Return to Bikram Yoga week 1

I'm back to my part-time job. Aka my 30-day Bikram yoga challenge, which I feel like takes up about 15-20 hours per week (counting laundry, showers, parking, etc.).  Once again, I'm trying to take notes on the classes, mostly so I can look back on it if I want later, but why not share with the world, right?

Wed., 7-25, Class 1: instructor I had maybe once before, one guy I recognize from before, felt really hot, have lost a lot of flexibility, felt mostly okay during class.

Thurs., 7-26, Class 2: instructor I had a bunch of times before, several people I remember (Ms. No Bellybutton, Mr. Noisy Breather in the Winter, Mr. I'm Married), felt insanely sore, felt even less flexible than yesterday. Forgot to bring my yoga water bottle to work, so I had to take my desk water bottle.  Need to pull out my "yoga packing list" from last time I did this. 

Fri., 7-27, Class 3: new-to-me instructor who is much bigger and less "goal body" looking than any other instructor I've ever had, felt okay. 

Sat., 7-28, Class 4:  same instructor as yesterday, not entirely sure I like her -- she sounds funny when she says the word "mirror" and I think she holds the balancing stick pose too long and talks too much in general, but I'm probably just "hating" mentally because I am dog tired today, can't even keep my arms extended in front of me for the entire set of 3 postures, let alone both sets, but my forehead seems to be getting marginally closer to the floor (though not where I was during my last class in January).

Sun., 7-29, Class 5:  same instructor as yesterday again, and today she talked a lot about how yoga has helped her, said she lost 110 pounds during her first 2 years of practice, and thinks it saved her life after her father died about 10 yrs ago in his 40s, maybe I do like her, also, when I go to yoga right after a long run (17 miles), my body is tired and I take much longer to start sweating, maybe dehydrated?  Also, my stomach was very shaky and upset after my long run, so I was worried I wouldn't make it through class w/o having to leave the room, but I did.

Mon., 7-30, Class 6: New-to-me instructor, very handsome (objectively speaking, not so much my type), has an irritating accent when he says "front mirror". But it turns out he's from Portland, OR.  Odd calf pain during the day, either from the run or yoga yesterday. Liked how the instructor told us to breathe during floor series between postures (he used a 6-count as in warm-up breathing, no previous instructor I've had has done this, it was cool).  He also got really peeved when people were drinking water with noisy bottles.

Tues., 7-31, Class 7: same instructor as Sunday, turns out she's from NY, but I still hate the way she says "mirror". Best class yet for me. Felt much more balanced and flexible than usual. Also less stiff.  And less thirsty.  For the second night in a row, toward the very end of class in the seated sseparate leg stretching posture all I can think about is how friggin' hungry I am.  Really need to improve my daily eating pattern so I'm neither starving nor full and nauseated in class.

Feel in general like I've improved a bit over this week, and really wonder if I'll improve much more in the next few weeks.  But I'm also feeling kind of burned out already.  It's hard to be away from home so long -- working out in the morning, quick breakfast and change, then work all day, then straight to yoga, then home around 8:30 at night to scarf down dinner and hopefully be asleep by 9:30 at the absolute latest, only to wake up 7 hours later and do it all again...

The Olympics are making it harder.  Instead of scarfing down dinner in 5 minutes, I turn on the TV, and then end up wanting to stay up way too late!

Well, a few more weeks, then I'll take another little break, even if it's just a week or so.  And maybe I'll take a day off this week, though I'd really like to at least go for 10 straight days, ideally 14...

I should also mention, I have lost about 2 pounds this week, but I think it's probably mostly water.  I do feel like I am standing taller in general and sucking in my stomach more.  Always good.  And I'm moving toward quads of steel, but that's probably less from yoga, more from other stuff, seems to always happen around the time I start running hills.  And they're far from really being steely, but somehow they seem more solid.  Bottom line though is that the physical effects are definitely good.