Is someone who jumps rope.
Seriously.
I love everything about the idea of jumping rope.
First, it’s EFFICIENT.
Look, I loved the days when I took Dana’s Sunday noon at the Lotus. But that involved leaving the house at 11 am. Class usually ran two hours plus. A brief shower since I was drenched and then going directly home took me until 3pm, 4 pm or later if I had food with my friends afterwards. That’s a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 6+.
Now I wouldn’t trade ANYTHING for those times. The value of the FUN … of the FRIENDS I made … of all I learned about YOGA (inside and out) … not to mention the extraordinary fitness benefit … and let me circle back to the FUN. It was incredible.
But let’s face it — a four to six hour spiritual/exercise experience like that is a lot of time.
More importantly, it’s site and time specific: that class happens in a narrow time frame and a specific space and you’ve just gotta be there.
So that brings me to point number #2: I want my workout to be flexible/adaptable/easy to execute ANYWHERE, ANYTIME.
Third, I’m not talking here about gentle yoga stretchy stuff.
I’m talking about the sweat-drenched aerobic experience I need to look my very best for talk show appearances (see yesterday’s blog). I need something that induces sweat and endorphins in a SERIOUS way.
Now –- for my strength training, I am obsessed with CONVICT CONDITIONING (my own modification of course, weaving in some yoga flavor).
This is –– and I am being as serious as a maximum sentence –– the single best workout book I have ever read. It’s unbelievably thorough, intense yet reasonable, full of the best systems of levels and measuring progress. It is simple and brilliant.
The only thing it lacks, however, is an aerobic component –– I guess because when Paul Wade was in San Quentin, they just walked the yard??? –– but I feel I’ve solved that.
So this morning, searching for a perfect spot to jump rope, I suddenly realized that Susan’s roof was ideal. Plenty of room. No ceilings or furniture getting in the way. No interference from strangers walking the sidewalk. And the roof is just a little softer than cement which is nice.
So I did 3 quick one minute sets (I could have done much more but I remember from years ago just how sore and impossible it is to walk the next day if you get carried away.) And tomorrow, I’ll probably do 5. And so forth.
And then I returned to the magic cottage to complete 10 sets of burpees (10, then 9, then 8, etc.)
Note: I omitted the push-up in the middle (just a soft, springy downward dog), because tomorrow is push-up day (I’m on the SOLITARY CONFINEMENT program –– the most intense –– for CONVICT CONDITIONING … again, are you getting how this is GENIUS).
And tonight, I’m planning on swinging by the Lotus to take a class to even myself out and continue my project of getting to know each teacher.
I do have a few more things to report:
Amazing game of TRANSFORMATION with Susan. [I learned everything from the moment I drew the guardian angel of PLAY to overlight my game.]
Spectacular beach walk afterwards.
Dinner with Belle, Susan, and Karin where we consulted as per MM in our new sideline business advising relationships.
Several delicious CW shows before bed.
Then Belle wakes me at 4 a.m. for a walk.
Rounding the corner, we see a nude guy (he may have had on a codpiece).
He’s about 6′ 4″, bald, and wearing diagonal stripes of blue body paint. He just sort of passes us (Belle has no reaction and neither does he). He pauses at the hydrant, stretches a bit in a standing downward dog, then continues down the hill to … (Well, I have no idea where you go when walking nude/in a codpiece at 4 am on Telegraph Hill).
But the good news is that if I continue jumping rope and doing my burpees and my convict conditioning regime, VERY soon I took will feel able to strut around naked at 4am (even without the slimming effects of diagonal body paint).
Look out world … this is the person I want to be!
(well, sort of).
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