Jayniana Jones and the 100 day yoga party

[Jayniana Jones]

PARTY TIME!!!!

Hooray! I'm in the party zone for the next 100 days. I know 100 days of partying could be a bit excessive in the real world, but in my imagination parties can happen for the next 100 days. In truth, I created the title because my other idea, "Jayniana Jones, her final 100 days," sounded too depressing.

 

Anyways, the party zone is because today is day 265 of my daily yoga streak which means I'm only 100 days from reaching 365 days in a row. Some of the obstacles I overcame in my first 265 days included an ACL repair knee surgery (I actually woke at 4:00am to do yoga the day of my surgery), family emergencies, tendonitis in my ankle bad enough I wasn't able to stand on my foot for 8 weeks without immense pain (it's almost better), and a very jammed pack schedule, which a few times I had almost forgotten the yoga streak and pulled myself out of bed to do a yoga session. This is the longest I've stuck with any fitness related goal and I feel compelled to continue to see how long I can keep it going. Day 365 is my next reward milestone. 

 

For this challenge here are my goals:

• Keep my yoga streak going.
  I'm worried about messing up because my crazy schedule is going to get worst. My mom has an incurable form of ovarian cancer and sadly every few weeks she is unable to do more and more things. I'm on call whenever my parents need help and, of course, bringing the teens over on a regular basis to visit.
• Resume ACL rehab.
  I had to put the rehab on hold until I could get my ankle/foot pain under control. As of Friday, I got permission to slowly increase my activity. I managed a mile walk today with minimal inflammation so, hopefully, in a few more days I'll be normal.  Normal activity level is 5 days per week.
• Review Nerd Academy.
  Since the Nerd Academy updates wiped out my quests, I decided it was a good time to review the course material and make some tweaks on my eating habits. I've been eating junk in response to emotions and stressors and I need to stop. I'm not sure of the best way to evaluate this or what kind of goal to place on it. I'm thinking it may be a daily review or somehow trying to catch myself in the act.
• Writing fiction 10 minutes a day.
  This one is to rebuild the habit. I've been avoiding my rewrite and figure since the streak goal is working for yoga, I may be able to apply it to my writing. Once I'm actually at the computer working on my writing I don't often move away for at least an hour. It's the starting that I struggle with. I set things up so that I can work on my writing from my computer, iPad, or good ol' fashioned notebook. 
• Add to my art journal.
  Sadly, last round my art journal didn't get as much attention as I wanted it too. I'm teaching myself watercolor, but my art journal doesn't need to be limited to watercolor. The point is to do a fun activity just for me. This round I'd like to make an entry at least three times a week. Anything from a tiny painting to a full page will be fine. At least I took my paints out to practice. 

 

So that's the plan this round. Hopefully, life doesn't get too out of control. I would love it if every day felt like a party this time so that I don't have to stumble through things.  

[SaltyDragon]

1 hour ago, Jayniana Jones said:

"Jayniana Jones, her final 100 days,"

 

lol Let's party!

[FatboySuave]

What Salty Dragon said! My girl likes to party all the time!
 

 

[karinajean]

great challenge! glad you're cleared to do more ACL rehab, too.

[Vibrantella]

Good luck with your challenge!  That is an amazing streak already!  

[Jayniana Jones]

On 9/26/2016 at 2:20 PM, Vibrantella said:

Good luck with your challenge!  That is an amazing streak already!  

Thanks.

 

On 9/26/2016 at 1:29 PM, karinajean said:

great challenge! glad you're cleared to do more ACL rehab, too.

Thanks. My ankle is almost at 100%. The physical therapist yesterday gave indications that next month may be my very last meeting and then I'm on my own. 

 

On 9/26/2016 at 0:03 PM, EternalJourno said:

What Salty Dragon said! My girl likes to party all the time!
 

 

 

 

On 9/25/2016 at 10:07 PM, SaltyDragon said:

 

lol Let's party!

 

 

[Jayniana Jones]

It's funny, but for some reason having a party mindset my goals don't seem as tough to squeeze into my day. I'm sure the novelty of that will wear off by next week, but for the moment I'll enjoy it. 

 

I found this super handy, really easy app for Android phones called Rewire. It's keeping count of my yoga streak and a few other items that involve counting. I've been test running it for about two months and so far it's one I'm still using consistently.

 

Here're my mid-week stats:

• Yoga streak: Today is day 268. As of yesterday, I'm cleared to sit crosslegged. So once my ankle is pain-free, I'll be able to do all yoga poses.  It's amazing how the small things in life can make my day. 
• Rehab: 3/5. I managed to do 2 one mile walks with Buddy too.  The second one probably shouldn't have happened the second day, but I was excited to get back to an old routine that I have don't for months. 
• Writing: 3/7
• Art Journal: 1/3
• Nerd Academy reading this week: yes.

So one other subquest I have for myself is to check in with other NF people because what's a party without visiting?  

 

I hope everyone is having a great week.

 

[Jayniana Jones]

Ha, I just looked at the challenge start and finish dates and realized that my birthday falls into the range. So a party is now doubly appropriate.  

[Vibrantella]

14 minutes ago, Jayniana Jones said:

Ha, I just looked at the challenge start and finish dates and realized that my birthday falls into the range. So a party is now doubly appropriate.  

Me too!  Right in the middle, actually.  Party on!

[FatboySuave]

1 hour ago, Jayniana Jones said:

Ha, I just looked at the challenge start and finish dates and realized that my birthday falls into the range. So a party is now doubly appropriate.

 

46 minutes ago, Vibrantella said:

Me too!  Right in the middle, actually.  Party on!

 

Me three!!! The challenge ends exactly on my birthday. Yay for Libras!

[SaltyDragon]

10 hours ago, Jayniana Jones said:

I'm cleared to sit crosslegged. So once my ankle is pain-free, I'll be able to do all yoga poses.  It's amazing how the small things in life can make my day.

 

That's a pretty big thing, though, isn't it? Well, I think so. (partaaaaaay!)

[Jayniana Jones]

On 9/28/2016 at 11:14 AM, Vibrantella said:

Me too!  Right in the middle, actually.  Party on!

 

On 9/28/2016 at 0:02 PM, EternalJourno said:

Me three!!! The challenge ends exactly on my birthday. Yay for Libras!

That's fun!  

 

 

On 9/28/2016 at 9:10 PM, SaltyDragon said:

That's a pretty big thing, though, isn't it? Well, I think so. (partaaaaaay!)

Yes. It's definitely a milestone that has now been surpassed.

[Jayniana Jones]

I made it one of my silent goals to check in on the forums mid-week and at the end of the week. I'm pretty sure that I won't be on the forums tomorrow (Sunday) because my party met a few party poopers. I debated starting with happy stuff first but the party poopers need to be kicked out ASAP.

 

Party pooper #1 - a.k.a. a hospital. I'm fine, but sadly my mom is not. She was admitted on Friday for immense pain, her cancer is growing, and tumors are appearing in places they weren't before. She is in good hands and has gotten lots of attention from lots of doctors. Right now she will be in until Monday. However, her release date and strategy for care changes each time a new doctor comes in. Today there were four different specialists/doctors who came to talk with her while we were there. A few more are supposed to come tomorrow. The toughest part was telling my teens the full gravity of the situation. It involved tears, hugs, and Buddy going berserk trying to lick everyone's tears away.

 

Party pooper #2 - a.k.a. death of a loved one. As if that isn't enough, my husband's grandma died on Friday morning. This wasn't a huge surprise as she was 93 and in hospice, but sad all the same. She lived not far from Olympia, Washington so my husband will be out there for the last part of the week for the funeral. Oy. 

 

So now that the party poopers have been evicted from the party, I'll awkwardly resume normal conversation to chat about the better things going on.

• My ankle today was almost zero pain. I got a bit exuberant with my yoga sessions on Wednesday and Thursday because of the new poses I could do and it felt good to be super close to normal. My teens and hubby keep reminding me to ease into things, but I'm so excited that I've been wanting so desperately to go running or skipping or something just to relieve the energy.
• My yoga streak is still going. Today was 271 days. I must say that the bigger the number gets, the more I'm noticing how much yoga is helping me cope with lots of crappy stuff with calmness. 
• My writing goal idea of ten minutes a day on fiction is going well. Today is day 6/7. I've already had a few nights where I almost didn't do it, but once I got started I went longer than expected.
• My art journal got attention a few times this week. 3/7 I found this book on painting textures with watercolors. Most of the painting I did this week was experimentation. BTW salt is really funky with watercolors. Unfortunately, the pictures I have don't really show the texture well. 
• All days of rehab exercises were done. 
• Nerd Academy reading is on the back burner because it's not as important as the other items on the list.

This week isn't going to be pretty, but based on past experience it'll be okay. The highlights include: a root canal, taking my dad to the doctor, being available to help my mom and dad out as needed, chiropractor visit, and functioning with my other half gone from Tuesday - Friday. However, I do end the week with taking my grandma to Oklahoma! on Sunday. So I have something fun to look forward to.

 

I hope everyone has a great week. Also, thanks for the support and for reading it means alot. 

[SnowOwl]

Wow, you have so much happening. Your attitude is amazing and inspirational.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss and I hope your mom is out of pain soon.

[SaltyDragon]

Sorry to hear of all the unhappiness last week. I too, however, think that your ability to cope is nothing short of amazing. Good luck with the coming week.

[Schaengel]

I'm sorry for your loss, and the other party-poopers. Hope the week goes well for you

[Vibrantella]

Hope the pain is by now well managed, and so sorry for your loss.  You're coping amazingly, keep up the yoga streak!

[karinajean]

oh wow, sending you lots of love and strength to get through the not fun stuff. xoxoxo.

[FatboySuave]

My condolences on all the party poopers But I gotta say it's really inspiring the way you're coping with everything. The Rebellion is behind you!

[Jayniana Jones]

Thanks for all the well wishes. In all honesty, I'm not sure what else I can do but pray, keep my head up, breathe, and put one foot in front of the other. I've been intentionally seeking out things that make me smile or show a positive side of life because otherwise, I think I would be curled up in a tiny ball whimpering. I'm glad everyone is making progress on their goals because I think it's helping me work on my stuff despite the messes that surround me.

 

My hubby left for Olympia today. His absence is already noticed and this morning I found myself wanting to wallow in self-pity. That fantasy was cut short when my son wanted a math lesson (he's homeschooled) and then my parents needed some help. I think being prodded to do something helped readjust my mood. Thank goodness.

 

A few good things happened today. My mom was released from the hospital. She's still in pain but the new meds seem to be helping. The plan is to try 5 radiation treatments to hopefully reduce the tumor on her spine. My brother and his wife took over my "drive my parents plan" at the end of the week (they will be arriving in WI tomorrow evening). All I have to do for the rest of the week is grocery shop, hang with my teens, and meet with the chiropractor. My root canal was a breeze yesterday and today the pain is minimal. This evening, I ran long on talking with my brother (the one who took over my chauffeur duties). My teens took initiative and made french dip sandwiches for dinner (they made buns from scratch) and cleaned up the kitchen afterward. I gushed and got a bit misty eyed. They are keepers. 

 

As for my goals:

• My yoga streak is still going. Today was day 274. The best part is I was able to do more poses than before. I didn't want to push things, but there wasn't pain in my ankle when I did down dog, plank, and goddess pose. I'm thinking I may be able to do the warrior poses and single leg balances very soon. I'm going to wait until after my meeting with my chiropractor before I attempt it because walking still hurts.
• My writing is also getting daily attention. Hooray! My story is a comedy and is in rewrite stage. I set things up so that I can work on it whether I'm at my computer or on the go with my iPad. I've thought of a few ideas on ways to work on it on my phone also. That way when I have a few minutes I can take advantage. So far I've done 9 days in a row. 
• My art journal hasn't been looked at by me, but my mom enjoyed looking through it. 
• Nerd Academy. I haven't read anything, but writing down my new why is helping me resist the urge to make a cake. It has been on my brain since things exploded on Friday. I'm not sure I really want to eat cake, I think I simply want to get in the zone and make something that brings me joy. (My favorite cake recipe takes a couple hours to make and has lots of butter and cream). If I make it, I will eat it morning, noon, and night for no other reason than it's there, which sadly conflicts with my big why so I'll wait until it's closer to my birthday. That way there are more people to share it with.  
• Rehab got forgotten over the weekend and Monday. I'm not super worried about it. 

The plan for this week is to continue to put one foot in front of the other. I feel like a load has been lifted knowing my brother and his family will be able to help my parents out this week. I'm a bit exhausted. 

[Jayniana Jones]

Wow, when the poo hits the fans it can be really explosive. Geesh. Life got a bit nutty over the last couple of weeks. Besides all the items that happened when I last posted, my grandmother (she's 82) fell and broke her hip. At the moment, all that is required of me are visits to see her in the nursing home that she is currently rehabbing at. We have our birthdays on the same day, so a visit with her is a definite must this week before my mom's surgery on Wednesday. There were other not-so-fun things that happened but at the moment I'd rather move forward than look back.

 

Despite nuttiness here's a recap of my challenge goals:

• My yoga streak is still going. It is at day 286. I'm noticing a new skill: I can get my brain into the zone almost the instant I start, which I'm grateful for considering the things I juggle.
• My daily writing goal has also been a success. I only needed to log 10 minutes per day but I found most of the time (especially during the week) I'd get much more than that. As a result, I'm at 21 days in a row. The best part is I just sent 5 chapters of my novel off to my writing group. Hooray!
• My art journal has been avoided because writing and yoga took up my available time. Next round I might give it a really small goal because I'm finding a 10-minute chunk means that I'll sit down and do it.
• Nerd Academy on hold.
• Rehab on hold. Tomorrow, I'm arranging an appointment with a different podiatrist. My hubby pointed out that I'm dragging my feet (literally) because I don't want to be told that I can't walk on it until it is healed. He's right. However, since I can't walk far or stand for long periods without my ankle hurting badly, I guess I need to face a second opinion. I'm fantasizing that the second opinion will say there is nothing wrong and I just need to ignore the pain.

That's the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. This week I plan to keep the yoga and writing going. 

 

On a fun note, I found a sitting yoga routine that was a nice change from my usual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK7iPuDbf-M - The focus is flexibility. The only thing I couldn't do was tabletop pose and reverse plank. However, the rest I felt akin to Gumby as I did all the hamstring stretches and hip openers.  

 

[SaltyDragon]

I can bet finding a new routine that you can do now is exciting! I'm glad you posted the link, too. I hadn't come across that guy before – he looks pretty good ("under your bum", hee hee). I'll have to check out the whole routine when I have more time!

 

37 minutes ago, Jayniana Jones said:

There were other not-so-fun things that happened but at the moment I'd rather move forward than look back.

 

Totally understandable, and probably a wise choice. I'm sure you have a lot of good support surrounding you, but if you ever need it, there's a welcoming outlet for you here, too. Congratulations on all the writing. That's impressive, and I know how important it is to you.

 

If we don't see you again before then, happy birthday!!

[Jayniana Jones]

On 10/16/2016 at 9:04 PM, SaltyDragon said:

"under your bum", hee hee

I got a kick out of that too. I have another practice done by the same guy on my list to try this week. It's refreshing to have a guy give the instructions for a yoga session because so far I've found guys to be less chatty. Some guys talk super fast and move fast, but this guy seemed to have just the right balance. No offense to the lady yoga instructors out there but sometimes I just want to be told what pose I'm going into next instead of all the talk.  

[Jayniana Jones]

Mid-week update. Things are chugging along. I feel calm and grateful that things are settling down.

• My yoga streak continues. Today is day 289.
• My writing has seen an increase. I've written for 24 days straight. Maybe another streak in the making? In some ways, I've wanted to skip a day just because. The "problem" is my hubby is really supportive and reminds me it's only 10 minutes.  So I do it because he reminds me it's important to me even if I don't always feel like it is. Darn support systems. Haha. Lately, once I start I've averaged at least 30 minutes a day. Today I logged 2 hours on editing my novel. Unusual, but nice.
• Art, Nerd Academy reading, and rehab have been put on hold.

My ankle is still being troublesome. I have to stop the kt tape because my skin is extremely irritated. I scheduled an appointment with a different podiatrist which won't happen until mid-November. I was pretty steamed about waiting another month for a second opinion. However, getting steamed resulted in me re-reading my doctor and physical therapist reports. I had to stay calm a few times as I read a few obvious CYA comments but found there was a diagnosis of my ankle hidden amongst a report talking about plantar fasciitis. It's called: posterior tibial tendonitis. Apparently, it's common among runners. I found an article on runnersconnect.net that explained in English what it was and what I can do about it. The main suggestion is to stay off it.

 

What I appreciated was the next section suggested swimming and biking as an alternative to help maintain the running muscles and cardio aspects. Biking aggravates it. However, there is a university 30 minutes away from me that has an indoor pool. I went over on Monday and bought a six-month membership (their pricing is odd - 6 months is the same price as paying monthly for two months in a row - someone needs to sharpen their math skills a bit). I'm a tad bit rusty on my lap swimming abilities. The last time I did lap swimming was 16 years ago when I was pregnant and could barely walk due to severe back pain. I'm sure I was amusing to watch on Monday since I hobbled in, zigzagged back and forth in my lane, and did awful renditions of swimming strokes I learned as a kid. The cool thing, which I had forgotten about until I entered the pool, was the instant pain relief. So it looks like, while I'm waiting to heal, I can re-learn how to swim. It'll be nice to have something I can do that actually burns my pent up energy since my yoga sessions are still limited to flexibility focus.

 

 

[SaltyDragon]

On 10/19/2016 at 9:08 PM, Jayniana Jones said:

My yoga streak continues. Today is day 289.

 

And to think I was impressed when you hit 100.

 

Sorry to hear that you're still having trouble with the ankle. You are remarkably persistent, though (see above), so I know you will get through it. The swimming sounds like a great idea, too!