Returning to your breath (yoga for runners, part 2)

I've been doing yoga for 10 years, give or take. That seems like a long time, but it's still more of a sidebar to the activity that best defines me: running. If I wasn't a runner, yoga might be something I had more time for. But I love it anyway, even while it stays a casual thing.

Because I am a runner first and foremost, I look for the benefits that yoga brings to running. And now, I am trying to bring those benefits to the kids I coach at Albany High School. We started talking about how yoga is beneficial last summer when they were still sussing out their new--thoroughly pregnant--assistant coach. I couldn't really run with them. But, I could somehow still attempt to demonstrate some yoga positions that I use as part of my stretching routine. Throughout the season they'd ask for a yoga day. Post season and post baby, I can finally lead a weekly yoga session with a bit more, um, flexibility.

At the first session I introduced how runners benefit from doing yoga in the following ways:

1) Mindset
Learning how to deliberately quiet your mind, then focus your awareness on your physical state, is a pretty powerful exercise. Yoga teaches you how to zero in on specific parts of your body; how to ascertain what you are capable of and stretch your limits. It teaches you how powerful thought is when you are trying to accomplish a physical task. How cool is it to bring this to running, a sport that people call 70% mental?

2) Breathing
Yoga is all about breathing. So is running, really, but unlike in yoga, we don't spend the first 5 minutes of our workouts, exercising our lungs in different ways, getting our breathing right, before we get to the main event. How then are we supposed to know what our breath should be like when running? Paying attention to your breath in yoga can help you be more aware of using your breath in running, too. When you are struggling during a run, think about and practice controlled breathing. Deeper, longer breaths give your muscles more of the oxygen they need. Plus, yoga helps you develop "belly breathing" rather than "chest breathing", which is more effective for getting the oxygen you need. Runners World shares some good tips on breathing right while running.

3) Flexibility
Runners are notoriously not flexible (as opposed to inflexible, but some of the type A personalities I know may be that too). They can see stretching as a pain and just one more thing keeping them from their post workout brunch or beer. Developing flexibility through yoga, in a dedicated session, can help improve your range of motion and protect against potential injuries. Maybe you'll pay more attention post-run, too.

Coaching yoga, I'm learning a few things myself. Coaching running is completely different from teaching yoga. Running in the most basic sense is more or less intuitive; some even say we were born to run. Most people still can use help with good running form and workout components such as proper warm up or recovery. But much of it simply adjusts how we do what we do every day: put one foot in front of the other. Yoga on the other hand, involves complicated physical contortions, poses with names that are funky in English and hard to learn in Sanskrit. Plus, I am by no means an expert yogi. I can demonstrate poses and even describe some of what it takes to do them properly, but I know my downward dog needs to be more inverted and there are surely plenty of other things I'm missing. I'm being more thoughtful and deliberate about how I teach them yoga--and in the process, evaluating how I coach running, too.

Yoga for runners

I've been working on a post about what runners can get out of yoga--lo and behold, my running friend Kelly beat me to it! The workshop she took in San Francisco sounds awesome, and I'm looking forward to more from her irunlikeagirl blog. Check it out, it's new! Sounds like irunlikeagirl, the running lifestyle/fashion company she's managing director for, also has some new things in store, so I'd bookmark that one.

This Wednesday I coach my second yoga workout for my high school runners. I'll report back how it goes.

Stuck on the treadmill? Make the best of it

I don't like spending time in the gym, and especially avoid treadmills (the only time I enjoyed myself on a treadmill was when I did this, as seen below. Bit of a different story.) Unfortunately, sometimes when we run, it just isn't possible to go outside. Here are a few things to remember when you're stuck on the treadmill.

1. Pretend the treadmill isn't there. It's easy to hop on, press a few buttons so the machine tells you what to do, and check out. Unfortunately this can result in sloppy running, and potentially injuries down the road. Avoid using the handrails except when starting and stopping, and don't lean on the control panel.
2. You still need to warm up and cool down! Build that extra time in when you're planning your workout.
3. Don't overstride. Since the belt is pulling "the ground" away from under you, the impulse can be to run faster/longer to keep from falling off. Pay attention to maintaining your natural running gait, and have your feet land under your body instead of in front or behind. You will also be less likely to overstride if you don't make the pace and incline settings too challenging.
4. Need entertainment? Try music or at least tv instead of reading. Paying too much attention to something else will interfere with how well you can focus on your workout, and can negatively impact your form (making you more susceptible to injury.)
5. Change up the incline and pace. It's tempting to set a steep incline for the entire run when you want a challenge, but switching it up more effectively works your muscles. Variety also better simulates reality--5 mile-long hills are hard to find. As for changing pace, treadmill runs are a good time to do intervals, since you know exactly how fast you are running.
6. Play the "how far have I gone?" game. Not the most exciting of games, but anything helps, right? Determine a period of time (say, 4 minutes) during which you don't allow yourself to look at the distance readout on your screen. Guess how far you will run during that time. It of course helps if you don't have the speed readout set to mph/kph! This is a great distraction if you're bored, and an opportunity to develop your internal sense of pacing--a skill you can take outside.

Add to this list by doing whatever it takes to keep these runs fun for you. Things I've recently tried include using my 2-month-old as workout buddy (he's on the play mat, I'm on the treadmill, we see how long he lasts. We're up to 15 minutes.) I've also dabbled in socks-only running to get some of the barefoot benefits. Which reminds me--if you're at home, you can wear whatever you want for your run and no one will bat an eye. Promise.

My motivation

After writing about how to make running resolutions that stick, I still needed to work out my own. Public commitment to resolutions is yet another way to make them happen, so here's my big one for 2013: running the Chicago Marathon in October. I'm a Chicago native and ran the race twice while living there, so it'll be a return to familiar territory. It's also a return to marathon training after not attacking that distance for a few years.

First race back, with baby Alex!

Why now? My son was born this past October; his dad (David) and I feel that having the marathon as a shared goal the first year of his life is important to us as runners, parents and partners. Running is a big part of both of our lives, and of our relationship--it's how we met. We're convinced that prioritizing running will keep us happy and healthy, and make it possible to take better care of our family. In these early weeks, I'm learning that supporting each other in our training means practically pushing each other out the door to make sure running happens. So far, it both works and is completely worth it.

My #1 fan and motivator

So, David is my #1 motivator, but not the only one. Who else keeps me on track? The runners I coach, for starters. Today on a walk I saw two of the high school runners I assistant coach; both reported on how their off-season running is going before I even asked. For these kids, I imagine I fill a particular role--a coach can be a sort of external "running conscience". Beyond helping them come up with how to train, I keep them on the hook. When you're filling that role for others, you better not cut yourself too much slack.

I'm surrounded by countless other folks who keep me impressed with their running endeavors. Like Noe C.'s ultra running, or Sarah G.'s taking up cross country (always with a smile on her face!) My running community is pretty amazing, and paying attention to other's efforts makes it more likely that I'll meet my own goals. Last summer I also started reading this blog as I figured out whether and how I could run while pregnant. "Hungry runner girl" Janae has been a big source of inspiration, and I can only hope that my training as a new mom can approach what hers looks like so far.

Making sticky resolutions

Runners love making commitments to themselves about getting better—better form, better training, better diet, better times. But just like everyone else making resolutions for the new year, it’s easy for runners to overcommit, making for disappointment later in the year when we can’t quite meet our ambitious January goals. Here are some tips on how to rein ourselves in, stay realistic, and be successful new-and-improved runners in 2013.

Think positive.

It is easier to add something good to our lives than take away something negative. For example, if you want to have healthier eating, committing to 3 servings of fresh veggies a day can be easier than saying you’ll stop eating French fries. The fresh veggies will naturally displace things like fries, and you don’t feel like you’re “slipping” if you do eat something you want to limit. With running, think about, say,  adding proper warmup/cooldown to your workouts, rather than not running if you are injured (hopefully, you will avoid injury in the first place.)

Set goals.

This may sound obvious, but what it really means is that goals need to be namable and tangible. Having something solid to work toward keeps us motivated against the often monotonous day-to-day of running. Your efforts will feel much more meaningful when there is an end state to imagine and anticipate.

Prioritize.

Even when we see many areas for improvement, it simply isn’t possible to address everything at once. You’ll be disappointed if you take on too much, and more likely to give up. What’s really important to you—this year? Make an exhaustive list of everything you’d like to change or accomplish. Then, pick only the most important. One major goal for a year can be combined with mini goals that will support it. For example, set a PR goal for a major race toward the end of the year, and pick training approaches to focus on each quarter, such as introducing speed work or improving form.

Be specific.

As runners, we’re lucky to have easily measurable performance goals based on time. But it’s important to have specific, measurable goals across the board. That means “I will start doing speed work” doesn’t cut it. Instead, try “I will do a speed session at the track once a week”. Hint: reading up on speed work, having a coach, and/or following a specific training program can help with goals. Check out Hal Higdon and McMillan Running for ideas.

Don’t go it alone.

Running can be a solitary sport, and that is often why we were drawn to it in the first place. It creates opportunities for personal reflection and enjoyment, and doesn’t require anyone or anything much to partake. However, the more you focus on improving your running, the more important it is to have support from others. If you know your running partner is waiting, you’ll be much more likely to head out at 5:30 am in the dark and cold. Running with a group can accrue even more benefits—camaraderie, along with advice and encouragement based on a broad range of running experience and philosophies. Just be prepared to learn a lot about people’s shoe and recovery beverage choices!

Be consistent.

A regular training calendar helps us get out the door and get that workout in, even when we might not want to. If Tuesday means track, you need to go to the track! The calendar is a demanding mistress—and a comforting, familiar one, of course. This is where specific set times to run workouts with others helps, as well.

Change it up.

While consistency week to week ensures we run, an unchanging march of the same workouts will bore us to death. Try heading out a different direction for your neighborhood easy runs. Schedule a weekly trail run, but explore different trails each time. Swap out speed sessions at the track with fartlek running or hill workouts. Remember that running is supposed to be fun, and enjoy yourself!

From Kezar Stadium to the web

Hi Accelerate runners! Those of you who have come out to Kezar for workouts with our group know that we are on a bit of a hiatus, due to babies and such. We promise to keep you posted on when and how weekly track workouts will start up again. In the meantime, you can of course check out the Tuesday night speed workouts with Pamakid Coach Andy Chan. We do recommend that you have some experience running if you join these workouts. There are plenty of speedsters there but all runners are welcome.
As for Accelerate, we're going to have more of an online presence for now. Watch this space for training tips, ideas for races/running in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the like.