Virtual Race - 2nd International Mermaid Day

I will write a post on what virtual races I do and what I love about each but seeing as International Mermaid day was Sunday 6th September I figured I will start with this one.

I have in the past done quite a few virtual races, but last year I noticed a number of people on social media take part in International Mermaid Day, it looked a really fun race and there was a virtual option. I was gutted that I found out about it too late and I could not participate.

Not the case this year!

This year as soon as I could I signed up for the virtual race and a few days before the race I got a wrecked envelope in the post - I wish I took a photo of it, seriously it was already  opened and crumpled beyond belief, I am thankful my medal is shipped after the race because there is no way it would have survived.

What I love about this race is that they ship a physical bib. This was new to me. Pretty much all the races I have participated in have provided a virtual bib which I could print if I wished but I never do as I have no printer.

So this was special. I mean look how cute it is!

What else I like about this virtual event is that I could choose what I wanted to do, I was not forced into a 5 or 10K, I could have picked anything I wanted.
So I did!

Ideally, I wanted to swim a mile, but the pool I go to wasn't available. So I decided instead to run one mile as fast as I could, hoping to manage a 10 minute mile, that was not meant to be. I managed it in 11 minutes, 11 seconds but it felt great. Really, really fun,I am not sure if that is because I knew it would be so short I enjoyed it more? But I loved it.

I also walked 3 miles by the water (where else would be appropriate?) and finally did one hour of yoga practice at home.
I could have went to a class, but then I would be following someone else's lead and I was about making my own waves that day.

This is my yoga space at home, I might dedicate a post on why I love it so much but for now you get a photo.


I started in easy cross, centering myself and rooting myself to the earth, I try start every practice this way as although I am quite flexible and can move into the vast majority of poses, I recognise the breath is the most important aspect of yoga for me and if I don't focus on it, I tend to lose it during the practice and I might as well do Pilates or normal stretching in that case.

From there I did neck circles.
Then moving onto some stretching for the thoracic spine
Lions's breath, for absolute fun and getting onto knees.
Cat pose.
Garland pose
A few rounds of sun salutations before moving into warrier 1, archer and then goddess pose.
Down to Garland again and then into crow.
I have exceptionally tight calves and hamstrings so even though I don't like it, I try to put a little into each practice to loosen them out. Sitting on a block I moved to 'stirring the pot'  (not entirely sure what the correct name for this is, it's just good to loosen out my legs).
Mermaid pose (of course!)
Lay on my back and rolled out my lower spine and moved into a shoulder stand and countered with bridge before moving into cobblers pose, rooting down again and having a few moments of thanks.

I have to say, I loved participating in International Mermaid Day, and I cannot wait to be part of the next one!

Edit: It is now 10 December and I never actually received my medal for this race. Quite disappointing, I am blaming royal mail, I believe they actually dispatched 3 t(three different occasions of course) to me and not one managed to make it. :-(

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