As many of you know, I've never been much of a runner. I ran in high school when I played field hockey and softball but I rarely ran outside of that. About two years ago I started hanging out with more runners and slowly got sucked into their world. I started with a 10k last October and, on the eve of heading off to Asia, I registered for a marathon. At…
When my training buddies learn that I teach yoga, they almost always ask me to give them a reason that they should practice. They have heard that yoga could help them improve their sport specific performance, yet no one has actually explained why that should happen. There are many reasons but I'll cover the key elements I generally tell athletes. 1. Improved internal communication Yoga provides a controlled environment, allowing for…
Last week I learned, through the student paper, that JJ is leaving campus this fall. While I only met JJ a few times, I remember thinking that he would make a very good mascot. I love Jack but JJ just has a certain presence that makes you think he was born to be a mascot. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, the administration has decided that the best course of action is to…
Bay Staters love locals who accomplish great things; they also love their sports heroes. The best example of this is Doug Flutie. If you ever want to start a fight in Massachusetts, walk into a bar and tell someone that Doug Flutie was overrated or was too short to make it in the NFL. The subject of Marathon Man, Bill Rodgers, is another figure who is among those folk heroes in…
I will be offering a workshop for endurance athletes on 20 July from 5-7pm at Tranquil Space Arlington (3528 Wilson Blvd Arlington,VA). This workshop will be focused on learning what poses may be beneficial and which are counterproductive at various points in your training cycle. From there we will discuss how to incorporate these modifications into an all levels class so that you can still enjoy your weekly yoga class without…
Heading to Peru, I was particularly concerned about the altitude. The only time I had ever really spent at altitude was a weekend in Denver while I was already sick. I knew that the primary issue at altitude is lack of oxygen and I had been doing a lot of hypoxic training this spring and summer, but I really didn't know how it would translate.While most athletes are familiar with the…
As I wrap up my first stint in the corporate world, I've been doing a lot of meditating on what my next steps are and what I envision my life to be. When I left for the winter, I could feel myself physically rejecting my job. I was getting sick, lethargic yet had trouble sleeping, and gaining weight. As soon as I left, I immediately felt better and lost the weight.…
For those of you who know my love of binding, twisting, and inverted poses, my latest love will surprise you. I've taken to practicing this pose daily, either before practice or just laying in bed: supta virasana.I find that many yoga classes I take focus a lot of the back body: hamstrings, calves, back. Practicing supta virasana, I feel a deep stretch in my quads, hips, abs, and shins; my feet…
Now that I'm back to my regular yoga practice, I have noticed some major changes that I have had to make due to running.1. Replace Warrior One with High LungeI rarely practice warrior one anymore. This used to be a staple of mine; I always practiced it and I always taught long sequences based on it. Since I've started running I've noticed that the torque on my ankle is too much.…
Several of my runner friends recently bought bicycles and are riding more as part of their training. This is the advice I'd offer to anyone getting on a bicycle for the first time in a long time.1. Get on the bikeWaiting until the weather is nicer or you are in better shape is a sure way to never become a better cyclist. Just get out on the bike, even if it…