Namaste: Yoga for Runners

Today's Workout: yoga video, stretching, lower body strengthening

I will be the first to admit that I am as flexible as a pencil. My body is just tight all-around, which probably helped lead to my recent injury. Ugh, that sucks to admit. So since I can't run for a while (2 weeks, 6 days and counting..) I've made it my personal mission to become more flexible so something like this injury doesn't happen again.

Step one of my mission: try to do yoga at least 4 times a week.

I've never really done yoga before even though pretty much everyone I know does it and tries to talk me into going to classes with them. My problem is that I just really like sweating and moving alot when I exercise. Yoga requires me to pull myself back and go super slow in the workout. For me, this is incredibly difficult which is probably why I was never thrilled with yoga. But I think its time I gave it a chance, for my body's sake. I want to be like a rubber band, not a pencil. Yes, another school-supplies reference.

I'm trying to be like the girl in the pink rather than the girl in the blue. Although I could go for a drink right about now...

I did some online searches for yoga videos for runners. I hope that by following a video geared towards runners, it will help open up my hips, stretch all the important leg muscles, and improve my balance which also is pretty pathetic. During googling, I found two pretty good videos that I tried today. While I wasn't amazing at them by any means (and I realized just how inflexible I really am), I seriously felt the stretches and think it will help me out for the future. Also I realized while doing all the warrior poses and lunges that my quads aren't as strong as I thought they were. Whats up with that? Anyone else notice that, too? I guess running doesn't necessarily make the quads stronger, it just makes them look like they are.

These are the two videos I tried out:

 Yoga for runners: 25 min

Yoga for Runners: Injury Prevention

I'll definitely try to keep up with these two videos and see if I can get any better at them. Honestly I think I can only get better at these anyway since I pretty much stink at the moment. Imagine the worst person you've ever seen doing yoga and I bet I'm at least twice as bad as them. Yup. But other than yoga, I've been foam rolling the heck of of my IT Band and doing any stretch that I can find for it. I'm also working on strengthening my glutes, quads, and abductor muscles. I've read that all of this helps with recovery for this injury for anyone else interested. Claire@ Let's Go on A Living Spree also suggested ice baths, which I may try out tonight. Thanks Claire!

Since I am still on spring break this week, I also spent a good chunk of today catching up on the TV shows that I missed the past few days. I know I should have done something more productive like read or make something, but I like TV. I'll admit it. The two main shows I watched today were the newest Glee episode (Fox) and Hart of Dixie (CW11).

Glee seems like its dragging a little bit to me but I'm hoping the season will improve. Also, they keep picking on certain characters. I mean how much more crappy things can happen to Quinn? Leave the girl alone already! Hart of Dixie is also a cool show that is slowly creeping to the top of my favorites list. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. Seriously! NYC doctor goes to the South, yeah its one of those shows. Plus Rachel Bilson is the main actress and shes pretty cool.

Such a cute show.

Do you use any yoga videos for runners? If you do, post it below!

What TV shows are currently on your rotation?

Scottish Swag

Today's Workout: stretching & foam rolling all day long

Today I had to trek it up to 89th street to the NYRR office to pick up my stuff for this Saturday's Scotland Run 10K. In all honesty, I probably shouldn't be running this race because of my IT Band, but I have been looking forward to it for so long ( I signed up the day it opened!) that I can't bring myself to skip it. My goal is to run it nice and easy and hopefully I won't have too much pain (crossing my fingers). To prep myself, I'm foam rolling like I've never foam rolled before and icing on and off all day long. Super fun. Add some American Idol results into the mix and its a party! Really though, I really just wish I could just cut the IT Band out of my leg as a quick fix... damn human anatomy.

I hate you IT Band.

So today when I picked up my gear I noticed it wasn't the usual NYRR t-shirt and race bib only. There was an actual "swag bag", which I wasn't expecting at all for a smaller race. Since its a Scotland-themed event, all the items in the bag were based on... you guessed it: Scotland. Even the shirt was cuter than usual. Very nice, NYRR, very nice.

My swag.

I wish I had bought a cute Scottish hat or something when I was over in Edinburgh last May with my sister Jen. I would have had something authentic! But no, I was too cheap that day. I did, however, eat haggis at the insistence of my sister. If you don't know what that is, look here for a description. Thankfully I didn't read that before I ate it, although my haggis looked more like meatloaf than the one on Wiki. Thanks Jen for encouraging me to eat that (it actually did taste good!).

 Yep, that's haggis.

I love me some bagpipes.

On a separate note, I finally watched the makeover episode of the Biggest Loser. Those are my favorite types of episodes because they are so emotional and inspiring! I will say that I teared up like a 2 year old little girl at certain points during the show, but I'm always the first to admit that I can be over-emotional and a wee bit of a crier.

But I really love to see people get rewarded for hard work. And when I complain about those measly 5 pounds I need to lose, I just think of these contestants and how much they worked their assess off to change their lives. I mean imagine how much work it is to lose almost 100 pounds?!! What is my lazy ass complaining about? I mean, isn't this amazing....

Look at that bod! Go Kim!


Have you ever been to Scotland or tried haggis?
What shows inspire you (or get you a little teary eyed.. admit it!!)?

Running with Penny and Sheldon...

Today's Workout: 3.6 mile run with speed intervals

...Not literally, of course. I totally wish. I'd actually love to see what Sheldon would look like running. Not Jim Parsons, but the actual character. I imagine it would look something like Pheobe from Friends running. I know you've seen that episode!

Really though I just watched them on TV while I ran on the treadmill today... like a hamster on a wheel. It was dark already when I decided to run after school and since I have big problems with running outside in the dark... treadmill it was. Not a bad run actually, especially since my knee was acting up a bit after my run on Saturday. Felt good today, thankfully. Or it could have been having the shenanigans of this show keeping me motivated and entertained....

What do you do when you run on the treadmill? Music? TV?

I added in some speed intervals (6x400 at 5K pace) into my workout today. Now that I've finished my first half and am no longer following a super strict training schedule (Mr. Hal Hidgon's plan), I think its time to work on improving my speed and try to get some PRs. I am running the Scotland Run10K on April 7 and am hoping to improve my 10K time in that race.

Also I want to wear a kilt in the spirit of Scotland but have no idea how to sew and don't know where to get one since its not Halloween. Any ideas? I really want to pretend like I'm Scottish. Ive had haggis, I know the deal. I am Irish though, isn't that close enough?! (kidding!)

Anyway, speed workouts will be added into my workouts a lot more often in the next few weeks and months. They are  fun and mix up the monotony of the dreadmill. I also think I deserve to move up a bib color, NYRR, and want to prove that to you!

Speaking of NYRR, today the registration for Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 19th opened. I signed up because I've heard its a great race. My friend Jessica also signed up for it so I'll have some company for this race! This will be nice since my company for the NYC Half was my iPod and the 10 seconds I saw Karl in Times Square. So amazingly the BK Half is nearing capacity though even though it's only been open for 9 hours or so. Incredible! Glad to see running is becoming more and more popular though and love that people want to be healthy :) Spread the love, runners!