Thursday, 7 July 2011

Memento mori : the crash

It is said that during a 'Triumph', when victorious Roman generals would re enter Rome to great pomp, the general's slave would whisper in his masters ear,  "Memento mori", remember thou art mortal.

The gods take a dim view of hubris.

I wasn't feeling particularly triumphant after practicing my first 4th series on Tuesday, it went well enough but I was mindful of the work to be done, some sections were better than others, some, most,  messy to say the least.

As it happened, I had so much respect for the series and for my body that I decided to take the following day as a rare rest day, aware that I had probably used a lot of different muscles than I was used to, that I should probably take it easy.

Yesterday, however, I felt like a million dollars, body felt loose, flexible, energised and that was from the first moment I jumped out of bed. I'd practiced 4th lived to tell the tale and felt marvelous.
.....until this morning. Age might not stop you form practicing the advanced series but it probably takes more out of you than you think, you don't recover as quickly as perhaps you once did.

This morning I ached, I creaked and had to drag myself out of bed. I felt stiff and old ....and heavy.

I should also mention that I'd slipped into bad habits this week. M. made her glorious Japanese curry at the weekend. I ate a huge bowl of that and had a beer because Japanese Curry just requires beer, 'tis the done thing. Then Monday I had leftover curry (and another beer), another large bowl and Tuesday there was a large potato left so I baked that and had that with the last of the curry (more than I thought there was). Then last night M. came home early, cause for celebration so I made pasta ( Onion, mushroom, asparagus and goats cheese linguine ) plus salad, lots of it and all topped off with a couple of martini's....bad yogi.

So on to the mat this morning, fat, heavy and old. I'd planned on 4th again but decided to go with a fast paced primary, wanted to hit the rest button.

And it was agony and misery and I wanted to stop half way through and call it a day and could finally understand ashtangi's who say they burst into tears half way through their practice ( no I didn't but could sympathise). I don't think I've ever experienced the 'Ashtangi misery' before plus the realization of how many practices I'm going to have to drag myself though as well as the re disciplining of eating habits that has to take place before I feel at my best again.

memento mori,

Thank you to V for correcting my Latin.

5 comments:

V said...

It's "memento mori", with an E.

Grimmly said...

indeed it is, i forgot : ) thank you V, don't read the rest, intended to hit save this morning not publish, haven't edited it yet. ugh, hate commenting from my phone. damn you predictive text.

エスタ said...

mmmm japanese curry, now that's a hard one to resist! glad to know you are as fallible as the rest of us ; ) Nice work with 4th, very impressive! Ahhh, still a long way for me with my little practice, but, coming slowly, and going slowly at times too!

Grimmly said...

Yes, you understand エスタ. M. is gutted though that she's run out of those dark red picklesubiquitous with japanese curry. Trip to the Japanese food store required. Is there a foreign food store in Yamagata, perhaps not, we used to have one in Kyoto. If there's anything you really crave for home and would like sent out let me know. I remember my father turning up with a suitcase half full of PG tips, for some reason nothing else would do except that Proletarian brew, oh and my American teachers bringing me Captain Crunch crunch berries.

Bibi said...

Oh yum, Japanese curry used to be one of my favourites when I lived there, haven't had any for ten years. And I'm just headed to a Japanese restaurant and had very virtuous plans for my food choices so as to not end up practicing with a brick at the bottom of my belly tomorrow morning... Damn!

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