Yoga and Give it a Tri!

Today was my first day of Yoga at In Balance Yoga Studio. I had been debating on whether or not to enroll in the class because of the price but was encouraged by several of my coworkers that since I was working and it was something I wanted to try, I should do it.

I purchased my 10 sessions at a wallet breaking $100 (10/ session is the student discount) and scheduled my first class using the online scheduler. An alternative to the yoga studio I chose was Rec. Sports through Virginia Tech ($15 for the mind body package) for unlimited yoga for the semester, but wanted a personal experience with more one-on-one instruction. My initial outlook was that it would be a great way to start my day, motivate me to get up early, and if I gain flexibility and strength while flushing toxins from my body why not?

I seem to be accumulating a good bit of athletic / sports equipment because while yoga is fairly simple you have to purchase a mat ($9 at Walmart) and it seems like every "activity" has its accessories.

My first class was Gentle Flow Yoga, which is defined by In Balance Yoga as:

Gentle Flow Yoga - A gentle vinyasa class focusing on breath and alignment. This is a great class for beginners.

I was correct on my assumption that the studio would be more personal and a better instructor-student ratio which today was 1:3, possibly in part to being at 7AM on a Monday, but hey... I like to make the most of my day. The class was enjoyable and certainly not easy and slow enough in pace that I learned some of the moves and positions, as well as the combination that are common.

After that it was work from 9-2, a little studying and lunch and then off to the cycling team meeting, followed by an information session about a beginner Triathlon training program. Give it a Tri is an 8 week entry level training course designed to help individuals complete a sprint triathlon on March 27th, The Smithfield Sprint! The program has 4 weekly training meeting including 2 swimming nights (Wednesday and Friday evenings) and 1 running and cycling session each week, as well as a meeting about Triathlons including information on transitions, nutrition, and other important info. for newbies!

The Smithfield Sprint consists of a 300m swim, 10 mile bike, and 5k run. I don't believe that I'll have any problem completing it and the best part is that it's on our off week for VT Cycling so I will not miss a race!

All I can say is that I'm stoked!