Because of the position that runner’s and cyclists put their bodies in day after day- flexing forward- It is imperative that we teach our bodies to go the other direction. That is by having flexible hips. The pidgeon pose is ONE of the BEST ways to stretch and strengthen the hips. The objective of any and all stretches to PREVENT injury. Me especially! In fact, I can barely do this pose. Need all the props just to get me in the right position. (Note: use the blocks to help you! I’m such a tough a** that I always refuse them even though I can’t do the POSE!) This is why I decided to include this video in today’s post. There are about 25 ways to modify this pose so that each and every person has a unique place to be in the pose.
Here are some very precise directions on how to modify the pidgeon pose in Yoga to increase the suppleness and flexibility of the hips.
If you have a favorite way to stretch your hips, please post a comment! If you are a non - stretcher, admit it! Your body needs it.
I love to meet, see, or find new products that are exactly what I need in my athletic life and I’m assuming YOURS too! Last weekend, I was worried about being hungry on my long run, so I carried an extra gel in my jog bra. Right next to my skin. Of course, I didn’t need it and ended up carrying it home in my hand. This was after it had chaffed my skin so bad that it left train tracks on my chest. Lovely.
In comes, Gracie’s Gear! I’m so excited about these bras, that I was just jumping for joy. Perfectly held my boobs in place but had a large pocket in the front to hold a gel, an IPOD or even a blackberry, if necessary. There is a long bra top and a short bra top both have pockets in them called the Power Pouch. The Power Pouch has three compartments within the one pocket that sits outside the actual bra for all of your workout necessities. The long bra top is also awesome because of the length. It’s long enough to cover any assets you might have or NOT and still cover the waistbands of your shorts, running skirt or running knickers. These are awesome, readers. Why didn’t I think of this? Also, for a jog bra, they are only $38 which I think is reasonable when you consider the cost of a name brand bra will run you $50!
Gracie herself is an incredibly driven, motivated successful business owner and running coach. I’m thrilled that she had the time to answer my questions.
I had a passion to reach as many women as possible through my knowledge in exercise and my functional gear. I believe that when you find your passion you can empower others and be successful.
Yes….when I first launched Gracie’s gear, my father was diagnosed with cancer, we lost my uncle and his son of cancer, and I found out I was pregnant. Working at Duke as their Fitness Manager to over 30,000 employees, I traveled the country on my vacation time (preggos) and sold my gear….after Daylin was born I decided that it was time to focus on the company and stay home with Daylin, At 17 months she has traveled to 20 states…Can you believe?? Hilarious! She is amazing.
The question is, where do I find the time to run?? Well, I have competed in 2 marathons since Day with training only 2-3 days a week. The other days I will strength train with my body weight and walk. I truly believe when it comes to running, it is quality and not quantity. With a proper 3 day a week training program, busy moms can be successful in running. I will start training for Boston in December so right now I focus my efforts on others…new runners to those trying to qualify for Boston. I bring Daylin to most of my training runs or coaching sessions. That is always my agreement with my clients…my daughter may join us She is a great distraction. The secret to that is running or walking with your child at an early age and they will learn that this is part of the day.
I don’t participate in other sports right now because of my schedule…we travel 2 weeks out of every month…my husband comes when he can and my mom travels most of the time with us.
My advice on race day….if you have done all the work to prepare, the race should be successful as long as you put forth 100%! Unfortunately 100% may be harder on some days than others. Every race is a learning experience and always write down how you felt, etc…so you can look back and see what might have caused the bad race or the good race. This will help prepare for next time!
JUST FOR YOU:
One wonderful reader will win a jog bra of their choice from Gracie’s Gear and Training! Simply post a comment about what YOU USE TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF to exercise or WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF when you’re running (or working out) and you will be entered to win. A winner will be chosen at Random on August 29th at 9PST.
Today was a practice test. The goal was to go out and do everything like we will on marathon day- including pace, fueling and fitness levels. Overall, we both are right on with our pace schedule. Our average for the first 9-11 miles was under 8, then, our pace came down a bit (mine was 840 avg). In the previous post, you can see that hill at the end which was pretty nasty and although we didn’t walk- it was a SLOG! Bobbi finished in 1:45 and I finished in 1:50.
Honestly, I am a bit disappointed in my time. My stomach was cramping for the entire 13.2 miles and there were several times in the race when I just wanted to puke. Bottom line, I still need to figure out a better way to carry my drink of choice and hydrate properly before and during the race. Started taking water at mile 10 and COULDN’T get enough. Felt like I could drink a gallon or more at each opportunity. Also, when you tell 7750 runners to get to the bus stop no later than 530 AM, 7000 runners will show up at 530!! This was very problematic as it was a one lane road to the parking area. In the end it took us 3 times as long as we planned to actually get to the starting line. We had five minutes from the time we jumped off the bus to the actual start time. Thank God for timing chips- this gave at least gave us a window of time.
The good news is that my legs and lungs felt strong. No major knee or hamstring pains or cramps. Got to met Heather Langendorfer, founder of Atalanta Athleticwear at the expo and she’s really nice! Very cool to actually meet the woman behind one of my favorite running skirts! The race day shirt is improving. It had a nice color and graphics but they still don’t fit us. If I could cut the sleeves off, make the shirt cut to fit a woman’s body, and cut off 4-6 inches off the bottom, I would be thrilled. Then I would have a perfect race day shirt.
Again, this was a test and I am glad I have two more months to train for the full marathon. I am just more determined to get stronger. Eat cleaner, gain a few more pounds of muscle, and grab a full 8 hours of sleep on the night before…trying to get it right.
This post is for Formerly Fat Matt on my Twitter Weightloss Team. He is currently able to run 6 miles on a treadmill and spin for an hour at time but has never really ran outdoors. He’s lost more than 65 pounds this past summer and is planning on running his first 5km in September. So, my opinion is he needs to start fine tuning his workouts to increase his SPEED. Pickups are gradual increases in speed that should be sprinkled throughout your easy run days. These are not sprints- just a gradual increase for a short amount of time.
Here is a plan I found on Runner’s World. I’ve modified the heck out of it. Didn’t like the intervals for this plan. 800’s are horrible. (We are 8 weeks into our marathon plan and just had to do our first set of 800’s this week! I’d also like to see if he could do some riding outside on your mountain bike for some good cross training. A bike trailer would be an awesome addition to your garage collection. We have two- one for each kid! Make sure to include quality stretching possibly as seen on YogaToday (they have an athletes session and it’s all free) just watch on your computer.
Some great resources on running to check out would be:
My very first bike race ever, I raced against Pamela Schuster. She was a Category 1 bike racer competing at the top level of her sport. At the time, I was totally FREAKED out by this me- being the rookie who had never raced USCF- racing against a pro in the same race! This was 1995. She is still racing at the TOP level today. I just saw her out racing the other day. Her son just pedaled around on his own bike as she warmed up. She wins, too! Jennie Longo a longtime experienced cyclist who’s been competing at the top level since the early 80’s (a very FIERCE competitor) is still racing. Joan Benoit Samuelson, Dara Torres, and many many more are still competing at the top level and beating women half their age. I admire all women athletes that are pursuing their passion to the best of their ability. But, I’m curious about you…
We know how I love running races, cycling events and triathlons. Seriously competitive to my last breath. You all know this! I go for broke when I pin on a number. It’s just IN ME. What is THAT thing in me, in YOU, that makes us so fierce on the court- on a run, on a track, in any body building competition? What the difference between me and some of you that just enjoy being FIT and healthy? Or are we the same- pursuing our passion - whether you compete or not? Is it a pursuit of the challenge? Is it about your own performance and bettering it? Is it just plain fun?
She is a great distraction. The secret to that is running or walking with your child at an early age and they will learn that this is part of the day.
