Yoga and Running; Plus Some Swimming!

Stand in Mountain Pose.  Dive forward.  Come up to a flat back.  Fold forward again.  Breathe.  Step back to downward facing dog.  Hold here.  Take a few deep breaths.  Come forward to plank pose - top of a push up.  Keep your elbows in and slowly lower to Chaturanga.  Breathe.  Come to upward facing dog.  Breathe.  Flow back to downward facing dog.

Sound familiar?  If so...you know what I'm talking about.  If not, it's a Sun Salutation in yoga.  

Running and yoga are a perfect combination because runners can use yoga to lengthen the muscles that are shortened from repeated running motions.  Yoga also helps runners increase their range of motion {which I need in the Achilles area}.  

As I was researching the correlation, I came across two good articles that talk about how these two activities can come together hand in hand for the positive benefit of the athlete. 

Yoga for Runners

Strike a Pose - From Runner's World

This summer, I started going to yoga classes at The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem.  Even though I have been doing yoga on my own several years, these classes and the awesome instructors are teaching me the proper ways to safely and efficiently carry out poses, and I am enjoying every second.  Running has wreaked havoc on my body over the years...recently with hip and IT band problems over the winter, and continuing on to my never-ending Achilles issues this spring/summer.  I feel that I need an intervention...and yoga is just the key.

I'm not getting any younger {I will be 38 in less than two weeks} and my body often tells me so.  When I go to yoga, I am probably one of the least flexible people in the room.  Last night at class, I determined that my right side is definitely less flexible than my right.  Makes sense -- the IT band tightness and my Achilles tendonitis both are/were on my right.  

It is my goal to go to at least one yoga class per week...two if I'm lucky!  It is my hope that by partnering the two {running and yoga}, my body will thank me in the long run.  

On another note...I am still swimming.  This morning, I got in a really good workout at the pool with Jesse.  

We did an increasing pyramid in the beginning, climaxing with a 500 yard long swim, and then coming back down with a decreasing pyramid.  At the end, we did some really short and fast intervals. 


Here's the workout:


Warm-up - 150y


2 x 150y - 2:44.6, 2:47.6  {1:00 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


2 x 175y - 3:16.9, 3:10.3  {1:15 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


2 x 200y - 3:44.3, 3:40.5  {1:30 rest in between intervals}


2 minutes rest


500y swim


2 minutes rest -- {Note: the times below were to be faster than the ones I did in the beginning of the workout}

200y - 3:34.69 {1:30 rest}

175y - 3:08.3  {1:15 rest}

150y - 2:44.3 

2 minutes rest

2 x 75y - 1:16.1, 1:14.9  {45 seconds rest}

2 x 50y - 46.37, 45.32  {45 seconds rest}

2 x 25y - FAST!!   19.5, 19.5  {45 seconds rest}


Cool down - 100 yards



Phew...I'm tired now!!  Time to start the day.  Have a good one!

~Tracy