Another highlight from my visit was being able to take a bikram class at BikramYogaStLouis on Saturday morning! The instructor, JJ, was so welcoming and I love being able to experience this practice ouside the normal studio setting in NYC.
This past weekend I had the honor of attending my cousin Jenny's bridal shower and bachelorette party in St. Louis. Jenny and I have been lifelong pals(of the pen-style persuasion as kids), holding the reigns as the oldest two Kertz family cousins. A sweetheart of a midwestern gal is she, and I tend to think I'm the opinionated, overly-sentimental east coast one of the duo. We grew up in different parts of the country in vastly different communities, schools and culture. We've made tons of unique life choices and experienced our 20s in ways that are foreign to the other. But when the two of us are together you would never know it or that any time has passed. Tears well up as I write this (shocking, right?) because my happiness for her abounds as she is glowing from the inside out as she is to become Mrs. Jennifer Jacob in just 3 short weeks!
Another highlight from my visit was being able to take a bikram class at BikramYogaStLouis on Saturday morning! The instructor, JJ, was so welcoming and I love being able to experience this practice ouside the normal studio setting in NYC.
0 Comments
*Disclaimer: I needed to get this all out. The final paragraph is really all you need to know*
I didnt exercise much growing up. I always saw it as something my parents did and it was a passion of theirs, not mine. I was never particularly good at group sports and if I wasnt close to being the best at something without too much effort, I wouldnt pursue it. I know that sounds very lazy of me to admit, but when it came to athletics and me in my formative years, this was my mentality. I always did well in gym class but couldnt care less about going out and running or taking a exercise class or biking the lake. Oddly enough, I wasnt particularly skinny or lean but fairly proportional in that I never really worried about my weight and definitely ate my share of Wendy's cheeseburgers in Wexford (c'mon we all did.) During my college days at Penn State, I tried a number of times to become the consistant gym-goer or avid runner, but never stuck with anything. Honestly, I have no clue why. I think I often chose fun (aka eating and drinking with friends) over the physical exertion of a conditioning class. Yes, I took these classes here and there but I always left feeling exhausted, defeated and most of all, upset with my lack of desire to stick it out and be patient with progress. Flash forward to my first year in NYC. My friend Lindsay and I decided (over too much wine, natch) that we were going to run our first half marathon together. We trained seperately for the most part (taking a bikram yoga class once early on in the training and pretty much collapsing in class) and in January of 2008, we completed the Rock N Roll Half in Arizona. I cried crossing the finish line. And I think average pace was 10:30. But I finished and it felt great. I lost about 8-10lbs during my training and felt awesome. My knees/hips on the other hand killed like a MOTHER. I took a few weeks off after that, and then tried bikram out again. It felt great. I was by far the weakest in class having to sit down for multiple poses, my head and eyes glazing over with stars and hot flashes. I cant tell you the number of times I almost passed out. Camel pose was NEVER an option and I would gaze upon the women who seemed to do it so gracefully, covered in sweat, barely panting. After a few months of moderate consistancy (2x/week) with the practice I felt wonderful. I was running a good amount but nothing over 6miles a pop to supplement my weekly workouts. You know what? I still look at the picture of me and Lee from his birthday that March. It was the first time in years that I noticed I had a glow about myself. I felt amazing. Life just felt better. And my mind was so clear. I felt my anxiety and winter-blues depression begin to vanish. I was honestly seeing the world differently as dramatic as that sounds. But like most things in life, things change or setbacks occur. I definitely fell back into an unhealthy regime for a while in late 2008 into 2009 but life was a barrel of "fun." Indulgant dinners out with Lee, bar nights with friends, tapas and wine nights with my girlfriends...I mean, it IS what NYC in your 20s is all about. Everything was either all or nothing for me. If I wasnt working out, then I was having a hell of a time trying new restaurants and cocktail concoctions. In late summer of 2010, with just a few months til our wedding, I was determined to change this fluctuating pattern with myself. I wanted more than anything to wake up on our wedding day feeling the most healthy and strong as Ive ever felt in my entire life. AND I DID! :) It was not easy but I realized that somewhere inside of me I had the mental strength to get to my physical goals. With each passing week I was feeling that much more confidant in myself and seeing rapid results. And I felt more ALIVE than I have had in a decade. With bikram yoga, I have found something which my body and mind respond to and a practice that I openly plan my free time around. The conditioning classes at Equinox gave me examples of how muscle confusion along with the energy of a full class working together is a powerful thing to change a life. I know it changed mine. My hip surgery in February was a real tough setback and boy did I struggle with the healing process and just being patient with myself. But now, I am back in the game. I didnt let a week go by since my PT was complete that I didnt attempt my routine pre-surgery. Yes, I am levels behind where I want to be but I didnt fall back into a routine of completely disregarding what I know my body needs and mind craves. Small victories on the road back to 100% (in a 115 degree room with 40% humidy works for me!). PS: Ive started a Bikram Count on the side of this blog to keep me accountable for my practice. It feels really good to add each tally mark, so why not?! I had FANTSTIC birthdays as a kid. I'm talking birthday parties that are still written about in birthday cards to me from my lifelong childhood friends. Think Double Dare themed backyard craziness (with my Dad dressing up as Marc Summers, I kid you not) and a massive obstacle course of slip-n-slides and monkey bars covered in chocolate syrup, whipped cream balloons and super-soakers and buckets of green slime. Icing on the non-classic celebration cake? My Mom would make a massive flower pot fully loaded with gummy worms and pudding and mashed Oreos. It.....was awesome. I still crave that dirt cake sometimes. Nom nom. Sidenote: my parents rock.
But birthdays have changed since my elementary school days. After a number of NYC birthdays of the Phoebe's persuasion, I was feeling a bit more tranquil and frankly, dismissive, of this year's celebration. I wanted to see friends, yes...but mostly I just wanted to relax with my husband. I didn't want a fancy dinner out. I wanted to order in and open an unforgettable bottle of wine. I didn't want to stay out until 3am. I wanted to slow dance in our living room. Take a trip outside the city for a hike. And just be quiet and mindful of all that has happened the past year and what the start of the new one will bring. That's just what we did :-) Today this blog comes to life! *sigh, finally* To document my days, our collective newlywed memories....of what makes me laugh-cry-desire-feel. Beginnings are always funny. They require ignition energy and until this afternoon, I just haven't had the spark. But as I turned 28 this morning at 5:24am, I needed to acknowledge my year's journey as a new one began. "For all that has been, thank you. For all that is to come, yes." - Dag Hammarskjold.
Oh, and the header picture above? A life moment of all life moments. Reading the letter Lee wrote to me on our wedding day. If any words could float on that picture it would be those of Pablo Neruda's, "Love, love here we are." In it. Living it. My quite-the-catch husband and I. We were married on Saturday, December 4th, 2010. That was the best Saturday of my life. The regular Saturdays are the best Saturdays of my life, too. Is there really anything better than a Saturday? Saturday's Story is for all of them: the lazy, the exciting, the mundane and the monumental. |
AuthorSarah: one part of a family of THREE with my husband Lee and sweet girl Morgan, simply wanting to chronicle the path I'm on and the path that will come to be. For now it's NYC urban mamaville where everyday is a new adventure! (Actually, just getting to the post office is an adventure.) Ask Me Anything!Blogettes I LoveJoey & The Owl
Emphasis Added Enjoying the Small Things MODG The Grateful Life Ramshackle Glam Lindsay Lately Gotham Girl Stylized Existence Living with Intention House Built of Walls SwimBikeRunningonEmpty A Pinch of Ginger Making the Moment Last Pearls to Pampers Dear Baby Oh Happy Miracle Hey Laney Archives
August 2015
Categories
All
|