Give Yoga A Shot

Hello Healthy, Happier Bear readers!

I’m Danielle, one of Ashley’s fellow Greatist Ambassadors and I blog over at Live, Run, Grow!  In sticking with the Marathons and Moderation theme I thought I’d talk a little bit today about my recent marathon training and how scaling back a bit on the actual running and incorporating yoga into my training really helped me!

I ran my first marathon a little over a year ago.  Being a relatively new runner at the time (I began running in May of 2011 and the marathon was January 2012) I didn’t know much about running, training or incorporating cross training into my program.  I basically downloaded the recommended training plan, put on some sneakers and ran.

My training went great…up to 16 miles.  That’s when everything would start to fall apart.  As soon as I got over 16 miles it felt like someone was stabbing me in the butt (which I later learned was because of a muscle called the piriformis) and the arches of my feet killed!  Every step I took felt like I was stepping on broken glass.  I even called my husband towards the end of my 20 mile run crying telling him I didn’t think I could do this and I didn’t even want to go to the race, I was in too much pain and I’d rather not go than not finish.

Well, I DID go, and I DID finish.  My feet hurt and I was sore for days, but I knew the second I crossed the finish line that it wasn’t my last marathon.

Fast forward to the fall of 2012, I was beginning to up my training for my second marathon, but this time I was going for the Walt Disney World Goofy Race and a Half Challenge – that is the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday (and just for good measure I threw in the 5k on Friday!).  I was worried about the long runs after what I had experienced last year and especially worried about having to train with back-to-back long runs to be ready to run a half and full back to back.  On top of that I was starting Yoga Teacher Training and the program ran October through December…exactly the timeframe that I’d be doing my marathon training!

I was really concerned about the effect that 3-4 vinyassa yoga classes a week would have on my running…would my legs be too tired? Would they be sore after a hard class?  Would I have the time to fit in the yoga AND my runs??

The beginning of my training was similar to the previous year, but I was still dreading getting up to those 18 and 20 mile runs.  I really mentally prepared myself for them…I knew what was coming and I was ready this time, pain or not I was determined to tackle those runs without any tears this year!

Well, my 18 miler came (following a 9 miler the day before) and around mile 16 I turned my game face on and waited for the pain to come…but it didn’t!  I was amazed, but didn’t want to get too excited, it was probably just a fluke.  A few weeks later I did 10 miles on a Saturday and then headed out for 20 the next day…NO PAIN!  I got to my house at 20 miles, paused for a minute…and then kept going!

As I ran those extra few miles I began to think about my training this time around and realized that I really hadn’t been experiencing the same aches, pains and soreness I had the last time around.  My foam roller wasn’t getting used quite as much (although it still did get a lot of love!), I didn’t carry around a golf ball to roll the arches of my feet on, and my body didn’t need as many rest days after my long runs.  The difference?  All the yoga I had been doing!

I finished the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge a few weeks ago feeling great and not experiencing any soreness at all!

I even stopped and did some pushups with the green army guys at mile 21!

Because of my experience, I am a true believer of the benefits of yoga for runners and love to be able to share them with others now that I am a certified yoga instructor (I even feature yoga poses for runners on my blog!).

When I began running and started doing some research on training I was surprised to learn that stretching was such a controversial topic!  Many believe that stretching before a run can lead to an injury…and I’m sure for a lot of people this is true.  If you don’t stretch often and your muscles are cold and tight it’s easy to push too far and hurt yourself.  But, if done correctly, incorporating yoga into your regular routine can actually stretch and strengthen the major running muscle groups and help to prevent injury!

This past weekend I even took a workshop with Sage Rountree who is an internationally recognized authority on yoga for athletes.  She’s written several great books on the topic and regularly contributes to Yoga Journal and Runner’s World (keep an eye out for a great pre-run routine from her in February’s Runner’s World!).

One of the interesting things I learned from Sage is that a lot of athlete’s have a type A personalities (of course they do, that’s why they’re so competitive!) and it’s hard for them to take a step back from their usual full speed ahead training and do something like yoga, but in the long run (no pun intended!) it’s often that step back that gives your body the time to recover so that you can continue to move forward!

So, that’s my Marathons + Moderation tip for you – give yoga a shot!  You just may be surprised at the results!