Take it and Run Thursday - Yoga and Running

This week's Take it and Run question is rather appropriate for my workout last night. Kitzzy asks:

I find yoga to be an excellent companion to my running to avoid
injury, improve flexibility, and help relieve sore muscles after a
hard workout or race. Tell us about your experience with yoga as it
relates to running. If you have not tried it, why not? If you have,
did it help? How often do you feature yoga in your weekly workout
regime? What are your favorite yoga poses and routines? Pass on your recommendations for your favorite yoga DVDs, instructors, podcasts, online resources, etc.


Last night was Wednesday so that means yoga class. I also decided to run to and from yoga. I mean, it's less than a mile and a half from my house to the gym. Why would I drive?

My run was great. I really felt in the groove. I really push it on the way there because I'm always afraid of being late but I wasn't even exhausted when I got there. I was sweaty, yes, but not exhausted. I took a minute before class started to wipe off my face in the bathroom.

Here's a quick run-down of my class last night

-Laying on the mat with our eyes closed
-Two instructor-led sun salutations
-One sun salutation on our own
-Eye exercises (what the hell?)
-A few back-bending poses
-A few forward-bending poses
-A discussion of her favorite yoga book and the handouts she had for us
-Some spine twists
-More laying on our back on the mat

I'm sorry. I'm just going to lay it out there. Maybe this makes me a bad runner but I do not like yoga.

I know, I know, I should probably take more than one type of class before declaring that. But, based on this particular class, I don't like it. I do not feel centered. I do not feel stretched out. I do not feel sore. In fact, I mostly feel irritated. I tried to be open-minded. But, really, I spend most of my class thinking "what the hell", "you've got to be kidding me", or "this is such a crock of sh*t".

If you can't tell, yoga is making me angry.

So, sorry yoga-touting runners but I don't see yoga making me a better runner. I admit, I feel kind of bad saying that after only 5 classes, but I just can't see myself sticking with it. I'll probably finish out the session (it's just two more classes) but after that I think the most yoga I'll do is when I break out the Wii Fit.

Now, running to and from the gym I love. In fact, my run home from the gym last night was just as good at the run to the gym. It was dark out but there are enough street lights that I didn't even really need my headlamp to see. I was totally in the groove. I had a slight interruption when a delivery driver stopped me to ask for directions (which, amazingly enough, I knew how to give...thanks to having run past that street before!) but I like helping people out so I didn't mind too much.

Overall I did 2.39 miles at an average 9:17 minute per mile pace. Of course, there was a huge break in the middle and several stops at intersections but the actual running parts were strong. No stats today, though, because the BIM data got all screwy due to my huge break in the middle. It thinks I ran my second mile in an hour and 45 minutes! Maybe if i was a turtle!