Run for your life

In the past 3 posts, I have written about my experience with yoga and how it may help runners. Read about it (2), (3)

I wanted to have the opinion of a seasoned athlete, so I road tested yoga with my friend and finisher of the Ironman World Championships in Kona in 2013 and multiple Boston marathon finisher, Enrico Varella, affectionately known in the fraternity as Ironman EV.

For the past 4 weeks, I have been giving Ironman EV yoga classes for beginners. The focus of these classes is the iconic sequence, Surya Namaskar, the sun salutation. There are a number of variations of the Surya Namaskar, I chose to teach Ironman EV the classic hatha version.

The goal is for Ironman EV to master each of the poses in the sequence and to perform them in a fluid movement and to see if there was any improvements in range of motion and flexibility and ultimately improve Ironman EV’s performance in races.

He has rediscovered the spring in his steps after 3 weeks. Empirical measurements will have to wait until races are back on after this COVID19 bump in the road.

The classic hatha surya namaskar is a sequence of 8 poses, each of these performed fluidly, beginning and ending in equal standing pose, or the mountain pose. These 8 poses, works all the major muscles and joints in the body. The arms, the core, the glutes and the legs are all worked. Varying the length of hold, the deepness of the stretch and the cadence, you can fulfil different training objectives. With high cadence, you get a cardio workout, hold. the poses longer, you work on strength and endurance, hold and stretch deeply, you improve muscle elasticity. This is true not only for surya namaskar but for most poses and sequence in yoga. Read more about the Classic Surya Namaskar here.

Running, cycling and swimming, the three components of a triathlon, are all unilateral activities. Some muscles will be overused and others underused, resulting in shortening of some muscles and weakening of some others, resulting in an imbalanced structure. This might result in underperformance and in a worst case scenario injury. Also joints, especially the hips and hip flexors become tight and limits flexibility and range of motion.

Yoga has been proven to improve flexibility, range of motion, muscle strength, muscle elasticity and endurance.

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The first session was tough even for Ironman Kona finishers. I can see that he was struggling to come into certain poses and holding them. With perspiration dripping off his sinewy limbs, Ironman EV powered through the sessions. He reported DOMS. Even a proper Ironman gets DOMS in his virginal yoga session!

The muscles are there, it is about learning to use them in a different way. Engaging them in a proper sequence to come into the poses

Ironman EV

Both Enrico and I, perceived improvement in flexibility, range of motion and balance.

At my fourth session, I felt confident and pliable to revise my poses, and learn new ones. Our conversations focused on how I could ‘lengthen’ my body and stay aligned.

Ironman EV

I have been doing weekly sessions with a teacher, and I am getting more pliable, less hurried, and found new springs in my run steps.

Ironman EV

Initial reactions do point towards yoga having a beneficial effect. Now lets see what the long term practice will bring for Ironman EV.

I am looking for four brave runners or triathletes to join Ironman EV to continue this road test. Contact me here.