Hot Yoga

I googled "Yoga 42" and up popped hot yoga, which is done at ~ 42 deg C.  After locating a place to check this out , can now report that I finished my 4th hot yoga session this morning.  Eighty minutes of sweating profusely is a lovely way to begin a Saturday or a Sunday.  I did both this weekend, as there is an 8:30 a.m. session and that's not early to me.

http://yogapioneers.com/

This place is peaceful, welcoming, friendly and penetratingly hot and humid.  I'm usually not a big 'sweater', but I'm raining on my yoga mat by Warrior Two.  I leave there with my clothes and hair saturated, my brain calm and totally de-stressed. 

That's how 84 minutes of 42 deg C yoga becomes part of my 42 BDC.  It'll be awesome anywhere in that last 42 hours, as December is a great time to sweat your ass off in Minnesota!  : )

Jack LaLanne

My family was just recently jazzed about Jack's accomplishments and started formulating our own Birthday Challenges.  My 15 year-old is already scheming his 16th BDC. 

We are grateful to be able to learn from Jack's example and enjoy his enthusiasm, as his influence clearly extends well beyond his own time. 

Thanks for a lifetime of inspiration and energy, passion, entertainment and throw-down challenges -- the likes of which I could spend the rest of MY life trying to match and never run out of Jack's one-up's!

Stepping up my X-Co Ski game

Just registered for a two hour classical cross-country skiing class to get the form right and try out some new trails near home.  It's hard to come up with a good 42-hour countdown challenge that can be executed in December in Minnesota.  Even X-Co skiing is a little iffy -- need a good 6-8" of snow cover to take miles of trails.  Some years we get it by early December and some years we just don't.  For the same reason, I could commit to 4.2 snowmen or 42 snow angels, but it all depends on the quantity and stickiness of the snow. 

Checked for any triathlons in December in the Twin Cities.  Indoor or otherwise, no luck.  I did learn that there have been sky way bike races and indoor running races in high heels, however. 

There's a women-only biathlon nearby in September (The 'Iron Girl").  Run-bike-run.  There is also an off-road race that looks tempting in August that is swim -mountain bike-run.  What I really want is that "WOW" factor for the final 42 hrs.  Still working that out! 

On an unrelated note, am dismally upset that the effin Green Bay Packers made it to the Super Bowl.  Good damn thing the Steelers will drag them up and down the field and we'll all be laughing in Minnesota. 

Chickens in the winter and eating frozen eggs

Temperatures this week reached -28 deg F.  When my 18 backyard chickens lay eggs, the pretty brown eggs freeze solid and crack open.  Even after thawing, eggs frozen this cold never recover their normal viscosity.  The yolks remain permanently gelatinous and the whites are also not appealing. 

Like many people adhering to healthy diets, we eat a lot of egg white around here.  I feel a little guilty throwing out the yolks, but this morning, I don't feel guilty about throwing out all the eggs, as they are frozen, covered in chicken poo, and altogether unappetizing.

Traditional Fritter Challenge

The fritters cause significant trepidation.  King Pin fritters are clearly a feat of grease, mass and absurdity to be reckoned with, and many other BDCers have failed solely owing to their over-commitment to the fritter. 

I'm not going to attempt 4.2 fritters on my birthday.  This would clearly ruin my last 42 BDC hours, and I am grateful for the wisdom of those who have gone before me hauling their own dead-weight fritters. 

My challenge will be the old-school sort:  Two apple fritters and one jelly donut, shipped to me from King Pin Donuts and consumed in the 4.2 days preceding my birthday.  Sounds like I'm gonna need to pace myself just to accomplish it.  Anyone know if they will ship em to Minnesota??

Working out the challenge

  

42 weeks (begins Feb. 19th) to do:

San Juan events (just for fun!):

4.2 hours hiking/ziplining in Rain Forest

42 minutes swimming in tide       ?? kayaking in bioluminescent bay

4.2 mile run

4.2 exotic drinks

Complete 'Warrior Dash' 7/23/11 in under 42'

14 x  3 mile runs

Catch 42 fish, or 10 Northerns > 4.2 lbs, or 1 Muskie >42"

Take 4200 rods of portaging or 42 portages in BWCA

Canoe 42 miles

42 days (begins Oct. 29th) to do:

Seven x 6 mile runs

Eat 10 raw vegetables per day (ala LaLanne)

Classic King Pin Fritter challenge in the 4.2d          prior to b-day (12/6/11 -->)

42 hours (begins 11:30 p.m. on 12/8/11):

Jumping Jacks for Jack (ala his 42nd BDC):      1033 jumping jacks in 23 minutes 4.2 hours X-Co skiing

420 pull-ups in sets of ten or more

420 Ab crunches

84' of Hot Yoga @ 42deg C