#41 - Safely Pass a Cyclist in the Road

As many of you know, I love my bike. I love riding along the back roads and seeing the horses on the horse farms. However, sometimes being passed by a car is scary. Though this isn't a new thing for me to learn...I can't help but use my blog for a quick little education piece.

Cyclist Print by PaisleyImpressions on Etsy, $14

So here are some tips on passing a cyclist:

1. Wait until it is safe to pass! 
Please do not pass us in a blind curve or hill. We both know if you meet a car head on you'll swerve to miss and take us out instead of hitting a car. Not fun for either of us.


2. Be patient.
There are times when a cyclist may take up the entire lane of the road. Be patient. Most likely we are planning to make a left turn and it's a little early to signal it, we're avoiding some debris on the road OR trying to save you from yourself and keep you from passing us in a blind curve or blind hill. Just be patient...we'll be out of the way in a few minutes.


3. Give us space. 
Cyclists need about 3 feet to their left to keep from scaring the heck outta us.


4. Glide by.
Once you have established it is safe to pass, just ease over in your lane a little and glide on by. You don't have to go completely into the other lane to pass...just give us about 3 feet between us and your car.


5. Don't cut us off.
Remember some of us are fast! So don't cut right back over in front of a bike or make a right turn right after you pass us. Some cyclists can travel at 20 mph or more!


6. Be respectful.
Remember we are just trying to get from one place to another as you are. So we'll respect you and you respect us. Life is good.


Other notes:

• You don't have to floor the gas, honk your horn or do anything else to get our attention. We almost always know you are back there (unless you drive one of those super stealth quiet hybrids! Then just realize we might not know you are back there in a hybrid!

• Remember on hills we are using our (sometimes already tired) muscles to move us up it and sometimes it's stinkin hard to get up there! I promise my few minutes of struggling up a hill isn't going to impact you THAT much! :) It's not much different than getting stuck at a red light.

• If there's a giant hole in the road, a road bike (or any bike) simply can't ride right through it. Our tires can't handle it and we will likely wreck. Remember sometimes we have to dodge things on the sides of the road so don't ride super close to us.

• There are bad cyclists just as there are bad drivers. Don't hold it against us because some idiots also ride bikes! Most of us are trying to be safe and look out for ourselves as well as drivers. :)

Thanks in advance for being nice to us. :) I'll do my best to stay out of your way and be courteous to you as well.

Wanna see someone safely pass a bike? click the video below

#21 - Slipping Sliding Yoga?

Downward Dog Print by corinnaluyken on Etsy

Today I used my new yoga mat for the first time. I have to admit it was nice not having to wash down my mat before working out then still wondering if it was clean. Plus the mats in class aren't yoga mats but are universal floor exercise mats. It was nice to have my yoga mat under me today! I never quite understood why yoga mats are often painted pretty...today I realized how much you look down at your mat during yoga! My green mat with leaves was quite beautiful and soothing. :) Ahhh...it's the little things in life, right?

Unfortunately I still slide everywhere. What can I say... I sweat! Does anyone else have this problem?! Why do my downward dogs become mile-long dogs? They would eventually lead to a belly flop if I didn't release a hand from the mat and wipe it on my shirt then reposition. This is annoying and it really interferes with my class when I have to wipe my hands constantly.

So my quest to stop sliding continues. Here are some ideas to help with the sliding.

• Wash your new yoga mat. 
• Apparently new yoga mats are more slippery than "broke in" mats. So some people recommend putting your new mat in the wash machine (on gentle) to help break it in. I noticed today that my new mat smells terrible (like vinyl) so I'm going to wash mine and see what happens. 
• Put a towel on the top edge of your mat in class.
• A towel across the top of your mat with give you a place to dry sweaty hands. Also if the towel is on your mat you can put your hands their during downward dog and this should help prevent slipping. However, be sure your towel is ON your mat and not on the bare floor or it might take off without you and you'll be a crashed doggy! 
• Try a Yogitoes Skidless Towel.
• I've seen someone with a towel thing on their mat and never knew what it was. These towels are often used for hot yoga. 
• These towels also prevent wear and tear on your yoga mat.
• The towels are a bit expensive so I'm going to try washing my mat then putting a towel across the top before looking into the skidless towel option.
• Try non-slip yoga socks.
• These socks aren't very expensive and might help with the sliding.  Amazon, Target, and many other stores all sell "yoga socks" that are non-slip. 

#20 - Namaste

Namaste Print by LaurenLPoole on Etsy

So I've been going to yoga for a few weeks now. I'm noticing I've getting more graceful with the poses and more flexible. Today I realized I still don't know what the heck they say at the end of class. Everyone says something (everyone but me...since I don't know what they are saying). So when I got home from yoga today I did a little search to find out what they are saying. They are saying "Namaste".

Namaste is the acknowledgment of soul of one by another. Namaste is a Hindu word and literally translated, it means "I bow to you". Another definition is that "the light within me recognizes the light in you". That explains why they do it as they bring their hands to prayer over the heart at the end of class. The yoga instructor says "namaste" first as a symbol of gratitude and respect for her class. The class then repeats it back to the instructor. Namaste allows individuals to come together energetically and connect.

So with that, I wondered...is namaste religious? From what I can tell, namaste is not really a sign of religion but more a sign of respect and gratitude. It is recognition of our spiritual oneness (regardless of religious beliefs we are one as humankind).

#11 - Choosing a Yoga Mat

Super Hero Yoga! :) By RobOsborne on Etsy

 
Earlier this week, I tried Power Yoga and found myself slipping everywhere on the mat at the gym. The mats that the gym provides are all-purpose mats. They aren't used just for yoga but for all floor exercises from simple crunches in a circuit routine to pilates to yoga. So as I'm holding the downward dog pose I found my hands slipping farther and farther away from my feet...I was a mile-long-dog and just trying not to fall by the time we moved to a different pose! This also gave me the giggles and it's really hard to do yoga with the giggles.

So with that being said, I decided if I'm going to make yoga a regular part of my fitness routine, then I need a yoga mat. Not only will it help with the sliding around...but I'm a bit germ-phobic (not to mention, I might have a good reason to be with the current flu epidemic going on) and even though the mats at the gym get wiped down (and I wipe mine down before use), they're still kinda gross as people wear their shoes on them and sweat on them, etc. Also, I think wiping down the mats might also leave a residue on them that makes them even slicker.

Here's what I learned about yoga mats and how to choose one:

1.) Yoga mats come in several thicknesses from about 1/16" to 1/4".

Travel yoga mats are super thin and can easily be rolled up super tiny so they can fit in nearly any luggage/travel bag.

Traditional yoga mats are around 1/8" thick.

Thick yoga mats are around 1/4" thick.

The thicker the mat, the nicer it is on your boney spots (knees, hips, etc) when you're on the floor. However, thicker mats may make it a little it harder to balance in poses. So you have to decide which is more important for you. Personally I like the added stablity challenge and don't like the feeling of my bones touching the floor. But to each their own. :)

This mat by DeviYogaMats on Etsy is extra thick for extra comfort. Not to mention it's beautiful! :)

 

2.) Yoga mats come in different lengths. 

At the gym, I found myself stepping off the front and back of my mat a lot. I'm only 5'3 but even I felt too long for the multi-purpose mat sometimes.

Standard yoga mats are 68 inches long and longer mats can be purchased. Longer mats range from 70-84" long.

 

3). Yoga mats can be made of several different materials. 

Standard yoga mats are made of vinyl (also called PVC). Some yoga mats are made of rubber. Others are made of environmentally friendly materials such as cotton and recycled rubber. If you are allergic to latex, stay away from rubber yoga mats. Check out this unique cotton yoga blanket from TatiHouse on Etsy. This would be perfect for outdoor yoga!  **** TatiHouse has kindly offered 5% off for anyone referred from this blog. Simple enter the code SIMPLESAURUS at checkout! ***

4. Yoga mats have different textures. 

Some yoga mats are smooth while others have bumps to help keep you from sliding if you get sweaty. PVC yoga mats are somewhat sticky so they also help prevent sliding while in yoga poses.
 Check out this sticky mat from FlowYogaDesigns on Etsy.

 

5. There's a huge price range for yoga mats. 

A quick glance online revealed yoga mats can cost as little as $10-100!

Need a bag for your mat? 

Check out this cool handmade yoga mat bag by MyYellowUmbrellaShop on Etsy!

#9 - Power Yoga

Yoga Inspired Illustration by AllyLouiseCreative on Etsy

In an ideal world, I'd be able to chill out enough to go to yoga and not be thinking I could be getting a better workout if I'd chosen to either go to a cardio class or go do a workout on my own. It's hard for me to remember that working out is more than just burning calories. Yoga has tons of benefits even if it's not a calorie torcher.

Yoga has been shown to:

• improve mood
• decrease depression
• improve flexibility
• relieve stress
• decrease back pain
• improve sleep
• improve self-confidence
• improved muscle tone and strength

Each semester our campus gym has new classes. This semester I noticed they are offering "power yoga" which is supposed to be an intermediate to advanced class and is supposed to actually make us sweat. So today, I decided the class would be my new thing for the day. I hate going to new classes mid-semester when i feel like a lot of the people in the class have been going regularly, know the instructor, know the moves, etc. So it's the beginning of the semester, the class is new, it's the perfect time to join in (if there is really a perfect time!).

How was it?
My heart rate actually got up a little a couple times which was a new thing for me for a yoga class. I could feel my muscles working towards the end of the class so that was nice. :) This class is also taught on Sundays and is a 90 minute class. The instructor said we'd have more time to "flow" during that class which I suspect will help keep my heart rate slightly elevated. I like that idea.

The kink that I had in my neck is gone too. I didn't realize how much I was trying to ignore it until the instructor had us tilt our head to the left and right. Ouch! But after class the tension was gone. Yay!

The pose in the photo above is HARD!! I was able to hold it for a few seconds at a time without crashing but it's really hard to balance like that. It's even harder to balance like that once you start giggling because you keep falling over. I must practice this pose! It's pretty awesome! :)