New Orleans trip couldn't have been better. The music and food were phenomenal; the passion that people have for that city is unlike anything I have ever seen. Not once was I asked about my work; the city just makes you want to embrace life and live passionately.

One of the three pots full of
delicious food

I stayed in the Lower Garden District the first two nights; it was easy to walk everywhere and it was a really cute area with lots of smaller shops and restaurants. The last two nights I stayed at the India House which is one of the better hostels I have been at (in the past year, I have seen quite a few). There was a band staying there so they played a show on Monday night; Tuesday afternoon there was a crawfish boil. The food was amazing, we were all completely stuffed, and I actually learned how to eat a crawfish.

Empty heads lined up on the edge of the table

I was really surprised to see how many people were out on bikes. Despite not having a real traditional bike infrastructure, it seemed to be a very common way to get around. There were also a lot of people out running and exercising which, given the heat and the obesity statistics for New Orleans, surprised me. I went running in City Park a few times and loved that you can still see the tropical vegetation in the city.

Upon returning to DC it really hit me just how soulless this area is. Everything here is very comfortable, but the passion that is so obvious in places like Boston and New Orleans is noticeably absent here. This has inspired me to start thinking very specifically about what I want my life to look like.

Shot Heard Round the World

I love large community events. I think it is important for a school, company, or city to effectively cease operations so that everyone can go out and enjoy themselves. These types of events tend to happen in the spring, when the weather first starts to warm up and people are itching to get out of their winter hideouts. In college, on the last Friday of the spring semester we celebrated Georgetown Day. While classes were not cancelled, professors were understanding of the fact that is was Georgetown Day and generally didn't assign tests or papers. Students, staff, and faculty flocked outdoors to enjoy burgers, drink, and sunbathe. Similarly, when Georgetown made a run to the Final Four in 2007, the whole university came together to celebrate, charging down M St cheering and making friends with everyone around them.

When I arrived in Boston Sunday afternoon, the city already had this sense of community. Patriots' Day is arguably the best holiday in Massachusetts for any kid who goes to public school. You get a week off from school, the weather is usually nice (at least compared to the previous few weeks), and you don't have the obligations of travel and family gatherings that surround most holidays. I had never spent Patriots' Day in Boston but I grew up watching the marathon every year and that sense of community and local pride radiated from the television or computer screen.

For those non-Bay Staters reading this, Patriots' Day is a holiday celebrated in Massachusetts and Maine (and, per wikipedia, Wisconsin). While Patriots' Day officially celebrates the Battles of Lexington and Concord (19 April 1775), the date coincides with the Pratt Street Massacre (19 April 1861) when the Massachusetts militia was attacked by a mob, drawing the first casualties of the American Civil War. Outside of the Bay State and Maine, it is best known as Marathon Monday, or the day on which the Boston Marathon has been run since 1897.

Even our state quarter
commemorates the Revolution
(via theus50.com)

Bay Staters take incredible pride in their state and, based on the history curriculum taught in schools, believe that the rest of the country would not exist were it not for the revolutionaries who kicked the British out and established the United States of America. After all, much of the ramp up to the Revolution occurred in the Boston area and the first battles were fought there. The region produced founding fathers such as John Adams, his cousin Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. Patriots' Day celebrates the fact that a bunch of colonists from Massachusetts got fed up with the way the British were treating them and did something about it. They didn't just start shooting and behaving irrationally; they developed a plan of attack and eventually took down one of history's largest empires. This spirit of taking action even continued after the Revolution when Daniel Shays led a raid on the Springfield Armory in an act that historians believe played a role in demonstrating the need for a strong federal government.

Patriots' Day allows most people to take the day off and enjoy life; go out in the sun, hang out with friends, just relax and appreciate the fact that you live in a great commonwealth that allows you to take the day and celebrate life. Watching the marathon was the most similar experience I've had to Georgetown's run to the Final Four. Everyone knows something about the event, people come together to celebrate the participants and the fans, and it is a very positive experience (although I do believe that there were a few choice words about Ohio State flying around after the thrill of beating UNC wore off). The town was plastered with posters celebrating the marathon, runners were everywhere, and drunk college kids (and some not quite college aged) abounded. It was my first Patriots' Day in Boston and I was hooked.

I arrived at the 24 mile marker Monday morning. The lead wheelchair racers had already gone by but there were still athletes passing us. People were cheering for everyone, celebrating something that these athletes had worked very hard to achieve. I stayed at mile 24 for almost two hours; once a friend of mine ran past I decided to see just how crazy these crowds could get. I wandered the course up towards the finish line. The crowds got louder and louder the closer I got. The finish line was a great time. The runners were happy to be there, spectators were cheering for everyone coming through, and the bars were full of people enjoying the day. I stood there, soaking it all in, until my true New England roots showed and I left to get an ice cream.


When the bombs went off I didn't think anything was wrong. Sure, the sound wasn't normal, but I figured it was a construction site, or something happening at Fenway Park which I was passing. I was walking back down the course, towards mile 24, when the police started clearing spectators. Again, seemed a little strange to me but for all I knew someone was sick inside a house and emergency responders needed to enter. Eventually I pulled out my cell phone to check the time and saw several text messages, all along the lines of, "please tell me you're alive." At this point I started to put things together and realized that what was going on was not normal. I still didn't have any idea what was happening but I had an inkling that it was bad so, given the lack of cell service, I managed to get a note on facebook and then focused on trying to find my way back to my cousin's house.

It was this type of situation where I realize how important it is to have non-cell phone dependent plans. When I was in Asia I had to rely on paper maps and getting directions ahead of time. Fortunately I had made a mental note of where my cousin lived so I wasn't affected by the fact that I couldn't access google maps. I made it back to her house, still unsure of what was happening, only to discover that the T was closed. I grabbed my bags, put on my trusty FiveFingers, and set off on my hike to North Station where I hoped the commuter rail was running and I could get out of the city and to my grandmother's house.

As I walked from Brookline to North Station I saw plenty of runners who were walking home from the race. They were wrapped in blankets, trying to stay out of the wind, but no one was openly complaining or fighting in the street. People were out running along the Charles, BU students were still out and about; when I passed Mass General, there wasn't a sense of panic in the air. Despite everything that had transpired in the previous few hours, people were still courteous, emergency personnel were treated with respect, and runners, still in their racing clothes, were walking home without complaint.

I could tell that whatever had happened must have been terrible when I arrived at North Station. Police were searching every bag on the way in, and the Bruins game that night was cancelled. Still, despite everything that was going on, the police were firm but smiled after they checked my bag (although they did keep mistaking me for a runner) and people were calm. I saw that same spirit as I watched the news on Friday during the man hunt; people able to see the bigger picture and step back to allow law enforcement to do their jobs as safely as possible.

Watching the rest of the week unfold while I was below the Mason Dixon line was much less comforting than being up north. Here people made remarks about how the US is the laughing stock of the world for shutting a whole city down for the day; they imagined that Bostonians must wish they had guns at home. Neither of these thoughts ever crossed my mind, and from what I can tell, they didn't cross many Bay Staters'.

If anything good is to come of this, people who needed a little push to start running have done so. More people are getting off the couch and learning how healing it can be to get outside and move. Even people who have no real connections to the marathon or the city have been inspired to train for a marathon, or simply, put on a pair of sneakers and go for their first run. If any city has the ability to ensure a positive legacy from a tragedy it is Boston. Now, we just have to wait and see.

Heyden Observatory

The Heyden Observatory at Georgetown University is the third oldest observatory in the country. The observatory was the site from which the city of Washington was surveyed, and was the home of some of the nation's most influential astronomers until the second half of the twentieth century when the program was shut down.

On a personal note, I managed this observatory while I was in school and I believe that it is one of the most underrated gems on campus. Please vote for the observatory to receive funds from Partners in Preservation using the link below.

https://www.preservedmv.com/competitors/heyden-observatory

Redheads on TV

Patti Stanger, the star of one of my favorite guilty pleasures, Millionaire Matchmaker, has never been shy about the fact that she hates redheads. I recently watched this season's redhead episode, hoping it would be favorable to redheads.
Despite all the girls at the mixer having red hair, very few were real redheads. If the guys actually wanted a redhead, my guess is that the hair color isn't what they are after; there is the whole complexion and whatever stereotypes go along with that. Very few of the non-redheads even had the complexion to pull off the color and just looked ridiculous.

Thankfully I still see some positive examples in the media. During the redhead Millionaire Matchmaker episode, I saw this ad.
 
The little red haired girl is not only operating her own business, she is shown as being physically strong, pulling the delivery truck out of the ground and across the field.

(via http://tv.broadwayworld.com)

I then followed Millionaire Matchmaker with Suburgatory, starring Jane Levy. Levy's character in Suburgatory is a high school student who is uprooted from Manhattan to the suburbs. She lands in a town where everyone appears to be the same; the fact that she is a redhead makes her not quite fit in. The writers of the show are able to use this to make a point, but I think it is one of the reasons that my non-redhead friends and family do not quite understand my sensitivity to the subject.

Many brunettes and blondes that I know change their hair color without much thought. People routinely get highlights and change their hair color seasonally. Hair color does not become an essential part of their self identity. Even in the most homogeneous community, every red haired child has stuck out. Their hair attracts attention, both positive and negative; it always makes one unique.

While there is some debate on the internet over whether Levy is a natural redhead, she has the complexion to pull it off. Emma Stone is not a natural redhead but she has the complexion to pull it off and has embraced her identity as a red haired actress. I certainly want people to see being a redhead as a good thing so I am normally not one to publicly call out dyed redheads; if the person is willing to commit to being a redhead and not just use it as a publicity stunt, as Stone has, I have no problem. However, there are plenty of dyed redheads who go around doing stupid things and calling themselves redheads, making it necessary for redheads to counter the claims made by the crazy dyers.

(via http://omelete.uol.com.br)

***SPOILER ALERT*** The 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love stars two red haired actresses: Stone and Julianne Moore, who plays Steve Carell's wife. The film's multiple story lines converge when a twist is revealed: Stone is the daughter of Moore and Carell. I watched the film with my mom and nana, both brunettes. They seemed genuinely surprised at this revelation. I had to point out that the only reason films ever seem to cast two redheads is to establish a blood relationship.

Suburgatory resorts to this trick when they introduce a red haired Malin Akerman as Levy's mother. There is no reason that a red haired child must have a red haired parent; to the best of my knowledge, my great-grandma is the only red haired relative that I have met.

Team Coco!
(via eonline.com)

(via craftyiscool.blogspot.com)

I have only touched on female redheads so far. As much as I may get riled up about the portrayal of female redheads, they exist. There are very few male red haired celebrities, and it is not a color that men tend to choose when dying their hair. Conan O'Brien is arguably the most famous red haired male on television right now. Even people who aren't fans of Conan are probably aware of his Tonight Show conflict. While this seemingly had nothing to do with his hair, it played out as the new redhead in town being bullied around by everyone else. Conan's supporters gathered together as Team Coco. Suddenly you could find t-shirts and nearly anything else covered in a splash of red hair. I respect O'Brien's career on the whole, but I really respect the fact that he has made it as a red haired comedian, who uses his hair as a rally cry, without resorting to dumb redhead jokes. My favorite red haired comedian is Louis CK and he generally just avoids the subject entirely. This is in contrast to comedians like Carrot Top whose entire persona is centered on their hair.

In closing, I will allow Tim Minchin to sum up this post.


If you've made it this far, thank you for tolerating my red haired ranting of the week :-)

Marathon Training: One Month Down and I Can Still Walk

The focus of this first month was to start building up my mileage. I started with fifteen, then did four weeks of around 23 miles. I've never been good about sticking to rigid schedules so I didn't try to force myself into one. I always did one long run on the weekend. One week the weather was kind of gross so I only did one other long run. The other weeks I did two or three shorter runs. I didn't do any specific speed work, but I tried to make the short runs a little faster than my long runs.

Below are a few lessons that I've learned over the past five weeks.

Lesson #1: Minor Imbalances Will Be Exaggerated
When riding I always unclip with my left foot. I never thought anything of this until I started doing my weekend long runs. Once I'd hit the point where my form began to fade, I started noticing that my ankles felt noticeably different. I started getting a twinge just behind the bump on the inside of my left ankle. Once I noticed this sensation I couldn't ignore it. I'm still not sure whether the clip in factor is relevant; I'm trying an experiment for the next month where I use my right foot to clip in. On my commute in this morning, when I managed to time my lights pretty well, I clipped out seven times; when I don't time it well the count is closer to a dozen. I'll post more about the results of this experiment in next month's update.

Lesson #2: Running More Frequently is Less Stressful than Running Long
One week, because of gross weather, I did two long runs and no other running. It took me awhile to recover from these runs and that's the week I began to notice the tweak in my ankle. The other weeks, when I ran more frequently, I was able to get in better quality runs since I could keep my form up for the whole run, and I generally felt fine the next day, albeit a little stiff in the legs.

Lesson #3: You Can't Discount Your Bike Miles
For the past few years, I've taken a dichotomous approach to cycling: I have my commute miles and my fun miles. I know that they all count, but if you were to ask me how many training miles I do, I'd give you the total less commute miles. Since coming back, most of my bike miles have been for commuting. My round trip commute is now almost twenty miles so I am getting quite a bit of riding in without even counting it. When I started adding some runs in, I was still discounting my bike miles. I would be stuck at work, late for a group run so I'd sprint the ten miles home on my bike, change clothes, and run to the meeting spot. When we'd start running I would notice that my legs were heavy and I felt similar to how I do at the end of my long runs. It wasn't until this happened a few times that I realized that I cannot discount my commute.

Lesson #4: Run With Good Runners
This isn't necessarily something that everyone has the luxury to do, but several of my friends are very good runners who know a lot about the sport. I tend to run with them when I want to go faster than usual as they'll hold me to a pace that I can sustain but would be too lazy to do if I were running on my own. The biggest advantage of running with people who are good runners is that they can spot poor form quickly. As a newbie, bad habits are easy to fall into, but they are also easy to fix. If someone can spot these for you early on and help you fix it, it'll be more comfortable in the long run. As a side note, my bike handling skills improved significantly once I started doing more group rides. Just make sure that you're imitating people who know what they are doing :-)

Lesson #5: Work On Good Form
This is a follow up to running with good runners. I try to spend one run every week where I really focus on keeping good form. Right now my primary focus is my hand placement. I tend to run with my hands near my shoulders. I believe it's a bad habit I picked up when I played field hockey. I learned to run with a stick in my hand and teammates around me; it was safer to keep the stick more vertical than horizontal. However, ever since high school I have dealt with a right shoulder that feels like it is getting pinched the longer and faster I run. So, I ask people that I run with to point out to me if they notice my hands creeping towards my shoulders, and I dedicate one run each week to actively work out these bad habits.

I'm running a half marathon this coming weekend for a friend's birthday (yes, I have some odd friends) and then heading to Boston to watch the marathon. I'll write about that when I come back; this is my first time in Boston on Patriots' Day. Growing up in Massachusetts I always had school off so I watched the marathon every year through high school; in college some MA friends and I would watch the marathon and pretend we had the day off :-)

If you have any questions or ideas for me to play with in the next month, feel free to leave me a note in the comments, or email me directly.

Welcome to My Summer of Marathon Training

Earlier this year, when I decided to start running, I started searching the internet for some articles for beginner runners. However, after a lot of searching I couldn't find many articles for people like me: already relatively fit but with no real running background. Most of the beginner articles I found were "couch to 5k" type advice. I wasn't just getting off the couch; I had no problem going for a five mile run, but I knew that I probably shouldn't just go from not running at all to running thirty miles a week if I wanted to stay injury free.

Malaysia

My week in Malaysia was probably the most stressful and painful of my whole trip. If I've been able to talk with you in person I'm sure you've already heard about the beach incident, but I'll recount the whole week here.

I was looking forward to traveling to Malaysia. I had heard great things about the country as a whole. Because of seasonal rains and a lack of planning, I decided against visiting the eastern peninsula and the Borneo side. Looking at a calendar, I figured I had about two weeks before I needed to be in Phuket to take a freediving course so I decided to take my time and just go without a plan. I had a rough idea that I would travel by bus up the west coast, stopping in Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang before finally hitting the beach in Thailand.

One redeeming quality of Malaysia

I basically had to be kicked out of Singapore. I don't know whether I truly loved Singapore or whether it was a welcome change of pace after six weeks in SE Asia, but I ended up staying almost twice as long as I had planned. One of the owners of the hostel I stayed at eventually put me on a bus headed for Johor Baru where I would pass through immigration on my way to Melaka. The border crossing was in two stages, both requiring disembarkation. We first had to pass through the Singapore side, get back on the bus, then get off at the Malaysian side. As soon as I got my passport stamped, the chaos of SE Asia returned. Without any signs indicating where to go, I ended up following a group of people from my bus who were not going where I needed to. I tried to go back but the corridor was one way so a police officer (who spoke perfect English) stopped me. He informed me that I needed to go a different way but that would spit me out in no man's land so I would have to go back through immigration. I did this, but the non-English speaking immigration officer did not understand what had happened. My passport indicated I had already entered Malaysia and that I hadn't left. Finally a supervisor was able to figure out what happened and waved me through.

I went to the bus terminal to pick up the bus to Melaka. The bus was an hour late but Malaysia has a very good road network so the ride was not terribly dusty or bumpy. Eventually I made it to Melaka, found the bus that took me into town, and found my hostel. The dorm did not have any windows; I found this to be the case in every hostel I visited in Malaysia but nowhere else.

An abandoned building in Melaka

Melaka is a former Dutch and British colony; the old part of town consists of buildings from this period. In my wanderings, I found an abandoned building, just behind the heavily trafficked historic buildings, that appeared to be the same style architecturally. Without any regard for my personal safety, I wandered inside. I discovered that the building had been an art gallery as recently as five years ago but was no longer in use. No one else was around and I had a great time exploring.

Doorway blocked with debris

I am able to recognize it now, after documenting my daily activities for three months, but I have a tendency to explore places that are abandoned, the highest point in the area, and the lowest. In this case, the building was near the top of the hill so I was able to get two things out of my system in one go.

Melaka waterfront, trees undewater

I also rented a bicycle and rode around for a morning. This was the first and only time I have ever had to ride on the left side of the road. This didn't cause any problems, but I had to remember to look over my right shoulder instead of instinctively looking over the left. On my wanderings, I headed right to the water. I never realized it before this trip but I find being around water to be very calming. The two years since I graduated were the first two in my life where I wasn't swimming on a regular basis. I didn't notice it at the time but I believe that I by not swimming I had unintentionally removed a key component of my stress management system from my life. It wasn't until I was in Asia that I realized that any time I got stressed I naturally ended up at the beach. This will be discussed in much greater detail later in this post.

Petronas Towers on NYE

After two nights I was ready to continue onto Kuala Lumpur. KL is where I was turned off to Malaysia. After getting off the bus, I walked a short distance to the train to get into the city. There were no signs anywhere. The platforms were not labeled and no transit system map existed in the station. There was no indication that I was the only person who was confused because in every station I went to in KL there were transit system employees stationed next to each fare machine to help you buy the proper fare for your destination (which may include transfers between different transit systems). I had instructions that my hostel was only a few blocks from the subway station, but due to a lack of maps and signage, it took me nearly an hour just to orientate myself.

Celebrating the end of 2012 in KL

Disorientation was the theme of my time in KL. Generally, I am able to figure out where I am quickly and draw a mental map of the city in my head. KL and Phuket both really turned me around. Phuket was not difficult, I just couldn't wrap my head around it for whatever reason. KL seemed to have grown up too quickly. There are several places where major roads don't have pedestrian crossings for at least a kilometer. The subway was so crowded on New Year's Eve that I chose to walk back to my hostel after watching the fireworks from the Petronas Towers. What should have been a forty minute walk turned into just over two hours because I kept getting turned around and stuck on the wrong side of roads without pedestrian crossings.

Batu Caves

This confusion regarding the transit system continued when I tried to go to Batu Caves. I tried to buy a ticket to Batu Caves but the operator of the train I was at isn't the same as the one that goes to Batu Caves. The transit map is fully integrated so there was no way to know where I had to go to for a connecting train that sold the correct tickets. The guy whose job it is to help people buy fares told me which station to go to, and after getting there, I still wandered around for about twenty minutes as there are two physical buildings at the station, each of which sell different tickets, and I couldn't find the appropriate one. The caves were worth the trip, especially as I was able to climb a long staircase to go up to the cave, and then descend deep into another, satisfying my desire to climb things and descend.

Although I had heard good things about the Cameron Highlands and I still had some time to play around in Malaysia, I was getting very frustrated and wanted to get to the beach in Thailand as quickly as possible. When entering Thailand by land Americans are granted a fourteen day visa. Given my schedule, I still had a few days that I needed to spend in Malaysia so that I wouldn't run into visa problems.

Hiking through the park in Penang

I decided to leave KL and headed to Penang. The main tourist spot in Penang is George Town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At this point I was on an island and I wanted to go to the beach. I took the bus out to a park where there are hiking trails that lead to several beaches. I set out for a hike, ready to give Malaysia one last chance to impress me.

Due to beach and trail closures, my route was already picked for me. Hike out past two beaches, stop for a swim at the third, and depending on the weather/time I could continue onto a final beach. I passed the first two beaches and the rain was holding off. It was a pretty quiet day but there were several other hikers out so I felt comfortable going into the water for a swim whenever I made it to the third beach where I had planned my swim.

Doesn't the beach look so inviting?

I found a small area, surrounded by rocks and out of sight to hide my bag and clothes. I hopped into the ocean and felt so comfortable. It was the first time I had been in the water since my scuba trip over a month earlier and I was desperate for a good swim. I swam half way down the beach when I stopped to tread water for a minute and look where I was going. As soon as my legs dropped below my torso I felt a familiar pain in my lower left leg and foot. The only other time I have been stung by a jellyfish I nearly blacked out in the water, so, given that the beach was nearly deserted and I didn't know how many minutes behind me the other hikers were, I tried to stop moving entirely and drift onto the beach.

The tentacle wrapped around
my leg, creating a nice band

Fortunately this sting was nothing compared to the last one I had, but I didn't know how severe it was. I slowly limped back to the rock encircled area I had left my bag and sat on the beach to soak the sting and scrub it with some sand. At this point, the monkeys who lived on the beach decided to hit me up for some food (of which I had none). They climbed onto the rocks which surrounded me and began to bare their teeth. I've been around other animals in attack mode before, but staring the head monkey in the eyes scared me more than almost any other time in my life. I didn't know what to do as I was still in pain from the sting, I wasn't thinking clearly, I couldn't escape, and I had nothing with me with which to distract the monkeys. Eventually I got fed up with the situation, started screaming at the monkeys, they slowly realized I had no food, and left one at a time.

Once the monkeys were gone, I grabbed my stuff and ran off the beach, leg still stinging, and into the jungle. Finally clear of the monkeys, I put my shoes back one and started hiking as fast as possible back to the park entrance and the bus. I tried to explore a little more of George Town that night but I was unsuccessful in cleaning out the sting and new venom kept being released when I would walk. So, I mustered up the strength to walk to the ticket office and bought a ticket to Phuket. The beach was Malaysia's last chance to win me over and she blew it.

Why Practice Arm Balances?

I would consider myself a risk averse thrill seeker. What this means to me is that I love the thrill of doing something new and apparently dangerous, but only once I am reasonably assured that I have taken some basic precautions. This has attracted me to pursuits such as roller coaster riding, free diving, and bike commuting.

When I began practicing yoga, my adventurous side was drawn to inversions and arm balances. These two groups of poses challenged my idea of what one is supposed to do; they are not positions in which one would naturally find oneself. I began practicing with the goal of doing crazy things with my body in space, but I discovered that these poses are very powerful in developing focus and concentration. When you are upright and standing on two feet it is easy to let your mind wander; if you do this while upside down you will fall on your face.

maybe someday...
(via pinterest.com)

When teaching I always incorporate an arm balance into my classes. I believe that simple arm balances are a concrete way to see that you've pushed yourself and feel a sense of accomplishment. I know that yoga is supposed to be non-competitive, even within oneself, but, especially with new students, it can feel really good to finally nail a cool pose, encouraging someone who might otherwise give up to continue with their practice.

Although I often work arm balances into my regular flows, I make a point to teach one of two poses in all of my classes: crow pose and shoulder pressure pose. Both poses are very accessible to new students and both allow for simple progression through the pose so you can see that you are making progress.

Learning to balance in crow pose was the key to my ability to use my core to control my postures. To develop a good base I will instruct students to simply crouch as low to the floor as is comfortable, then plant their hands firmly, shoulder width apart, then begin to lean forwards while squeezing the elbows towards one another. If the knees and shins can comfortably connect with the triceps, keep that connection while leaning forwards, keeping the gaze about a foot or so in front of the hands. Once comfortable with leaning forwards, one can begin to play with lifting the feet, tucking one heel, then the other, towards the glutes.

Size isn't an obstacle :-)
(via yogapancake.com)

I enjoy teaching this pose to new students because I don't think there's a good way to cheat your way into crow. In order to progress through the pose, you have to play. You'll fall on your face quite a few times and if you don't engage your core, you won't be able to keep your hips high enough to allow the feet to lift. Once the feet are lifted and you are able to stay here for a few breaths, you have direct knowledge of the core control necessary to maintain that balance. If the pose is practiced regularly, that core control will be cultivated and can be applied to every other pose.

(via marylandyoga.com)

However, because of the head position in crow pose, the pose can be very intimidating. I probably teach shoulder pressure pose more often than crow simply because, even though it requires much more flexibility in the hips, it is less intimidating. I often start from a squatted position and just work to get the hands firmly planted on the mat. Once the hips are open enough, begin to walk the hands back, until they can plant behind the heels; it is necessary for me to lift my hips here so that there is enough space for my arms. I find that cupping the heel with the index finger and thumb is about the right hand placement for me; this is just what is comfortable on my shoulders and hips. Once you can press the hands fully into the mat behind the feet, allow the thighs to rest on the upper arms while squeezing the elbows together. Eventually you'll begin to walk the feet towards each other, until you can hook one ankle on top of the other. Once the ankles are crossed, press into the hands and begin to sit back, allowing the ankles to rise off the mat.

This pose takes the fear of falling out of arm balances. It also has very distinct steps to work through in getting to the final pose so progress can be easily measured. I certainly don't expect every student to get into either crow or shoulder pressure pose. I keep them in my teaching repertoire because they encourage play and provide a sense of accomplishment. I believe that things in life should be fun; my go-to farewell is not "goodbye" but "have fun." By encouraging students to take some time to play with something as crazy as balancing on their hands, I hope that I have allowed them to bring some more fun into their lives and continue this pursuit off the mat.