Yoga and Running

Distance: 2.96mi
Pace: 9:19 min/mi
Location: Treadmill at the clubhouse gym

There are many perks to working at Intel. One of those is the company's emphasis on "work/life balance". Thursday was the Health and Wellness Fair at the Folsom campus and among the day's many seminars was a Yoga and Meditation class. I had taken a couple of yoga classes before but this was the first time I'd seen it coupled with meditation. It makes complete sense, though. Yoga makes you focus on yourself, on your breathing, on your balance and control. All this prepares your mind and your body for meditation. Now I know I'm about two reincarnations away from being a master Yogi myself, but I was able to gather that yoga and meditation requires mindfulness. And so long as we're on the subject of mindfulness, I wondered if yoga can help me be more mindful about running.

So I decided to do a little Google research. As it turns out, yoga really can compliment running, well. What I found was something that my body had known all along but my mind had missed. I never realized how the tens of thousands of steps pounding on pavement, or worse, on concrete, can create some real imbalances for my body. This repetitive motion of lifting my legs and feet off the ground only to thrust it forward a yard or so, forces three to four times my weight of impact on my feet with every step I take. This repetitive motion of fast steps that I love was tightening and shortening my muscle so much that without opposing movements, my skeletal system was out of balance. This of course leads to kneeaches, backaches and sometimes even headaches.

Enter Yoga. Yoga forces me to focus on my body and what is happening to my body; and if I am aware of the impact I'm putting on my body, I'll know where rebalancing is needed after my long runs. As I become more aware of my body, I'll also be better prepared to respond to the messages my body sends to me during my races to prevent injury later on.

Okay, so that's enough of the new age stuff. On to the physical benefits. Yoga is also a great way to cross-train (something I have a lot of trouble with, but more on that later). Practicing yoga helps to balance strength, increase range of motion and coordinate your breath. It remains to be seen how much yoga will play a role in my training but I believe in its benefits. I also feel a whole heck of a lot better after every time I do it.

Namaste.

Credits to "Yoga Journal" and "Running World" for this self discovery session.