Diary of a yogi (who's training for a marathon) Part 2

The lessons I've learned...

After 6 months of training, I now have just 2 weeks left until the marathon. Typically, I have my first cold of the winter and any last minute training has gone out the window! I'm sure these moments are sent to teach us something... So here is what I've learned:

Plan for the unexpected

I have trained and trained and trained, but I didn't factor in that I would get ill right now! Whilst I don't feel confident at all on the surface, deep down I am pretty sure I've done the ground  work. There's very little else I can do now other than go with the flow on the day and give it my best. 

Don't be too hard on yourself

My biggest lesson! I am my own worse critic but this isn't always a good thing. Undermining your self confidence will do you no good when faced with a challenge. Instead remind yourself of all the things you have achieved and acknowledge how far you have already come AND accept the things that are out of your control.

Food is fuel

The revelation of this has changed my relationship with food completely. It is something to enjoy too, but especially during times of extreme physical exertion it is your fuel. You wouldn't drive a car with an empty petrol tank and expect it to get you home? So for the next 2 weeks I am fueling up, hoping this tank will get me to the finish line.

PMA

A positive mental attitude is like stoke to the fire your food gives you. However with out it the fire is likely to smoulder and die! I've had plenty of moments when I've thought 'I can't do this' but somehow a little voice has whispered 'go for it'. 

Support

Never under estimate how important support is, with everything in life! There have been times when I've been fiercely independent taking help from no one. Whilst those moments gave me inner confidence that I can go it alone, the support that people give you is equally as strengthening. Without the encouragement of my training buddy, best friend and partner I would never have finished those hideous head-wind training runs! 

So now I need to take these lessons and use them....

Diary of a yogi (who's training for a marathon) Part 1 - Finding Yoga in Running

Finding Yoga in Running! 

A few months ago I decided, with my partner, to enter the Brighton Marathon. I enjoy running because it gets me outside feeling nature against my skin. However, without a goal it's easy to find another excuse not to go for a run, spending far too much time on work instead. Committing to something like a race or event means there is no option really, train... or get injured! 

The flip side of this is that when you have a scheduled long run and it's howling headwinds outside your have to go! That's what happened this weekend, and that's how I found my yoga in running.... 

I've run a half marathon (in fact I've run a few now thanks to my training), done 2 Tough Mudders and trekked at altitude for days, but nothing was quite like the 29km run in headwinds and rain. That sounds far removed from the nurturing, warm yoga studio, however it opened my eyes to how the two cross over (I had a lot of time to think whilst plodding along!) 

Breathing: Without proper breathing running is impossible. Being able to slow down and control the breath is fundamental to running, especially in challenging long distances.

Balance: Putting one foot in front of the other sounds easy! Add some wind, slippy mud and rain and it's a whole different story. Being able to access your core and find strength in that allows you to adjust when you wobble... a fundamental part of life, not just running. 

Focus: Setting your sites and then moving, at a pace that suits you, towards that. If you have no focus you are just running aimlessly with no knowledge of when that is going to end or what the point is, which can be demoralising. Focus also allows you to see past temporary discomfort like wind if you have a bigger picture in mind. 

Awareness: Listening to your body is fundamental to preventing injury. Developing proprioception is a benefit of yoga, but also really being able to hear your body, feel any discomfort and know when the barrier is in your mind or your body. Pushing through physical pain will only cause injury and set you back, so awareness of this is key.

Kindness (Ahimsa): My favourite! Being kind to yourself and your body is fundamental to everything in life, in my opinion. By all means challenge yourself, put yourself in situations you didn't think you could handle and surprise yourself by succeeding! But do this with kindness not aggression. Be aware of how your body feels, notice any discomfort or pain and know when to hold back... and when to push forward. 

And how do we prevent aches, pains, and 'DOMS'? We practice yoga, of course! Regularly stretching out the muscles helps to maintain length and avoid tightness and injury. So, yoga and running marathons really do go hand in hand! 

Some people may think that running a marathon is a stupid idea- it puts stress on your joints, takes up lots of time and can result in injury. However, completing something you didn't think you could do is empowering and strengthening. Challenging ourselves, even in little playful ways, allows us to see that we are more capable than we think...