Welcome!

I just discovered Bikram yoga on June 2, 2012.  I tried hot yoga once, back in 2002, but I thought I hated it.  I felt great after that one class, but then I could not walk for three days afterward.  I wish I had read the great advice to return to class as soon as possible when you are a real beginner.  This year, I heard and heeded that advice, and I did not miss a single day all month, practicing 27 straight days until I went out of town for two weeks.  I sure missed the hot room while I was gone.  But I'm back now and committed to practicing 101 times in the next 101 days.  I just want to see what transformations happen in my body.  There are some alignment issues I have been struggling with for years,which right now I feel are mainly in my neck, upper back, shoulders, and lower legs.

I am an avid "exerciser" and a recovering running addict.  I just love the feeling I get when I am pushing myself physically on a regular basis.  Last summer, I ran myself right into an overuse injury--shinsplints that I thought I could "run off" and instead landed myself in an MRI to see if I had stress fractures, they were so painful.   I realized that my friend at work was right all along--I needed Bikram yoga.  He saw that injury coming long before I did, and counseled me to cross train with yoga.  I quickly discovered that this yoga makes me feel BETTER than running for 90 minutes.  I never thought that could be possible.  Plus, I can practice every day with no negative side effects on my body.  

I have all but stopped running training since June 2 when I started practicing this yoga.  I am not sure if I will feel like taking it up again as the challenge progresses.  I am not too worried about my running conditioning suffering, though.  On July 4, I ran the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA, and did not feel sore or winded at all.  Its just a 10K, but still.  I had not run a step since I ran a half marathon on May 20.  So I think that shows that this yoga will keep you in good condition even without running training.  Maybe as the 101 days pass, I will feel like running a bit here and there.  But my plan is to register for the Run Like Hell Half on the last day of the challenge to see if my conditioning will be OK for that challenge.  Then I will go to the 4:30 PM class to finish off the challenge and stretch and recover.  

Well, that is the plan and I am sticking to it.  Let's gooooo!