Day 97 - Endorphins: Highs... Lows?

My mom is concerned about me having an endorphin crash after these 108 days and falling into a depression. Have you ever heard of this? Apparently, when athletes stop their intense training programs, their endorphin levels decrease that they are susceptible to depression.

(Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that act as neurotransmitters and are released during exercise. Sometimes called a 'runner's high' their release creates a euphoric state in the body. Maybe that's the yogasm that I was talking about it previous postings.)

If this is true, my plans to do 108 days of couch surfing once this project is over may be affected! :) I'm kidding, but I am looking forward to have a few rest days after this is done. My friend Patrick predicts that I won't be able to stop doing 108 surya namaskars. However, I think I'll be ready for a change. I'm sure I'll want to continue to do a daily practice of some sort, but I'm not sure what exactly.

For a long time, I've wanted to explore how to create a series of yoga practices that would support women in each phase of their menstrual cycle. My idea is that each week there would be a different sequence that caters to the monthly hormonal shifts in a woman's body. Of course, men could also do these practices, but they would be specifically designed for women. I think this will be my next project, but it will require some testing and personal research.

* * *

My practice today was done with Bossa in her vegetable garden. It was the first time Bossa did the whole 108 practice with me. We did it in about two hours and Bossa was super proud of herself. In fact, she just sent me a text message saying how great she feels. I like hearing that.

:)

Day 93 - Preparations

Deep breath... Deep breath....

I have to confess I'm anxious about this upcoming 32 hour Guinness yoga marathon. I had lunch with my friend Jamie this afternoon to talk about it. He used to do Ironman triathlons back in the day and used to coach top triathletes, so I thought he might have some advise for me on how to prepare. His words: "I thought I was well trained, but nothing prepared me for the Ironman. I did multiple four hour runs and eight hour bike rides, but it's something completely different when you put it all together in those conditions."

Jamie also shared stories of top pro-athletes he knew that got internal bleeding from over exertion during the 15 hour race, and how his own digestive system shut down during the Ironman and he needed two bags of I.V. at the end of it.

My reaction was a big GLUP, and "Oh god, what have I got myself into?"

But after we got the fear factors out of the way, he had some good suggestions like plan out my food intake ahead of time and make sure that I have 'real food' on had as well as all the shakes and sports bars, as the balance between protein and carbs is super important for extra long endurance events. He also thought it was a good idea to plan out my 32 hour practice in segments of 4 hours, which I planned to do any way, and to speak to our teacher Hart Lazer for his suggestions. Jamie also said he would talk to his friends who are still in the triathlon coaching business.

After talking to Jamie, I contacting one of my students who is a medical doctor to get his advice. He said stimulants like coffee and tea will help me stay awake at night, which is common knowledge, but that oxygen may also help. He said he would talk to people he knows in the respirology department at the hospital to get more info for me. He also told he thinks I'll be ok and that the current state of my physical fitness as well my ability to concentrate will get me through the challenge.

So, what's next? I am still doing my 108s, but I've handed my classes over to my teaching apprentices for the next two weeks, so I can focus. I need to speak to my friend pro-triathlete and Vega formulator Brendan Brazier for his take on my nutrition. I'm booking an appointment with the osteopath, and going to see my teachers for their advise. Starting tomorrow, I am also planning out eight practices of approximately four hours, so I know what I'm going to do when. I'm also committed to going to bed early and getting as much rest as possible.

It helps to have a good support system. The people at Stephen Lewis Foundation are very excited and are helping me set up a fundraising page so people can sponsor me online and get an instant tax receipt. And my parents are being amazing. Check out this nice email my mom sent out to her friends:

Hello Friends,
You may have received my email a while ago regarding our daughter Yasmin's Yoga Challenge. She has been doing 108 Sun Salutations for 108 days and the project is coming to an end at the beginning of August. The purpose of this major physical test is to unite the yoga community by challenging people to set themselves healthy goals (physical/emotional/spiritual etc.); she was also raising money for the Can. Institute for the Blind in May; the David Suzuki Fnd. in July and the Stephen Lewis Fnd in July/Aug. Of course she is also doing it for herself; to see if she can do it. You can check out her blog (yasminyoga.blogspot.com) and read her daily chronicles and see familiar faces if you go through the accompanying photos. She is ending it on Aug.2 and 3 with the equivalent of a 32 hour marathon of yoga. She is also aiming for the Guiness Book of World Records which has established a new category for her. It is like the yoga "Tour de France". She will try to beat the record for doing yoga for 32 hours non-stop! It is held by a man, and they (G.B.W.R.) have indicated that if she, as a woman, beats 24 hours, she'll make it. But there are conditions. She has to continuously have a team of non-family witnesses; so I ask you: would you be able to help? Secondly, she is asking for funding while she is doing this.
My lovely, crazy daughter will no doubt succeed in this endeavor barring any mishap. She is super determined and focused. As her Mom, I will do everything to help her succeed, including asking you for help.
Peace and Joy,
Marta

Day 74 - Food glorious food

Lately, it feels like I'm always hungry, regardless of the amount of food I eat. This insane appetite is unusual for me. At first, I figured it's obviously because of all the physical activity I'm doing, but now I think it has more to do with quality of food I need as oppose the quantity. After all, the body will crave food until it feels properly nourished.

I've also been feeling a bit dizzy. So it appears as though I'm not getting enough nutrients from the food I'm eating, which is why I'm starving all the time. Yesterday, my Ayurvedic teacher Anita confirmed my suspicions and told me my iron is low and I'm lacking B12. This is no surprise because I should be eating a lot better than I am these days. The problem is that I have no time to cook and I usually wait until I am starving before I think about what to eat. The result is a lot of crackers, chocolate, cookies and chips are being consumed, because these are more convenient than making a meal when I'm tired. I realize this is no excuse and I must prioritize my time better. After all, if I'm committed to doing about three hours of yoga a day, I really must also commit to re-energizing myself...

My friend Brendan Brazier, who wrote a nutrition book called "The Thrive Diet", says that athletes (and I guess I now fit the bill) need to consciously choose more nutrient dense foods than regular folk, because they are constantly breaking down muscle tissue in training, and thus require the best materials to rebuild their tissues in order to become stronger and recover faster. If an athlete eats junk food all the time, then their body can't repair itself as well, because there isn't an abundance of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats available.

Anyway, I am paying closer attention to when I eat and what I eat, because I dislike feeling dizzy and I need as much energy and stamina as possible. As one of my classmates said, my body is "my instrument" and it constantly needs fine tuning. So, steamed beet greens, watercress, kale, arugula it is!


Now, as for the 108 today, I was on the pier again this morning with my group of eight students. It was freezing, but once we got into the flow it was ok. Len joined us again this morning and taught a great Twisted Surya Namaskar, which I tried to film, but it's a pretty slow practice and ran out of space on my memory card. (I have to reshoot it from memory.)

Day 8 - Yoga with author Brendan Brazier

Thank god, my friend Brendan popped into town and is staying with us for a few days. I need some guidance on how to space my practices and what to eat when, because, although I still weigh the same 125 pounds, my body is shrinking and several people have noted that I'm looking a bit skeletal these. It is certainly not my intention to waste away over the next few months.

Brendan Brazier is in Montreal on his book tour. He is the author of two best selling books, The Thrive Diet and Thrive Fitness, and the formulator of a vegan line of whole food products called Vega. Brendan is also a former professional Ironman Triathlete, so he is well versed in training and over training. We met a few years ago when Vega was first becoming established and the company sponsored my first yoga video. We became friends and in 2008, we toured Canada together with David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis as part of the Students for Sustainability environmental speaking tour. (Want to see a link about this?)

Brendan's advice to me is to continue having my Vega smoothies in the morning and to have another after I practice to re-nourish and re-build the body. This second smoothie should contain half a serving of Vega Health Optimizer (vegan protein + omega fats + probiotics + greens) and a full serving of the new Vega Sport Performance Protein, which means I would be getting 33 g of easily digestible, alkaline protein in one shake. He says the Sport Protein is designed for endurance athletes, because it contains glutamine, an amino acid that helps reduce healing time between workouts and prevents muscle atrophy due to over exercising. Wikipedia says that glutamine is found beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, and parsley, but I don't eat meat or dairy and running around town with spinach and beets in my pocket isn't convenient. So, despite the lurid taste of this Sport Protein, I drink mixed with water or almond milk, or blend it with fruit. In fact, I should really have a smoothie now instead of the fresh St Viateur bagel sitting in front of me offering me nothing but two minutes of tasty, glutenous, white flour goodness.

It's now 7 pm. I have to close, because we are having people over for vegan feast, and I still have 36 sun salutations left. (I did 72 in the park this afternoon and Brendan joined me for 27 of them.) Today's Surya Namaskar Recipe is designed specially for Brendan, runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes. It's also good for people who sitting a lot, because the lunges target the hip flexors (groin) and psoas muscle. This is actually a variation of the sivananda sun salutation, but I'll this The Brendan Brazier Salute.



(Note: the photo above, taken by Craig, shows me stretching Brendan's heels to the ground in downward dog. If you are a runner, find a friend who is willing to do this adjustment on you, because it's amazing for stretching the calves and ankles.)


Here's a photo of Brendan (left) and Craig, the love of my life and my personal photographer. :) They were hanging out talking about cameras and software as I continued my second set of 36.

My casual interview with Brendan about his commitment to yoga: