FIERY SUN FITNESS

I’m so glad spring is finally here and I’m able to enjoy the outdoors.  There are so many activities I’d love to do outside but sometimes it just doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of time for it all.  So, I’ve made a pact with myself to get out of my boring routine of taking walks or runs around my neighborhood and instead, head to different spots around town.  The first thing I did to make this a reality was buy two new pairs of running shoes so I can switch them out during the season and not have to rely on only one pair of shooes.  Running shoes generally last about 300-400 miles check for signs of wear on the sole.

 This weekend I started my new cardio routine by parking at Haines point and I walked over to the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms.  It was so lovely; I walked around the basin twice!  It was so nice to see everyone enjoying the weather, the blossoms and my city.  To end the weekend, I rode my bike outside for the first time this season on one of my favorite trails.  It sure beats those indoor training videos!  I’ve already planned another walk around the city for tomorrow afternoon.  May the journey never end….. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time on my bike this summer although, I haven’t tracked as many miles as I’ve wanted to.  So far, I’ve gone about 150 miles since the beginning of the summer.  One day a girl friend and I went 60 miles through some grueling hills, meeting new friends, trying new rest stops while catching up with our lives.  Instead of being out on the roads or trails constantly biking, I’ve calm down my practice by turning to my yoga mat or to the pilates reformer machine still making me fit in a different way.

Earlier, this summer I happened upon a pilates reformer for $10 this particular reformer usually goes for $700.  The reformers that pilates studios use cost anywhere between $2700-$4000 it just depends on the bells and whistles involved.  I’ve really enjoyed increasing my yoga and pilates practice, achieving some poses I never though I could do.

Call up a friend you haven’t seen in awhile to try something new together.

In the fast paced society we live in I finally made time to go for my first bike ride of the season last weekend.  I had some things I wanted to get to like gardening, sleep- my ever ending feat, my volunteer job or my business.  But, I decided instead of always working, I needed to do what was right for me- bike. 

I wanted to start my first ride of the season on the Mt. Vernon trail, it’s close to home and I needed to take time to think about the journeys I’ve had on the trail.  It was my first trail I ever went on when I started riding long distances.  The trail leads you into many paths in and around the DC area.

It had been about a year since I was on the trail.  I hosted a dear friend’s funeral in September 2008.  He lived in the DC area for 30 years, many of his friends shared stories and photos of his life.  I first came to the trail when I started biking with my friend in 2001.  I wore my Ben & Jerry’s bike jersey on our first and coincidentally our last bike trip on the trail. 

As I rode down the hills, I thought of my friend riding down the hill, flapping his arms up and down like a bird balancing on the bike.  Who in the world does this?  I always laughed, rolled my eyes and was envious of his balance.  He also told me not to rely on my brakes so much.  I still use them too much and I can still hear him complaining each time I use them.

I had my first accident on the trail Veterans’ Day 2007 when I was riding up the last portion of the trail to the parking lot.  I was training for my first duathlon (biking and running) which was 6 days away.  I was behind a mountain biker who managed to avoid the hug log covering the path which wasn’t there when I started.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t graceful enough to bypass the rocks without falling, catching the chain guard into the back of my knee.  Eek!!!

I composed myself enough to walk my bike up the hill, crying and bleeding in front of strangers who were very helpful.  One of the guys called an ambulance for me, the EMTs cleaned up the grease from my leg, suggesting I go to the emergency room.  I got to the emergency room only to meet my Dr. who’s a triathlete.  It was nice to meet someone who had the same drive I do, understanding how important this race was to me.  The nurse cleaned out my wound with solution creating a fountain as it shot up and out of my wound.  My husband shot some video of the event on his phone.  I never realized that my body could create a fountain.  The Dr. assured me that I could participate in my duathlon the next week.  Later that week I was good to go, taking a few spin classes prepping for the event.

Last weekend’s ride helped me get through some of the tough moments I’ve had on the trail whether it’s having an accident, loosing a friend or the continuous use of my brakes while riding down hill.  Some of our journeys may be like my roller coaster rides I’ve had on the Mt. Vernon Trail.

 I took advantage of the really nice weather a few weeks ago before 7 inches of snow came this week.  I left work a little early to go for a 4 mile walk before it got too dark.  It was nice seeing people walking their dogs, babies or even with a friend.  It was a nice calm being outside again from the cold weather we’ve had until, all of a sudden someone threw water at me from their car.  I was a little shocked that someone would do such a thing, out of all the years I’ve exercised outside it’s never happened to me.  So, I wiped it away and thought how it could have been worse.  They must have liked my blinking running vest and wanted to put the light out.  Or maybe they thought they saw me wearing a fur coat- which I’d never do.  Here’s a link of some etiquette mistakes people make every day.  http://food.yahoo.com/blog/foxyfestivities/15390/the-worst-and-most-common-etiquette-mistakes  The one thing I really hate is meeting a friend for a meal or a gathering and they have to constantly check their phone or have their ringer on, this is such a distraction.  Sometimes it’s nice to fade away into visiting with a friend without another intrusive noise during the precious time we have together.  Always, remember to turn your cell phone or other devices off before meeting with a friend you’ll truly appreciate the visit much more and so will they.

Fiery Sun Fitness LLC is proud to announce, we are opening our Beginner Level 1 Yoga classes to all ages. We’ve offered classes to seniors at the Hollin Hall Senior Center for a year and we’re ready to expand into broader ground.

In mist of your chores visit us during a Saturday morning 11:30am- 12:30pm yoga class.  Your first yoga experience with us is Free!  Preregistration is highly recommended to make sure the class will run as scheduled.

For further information, please contact us at 703.863.3607, info@fierysunfitness.com or visit us at www.fierysunfitness.com  

Our classes will be offered on Saturday, February 14- March 21 (6 week session), April 4-May 16 (6 week session), May 30-June 20 (4 week session). 

We look forward to getting to know you better and provide a newer, healthier you in 2009! 

My Home Owner’s Association (HOA) gym was flooded in the summer of 2006 which meant I had to take my workouts outside. Once the cold weather came about, I decided to sign up for a spin class to find out what all the fuss was about. I was hooked, I joined the gym since the HOA wasn’t renovating fast enough to take more spin classes they didn’t want to offer. I loved my spin teacher, she was the best, we jived so well that in fact I made sure to make most of her spin classes, I worked around her schedule. I even showed up on my birthday and had my own private spin class, no one else showed up- something I’ll cherish forever!

One day she told me that she wanted to talk to me after class. I thought my form had gotten out of hand. Later she told me that she was moving out of the area and she’d love me to be a spin instructor and take over her classes. I was having fun in the classes, I didn’t think I could add another thing to my schedule then I thought about it, researched it and asked many questions.

I took my first spin certification class May 2007 and have many spin certifications under my belt since. Fall of 2007 the gym was starting a new class “cycle yoga” you cycle on the bike and then do yoga on your mats to stretch the muscles. I decided to take the class to learn a little more and to be able to teach a different format.

After the “yoga for cycling” class I felt the need for more knowledge so over a year’s time I took Level 1, 2, 3, pre natal and senior yoga classes. I always want to be prepared for any situation possibly a client who may be pregnant, have an injury, may not be very flexible or need a slower pace.

I vowed never to take another certification class for another year since I wasn’t teaching a lot, the classes are expensive and I’m a very busy woman. I broke that promise in January 2009 when I took a pilates mat certification and pilates reformer certification- the price was too good to beat and it was a lot of fun to see my other associates. So for now, keeping with my own gym regime, teaching clients, learning from other instructors and progressing in my own instruction before I move on to other formats. That is if the price can’t be beat!

Kristen Heim, the President of Fiery Sun Fitness LLC is honored to share her love of yoga with the Mt. Vernon Community on Saturday mornings at Hollin Hall Senior Center. Fiery Sun Fitness LLC has been offering Beginner Level 1 yoga services to seniors (50+) since the beginning of 2008. Our yoga classes promise to help bring out a healthier you in the New Year, leaving you with more flexibility, balance, strength and a sense of peace to rejuvenate your everyday life. Leave your to-do lists, and over-extended lives at home and come visit us during a Saturday morning 11:30am- 12:30pm yoga practice. Your first yoga experience with us is Free. Preregistration is highly recommended to make sure the class will run as scheduled. For further information, please contact us at 703.863.3607 or visit us at www.fierysunfitness.com Our classes will be offered on Saturday, January 10- January 31 (4 week session) & Saturday, February 14- March 21 (6 week session) with a continuation of classes through the end of June 2009. We look forward to getting to know everyone in the community better and provide a newer, healthier you in 2009!

I’ve been meeting with a personal trainer once a week for a few weeks now. We’re friends and we have a lot in common and most importantly our schedules workout for our busy lives. It’s an hour of intense fun! Last week when we were both doing bicept curls, I wasn’t going down as far as he was only to realize that I was trying to keep up with his pace thus not getting the workout I needed to, the full curl. I was a bit upset with myself when I noticed that I wasn’t in tuned with the idea of being free from competition or judgement of myself, like I always tell my clients. I was being a hypocrite, so I stopped our lesson and told him flat out what I was doing and how I needed to go slower, this week I felt much better knowing that I got the workout I deserved by not cutting myself short.

Even though I’m an instructor and tell my clients to be free from competition I had to take what I preach and put it into another context besides the yoga mat or the bike. Always listen to your body and your needs first before you look at someone else!

I began to think of all the new year’s resolutions we all strive to met in each new year, whether it be to lose weight, get a new job, save our money, find that special someone, heal from an injury or learn to say “no”. As the end of 2008 was looming and I didn’t have a resolution, I decided not to have a resolution. I have many to-do lists, I’m always striving to accomplish more and more, though it feels great to cross something off my list, there’s always something else that is added to the list after the task is complete.So, instead of having a new year’s resolution to add things to my list I decided to delete things off my list, make the lists I need for work and choose 3 things to do a day. Whatever, small or grand scale they are, this is something a wonderful mentor of mine told me to do “choose three things a day”. I didn’t want to listen, I would only have 3-4 hours of sleep to accomplish all I wanted in a day. I thought it was silly to have a 24 hour day when it should be 36 hours, you could get so much more done! But, once I worked so hard and the only thing I felt was fatigue.This year instead, I’m taking a different approach to the way I live my life. I’m working my full-time job, teaching pre natal and seniors classes (3 hrs a week), as well as my volunteer position of VP Development (spending 1-10 hrs a week, depending on my schedule).  I have much more “me” time which has allowed me to be happy and make others around me happy.I’m enjoying this new approach to “me” time. The best part about “me” is going to the gym which makes the rest of day and life disappear, it’s my drug of choice, sometimes getting there is the hardest part.  Once you’re there, you’re among all ages, sexes who share the same desire, including not wanting to go to the gym but once they get there they’re glad.Since, I’m an instructor at a gym, I can hop into any class I desire, so I’m taking a bunch of spin, yoga, pilates mat, pilates reformer and even a kickboxing classes when my time allots.Wow, did that kickboxing class kick spin class out of the water! I’ll be going back in a few weeks to conquer the class. Though, I really miss not having my own spin class, or yoga cycle class this decision is one of the best things I could do for me. I can show up when I want to without having yet another appointment on my calendar yet still keeping fit and very happy.  Learning to say “no” is one of the most difficult things we all do but once you do it, it feels great!