My belief that everyone can benefit from yoga is continually confirmed by the runners who regularly attend my morning yoga classes. They first come in with tight hamstrings, sore knees and stiff hips, unable to touch their toes. While some knees are still sore for these dedicated runners, after a few months I see visible improvement in their flexibility, balance and strength. I've asked one of these runners, Kathy Martin, to share her yoga experience.
Kathy, who resides in Northport, Long Island, has been running for almost thirty years. She consistently wins races in her age group, often beating the time of runners much younger than she. Her prowess on the track earned her the 2008 USA Track & Field Runner of the Year title in her age group (55-59). She also holds a very impressive number of American records in the 50-54 year age division: those for the mile, and the 1,500, 3,000 and 10,000 meter.
YSL: What made you decide to take up yoga?
KM: I took up yoga to improve my flexibility, which I knew would help my running form and speed. I cannot believe the difference it has made in how I feel overall. I walk taller and feel stronger. My hips are a work in progress in terms of opening them up and loosening them up. I was one of the people who could not touch my toes and now I can, with no effort, not only touch my toes, but put my hands under my feet.
YSL: Would you say that yoga is a regular part of your training regimen?
KM: Yoga is definitely a regular part of my training. I go twice a week-early in the week and later in the week-which helps me maintain flexibility. I am more diligent about stretching now as a result. Before it hurt to stretch. Now it feels good.
YSL: Are there yoga postures you find particularly helpful for your running?
KM: Anything that opens up the hips. I do not like the wall poses but know how beneficial they are, for example the pose where you face the wall and reach back to your heels and then lean into the stretch. I love the back lengthening poses.
YSL: That pose you are referring to, ustrasana or camel pose, is good for the hip flexors, stretching the quads and opening the chest and back. Most people use it to prepare for back bending, but you feel it mostly in your hips?
KM: I do find the camel pose good for the hips. Mine are so tight, anything probably helps. Pigeon pose is also a favorite. When I first did pigeon pose, I said there was no way I would ever be able to do it comfortably and now I love it.
YSL: Is there something about running and yoga that you find similar?
KM: I think yoga clears your head and mind. With a clear head, you can focus on the task much more. I think the increased level of strength and flexibility allows me to love running more and to push it harder.
YSL: What do you mean, specifically, by "increased strength?" How was yoga made you stronger?
KM: Yoga has made me stronger in that I run more erect and am aware of running upright as opposed to forward and slightly toward the ground. Watch runners and you'll find a lot of them run that way. I try to think of having a string attached to the top of my head keeping me upright, especially when I'm running up hills.
YSL: For you, what's the best thing about running?
KM: I love the forward movement, the freedom. I do my best thinking and crock-potting when I am running. It clears my head and gives me a great start to the day.
YSL: Wait. You mean you cook while you're running?
KM: Crock-potting is when you mull things over, ponder, and come to a conclusion slowly. Like when you cook in a crock-pot as opposed to a microwave where it is done quickly!
YSL: What do you like best about yoga?
KM: I love the way I feel when I leave the class: stress free and moving freely.
YSL: What advice would you give someone who wants to start running?
KM: Get good shoes. Go to a running store that specializes in all brands. Get proper fitting for how you run, what distance you want to run. Do not increase your miles too quickly. Have fun. It should not be a chore or a job. I think running keeps the child in all of us alive.
YSL: Yoga does that for me, since I don't run. (That would be way too much work!)
Yvonne Suzuki Licopoli is a registered yoga instructor who teaches in Northport, NY.
No comments:
Post a Comment