Can Yoga Make you Faster?

Good morning!

This week: Should Runners do Yoga?, 7 marathons in 7 continents, what to do if you have a running injury, and strength training.

Happy running, 😁

CROSS-TRAINING

Can Yoga Make you Faster?

This may come as a surprise, but yoga which focuses mainly on stretching/lengthening muscles does not improve performance or prevent injuries in runners.

In fact, if you're really loose/flexible you are likely increasing your injury risk and negatively affecting your speed!

As runners, our muscles and tendons need to act like springs. They should quickly store and release energy. If our "springs" are loose and flexible, we aren't able to run as efficiently, which can cause trouble.

Often runners will complain about muscle tightness during/after runs, especially in the calves and hamstrings. But usually, this sensation of tightness is not because your muscles are abnormally tight from running. It’s typically because you are either A) doing too much too soon, and your tightness is a warning sign, or B) your tight muscles are actually weak.

So if you have a hard time fitting yoga in and you're only trying to do it because you think you'll run faster or it will prevent injuries, feel free to stop!

If you truly enjoy yoga and it makes you feel good afterwards, definitely continue but be cautious if you're becoming overly flexible, especially if you care about running performance!

And if you’re making time for yoga, you should definitely try also to make time for strength training. Strength training has been proven to reduce injury risk AND increase running performance by up to 5%!

CULTURE

Running 7 Marathons in 7 Continents in 7 Days

David Kilgore, a 31-year-old American runner, won the World Marathon Challenge by running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Kilgore’s pace was approximately 6:43 per mile, and he ran a total of 183.4 miles. The event, which has a $45,000 entry fee, has been going on since 2015.

Each course is 26.2 miles in a multi-loop format and is not tied to established events.

The 35 participants met in Cape Town and spent about 68 hours in the air during the week, eating, sleeping, and recovering while flying eight to 14 hours to the following marathon site. Recovery mainly consisted of runners using self-massage tools and sleeping as much as possible on the plane.

Kilgore won the final marathon in South Beach, Miami, with his fastest marathon in 2:41:50, averaging 6:11 per mile.

Kilgore said he felt incredible, and the events made him fall in love with the sport again. Dan Little, an 80-year-old American runner, broke the record he set four years ago as the oldest finisher, while William Tan of Singapore became the first wheelchair athlete to finish the challenge. Mike Wardian of the United States, who won the World Marathon Challenge in 2017 and 2019, still holds the record for the fastest average time of 2:45:57.

Kilgore said he would definitely do it again, or something in the same vein, and he loves the challenge of an event like this and the camaraderie it brings with the other participants in the event.

INJURIES

What To Do If You Have a Running Injury

Did you know that 80% of runners will deal with a running-related injury every year? Running has one of the highest injury rates of all sports. Why?? Because it’s extremely repetitive but also involves high-impact forces.

So if you’re injured, what should you do?

Find out if you should still be running.

If your injury is related to your joints, tendons or muscles, mild, tolerable pain that does not get worse the day after your run is acceptable. If you have increased pain the next day it means your run overloaded your injury site and you need to do less. If you have bone tenderness and are limping, you could have a stress fracture. Seek help from a healthcare professional who is familiar with running injuries ASAP.

Add in cross training

Pick a pain-free cross-training activity to do instead of running. It may not be as enjoyable as running but at least you’re staying active, and you won’t lose significant fitness during your injury. What you choose will depend on your injury site. Swimming and cycling are usually tolerable for most injuries.

Strength train

Maximize your strength while injured so you return to running stronger than you were pre injury. Focus on exercises that won’t flare up your injury. For example if your Achilles is flared, you can likely get away with weighted glute bridges, single-leg deadlifts and plank variations.

Figure out why your Injury occurred

You have to figure out what caused your injury so when you return to running you don’t repeat the same mistakes! 90% of the time runners have done “too much too soon.” For more details on this see our newsletter from last week.

See a Health Professional

If your running injury lingers for more than 1 week it’s time to see a healthcare professional. But find someone in your area who is experienced in treating runners. Too often runners are advised to stop running until their pain is gone which really is only necessary if you have a bone stress injury.

PODCAST

Why and How to Incorporate Strength Training into Your Running Routine

As a runner, you may already know that consistent training is the key to improving your endurance and speed. However, did you know that incorporating strength training into your routine can help take your running to the next level? In this episode, we'll discuss why strength training is essential for runners and provide some effective strategies to help you get started.

1. Improved Running Performance Strength training helps to build muscle and improve muscle endurance, which can help you run faster and longer. By increasing your overall strength, you'll be able to maintain proper form and reduce your risk of injury, allowing you to train more effectively.

2. Injury Prevention Running is a high-impact activity that can put a lot of stress on your muscles, tendons, and joints. Strength training can help improve the strength of these areas, reducing the likelihood of injury. By targeting weak areas, you'll also be able to correct muscle imbalances that may lead to injuries over time.

Listen today!!!

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