Morning-After Yoga

Don’t get me wrong: my six-mile run on Monday evening was stellar. It didn’t take me long to warm up and, while it was a slow run, I didn’t tire at all and felt wholly comfortable with the distance. I even took to a 30-minute run at 10:00/mile on Tuesday night after dinner (remind me to stop doing that). It was a much, much slower-moving day than Monday, but it continued to ramp up my confidence for Saturday.

Thinking back to last year, it makes me giggle to think that my biggest fear was not finishing the race. By last March last year five miles was a hike for me; this year it’s just a breeze. I know that I won’t meet the time goals I set for myself late last summer for this race, but my confidence is riding high about finishing. One less thing to worry about!

My training prep ends with a longer run around Cleveland and the Heights this evening after work. I’d like to run for at least one hour and really get in my last set of hills before St. Malachi.

Obviously squeezing in hills three days before the race isn’t going to magically make me a hill-killer, but I’d like to remind myself what a REAL hill feels like before I make that final turn. With all this downtime, it might take a little more than a bratwurst and a finish line to get me to the top!

What will I do in the meantime? Rest and stretch. Cold weather tends to leave my muscles tight after a run—especially the next morning. Sure, I stretch before and after my runs; I warm up and I cool down; I shower cold and I shower hot. Sometimes my muscles just won’t chill when they’re supposed to be chilled.

Over the past two mornings I’ve put together a yoga flow to stretch myself (focusing on calves, quads and back) and walked away feeling awesome. So, I thought I would share. The full walk-through appears below, but here’s the flow:

• Child’s pose
• Cat lift
  
• Cat pose
• Cat lift
• Downward dog
• Swan
• Swan bow
• Downward dog
• Swan
• Swan bow
• One-leg down dog
• Plank
• Upward dog
• Half locust
• Upward dog
• One-leg down dog
• Crescent lunge
• Forward fold
• Chest lift

Combining one breath with each movement, start in extended child’s pose. Inhale into cat lift, hold and exhale into cat pose. Repeat 2-3 times, returning to child’s pose between each lift/pose set.

After the last cat pose, inhale into cat lift and then exhale into downward dog. I like to take 3-4 breaths while stretching each calf respectively, keeping my arms stretched, even and strong as I press down each heel. Once your calves feel evenly stretched, hold downward dog for five deep breaths.

From downward dog, inhale one knee forward between your hands, keeping your back leg extended and stretching back into swan pose. Exhale your forehead toward the floor into swan bow, breathing space between each vertebrae.

Inhale-exhale through 2-3 swan poses/bows, return to downward dog and repeat swans on the other side.

After the last swan, inhale, tuck your back toe under and exhale into one-leg downward dog. Really stretch out your sides, arms and your calf. Hold for five breaths and exhale your leg down. Lower your body, inhaling, through plank position into upward dog. Exhale into half locust, stretching your back and legs. Inhale back into upward dog, tuck the toe on your other side and exhale into one-leg downward dog. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.

In your last one-leg down dog, inhale and step one foot forward between your hands and, exhaling, bring your torso upward into crescent lunge. Hold for a few breaths. Inhale and bring your body forward, lowering your hands and body toward the mat, and then into plank position. Inhale your other foot forward between your hands and repeat crescent lunge on the other side.

Complete your last crescent lunge and bring your feet together at the front of your mat in a forward fold. Hold for two breaths, arch your back and inhale while looking up, and then exhale back into forward fold. Repeat 2-3 times until hammies feel stretched, then lift with a cleansing exhale toward the ceiling, raise your arms into a chest lift and inhale. Then release all your tension with one great exhale and bring your hands into mountain pose. Om…

You’ll want to adjust the flow to your own rhythms and, obviously, modify if it doesn’t fit your needs, if you find something that works better or if my explanation seems to skip something in a bad way. It’s hard to write a yoga flow while sitting in a chair!

But chair-stretching will have to do for now: only three days until the gun blows on my 2008 race season!

Wouldn't it be nice if we [weren't] older?

So, I’ve never been much of the disciple type, but I’ve become quite the yogi in the past two weeks. Non-yogies beware!

Not only have I been waking up early each day to do 30 minutes of yoga and coming home for another 60-minute session, I’ve begun selling my friends on it as well. My lower back has really improved in the past couple days. And it’s only mildly ironic that the injury occurred during yoga. But I have meditative forgiveness in my heart (and I’ve stopped forcing myself into poses I cannot do).

My friend Jeff injured the back of his right leg last night when he slipped while running outside during a thunderstorm. After I asked what he was doing running in a thunderstorm, I handed him a yoga mat and told him to have at it (well, it was a little more nuanced and cautious than that).

But while selling yoga to everyone in ear/eyeshot might be something I can be teased about for years to come, at least it’s a healthy thing to push. Like Greens Plus chocolate energy bars.

What has yoga done for me lately? Aside from giving me a great reason to wake up early each morning, I’ve been able to make it through the day with only 1-2 doses of anti-inflammatory meds instead of 4-6. Plus my breathing felt more natural and healthy on Wednesday when I took to the elliptical at the rec. center.

Melissa and I headed to the rec. center yesterday—she had her eyes on the weight circuit and I was set on walking. Slowly. I was almost around lap one on the track when I got bored and spotted an elliptical machine.

Had I not walked away feeling like I finally had the cardiovascular workout I’ve been craving and not feeling an once of soreness, I would have admitted it was a bad idea. But it wasn’t. Granted, it’s not the same workout as running, but some of the same muscles woke up and I was saved the impact for my still-injured state.

I ellipticalized for a little over 1.5 miles and 15 minutes before I met back up with Melissa and walked a mile around the track. During the walk I focused on stretching my legs and using my whole foot (not just the outside) to walk. And perhaps that attention will translate into running with my whole foot like a normal human being.

It was a relief to wake up this morning and still feel peachy. I’ve been stiff each morning, but it just wasn’t that bad today—and that always helps nurture a positive attitude as well. Alongside 30 minutes of yoga this morning, I swam 1,200 yards free at lunch today before spending some time in the hot tub. And I think that was more an indulgence this time. Woe is me.

It’s almost 3 p.m. and I’m happy on only one dose of anti-inflammatory from this morning. Not only do I not have to make an “eek!” or “ouch!” noise every time I step on my left side, I might be getting back at least some of my walking grace (what little there was anyway). And now I’m itching to find out if I’ll be healthy for a 10K race on July 7.

Time will tell. And I think it’s time for more yoga…

My First 100-Mile Month: Check!

Good news is that I reached my 100-mile goal, early I might add, with a 3.6-mile run on Friday and 11.05 miles on Sunday. Yeah!

The bad news is that somewhere in the middle of a sage twist during yoga on Sunday morning, I threw out my lower back on the left side (you knew it had been too long since the last time I hurt!). Boo!

I didn’t feel any ill effects while I was doing yoga, but the sage twist on my left side was the only thing I kind of forced (I know, I know: you’re never supposed to force). And that wasn’t very sagacious of me.

I had done some weight training for my legs the day before as well, so when I was running on Sunday morning in Euclid, I felt a little strain on my left side. It only felt like I was a little weary on that side, so I continued to run. Four miles in, I felt the pain creeping up the back of my leg toward my back. And, again, it didn’t feel like a pull or a sharp pain, but more like fatigue than anything else. I walked for a block or two and tried to stretch it out, then continued to run.

It was nice to be back on old stomping grounds in Euclid—I was visiting family this weekend and didn’t get my long run done on Saturday because I went to a bridal shower—where the sidewalks were endless and the largest animals were overfed, aggressive squirrels. I ran about 30 blocks from my mom’s house to East 185th Street, and then winded down a tributary off East 200th all the way to 222nd. Then it was while I was cutting down a street past my old high school that I started feeling a little more pull on the left side and walked a bit.

I picked up running again as I neared Babbitt Road at mile four, which I ran at 8:42 pace. Shortly before I started feeling pain, I ran into an old soccer and track coach of mine whose first words after not seeing me for ten years were, “what’s up with your left side?” At that point, I wasn’t compensating for my pain (yet) and was just running as usual. He had watched me run for about three strides and noticed that I have a semi-lazy left leg. I had always suspected it, but could never actually see my stride because I haven’t run in a hall of mirrors lately (I’ve tried to check out my shadow, but that’s always horribly distorted and unappealing ;-).

My left knee, however, doesn’t lift or bend the way it should, which is something I had felt while running but didn’t pay much attention to because my whole left side has always been kind of stupid. And he pointed out that the extreme wear on the tip of my left toe and the outer left heel on my shoes was damning evidence of my stupid left leg. The funniest thing he said was, “You better be careful or you’ll wipeout pretty hard someday.” Ahh, where was he two weeks ago?

But the self-fulfilling prophecy continued. After he helped me a little more with sagely coach’s advice, I was running down Babbitt Road past my brother’s house when I wiped out again! It was the same type of fall as last time, but I’ve been so mentally prepared since last time that I fell and hopped back up with only a scraped hand. Luckily my brother wasn’t home, so I escaped with some shards of my pride. Can you see why I run alone?

Oddly enough, my left side felt considerably better after the fall. But I took my pace way down: 9:10, 9:16, 9:20 for miles 5, 6 and 7. I ran all the way up Babbitt Road to Lakeshore, and then took Lakeshore almost to the Euclid-Willowick border (it was going to be a cross-Euclid trek, but I passed my old street and took a turn to check out the former hood) before turning back and heading home. And that was when I started feeling a little achy.

I ran mile eight at 9:29, which is the nice, slow pace I’ve been targeting… but I had hoped to achieve that pace from mental training and effort rather than pain and surrender. I ran the next mile at 9:23 before I really focused on running at a moderate pace with an active left leg. Employing my left leg as an active partner in running didn’t feel anymore physically exhausting (my right leg was grateful), but it was something I truly had to think about stride after stride. How difficult can putting one foot in front of the other be?

I finished the last 11 miles of my 100-mile goal with 9:18 and 9:15 tenth and eleventh miles. It wasn’t until after I showered and cooled down, however, that the real back pain set in. Right now if I put weight down on my left leg my lower back screams. Or maybe that’s just me. So, I’m taking the day off my feet to see if it’s something that needs medical attention. I might, however, need some mental medical attention for pulling something in my back and then running 11 miles, but that’s a different story.

Running throughout Euclid, as I mentioned, was awesome despite the wincing end. Not only was it nice to be somewhere I couldn’t get lost (I grew up there and it’s built on a grid) and whose sidewalks didn’t abruptly end in 45-mph roads! The only hazard was running into someone I knew and having them tell me I’m doing something wrong. But sometimes that’s precisely what we need.

Once I’m on my feet again, I’m going to hit the track (perhaps I’ll check out the outdoor track this time) and work on educating the stupid left leg. It’s difficult to communicate the extent of my left leg’s lack of coordination, but let’s just say that when I danced ballet we would do exercises on my graceful right side and then I’d almost knock down the class on my left. By now I think it’s my left side’s inability to move as directed and 27 years’ worth of frustration. But at least now I can focus on something simple. One foot at a time.

Running Sc-sc-scared!

So, aside from seeing a BEAR on my Sunday morning run, it was a really pleasant weekend for getting back in the yoga swing and then being outdoors. After ending my Friday workday huddling in our back hallways tornado shelter with my co-workers, I was ready to enjoy a springy couple of days. And so I did.

But taking a few steps back, I have to mention that my early-morning yoga has really taken off and appears to be paying off as well. I’ve noticed that—aside from the much-heralded benefits of stretches, meditation and poses—getting up in the morning to do yoga is much more satisfying than waking up to drag myself to work.

Not only do I wake up easier, but I sleep better and feel more relaxed, yet more energetic, throughout the day. Plus, my sinking, bad posture doesn’t hit me until later in the day when I’m ready to go for a run or swim anyway.

What’s more is that I got my hands on a kick-butt tea at Trader Joe’s: Yogi Tea. Apparently it’s not uncommon; it’s new to me. But it’s a really tasty organic tea with lemongrass, green tea, licorice root, jasmine green, alfalfa leaf, burdock root, Irish moss and other healthy stuff. It’s invigorating yet relaxing. Just the scent kicks your breathing into ujjai pranayama.

And that’s how I’ve been waking up and settling down since last Thursday. Sigh.

But on Saturday afternoon, I hopped up (after a nap) and went for a 14-mile bike ride with Neil from Stow to Main Street Cupcakes, where we rewarded ourselves with vanilla sundae cupcake for me (that’s fudge-filled vanilla cake topped with chocolate ganache and buttercream frosting) and two classic chocolate cuppies for Neil.

I’ve never felt more motivated to go for another 14-mile bike ride in my life! Wonder what I’m doing next weekend?

It was a great ride: pretty uphilly, particularly on the way back, with a mix of trail, road and gravel. It was rough in spots (Like the gradual one-mile incline out of Hudson that we didn’t notice on our way in, and a gargantuan mountain of a hill right as we made it into Stow. I think one of us proclaims that we hate the other one at least once each time we take that big hill!), but the perfect afternoon made it an easy ride despite the terrain.

We’re really inching forward with cycling progress, and I think I’m right on the verge of being ready to bike it to work. How awesome would that be? But I’m still wheel-stupid and have figure out how to put my tires on correctly so my brakes don’t press against my tire when I hit a certain speed.

A couple weeks ago Landon asked if I have quick-release wheels… and I believe I do. The dirtiest part for putting my bike back together is getting the chain back on the rear wheel. I’m almost positive I’m doing it all wrong (I know I shouldn’t have assumed that Neil was listening better than I was when the guy at Eddy’s showed me how to do it; it was, after all, my bike), so if anyone has any secrets of bike-wheel-putting-on, I would really appreciate it. I even get a little anxious flying down big hills, wondering my tires are ready to pop off at any moment. It’s a good thing I wear a helmet.

Maybe I just need practice and should stop being afraid of the big, bad wheel. It would be nice to take my bike places without my wheel fear. And it might be easier to ride without that wheel-popping-off thing weighing on my mind.

But for now I’ll have that bear-coming-after-me fear weighing on my running shoes. This week I took my Saturday-morning long run on Sunday morning. There was a 50K bike race trolling the Summit Metroparks trails on Sunday, so the typically desolate paths were pleasantly populated.

I’m bored with the same old streets I’ve been running for the past several months, and was, for once, not looking forward to running this weekend… until I saw the trails as a possibility.

I started an even-paced jog down a path, which was fairly peopled with cyclists, walkers and joggers when Neil and I rode it a couple weekends ago. But 2-3 miles down the trail, all of the racers turned off onto a road and I was suddenly by myself. I was certain that someone had to be around on other parts of the trail… but no-oh!

So, I tried pushing out of my head recent news stories (and the scoop about the lady on very nearby OH-303 getting bitten by a coyote a couple months ago) and staying focused on my running until I hit a more populated area. Or at least something I could recognize! Finally, I ran up a steep, steep hill and hit a fork in the road that I knew led back to a residential neighborhood a mile down the path in one direction and downtown Peninsula in the other.

But as I turned around at the top of the hill, wondering which direction to choose, I saw a big old furry animal sloping down the hill. I stopped for a minute to figure out what it was. And I recognized that shape, that fur, that gait—it was a BEAR!

No joke: the bear was totally headed in the opposite direction, but I took off running (the path toward the mile-away residential hood) faster than these stubby little legs have ever moved. And according to my iPod, it was my first ever sub-6-minute mile!

When I reached the neighborhood, I didn’t stop running, but I slowed way down (obviously!) to the 8:41/mile pace I maintained for most of the run. I cut through the streets and hit a main street that led me through Hudson, around Stow and onto a path that had people on it and only much, much smaller animals on it. And much to my surprise, I was able to finish my run pretty comfortably after running for what I considered to be my life.

The only downside is that while I ran 12.07 miles, I had greater distance to go. As I was jogging down the path toward my car (I could see it glinting in the sun a mile away), my knee felt a little tweaky.

Before (in my previous life as a runner… three weeks ago) I would have kept running through the pain and ignored the very signs that tell me something is wrong. Instead I stopped. I walked for a bit and tried to pick it up again, but my knee didn’t feel right. So, I walked the remaining mile. I hydrated and rested for the day, and tried to stay off the knee for a while. And today I feel much better.

Yoga and the Latest in Strength Training

There's been enough complaining about being sick, but I'm still recovering in my training. As I'm looking outside, I'm itching to go running, but I have that latent fear of being found in a snow drift four days after I've collapsed in the middle of mile two. But I'm trying to be sensible.

Because of various reasons (OK, I left my rec. center card in my swimming parka at work and I don't have the code to get into my building), I can't go to the rec. center, so I'm left to my at-home resources and the great outdoors. And that really means I'm left to my at-home resources, which include a stability ball, yoga mat and some free weights.

Although I have been formulating my own weight training plan, there is a number of great resources on the Web for finding the best exercises to isolate your muscle groups. Core strengthening and general muscle development are my foci, but I'm also a big fan of yoga for endurance.

That's right: yoga. I get too much flack from people who claim to be athletes and still shun yoga as an exercise. Probably because they're afraid to try it.

As it turns out, you don't have to sweat profusely as you huff-and-puff your way to exhaustion to get a good workout. Vinyasa (flow) yoga, in particular, gives you a workout that will have you wincing the next morning. Not only does it improve your flexibility and stamina in general, you'll find the extra energy and muscles you never knew you had. Plus it's low-impact and easy on your body when done correctly.

If you're interested in trying Vinyasa yoga, check out this podcast by Pablo Domene Lee, who teaches a "power vinyasa" session that will make you hurt so good. This Vinyasa podcast isn't for beginners (especially because it's all audio and you can't see his movements or follow along if you're not familiar with the lingo), so you might want to take a class or try a yoga DVD at home.

If you're near Kent, the rec. center offers great yoga classes, including an inspiring section of Vinyasa taught by a real guru named Rhonda. She knows her stuff. But if you're anywhere else in the world, I'm sure there is a reputable yoga center nearby. Yoga is one of the longest-lasting exercises in the world, so it has to be doing something right.

Om.