Yoga for Runners

For this month’s Yoga for Everyone partnership with Monica, the talented yoga instructor and blogger behind The Yogi Movement, we get to focus on legs! As a runner, I do my best to ensure yoga is a regular part of my training. This yoga sequence is a great one to do at home as you can do the longer, entire sequence or even just one or two of the poses. I’ll turn it over to Monica for today’s guest post! See you all tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Monica Stone

When Ashley asked me to write a post about yoga for tired legs, I was excited. Although I’m not a runner, this is something with which I am very familiar. Even though I consider my legs to be strong, they tend to run out of energy pretty quickly. I’ve recently implemented postures in my practice to stretch, strengthen, and overcome the weakness.

The first thing I want to talk about is Sun Salutations. This sequence is the best for waking up the legs. In the image, you would move from left to right on each section. Each posture is a slow and steady breath, and your goal is to match the length of the breath with the movement. Pay attention if your rushing the movement, and then slow it down. Never speed up the breath.

Sun Salutations

This full sequence strengthens the quadriceps and gives the back of the legs an awesome stretch. When you’re in downward dog, make sure you are lifting your hips, and pushing your heels back and down. This will give an amazing stretch to the back of the legs.

When you move into Warrior One (the lunges), don’t be shy about bending the knee. You don’t wan to over extend it, but most people don’t bend it enough. Take time to check it, so that you get a nice, deep hip opening.

Do about five Sun Salutations, and then move onto the standing forward bend.

standing forward fold

This posture is my favorite for overcoming tired legs. If I ever miss a day or two of practice – my legs feel like they’re crying tears of joy! In this image, I’m bringing my stomach all the way to my legs, but if you can’t pull yourself in that much, no worries. Just try to deepen it with every exhale, and bend your knees if you need to. Also, don’t look up and smile! Instead pull the crown of the head towards the ground, and look towards the knees.

The next posture we’re going to move into is Navasana or boat posture. I know this posture looks like you’re using the core, but it does take strength in the legs to make this posture happen. Come into boat, and try your best to not touch your legs, and keep the legs straight. Hold for five deep breaths. When you’re finished, cross the legs and take a breath, but come right back into it. Repeat this five times.

Navasana

We’re going to close with Kapotasana, which is a backbend that comes from the strength in your legs. You’re going to start seated, but bend both of your knees back, and let your feet rest right by your hips. You want to push the top of your foot into the ground so that the heel is facing the sky. It might seem awkward, but just do your best. If you feel any pressure on your knees, then move them further apart from each other until it goes away.

backbend

The next step is to walk yourself back until you’re lying on the ground. This is going to lengthen and stretch your quadriceps. In the image, I’m grabbing my feet, but feel free to lay your hands wherever is comfortable. Stay here for five or more breaths, and move onto the next stage.

Bring your hands my your ears and just lift your head to the ground and look behind you. Don’t let your elbows fall out to the side. This can be pretty intense, but just try. Hold for five breaths.

The very last stage is to push your head off the ground. Go ahead and give it a try, but if you can’t lift off, no problem. Just do your best, and take five breaths.

Once you are done, sit up, and extend the legs out in front of you. Take a forward bend posture for ten breaths to slow the mind and release any pressure in the spine and legs. You’re Done!

I hope you enjoyed this runners’ sequence, and can’t wait until next time!

Check out the other Yoga For Everyone guest posts in this series:

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It’s Getting Real

Two weeks from now we’ll be on the couch, elevating my legs, chugging water, and relaxing like it’s our job.

Until then, we’re hanging out in taper town as much as possible when not doing silly things like an accidental speed workout or a too hard spin class. Other things that occur during taper are freaking out about shoes.

On Thursday night I asked my Facebook marathon running friends for help regarding my shoes. My Brooks Adrenaline 12’s weren’t supporting me this week during my runs leading to shin splints and achy legs. When I referenced Daily Mile I realized that they had over 400 miles on them! Oops! Thanks to lots of feedback and experience from my friends, I headed to the New York Running Company near my work on Friday night after many phone calls. Evidently finding Brooks Adrenaline women’s shoes in size 11 isn’t easy. After 6 no’s, the folks at New York Running Company told me they already had the new style, 13, which I could try on their treadmill.

It was my first time in the store but I was thoroughly impressed. Lately the Jack Rabbit location near me, Union Square, hasn’t left me impressed though I’ll always love their shoe delivery program.

The store was bright and vibrant, even at 7pm. But, the first thing that caught my eye weren’t the shoes but the NIke table greeting me as I entered the front door.

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I love all of these though I really wish the black one that reads 26.2 Mile Block Party was easier to read because it’s such a fun idea! While I didn’t make a purchase last night, I’ll probably be back this week to seal the deal.

The new Brooks Adrenaline 13 are lighter and more form fitting than the 12’s which excites me! They definitely feel more like my old friends the Adrenaline 11 which I wore last year and loved.

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After the shopping adventure, Bo and I relaxed with a week’s worth of DVR and a pasta dinner. This pasta, like miniature sheets of lasagna, from Eataly, was our favorite choice yet.

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This morning at 8am I met my usual running friends, along with the addition of Erica to run the last 10 miles of the New York City Marathon together. Printing out the directions we found online worked out perfectly and we spent the morning heading up 1st Avenue, realizing it’s slight incline isn’t that bad and then running up Fifth Avenue remembering that by the time I hit this long hill last year I was in a haze. Those miles from the Bronx up Fifth Avenue are absolute torture, especially today since we had to run on the cobblestones due to traffic. These were definitely my slowest miles of the 10 and I was longing for music during that final push to Central Park. Overall my pace was right on target, around a 10:30, but I started out fast and ended slow (think 9:15 start, 10:45 end). Pacing isn’t that easy, even when the humidity reminds me way too much of summer training.

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I dashed home and showered quickly because just an hour later I had a 90 minute deep tissue massage with Tim at Equinox 19th street. It was glorious though painful. He spent about 80 of the minutes focusing on my legs and lower back. Due to my mileage increase over the past couple of weeks the issue areas were far different than the last time he kneaded the knots out. I stood up feeling like a new woman and my legs felt the freshest and loosest they’ve felt in over 2 months!

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But, my legs weren’t done being treated and stretched since my next stop was upstairs for the 2nd Yoga for Runners workshop.

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Once again we had awesome turn out for the class, as over 35 people showed up for an hour long class with Sarra Morton. Sarra teachers at multiple Equinox locations in the city and her classes are always packed, especially on the weekends. We spent most of the time doing hip opener work and sun salutations while Sarra explained the benefits of each post to us during the flow. Afterwards, we were able to socialize while enjoying one of SOYJOY’s new bar flavors, as they provided each attendee with a sample of their new flavors: dark chocolate cherry and cranberry. In addition, Zobha clothing, who is one of Sarra’s sponsors, was kind enough to provide each attendee with a 20% off discount card.

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I think it’s safe to say that I left the class thoroughly relaxed and ready for an afternoon nap!

What’d you do today?

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Weekend Round Up

Cheers to an awesome long weekend! This has been the long weekend Bo and I needed. We were able to spend the weekend getting a TON done around the house, spend time with friends and family, spend hours in the kitchen, log multiple workouts, while still getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night! Yup, that’s a pretty great weekend if you ask me! IMG_5077

I still can’t believe we both had today off from work for Columbus Day. I know I have it off due to the fact that my office doesn’t get Good Friday off as a holiday. Oh well, a long weekend in the middle of October and marathon training is much appreciated!

I spent today down in New Jersey visiting my cousin Meredith and her husband Rich. They have an adorable baby girl, Sedona, who is almost 7 months old and gets cuter every time I see her.

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I mean really does life get any cuter than this? I just want to squeeze her cheeks and hold her all day long. I’ll tell you one thing, I wish I was blessed with musical skills. Listening to Meredith sing to her daughter is the most relaxing thing, especially when it’s her own Sedona rendition of Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel. Bless my future children who have to hear my singing voice. Or maybe it’s just a good time to start thinking about voice lessons?

Yesterday meanwhile was a relaxing day of sleeping in, baking, shopping at Eataly, cooking, and catching up with Theodora and Meg who joined us for a holiday weekend four course dinner along with wine and Five Year Engagement.

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Our Fall inspired meal:

  • Fall spinach salad with blue cheese, toasted pecans, poached pears, and a homemade dijon balsamic dressing.

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  • Parmesan lemon Brussels sprouts with browned leaks

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Braised Rabbit served atop Butternut Squash Ravioli

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread

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So delicious!

Luckily, all of this delicious food was right in the middle of a workout filled weekend!

Friday: speedy 3 mile run along the East River with Theodora

Saturday:  TOTAL SWEAT FEST!

  • 12 miles at 10:40 pace with Marcial, my amazing co-worker

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  • TRX Clinic with Reebok NYC and some local Fitfluential ambassadors including Christine, Jill, Kristine, Katelyn, and Alfonso! I’m going to do a more thorough post later in the week including more pictures, moves we learned and a video but it was great to hang out with these awesome fitness rockstars for a quick sweat between my long run and yoga!

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  • Yoga for Runners Workshop with Kristin McGee and Equinox: I can’t say enough amazing things about this event! There were over 30 readers who came out for an hour yoga class at the 19th Street Equinox which stretched our legs in ways we never knew possible. She taught us a few new moves while also adjusting us throughout the session! I’m so excited that there will be another Yoga for Runners workshop offered on October 20th since there was such a great response to this first event! The sign up will be part of tomorrow’s post! The SVELTE protein drinks she supplied at the end of class were a perfect way to refuel after all the day’s activities! So delicious!

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Monday: 5 miles along the East River at a 9:23 pace thanks to the cool weather and fresh legs

Like I said, it was a packed weekend!

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