In The Home, Stretch
Last night I was planning to do a few mile repeats at my marathon goal pace, but my legs felt like going faster so I went with it. I crushed those miles, running over a minute faster than planned! It felt incredible to push my body hard and realize I didn’t lose any speed over the past few flu-induced easy weeks. But my legs were a little stiff this morning, so I spent some time stretching on my living room floor.
Experts still can’t agree on whether or not stretching reduces a runner’s risk of injury, and no one can give me a straight answer on when to do it—before a run or after? But it feels good and I like to incorporate it into my routine on mornings when I’m not doing cardio. I prefer active stretching, using a yoga flow technique that keeps my muscles moving—as opposed to just reaching and holding, which can lead to cramps. A couple of sun salutations and a pigeon pose or two really works out the tightness in my quads, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors.
For those of you who read yesterday’s postand are now wondering if I wear underwear when I stretch at home: Yes, I do. But that’s all I have on. Yoga is about moving freely, and clothes just get in the way. ;)
Countdown to the Boston Marathon: 10 days!
What are your favorite stretches? Have you ever tried yoga?
One Response to “In The Home, Stretch”
[...] I’ve talked about yoga before, but I’m certainly guilty of skimping on the stretching—I mean, who hasn’t heard me whine about my hip flexor? So it’s time to do something about it. I’m heading out now to tackle a few miles in the park (running again feels so good!), and before I go I’m rolling out my yoga mat. This way it’s ready for a quick toe-touching session when I get back! [...]