07.23.08
“Strength” Training
I must admit, I have been hesitant to post given all the thought-provoking and insightful posts of late. I haven’t had any deep thoughts about running lately. Perhaps this is due to the fact that what started out as a great trajectory of summer training was interrupted by a wedding and then a nasty cold. The recent heat wave certainly didn’t help my motivation to get back at it!
But, on to my thoughts about my new-found love for “strength” training. I started consistenly doing yoga this summer. I have always loved yoga, but it can get pricey and can be intimidating (have you ever seen someone do the Bird of Paradise pose?!). But, I can’t lie — the real precipitant was actually my wedding — who wants to have bad posture in a strapless dress? The strength and flexibility gained beyond that was just going to be icing on the cake.
I’ve discovered that although my legs are strong and my hips relatively open, there are back and shoulder muscles I didn’t know existed. I also realized I have a flexible lower back, which makes it all the more important to have a strong core (I need to find a way to make crunchies fun…). After yoga, I consistently wake up the morning after feeling like pulled taffy, which is much less comfortable to me than being really sore from a hard workout. But, overall I end up feeling stronger, more flexible, more centered.
I’m loving yoga as my “strength” training — and since I hate going to the gym, this is a step in the right direction! Hopefully my finances will allow me to continue my newfound love (second, of course, to running).
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