Thanks for all the congrats on my swimming accomplishment 🙂
Now that I’ve met that goal, I need a new one that’s within my control (i.e., not my fertility).
If my ovaries decide to cooperate for the first time in their lives, I start fertility treatment (clomiphene 100mg + hcg) in about 10 days. If my ovaries decide to keep being moody little witches, I have to wait at least another month.
When I start fertility meds, I plan to back off my workouts a bit. My doctor told me there’s no reason for me to do this, but it’s just something I feel like I should do. I’m not sure why I have this desire to slow down, but we’ll call it early mother’s intuition 😉
Enter my new challenge.
There’s a new yoga studio in my town! I heart my regular yoga studio but it’s 30 minutes away without traffic. And, there’s always traffic. So as much as I’d like yoga to become a more regular player in my fitness regimen, it’s just not practical for me.
But now there’s a new studio literally down the road, I want to practice yoga regularly. Brittney and I tried it out last night, and it was great. The fact that there’s a cupcake store literally right below it didn’t hurt either.
I splurged and bought a one month unlimited pass. My challenge for the next 30 days is to run less and yoga more. Specifically, run no more than 3 times a week and take 3 yoga classes per week.
I’m really excited! I love yoga, and love how my body feels when I practice regularly. I hope in a month’s time I feel stronger and more centered. And my fingers are crossed that the feeling spills over into my reproductive organs 🙂
I was attempting to do some down dogs, but the dog literally kept getting in the way.
Let’s hope I can stick with my goal!
Do you yoga? I was scared to try it for the longest time. I will be forever grateful to Emily for taking me to my first class last summer. And it’s nice to have yoga idols to learn from. 🙂 Om on friends.
good for you, jen! i am in the midst of fertility treatments (took clomid this month and now suffering through the two week wait). when i started to get serious about my fertility, though, i also traded in my running shoes for a yoga mat. as a marathon runner, this was a difficult adjustment, but, as you said, my body has never felt stronger and more centered. good luck with the fertility treatments — i know how trying these times can be!
I always thought I would hate yoga because I’m more of a heart-pumping, fast-moving, break-a-huge-sweat kind of girl. But I tried hot yoga twice recently and last night took my first regular power yoga class. I’m happy to report that I not only enjoy the classes, I also LOVE how I feel afterward. I’m happy to have added yoga to my fitness routine & am excited you’re doing the same!
I can totally relate to this! I love fast-paced activities, but I really want to try yoga out.. have yet to do so, though. Hot yoga really intrigues me!
best of luck with your fertility treatments. I do not know what you are going through, but I can imagine the emotional toll is great. Thank you for sharing with your readers. Namaste ;).
i disagree with your doctor, at least from my experience. after 18 months of total amenorrhea, i started fertility meds this fall. to my dismay, i did not respond to clomid my first few cycles until i finally cut down (DRAMATICALLY — to 10 mi/WEEK) my running and gained about 5 lbs. i don’t blame you if look at this and think, “ugh, no way am i doing that” (because i was in your place several months ago!) but i just wanted to share my experiences. i am not pregnant yet, but just had a beautiful cycle on my last clomid round with textbook follicle growth for the very first time. like you, i am also embracing the yoga! definitely feel free to email me if you have any questions (fertility related) or need to vent!
I have PCOS, a hormonal disorder that has nothing to do with my weight or exercise behavior. I’m 5’7″, 140 lbs; a healthy BMI of 22. I get my period, but I don’t ovulate because of PCOS.
Glad to hear you responded to Clomid. Good luck to you!
you are right that your BMI does put you nicely into the classically fertile range — and you look slim, lean, and healthy (so please don’t think i meant to suggest otherwise!). however, sometimes hypothalamic amenorrhea (which does relate to exercise/body fat %) can be misdiagnosed as PCOS, especially if it’s mostly based on ultrasound findings rather than having high levels of LH and androgenic hormones like testosterone. again, not saying this fits your case, but i believe that i was initially misdiagnosed so i just wanted to share.
i hope your next clomid cycle is a success, too!
I’m doing Vinyasa once a week and love it. Never really liked yoga that much before.
OM was GREAT! Thanks for asking me to go. I’m excited to do more yoga again and it’s soooooo nice to have a place close by to go to!!
Yoga is supposedly very good for regulating hormones. Just sayin… 😉
I can totally relate to the ‘witchy little ovaries.’ Mine are the same! I’ve had reservations about continuing to train for a race while trying to conceive but I don’t think the mileage in my case would make much difference. I’ve never been one to do yoga…it doesn’t seem ‘active’ enough for me. I know that sounds crazy, especially since some of it is KILLER!
That was my hesitation to try yoga, too. I’m such a cardio junkie, I assumed yoga was too mellow. I was so wrong. Try it, you’ll see 🙂
Good luck dealing with your crummy ovaries!
Do you feel that you still get an ‘intense’ workout from yoga? And do you feel it improves the overall quality of your running and training?
It’s definitely an intense workout! Not really sure how much it helps my running because I don’t practice regularly enough. But I think it helps 🙂
Love it!! So glad you found another great studio! 🙂
I am hoping to try yoga for the first time this weekend! As a runner, I think it’ll be great to stretch everything once in a while. 🙂
I just bought an unlimited pass last night at my yoga studio!
I’m training for a marathon but cut my running back to 4 days a week (with 2 days of yoga) for this training cycle. It’s only been a few weeks but I can see the improvement already in how I feel (mentally and physically)!!!
great goal! anything I get on the floor to stretch, etc the dogs think its play time!
I am hoping to find a yoga studio in my new town when we move!
SO excited to hear about the new yoga challenge. I think that your goals for the next month seem very balanced and attainable. I applaud you for making the decision to cut back on running a little bit. Sometimes we just know what our bodies can handle and I think it’s awesome that you are trying to make yours the best environment for a “baby runner” as possible! 🙂
I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you about the treatments.
I don’t do yoga enough, but I’m going to Bikram tonight with a friend and starting a one-month groupon pass next week, so I will be soon!
I haven’t taken yoga at a “real” studio, but I finally found a great instructor at the YMCA and I take her class once a week. It is fabulous! I wish I could fit another class into my schedule, but it just isn’t meant to be right now. I hope this new focus on yoga (and less focus on running) helps move you closer to a solution for your current fertility problems. I can’t imagine going through what you’re going through – but I’m certainly rooting for you!
I love yoga and this sounds like a great goal to counter running. Enjoy your practice~ namaste!
so, the only yoga that i’ve ever done is at the ymca. i don’t know why, but i feel like this is a watered down version of the original. i’d really love to go to a studio and see the difference for myself. although i know that i have a lot of tension everywhere and i’m sure that would make it super painful!
I love yoga and don’t practice nearly enough. Last night, I bought a 10 class pass to my favorite studio. I am determined to bring more yoga into my life.
Your yoga challenge seems to fit perfectly with where you’re at in life right now. I hope that it challenges you in new ways, while also bringing you a new sense of calm. Enjoy your new studio!
My dog ALWAYS gets in my way when I do yoga, too, but then I feel guilty locking him out of the room. Have fun at the new studio and I think that three yoga sessions per week = cupcake reward.
Can you come up to Mass and teach me yoga! I’m scared to go to a class alone- never done it! I know I should! I’m glad you found another activity you like just as much : )
I love yoga. Love love love love love. I’ve been doing it on and off for the last 8 years…and I can’t get enough.
Best of luck 🙂
I think your decision sounds very sensible- you know what will make your body and mind feel best. I think this focus on yoga will get you even stronger for your eventual return to (stroller) running!
Sidenote: Although I LOVE LOVE my endurance training, I sometimes look forward to pregnancy workouts in my future. I know I won’t feel that way at the time, but I have an image of me walking and yoga-ing and swimming and aqua jogging, and I love it 🙂
Have fun doing more yoga! This winter I’ve been running less and doing yoga 2-3x a week at least, and I’ve loved it. I know I’m getting stronger, so hopefully that will translate over to better running when the weather gets warmer.
The HCG trigger, which I assume is what you mean by HCG, is probably the least painful/affecting of all the treatments. Plus it’s kinda fun/weird when you do it enough and your HUSBAND has to start doing it for you instead of the doc. My hubs loves the idea of stabbing me in the booty
Haha! Yup hcg trigger. My Dr. told me to give it to myself in the upper thigh. But no doubt my hubby would get joy out of stabbing me too 🙂
I am really learning to LOVE yoga! I am currently doing a 30 day hot yoga challenge through my new studio (on day 12 today!) and yoga is really changing my body and my life. I feel like I have a way more relaxed/zen approach to life when I do a lot of yoga and I can feel it coming through in my running too (learning to breathe through tough running spots!)
Good luck with your new fitness challenge 🙂
Ah I had to laugh because in our ‘house’ (apartment, but who’s counting… 🙂 ) when the yoga mat goes down, SO DOES THE DOG! Literally, instantly…!
xoxo
Sara
Ah! In our apartment at soon as the mat goes down, so does the dog!! TOO FUNNY!
Sara
I think you will be amazed how much you love yoga by the end of the 30 days! And your hormones will like it too!!! I hope to do more yoga too, now that I have a studio near me (sad that y2yoga is not near you!) but I hope to splurge and buy a pass too 🙂
xoxo
I’m excited for you! And I’m happy to hear that you’ve found a nice little yoga studio closer to your home. That will make it easier, for sure. I think cutting back on running and adding yoga will help for sure, more balance! That’s what I’m trying to do myself…
Yay! So glad you are doing this. I think yoga is incredible – I only go once a week right now (such is marathon training) but there were a couple months of my life I went almost daily and did little running, and I swear it was transforming my body and made me over-react less and be less emotional. I really want to reach the point where I develop a real practice again (i.e. going at least 3 times per week). Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
You might even want to talk to the instructor because I’m pretty sure there are poses that are supposed to enhance fertility (and heck, I figure it likely can’t hurt…).
i’m trying to yoga more! i got some dvds for christmas and i just bought a groupon for a 5-class pass at a studio right down the street for my apartment.. i’ve NEVER been to a yoga studio. i’m excited/scared!
You’re so brave and inspiring to share your story/journey with fertility treatments. really hoping they work for you guys!!
I”m really trying to get more into yoga. I have the same problem that you did – the yoga studio is like 30 minutes away. My gym is 5 so I often choose the gym. But I’m making yoga a priority this year because I really do feel good when I do it.
My dog is always trying to lick me when I’m laying on the floor.
I’m glad you’ve given yourself a new challenge. I’m the same way about that as you — I NEED to have something to work toward. This seems to fit in really well with where you are at the moment and your goals, etc. I keep hearing that yoga is a great workout and practicing regularly is so good for you. Every time I go, I really like it, BUT I just can’t bring myself to go regularly. I don’t know why…I think I’m addicted to cardio (ok, I know I am!). I need some tips to help me be better at sticking with it….or I need to just stop signing up for races. haha
As always, good luck with all your new goals!! 🙂
Jen, I didn’t realize you lived in Fort Mill! My husband and I would LOVE to work in Charlotte and live in Fort Mill or Rock Hill (he is originally from SC). We’re currently in DC but are trying to explore our options for the future. How do you like it there?
I’ve never done formal yoga because I don’t know where there is one in my town. I hope everything works out this month like you want.
I need to do more yoga….I didn’t try it for the longest time, but I really liked it when I did!
I think this is an AWESOME goal. I know the fertility issue must be mega stressful. I hope all this OMMMing can help you relax more. PS-I wish I could find a nice, affordable yoga studio in Columbia. You’re lucky to have two options.
I’ve been going to yoga regularly lately which is once a week for me, but am interested to see if I can stick with it when my long run day becomes Sunday in this round of marathon training.