running and yoga are complementary...right?

I'm on the struggle bus.

Running and yoga are supposed to be perfect complements. Yoga keeps you strong and supple while running keeps your heart happy (physiologically, anyway). Running, Yoga...I love you both equally...so, why can't you two get along???

Since the beginning of time, I have had a very tough time finding a good balance of my two loves (especially since I still have to work for a living and want to spend time with my fiancé). For some reason, when I'm knee deep in marathon - or half marathon training -  yoga falls by the wayside. The same is true right now, when my mind, body and soul are walking down the path of yoga teacher training, I've only been running about 3 miles every two weeks.

Is there ever going to be a balance? I guess I don't know.

When I recapped my 2011 races, I talked about all the races that I want to do in 2012...one of those was the Cleveland Half Marathon in May. If I don't get my act together right now, I won't be able to run a half marathon in May.

Last year at this time, I was running running running. This year, life's all about yoga (well, there's wedding stuff, and lacrosse...but as far as personal fitness and mental well-being go - yoga). Again, I'm just not able to find a balance.

So, my question to you...is it possible?

Right now, all I want to do is find a warm yoga studio or the comfort of my own home to downward dog my life away. Going outside is the last thing I want to be doing. Since the Cleveland Marathon last year, I've wanted to stay in half marathon shape year round, but I just haven't been able to find the motivation to get there.

Right now I don't feel like I'm a runner OR a yogi. Can I run the half marathon in May AND get certified to be a yoga teacher? I don't know.

How do I find my balance?

5 Reasons to Take a Yoga Class

Not that you guys really need any more good reasons to practice yoga.

If you're having trouble finding the motivation to start practicing, though, here are some additional reasons why you should get off your butt and do it.

1. Comfy clothes
Let’s be real, we are basically wearing pajamas to every class.

2. Bare feet
Any activity where bare feet is mandatory is good in my book.

3. Nap time
Savasana is part (the most important part) of every class. We’re talking naptime a la kindergarten here. Remember when you didn’t want to nap when you were younger? Now, you want to nap every chance you can get? Yeah - savasana.

4. It’s for every BODY
I can literally practice yoga with any one. My grandma, my four-year old sister, my fiance.

5. It’s exercise, spirituality and therapy all in one
If church isn’t your style and neither is a shrink - all you really have to do is visit your nearest yoga studio. Where else can you get all that for under $20?!

Discovering Yoga in CLE

Whoa. 

Last week was a totally ridiculous for reasons I'm not going to disclose just yet, but apparently blogging came up last on the priority list, huh? This is something I probably would have posted last week if I was in the right frame of mind to do so...

When I decided to look into yoga teacher training, I came up with a plan. There are lots of yoga studios in Cleveland (and, I mean lots) and many of them have their own TT programs. I wanted to go to as many studios as possible and feel out where I fit in the melting pot of yoga that lives in Cleveland.

If you're looking to try a new studio or just want to see what else is out there - I did a little of the legwork for you. Here is a yoga cheat sheet

Cleveland Yoga Beachwood, OH - probably Cleveland's most well known yoga Baptiste studio. It is HUGE! The desk yogis are very helpful and nice (specifically, Jesse was the one who helped me out - he was wonderful!) I took a power vinyasa class with Marni Task, which I enjoyed and it was very challenging, but I wasn't crazy about how it was geared more towards "getting a workout" rather than bringing yogic philosophy onto the mat. I think that's what the Cleveland Yoga constituents go there for anyway. I'm okay with that, sometimes you just need a workout! Drop-in classes are $15 and then the prices go up from there if you get a class package.

Yoga Bliss Akron Akron, OH - What a beautiful studio! They've got a little self-serve cafe, a whole bunch of amenities (showers, towels, etc.) and a cute little boutique. I especially liked how there were no mirrors in the room, and for a 6:30 pm class in the middle of the summer, it wasn't too hot and we didn't need to put any lights on. I'm a big fan of naturally lit yoga. The room that I was in had big frosted windows that let a lot of natural light in. Maria's class was perfectly what my body needed that day - not an overly challenging class, but it was perfect after I took a short run, because I needed a good, grounding stretch! Drop-in prices here are also $15 and then there are packages you can buy.

Agni Yoga Studio Mayfield Heights, OH - I think this is a newer studio (though I could be totally mistaken). Something I loved about it here was that they have all kinds of Ayurveda products...including complementary Ayurveda tea to have while you are waiting for class to start. Very relaxing. The class that I took wasn't my favorite as far as yoga goes, but I bought the Groupon, so I have some more classes to try out. The studio is really neat, with huge windows on the north end of the studio that let in a lot of beautiful, natural light! Drop-in fee is $15 (hmm, starting to see a trend).

Evolution Yoga Beachwood, OH - I was actually really surprised about this studio. It's in Eton (the mall part). I thought it was closer to Trader Joe's (nope - that's lululemon) and I didn't even know there is a whole mall in the complex! Ha! So, the studio looks like just another store in the mall on first glance, but there are two studio rooms AND ONE IS HUGE! I was pleasantly shocked. My other favorite part about this studio was that some of the ceiling panels were swapped out for panels with a picture of the sky and clouds. Very neat. I took Marni's Jivamukti class, which, of course, was wonderful. Drop-in classes here are also $15.

The Yoga Room Little Italy, Cleveland, OH - The Yoga Room is where my teacher training sessions are every month. The first time I went there was when a few other tt's were getting together to practice. It is one room in an old school building in Little Italy and it is beautiful. The big windows let a bunch of natural light in and every about this single room sets a calm, collected and serene ambiance for a yoga practice. It's very quaint and I love it. I am allowed to take classes there for free because of teacher training, but I'm not really sure how one would pay if they were to go there for a class, since nobody is really there to check you in...something to ask the teacher I suppose. I believe drop-ins here are $10 and you can be sets of classes as well. 

Westside Yoga Lakewood, OH - as far as I know this is the only Anusara inspired studio in Cleveland. I went to this studio for an Anusara workshop a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it. The owner, Evin, is adorably amazing and the studio is a cute little space right in the heart of Lakewood. If I lived on the westside, this is probably where I would take classes. They have a $12 drop in rate, but if you're a new student, you can spend $10 and use it for 10 days. Worth it.

The Atma Center Cleveland Heights, OH - This is another studio that I haven't taken a traditional class at, only workshops. The Atma Center is a Satyananda Yoga(R) Studio and has a store with tons of great yoga gear out front and a few studios in the back. My only not 100% positive statement about the Atma Center is that while we were in workshops, you could hear the class in the studio next door, because there wasn't a solid wall to separate them, only one of those ballrooom dividers - my teachers were just concerned about being too loud while they were chanting. There is a pup that hangs out at Atma that knows how to down dog on command...I've been trying to teach my dogs that since I got them! The other cool thing is that they do $5 cash classes, for different featured classes each week - I think that's a great way to get students to go to different classes! Drop in is $15 and packages are available!

Nishkama Yoga Independence, OH - I've only been to Nishkama once, but I already know how wonderful the owner is because (with the help of the yogini goddess, Alicia) she is allowing me to practicing teaching a yoga class to my friends at the studio! I really enjoyed this space, because you basically just walk right into the studio, there's no front room. I was a little confused at how to get into the building at first, but someone else taking the class helped me out! Drop ins are $15.

Ok, I know there are many, many more studios in the area. This is just a small slice of the heaven that is Cleveland yoga.

What is your favorite yoga studio in Cleveland?

Marathon Monday: Training Week #14

Training week 13 recap:

Monday - crosstrain. It was too rainy to get out and run so we had a challenging yoga practice instead. We followed one of the doyogawithme.com classes, Connection to Core. Like I said, it was a challenging practice and I am still a tiny bit sore from it. I really like the classes on that website though, they are more like going to a yoga class at a studio than watching a video. I've been using they're classes at lunch fairly often.

Tuesday - speedwork, total of 6 miles with 3 x 1 mile repeats at 8:39 and 1/2 mile jogs in between. I also had an easy yoga practice at lunch because I have been really tight, but this run was a challenge for Brandon and I. We rocked our speedwork a few weeks ago, but this time we knocked about 5 seconds per mile off the pace...and we could totally feel it! We also started the run doing the first mile in our VFFs. I am pretty sensitive to cold weather (even if it's only marginally cold) because I have terrible circulations to my fingers and toes! So my toes were SO COLD because the Vibrams keep them separate and they can't warm each other! I think they'll be better to use when the weather is a bit warmer outside!

Wednesday - rain. Haha, kidding. We were going to do our 4-miler today, but it was yucky out and Brandon was still at the recording studio, so I practice yoga instead. A class full of twists was just what I needed to wring out the toxic office goo that I accumulate throughout the day. I also threw in a few cards worth of Hit The Deck to warmup. For the record...I hate burpees. So I usually turn them into mountain climbers or something that doesn't make me wanna vomit at just the thought.

Thursday - 3 mi easy. Turned out to be a 3 miler completely in our Vibrams. We considered putting it off until Friday but that goodness we didn't because it was more rain all morning.

Friday - rest. Cav's game!

Saturday - 18 miles. This run kicked my ass. I wasn't in it mentally just about the entire time. I felt like I dressed too warm and had to shed some layers in the beginning only to put them on again halfway up MLK. There were several long stretches where I just had to walk because I simply couldn't get one foot in front of the next. I was mentally and physically in a bad place...my body was just breaking down. Low on self esteem, high on self doubt. I think the only way I got through this run was because Brandon was right there, encouraging me and sending positive vibes my way. This was the fourth week of long runs in a row and I think my body was showing that.

Check out the map of our run

and the elevation...no wonder I died towards the end!

Sunday - rest, rest and more rest.


Now we have only four more weeks to go! This week is a low mileage, no long run week! Phew. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday so we're only going to do 7 miles for our long run and I think our bodies are going to thank us for that. The schedule looks like this (the dates are incorrect, because I shuffled weeks around to accommodate the wedding this weekend):

I'm really looking forward to an easy week AND spending lots of time with our new puppy!!! (New pup post coming soon!)

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #12

Have you entered my Happy Herbivore Cookbook giveaway yet??? You can enter until Wednesday!

Last week was a wonderful week in running but a not-so wonderful week in cross-training.

photo credit: http://www.emotion-potions.com

Let's start by talking about yoga. I've been trying to practice everyday on my lunch break, but my office is less than yoga-friendly. For a while I was practicing in the document room - which is just a room where we keep all our old paperwork, since the room is fireproof. It's the only place that is semi-private and has the room to move a bit. It's apparently not private enough because I got walked in on mid-uttanasana (forward fold) which was WAY AWKWARD! So the next day, I moved into our shower room, which is approximately 6" long by 3" wide. Good thing I'm not very tall (a towering 5"0' thank you very much!). The shower room worked out okay and I can just lock myself in and be alone with the hum of the machines in the prototype shop right outside the door. Finally, I figure no one will be around Friday afternoon, so I can practice in the document room again, without being bothered...

So I bring all of my things into the room, lock the door, then decide I want to go get my water bottle. When I return with aforementioned bottle, I find myself locked out...and my yoga mat, clothes and computer locked IN.

So much for that. 


I have a new hope for yoga this week and lots of new videos to try (I am currently having "yoga block" when I make up my own practice...I need some new ideas). That is going to start today with some yoga cross-training via doyogawithme.com (got that idea from Maria - thanks!!)

Last week, we successfully ran our first 14-miler of the season (and Brandon's longest run EVER). The highly of my running last week was our tempo run. Our "smart coach" called for a 6 mile run, with a mile warm-up, for miles at a 9:21 pace, followed by a mile cool-down.

I was worried about the pace, to be perfectly honest. But, once we got out there I had to keep asking Brandon if he felt like we were running slow. I was actually comfortable running at a 9:21 pace! WHAT?!?! We ended up running the middle four miles faster than that, because it just felt right. I think we both felt really strong at the end of that run!

This week in running...

Hopefully we'll get out for a bike ride one of these days and then FRIDAY IS THE TRIBE HOME OPENER!!! It's only the best day of the year!


Spring, my friends, has finally sprung!

Peace, Love & Bagels,

A Yoga-lution

I spent a lot of time reading a few books about yoga this weekend. Specifically, Myths of the Asanas and the Sivananda Companion to Yoga. They really got me thinking...

I first found yoga when I was injured and couldn't run for months after my last marathon. At first it was a way for me to exercise when I couldn't run (Vinyasa Power Yoga was my go-to class) but it quickly became something much more than that. As I learned more and more about the stories and the history behind the poses I realized how important is had become to employ yogic philosophies in my own life, to keep myself centered and balanced and always striving to reach my true self. The real change in the way I viewed yoga (a workout vs. a lifestyle) came when a new yoga teacher walked into my yoga studio. Deirdre swept in and took us through the story of Shiva and the origins of the warrior poses (Virabhadrasana I, II and III, the poses for Virabhadra, an incarnation of the Hindu deity, Shiva). She opened the class with chants invoking the spirit of Shiva and ended with 3 long "Oms" that filled the room with energy that I had not previous felt in any yoga practice. In one class I learned more about yoga than in all my previous classes combined. She had my interest piqued.

For the last few months I've been longing to get back to that time in my life when I practiced yoga almost everyday, but I always find myself getting consumed in my running and my need to break a sweat. Sometimes there aren't enough hours in my day for both. Then, there is a part of me that wants my yoga practice to always be an exercise, like running is, but I know it's much more than that and I shouldn't always expect to break a sweat...because I will still reap the benefits. The Sivananda book reinforced just that. One of the biggest point that hit home for me was that it is more beneficial to have a short practice every day than one or two long practices a few times a week.

Well, that's easy enough.

So, I'm really glad Brandon made the suggestion to get up half an hour earlier to have a short practice in the mornings. Not necessarily everyday, but on most days. It's only half an hour, and we don't have to spend 20 minutes getting dressed only to go out in the cold, dark air (like we would for a morning run). I'm happy to report we've practiced for the past three days! Even though it has been a little tough to get through the morning "humbugs", our morning practice has been an incredible blessing for me. It has helped center and ground me before my 45 minute commute and 8+ hour workday (which has been increasingly tough to deal with) and it gives me a special time and space every morning that Brandon and I can share.

It doesn't take long, and it isn't hard. It's just yoga.

and it looks something like this (enjoy the pictures, each one is a link to the original source):

Start in savasana

then, spend a few minutes doing a pranayama breathing exercise (we do anuloma viloma, a.k.a. the "yogi ganster sign")

a few sun salutations (surya namaskar)

an inversion

followed by child's pose (balasana)

then a small flow through shoulderstand, plough and bridge

  

cobra, locust and bow (only bow is shown)

a seated forward fold

a twist on each side

one last standing forward fold

triangle pose (trikonasana) on both sides

then, coming full circle and soaking it all in for the final resting pose, savansana

Do you have a go-to home yoga practice? How often do you practice yoga? What is your favorite pose?

Peace, Love & Bagels,