Yoga for Runners

   Last night I took a Yoga for Runners class at one of our local running stores - the Nashville Running Company, or NRC as it is commonly known throughout town. I have to say, our running stores in Nashville are awesome. I generally go to NRC and Fleet Feet in Brentwood. They're both owned and staffed by runners, so everyone there is really helpful and usually has first-hand experience with whatever you're looking at in the store. It's great. They also strive to develop relationships with their communities. Whether it be by sponsoring local races, coaching half-marathon programs or having in-store visits with running celebrities, both NRC and Fleet Feet really try to support local runners.
   Anyway, last night NRC teamed up with Kali Yuga Yoga to host a free 1.5 hour Yoga for Runners class. That's right, I said FREE. As soon as I saw the announcement e-mail from NRC about the class, I immediately signed up. Yoga is one of the things that I KNOW I really need to do for injury prevention, yet it something that I continually put off. So I was hoping that this class might be the little kick in the butt I needed to do more preventive maintenance on ME!
   Class started at 6:30. Being that I'm not a regular yoga participant, I didn't have a yoga mat, but the people from Kali Yuga Yoga brought a few extras. My plan was to get in the back row of the class because 1) I really had no idea what I was going to be doing, and 2) I don't have actual yoga pants, so I was wearing my running capris. I have NO idea how sheer they might be when doing all of those crazy yoga poses and I didn't want to have a lululemon moment and flash the row behind me. (For the record, I LOVE lululemon - I'm totally not hating on them.) But I was at the checkout when people started arriving and missed claiming my back row spot. In fact, I somehow ended up RIGHT in front of the instructor. No pressure. The good news was that I ended up knowing 75% of the other participants in the class, so I apologized ahead of time for any accidental flashing.
   The first thing we did was to sit, close our eyes and relax. How is it that I'm terrible at this? Everyone else was sitting there calmly...just looking so peaceful. And I'm all twitchy and my mind is racing. Example of what's going on in there: "My nose itches. Why does my nose itch. Should have I bought the Newtons? I think I really should have gotten the Newtons. Maybe I'll got get the Newtons after class. Crap, I have to cough...that's not peaceful for anyone. Everyone is going to wondering who the sick girl is and why did she come to yoga? I'm not sick, people! I just have a tickle in my throat! Wait - are we still supposed to have our eyes closed? What if I'm the only one with their eyes still closed...I'd better peek...OK. Everyone still has their eyes closed. I'm good."
   HOW can I be relaxed with that mess going on in my head? Seriously. That's why I run! I'm in too much pain to focus on anything other than running!
   After "relaxing," we moved into more traditional yoga. The moves weren't all that crazy - we were a beginner class so no headstands or any madness like that. Our instructor mainly focused on the basics (Downward Dog, Sun Salutation, Pigeon Pose) and how to do them properly and safely. THANK YOU! That's the kind of information I need. I've never taken a yoga class in a studio. Only a few at the Y and a few at home from "On Demand."  I was never really taught good form, and the last thing I want to do is tear a muscle from doing a pose incorrectly. The good news is that I'm still pretty flexible. I used to be CRAZY flexible from childhood gymnastics and 7+ years of karate. That's gone, unfortunately, but I still did OK. I have a lot to work on though. The main thing that concerned me is when we had to lean back while standing and look up at the ceiling. I kept thinking I was either going to faint or fall over. Neither one would have been pretty.
   Once we went through the poses, it was time to relax again. This time we were laying down on our backs. Again - I sucked. As soon as I laid down, I needed to cough. I don't know if it was anxiety or just having a dry throat or what, but I could not stop coughing. It was bad. Finally, I just had to get up and get a drink of water. After that, I was fine. Weird. I felt so bad about it that I had to apologize to the instructor after class. She just laughed it off.
   Today, I feel fine. Not sore at all, which is nice, and I feel like my piriformis that has been giving me fits is more stretched out. I'd like to figure out a way to incorporate yoga into my workouts on a regular basis. Actually, I NEED to incorporate yoga into my workouts. I'm really concerned that all of the pounding my body is going to take from Ironman training will leave me injured about two weeks before the race. I can't have that!
   If anyone is interested in this class, Kali Yuga Yoga is going to be holding more Yoga for Runners classes at their studio. I only have the experience of this once class, but I enjoyed it. Check it out.