HOT

Umm...so it's really, really hot in Richmond these days (in case you missed that minor fact).  Obviously, it makes sense that I would try out Bikram yoga (also called "hot" yoga) on a day where the temperature in the shade was over 100.
In my defense, I've been wanting to add some form of yoga to my workout repertoire (thank you Rusty for inspiring me).  I checked out the wide variety of classes at one studio and was...overwhelmed.  How the heck do I know which type of yoga to choose? Sure - I could check out each class and decide, but that makes way too much sense.
My buddy Debbie Jo reminded me of good ol' Bikram yoga. Years ago (like eight or nine), I tried it and actually liked it. I remember vaguely that it was extremely hard - almost to the point of misery - and that I sweat like crazy.  And that one time, I almost passed out. I am not averse to passing out while working out (remember - my nickname is four-bagger)...so...I signed up for a class.
First, I made the really smart decision to go for a long (for me) run in the heat. But, I ran with my friends from Team in Training so how could I miss that?
I followed that up with not eating or drinking enough post-run (which is rare for me - I love eating post workout).
I did survive my 90 minute bikram yoga class.

Barely.

It was oh so humbling because I'm not flexible and I definitely was struggling to adapt to the heat in the yoga room (yup - they keep it at a solid 105 degrees).
But, I liked it. It's an incredibly supportive group. I realized pretty quickly that no one cared if I...well...sucked. Once that class was over (and I was able to regroup with my icy cold lavender scented towel) I was so proud that I actually stayed in the darn room and even attempted some of the postures. And - get this - an hour or so later (after I HAD eaten and drank enough), I felt...great. 

I'm going back this week.