JyOGa

Around the time I decided to try my hand (feet?) at running, I also found yoga. I find the two activities really complement each other well. Yin and yang, I guess.

One obvious benefit to practicing yoga while training for a race is the stretching. In addition to the usual 5-10 minute stretch immediately following a run, 60-90 minutes of yoga a few times a week really serves to lengthen the muscles and brings them more oxygen to help with recovery. I rarely feel muscle fatigue or stiffness following long or intense run - a definite bonus.

Another clear connection is with regard to breathing. Yoga IS breathing. And running (among other things) is a whole lot easier when you breathe – go figure. Conscious control of your breath (through yoga) soon leads to more efficient unconscious breathing (helpful when running).

Lately, in an effort to improve my form, I’ve been trying to focus on bringing other elements of my yoga practice into my running. One “trick” that I find particularly helpful is to use a yoga mudra (hand gesture) while I run. I bring the tip of each index finger to meet the tip of each thumb to form a circle (the other 3 fingers remain loosely extended) and turn my palms slightly upward. This encourages my shoulders to release down my back and opens my chest, thus keeps me running with a taller more relaxed frame. It also prevents me from clenching my hands into fists… instead of wasting energy by clenching, I re-circulate that energy through the finger-tip circle.

With two weeks to go, I’m using every trick I can to make it across that finish line injury-free. Stretching, breathing, improved form, and energy conservation all seem like good “tricks” to achieve this goal. So far so good.