Marathon training week 11: Stay on

The beginning of the end. The taper. The final countdown. How did the week shake out?

Monday: I woke up from my sister trip with a 12 miler on the plan and some really tired legs. We walked and we walked all over Seattle, and I think it all caught up with me on Monday. Couple that with a very warm, humid day and I paid dearly. I fought for every step of the one, and I was seriously doubting myself. Luckily, I talked myself off the cliff (with help from my friends) and the rest of the week was uneventful. But this is the run where I made the final decision to pull back on my goals.

Tuesday: I had an easy bike on the plan, but work had other plans for me. I had to go in at 8 and there was not going to be a bike ride in the dark. It's scary enough running in the dark, but on 2 skinny tires? I even considered bringing my bike to work and riding at lunch, but I didn't know if I'd have time for that. I also considered riding after work, but after seeing 27 patients, some of them quite ill, I was mentally exhausted as well as physically and decided it would be better just to go to bed. Which I did, quite early.

Wednesday: I woke up with a smile on my face. There's nothing better than a good night's sleep, right? I wanted to go to a yoga class at the studio but with my instructor out of town, I was worried about someone new and the possibility of an injury. My recovery yoga was just what I needed.

Thursday: I did my final speedwork of the training cycle. It was also my fastest of my mile repeats. What a confidence booster! Then I saw Becky for my final CrossFit of the training cycle. I pulled the sled, did some slam balls, and some kettlebell sumo deadlifts. Not too taxing, but my hamstrings felt it. This was kind of the icing on the cake for my hammies and glutes.

Friday: I had a rest day on the plan. But as I looked ahead to Saturday and that 4 miler I was supposed to run, I struggled with logistics. I had a conference downtown on Saturday and needed to leave my house by 645. That would mean a 430 wake up call and a run in the dark. I had a nice, uneventful day at work Friday, and made the decision to do a run when I got home. I never run in the evening. Ever. This run reminded me why. The first 2 miles were fine, but I started to feel weird and weak in mile 3. Someone was grilling hamburgers and it smelled soooooo good! I stopped for water and that helped get me home, to pizza and wine. As hard as this run was, I'm glad I did it for a couple of reasons. One, it took me out of my morning run comfort zone. I had to push really hard to get through it, and I didn't quit. Mental toughness! And two, I didn't have to get up so early the next day. It was going to be a long day of listening to speakers. The extra sleep would be a good thing.

I forgot to take my makeup off! Yikes!

Saturday: And I was really glad again that I got that run done. It was nice to get up and just drink my coffee without having to rush. The conference was held at Lurie's Children's Hospital, and it didn't disappoint. The hospital is in downtown Chicago, and I had some fun with the views. I also was able to catch up with colleagues and a lot of my former students!

Just to clarify, I am standing in front of a window! What a view! That is the water tower behind me.

Saturday night, my husband and I went on a date to see Spamalot. A huge fan of Monty Python--The Holy Grail is one of my favorite movies--this musical adaptation was hilarious! I can't believe I've never seen this before. I'm pretty sure that all the laughing I did counts as an abdominal/core workout. And the final song, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life--well, how can you be in a bad mood listening to that?

Sunday: I had my last long run on the plan--an eight miler. I took it easy and let the legs carry me. I did have to stop once to stretch out my right shin/calf when I felt it tighten up. I finished with plenty left in the tank and feeling good about this last week before the marathon. 8.15 miles, 73:19, 8:59m/m.

So what's coming up this last week of training? I've got a couple of short runs, yoga, and a pep talk. The marathon expo is Friday, and I have another conference on Saturday. Here we go!

What song got me through today's run? They were all good, but I would be remiss not highlighting a song that has been part of my running playlist since my first iPod Mini. Stay On, by The Bodeans, a band out of Milwaukee, has a nice easy rhythm, great lyrics, and a beat that keeps my legs flowing.

How was your week? Anything exciting? Any last minute song suggestions?

I'm linking this post with Tricia at MissSippiPiddlin and Holly at HoHoRuns for their Weekend Wrap! Check out what everyone else is up to.

The Final Countdown

Well, I missed Runfessions last week...I actually was working on a post before I left for Seattle, but I couldn't wrap it up in time to publish it. I didn't have anything planned for today, but I've got a lot of thoughts going through my head this past week as I start the final countdown to Chicago Marathon #3!

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If you read my Wednesday Word post on Passion, you know that I had a major freakout this week after my bad 12 miler on Monday.
Like an "I'm going to DNS" moment. 
Like an  "I'm a fool to think I could sub-4 this marathon." 
Like "What if it's 80 degrees and humid?" 
Like "I'm too old to be doing this anymore!".
Are you rolling your eyes? Because I am.

Fortunately, my friends Marcia and Sara talked me off the cliff. Marcia, in her usual pragmatic way simply told me:

 "you've got the bad one out of your system" 

and this gem:

"you can have all horseshit runs from here til race day and still rock it." 

I'm thinking about getting that one tattooed on my forearm. If nothing else, looking at it on a run will make me smile, and we all know what smiling does for a run...

Sara reassured me that it was most likely "all the hills" I ran in Seattle. And the humidity. And she had a tough run too. Misery loves company.

Maybe it's the taper talking.

Anyways, I had a lot of nice comments on the post, Facebook, and Instagram regarding my angst. Thank you to everyone who shared stories and provided support. It really does take a village to train a marathoner.

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Yesterday I had my final speedwork on the plan. After a couple days off from running, a few good nights sleep, and my yoga for runners regimen (or you can do Beth's here), I woke up feeling great. I put on my Brooks Run Happy shirt and that is what I did--I ran happy. I flew through my mile splits, even running hard into the 25 mph winds. Having the wind at my back was even better. I noticed the walkers smiling at me as I ran by, and I thought maybe that my shirt was having a happy effect on everyone. Or maybe it was my wild hair blowing in the wind. Or maybe they were laughing at me tearing around the pond. Whatever it was, when they smiled, I smiled back, and I felt that lightness return to my legs.

This shirt just makes me happy.

Today's truth post: 

Smile and the whole world smiles at you.

Note to self: smile A LOT at the marathon. The streets of Chicago are lined with spectators cheering on the runners. There are plenty of people to smile at. More cowbell. Kids to high five. Power button signs. Do them all.

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I was not smiling at the SeaTac Airport. On the trip out to Seattle, as I was boarding the plane, the attendant stopped me and told me my carry-on bag was too big. She told me I'd have to check my bag. Meanwhile, my sister, who had priority boarding, was allowed to board with THE EXACT SAME suitcase. Whatever. So on the way home, thinking I had to check my bag, I packed a bottle of wine we bought on Bainbridge Island. But in order to check my bag, the airlines wanted me to pay $60 dollars. Oh hell no! I figured I'd just check it for free at the gate. You know where this is going, right? At the TSA baggage scan, I saw the agent yank my bag off the belt. She snapped on her latex gloves with the authority of a surgeon. I had a doh! moment. The wine! I told her about the wine. I offered to find it and she waved me away. "Step away from the inspection area!" I put my hands up and backed away. She pulled the offending bottle of wine out of my bag and set it on the counter as she rifled through my carefully packed bag. I told her to enjoy the wine. She told me it was going into the garbage. Yeah right.

I walked away and I started to cry. I may even have used the F-word a few times. My sister calmed me down. It wasn't the loss of the wine. What a way to end our wonderful sister trip. I was just so angry and frustrated and degraded by the whole process. I felt like Chevy Chase when he found out Wally World was closed.

If Marty Moose was there, I would have punched him too.

For the rest of the trip, I amused myself with scenarios of the TSA agents partying after their shift with all the stuff they confiscated from travelers. And laughing at all the fools trying to sneak stuff onto the plane...

But oddly, they didn't make us take off our shoes or take out our laptops...

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I'm already weather stalking for the marathon and it's looking promising:

But this is Chicago, and conditions change in a hurry...stay tuned for that one. Remember that 10 miler I ran in April? It was 65 at the start and then the wind shifted off Lake Michigan, dropping the temps halfway through the race to 48? So who knows? It could be 88 degrees (it was that one year) or it could snow (it did that the following year). Or maybe it could do both. I mean, some of us will be out there for 4-5 hours. Conceivably, we could have all 4 seasons in one handy dandy race.

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Not only did I have my final speedwork of my training cycle, but also my final CrossFit session (of this training cycle) with Becky. Fearing that I'm getting wimpy in my old age, I asked her if this training cycle was harder than last year. It sure felt like it.

The running was the same, but the CrossFit stuff was harder, she said.

I knew it! Ok, then. Whew.

I talked to her about my revised goals for the marathon. Before I learned that having a BQ didn't necessarily mean Boston acceptance this year (the cut-off was 2:28 mins under the qualifying times), I decided that I wasn't going to push for a sub-4 anymore. Now I know that I'd have to push even harder, and I just don't want to do that. Nope.

There. I said it. The pressure is off.

As this is very likely my last Chicago marathon, I've decided that I'd rather have fun again and finish strong. There is beer at the finish line, remember? So even if that means no PR, I'm ok with that. As much as I'd love to wrap up my marathoning with a 5th marathon in Boston, I don't think it's in the cards for me. And believe it or not, I'm ok with that. I've got Big Sur to look forward to....

Interestingly, Becky told me that she would be disappointed if I did anything different than have a strong race. She told me time doesn't matter to her. She doesn't want me to kill myself to get a PR or a sub-4. She told me I did great with my training and that is the most important. Although I don't have CrossFit next week, I'm going to see her for, as she put it, "a pep talk".

And that's why I love my coach. Her mantra? Good vibes only.

I'm feeling the love, my friends. Chicago marathon, I am ready. Let's do this.

How do you keep yourself sane as a big race approaches? After a bad training run? Have any clothes that seem to make you run faster? Ever have anything confiscated from your suitcase at the airport?

Talk about the passion

As I wind down my final preparation for the Chicago Marathon, DebRuns picks a word that sums up my feelings about running: Passion. A lot of people associate the word passion with love. What's it like to have a passion for an activity?

I talk a lot about running, both here on the blog and in real life. 

When I was a child, I ran but it was never for fitness. It was part of play or just to get somewhere in a hurry. I lived in the country and my sisters and I ran through the fields that lie between our home and our cousins' homes. We ran through the woods behind my grandparents' farm.

But running to run? Oh no. I didn't "like" to run. And when I was in high school, running wasn't yet "a thing".

Fast forward to life as an adult. Overwhelmed with responsibility and ill-equipped to cope with the stress of being a "grownup",  I rediscovered running to help me focus and burn off some of that negative energy. I began to love running. Running helped me quiet those voices in my head that told me I wasn't enough. I was able to tackle those previously difficult life tasks that in the past would have made me anxious. 

I made sure to schedule running in my life at least every other day. Some called it an obsession. I disagreed. The more I found solace in the run, the more my passion for running continued to grow.

I also found that I had some skills as a runner. While I wasn't super fast, I could hold my own as a middle of the pack runner. Rediscovering my passion for running gave me a huge sense of pride. Now at an age where I should be slowing down, I still like to chase down a goal. Less competition in my age group and some finish line success has reignited that passion for running fast. For this upcoming marathon, I set a huge goal for myself.

I'll freely admit that this marathon training cycle has really tested my passion for running. Training has been hard. I'm tired and feeling a little burnt out. I don't like feeling this way. At this point in my training, running feels more like a chore. So I've scaled back my marathon goal a bit. While I'd love to finish sub-4 and achieve a BQ, I'm ok now with just having fun and finishing strong. 

Although everyone tells me it's normal to feel this way at this point in training, I know that my motivation has to come from inside me. I'm hoping that the adrenaline will flow at the starting line and ignite that passion within me. 

Have you ever felt burnt out before a big event? What do you do to get yourself motivated when you're just not feeling it? 

The title for this post comes from one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands of all time, R.E.M. 

"Not everyone can carry the weight of the world...."

Check out the Wednesday Word link up at DebRuns!

Run Now Beer Later in Seattle

When I agreed to participate in Gone For A Run's Run Now Beer Later virtual 10k, I didn't check the calendar. I liked the theme of the run--they had me at beer--and so I impulsively said yes.

Great bling, as always! The medal has a bottle opener, which is very handy.

Then I realized that the date of the run would coincide with my sister trip to Seattle. No worries, I had a 6 mile run on the marathon training plan that would need to be done anyways! And what better place to celebrate with a post run beer than the microbrew capital of the country? I found this map that shows hundreds of breweries, brewpubs, and related.

I had run about 6 the day before (stopped my Garmin for recovery between mile splits) and so I decided to run the same route for this virtual run. My sister offered to run part of it with me if I'd run at her pace. That was no problem since I was so exhausted from the previous days' speedwork and sightseeing. This flatlander was not prepared for the hills of Seattle!

This is actually from later that day, but this is the hill we headed down towards the waterfront! The market is in the background.

We headed down Pine towards the Pike Place Market. The vendors were just setting up. There weren't many people out and about, which was so nice! It was easy to move. There is a steep decline towards the market, and we walked down to the cobblestoned street. We began to run.

One thing that surprised me about our trip to Seattle was the large number of homeless people we encountered. At this early hour, most of them were still sleeping, but they were everywhere. In the parks we passed, the benches were full of sleeping people. On the sidewalks, under bridges, and just about everywhere else, we saw homeless people. During our sightseeing the day before, the sidewalks were full of homeless people asking for money, food, what have you. Some of them were quite aggressive. One guy made us laugh out loud when he said we looked like sisters. Another one disgusted us with his sign that said "will eat pu**y for a place to sleep". As if! After a couple of days here, we started to see some of the same guys. It was interesting and sad at the same time. Coming from a large city like Chicago, and even in the suburban town where I live, we have homeless people, but I have never encountered such a large amount in one area.

Anyways, we kept our eyes open while we ran and talked. I took Lisa down that steep staircase to get to the waterfront, and we began to run along Puget Sound towards the Olympic Sculpture Park and Myrtle Edwards Park. The sky was fairly hazy, and you could just make out the mountains to the west. There are a lot of shipping yards along the Seattle waterfront, although the city is making an attempt to beautify the area. The Seattle Art Museum continues to add sculptures to the park, and we enjoyed looking at the ones along the path. The sculptures made for some interesting pictures too, which you can see on my weekly recap here.

The beautiful Seattle sky

At 2.5 miles, Lisa turned around, and I continued for another half mile so that I could get my 6 miles in.

I headed back towards the ampersand (which I later found out is actually named Love and Loss) where we planned to meet. We had fun getting the pictures here, and after several selfie attempts, a passerby offered to take the picture for us.

Once we got back to the steep staircase, we walked up and continued walking back towards Pike Place Market and our hotel. We stopped at a Starbucks (there is one on every corner) to pick up something to eat.

To celebrate this run, and because nothing tastes better after a run than beer, we had lunch at the Pike Brewing Company. Lisa had the Naughty Nellie, a golden ale, and I had the Pike Pale Ale, which was delicious. The food was meh, but that's not what you go to a brew pub for anyways right? This brewpub is rated #12 on Thrillist's "best breweries in Seattle" list. Not too shabby for a state that is populated with beer geeks. I was happy to find such a great spot in the middle of this very touristy area.

Oh so happy!

In exchange for this blog post, I was given free entry into the Run Now Beer Later virtual run. All opinions are my own. And the trip was all mine.

Have you been to Seattle? Did you run there? Anything I missed that I should have done? I'm already planning to rent a car next time to go to Mt Rainer.

Marathon week 10: Run this Town

After last Sunday’s 18 miler aka feet on fire, I never wanted to run again. But when I looked ahead to this week’s schedule, I realized I needed to do some recovery work if I wanted to accomplish anything. That afternoon, I pulled out the yoga mat to stretch my very sore legs and hips. You can see what I did here. I was amazed at how much better I felt after that. 

Finally, it is taper time! This week was memorable for some of the most wonderful weather we have had in a very long time. Plus I traveled to Seattle with my sister and got some runs in on the waterfront. Who doesn’t love running in a new place?

The most perfect day for a ride.

Monday I had an easy bike ride (recovery) on the plan. I had to work in the morning so I rode after lunch. I planned on retracing my running route from the day before. The weather was spectacular, with temps in the 70s and a crystal blue sky. I will admit that the idea of riding easy was very appealing to me, as my legs were a little fatigued from the previous days' miles. There were a lot of people out and about--something this morning exerciser is not accustomed to! 16.6miles/1:14:26

Tuesday was the run I was dreading--an 8 miler. I had no idea how I was going to pull that one off after running 18 just 2 days before. I got up and out the door just in time to witness an amazing sunrise. My legs felt surprisingly light on this run and when I stopped to gel at mile 5, I was shocked at my splits. I headed home and got ready for work with a huge smile on my face.  This was the run that sealed the deal. I'm ready for Chicago. 8.14 miles/1:09/8:30m/m

I was planning on going to yoga on Wednesday, but I also needed to get ready for my trip out of town. So I decided to do my favorite yoga video, the Seawheeze 2014 video, and rolled out my yoga mat in front of the TV. This video really hits all the high points.

On Thursday, Becky agreed to meet me early for my scheduled CrossFit workout before I had to leave for the airport. She had me do lots of front lunges--with the bar on my shoulders, in front, overhead, with plates, and overhead again. The lunges I alternated with backwards ball throws using the weighted medicine balls. I always like doing the ball throws, but the front lunges, not so much.

My new favorite shirt, sent to me by a friend. Love.

Friday, I woke up to a rainy morning in Seattle for my speedwork. I had to do mile repeats x 4, and after researching my options, I decided to run to the path that borders Puget Sound. Having never been to Seattle, I wasn't quite sure where I was going. My sister and I had walked down to the Pike Place market the night before to get the lay of the land. I ran in that direction, and once I got there headed north along the sidewalk. I had to take a steep staircase down to the water. The sidewalk along the water took me into Myrtle Edwards Park, and I began my speedwork. There was a lot to look at. I passed a lot of homeless people sleeping on the park benches; there was even one in a tent on the beach. There were also some interesting sculptures in the adjacent Olympic Sculpture park. I saw a lot of runners and walkers, and I enjoyed this very pretty run along the Seattle waterfront. This run put a smile on my face! There's nothing better than running in a new place to make you feel at home!

The Space Needle is in the background

Having fun with the statue titled Father and Son. This is the father. Clearly, he does a lot of glute work. Becky would be proud.

On the way back to my hotel, I retraced my steps, climbing back up that very steep staircase. I ran back on the cobblestoned street towards the Pike Place market. I passed the original Starbucks and regretted not bringing any money. Total miles for this run: 5.58, 45:45, speedwork splits: 7:34, 7:54, 7:38, 7:47. A little inconsistent, but I had so many distractions! I was glad to have that mile warm up because my legs were really sore from all those lunges I did the day before.

The original Starbucks

The rest of Friday my sister and I did a ton of sightseeing, all walking. I bet we walked at least another 5 miles or more. So when I woke up Saturday to do another run, I just wasn't feeling it. My sister offered to run with me, and that made my day! She runs slower than I do, and I promised to run at her pace. Because she wanted to see the sculptures, we retraced my route from the day before. We started at a 10 minute per mile pace, which felt wonderful on my tired legs. When we hit mile 2.5, she turned around and I picked up the pace and ran a little farther. We met at the red ampersand titled Love and Loss (we called it Wendy and Lisa) and stopped for pictures. 

We also took some pictures in front of this very interesting piece titled Echo. Heading back up the staircase, I hit stop on my watch, and we walked the rest of the way back to the hotel. 5.18 miles/48:30/9:26m/m.

As you read this, I'm heading back to Chicago. I've got a 12 miler to do on Monday and then things really get real. My Chicago marathon race information packet came in the mail. Less than 2 week to go!

What song got me moving this week? It was Rhianna and Jay-Z singing Run This Town. That's what I did.

How was your week? See any odd things on the run? Do you like to run in new places?

I'm linking this post up with Holly at HoHoRuns and Tricia at MissSippiPiddlin' for their weekly wrap! Check it out!

The Joy Stealer

It's Wednesday Word with Deb Runs, and this week's word is comparison. I'm getting ready to leave on a trip out of town, but I couldn't leave without a brief blog post about this word. What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't participate? All the other bloggers are doing it...

And there you have it. You've all heard the saying:

Comparison is the thief of joy. 

And it is so true. In life, and on the road. We all do it. We women look at other women--their bodies, their homes, their families, their jobs. Do we measure up?

Last winter, when I was struggling with my son, I did a pretty good job of beating myself up. All my friends' kids are looking at colleges and the future, and here I am begging my son to go to high school. A few weeks ago, at my youngest son's rugby game, I was talking with another woman, a mother of 5. She was telling me where all her kids go to college. She pulled out a picture of them on a day where they all went kayaking on Lake Michigan, a gift they gave her for Mother's Day. Feeling like I couldn't take it anymore, I finally asked her how she gets those young adults to all do something with her. Then she told me the story behind the picture. Sure, it was a fun day...once everyone got on board with the plan.

Things aren't always what they seem...

That was a great reminder for me that what I see on Facebook isn't always the true story. I like to keep things real, but I have yet to learn that other people don't. For most people, it's all about appearances.

And this got me thinking about running and my marathon training. When I put my training plan on the blog, I heard a lot of comments about the lack of a 20 miler on my plan. Some of the commenters asked about my low mileage. As runners, we are innately competitive, be it with other runners or just ourselves, and seeing someone doing something different makes us question what we are doing.

Trust the plan. 

Don't compare your plan to what other runners are doing.

And for those of you who choose not to run for a goal time, but just for the accomplishment of finishing; and those of you who choose not to run a race at all...

We're all on our own journey.

I'm linking up with DebRuns for Wednesday Word, which is comparison. What say you?

Do you set high goals for yourself? How do you set your standards? Do you compare yourself to other runners?

The Final Stretch

This marathon training cycle has been really tough! Even though Becky said she wasn't going to change it up much from last year, she tried some different activities with me and I have felt it! There have been a couple of weeks where I have been incredibly sore for days after a workout with her; other weeks where my legs were really fatigued. I know she did this to train me to run all 26.2 miles on tired legs. But I won't lie--I'm glad to be in the taper portion of marathon training. Now is the time for my legs to absorb all the great work we did the last 10 weeks.

But taper doesn't mean rest, and with my training plan, I do an active taper. I'll continue to log miles and go to CrossFit.

I'll also continue with what has been a game saver for me...yoga.

This isn't the first post I've written that I've gushed about the benefits of yoga for my running. You know that I've been doing yoga for almost as long as I've been running. But for some reason with this training cycle, I've relied more on yoga than ever to help me recover from those tough workouts and long runs. I've also been battling with plantar fasciitis, and I credit yoga with keeping me on the road.

Yes, yoga.

I've been doing my weekly yoga class at the studio where I practice. After my long runs, I do my own Yoga for Runners routine. This routine is chock full of hip and hamstring openers. But if I had to pick 5 key moves for recovery, which poses would I choose?

Oooh, this is tough....and it was after Sunday's long run. I took all these pictures after that run to show you just how beneficial yoga is for runners! After I did these poses, my feet felt better and my legs felt looser. The first attempt at each pose was not easily done, in fact, it was quite painful! But once things opened up, I felt that "ahhhhhh"....

Most importantly for this runner,  downward dogs stretch out my achilles, my calves, my feet, and my hamstrings. I do them frequently and I do them often. I can't get my heels to the floor, never have, but with every DD I do, I get a little bit closer. Hey, a gal can dream, right?

Downward dog. It's not pretty, but it's effective.

I like low lunge for the hip flexors. I push as far forward as I can until I feel that stretch up the front of my quad. If you want to deepen the quad stretch, you can reach back for the foot and pull it towards your buns.

Low lunge

Low lunge with quad stretch

Pigeon is a perpetual favorite of runners. There are a lot of varieties, but the traditional version, face down, is most easily done after a run. Here I am starting upright, but I did go down to the mat.

Half pigeon with backbend

Half pigeon with quad stretch

Hero is another favorite of mine. If you can't sit between your legs, slide a brick under your bottom until your hips open up. If you feel really brave and want to get those quads involved, you can lie back into a backbend. Again, you can prop a brick under your back until you open up enough to lay flat on the ground.

Hero

Reclining hero

Legs up the wall is great after a long run. This inversion promotes venous return and opens the hamstrings.

Legs up the wall. Best. pose.ever.

My friend Beth formerly of Running with the Sunrise, now with her newly rebranded blog Sublimely Fit, is working on a yoga for runners video! But until that is ready, you can participate in her 14 day yoga challenge. Every day, Beth will send you a pose complete with instructions and modifications. There's no reason not to do it. If you want to participate, click here (affiliate link). I did this, and it was great. If this old runner can keep racking up the miles and pushing her limits, you can too...all you need is a little stretch....

Yoga for Runners

Do you do yoga? What are your favorite poses for recovery?