10,000 Calorie Birthday Challenge

Early last year, I purchased a GroupOn for a month of unlimited hot yoga at CorePower Yoga (and hey, if you live in LA, they're running it again!). Including the week you get free just for signing up, I enjoyed five weeks of yoga at their Wilshire studio for so very cheap, and I went a lot. I challenged myself to burn 4,000 with my new heart rate monitor from when I started up until my birthday, and I achieved and surpassed my goal. My reward was my awesome Spiritual Gangster sweatshirt, which keeps me nice and cozy when I head to class at 7AM.

March 2012, Santa Barbara

The thought crossed my mind earlier today that I must be right around my one year anniversary with the studio, so out of curiosity I checked out my Google calendar and went back to February 2012. Turns out, today is on my one year anniversary of hot yoga!

I remember going to class for the first time. I was terrified. Of being the worst, the fattest, the slowest. Of being myself. And I spent at least 50% of that class, if not more, flat on my mat in child's pose. But I remember that when I left, I was filled with such a buzzing, thrilling, electric energy, I knew I wanted to back again. And again. And again. And sure, I still spent lots of time laying on my mat, and I sometimes do to this day, but every time I get better and stronger, every time I go longer, and I am so, so glad to be back at it again. I can't believe I ever stopped.

Thank you, CorePower Yoga. You've given me so much. 

SO, I've decided this Birthday Challenge thing should become an annual occurrence. I love traditions. And so, this year, I am attempting to burn 10,000 calories.

You heard me right. 10,000 CALORIES.

If that sounds like a lot, that's because it is. Here is my rationale:

1) 4,000 was easy, and that was a year ago, and I need to challenge myself more, so 5,000 isn't enough.

2) But everything between 5,000 and 10,000 is an obnoxiously non-whole number.

3) I could do 7,500 I guess but that just feels like cheating. 

4) Including today and my birthday, I have 31 days to achieve this goal, which is about 323 calories a day, or 2500 a week. 

5) I burn approximately 500 every time I go to yoga. So I'm looking at 5x week yoga or other kinds of exercise. 

6) I can push myself to do that for a fancy reward. 

A REWARD YOU SAY? Psh, you thought I wasn't going to reward myself with something paid for out of my tax refund? YOU BET YOUR ASS I AM.

I haven't decided what it is yet. I'll let you know as soon as I do. But it's gonna be awesome.