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No worries, I am still doing a marathon this year. I have been training all summer, and have no intention of skipping out on it!! We will be doing the Whistlestop Marathon in Ashland, Wisconsin on October 11th, rather than the Des Moines marathon. The Whistlestop has a special place in our hearts as it was the first one that both Dan and I completed. It is an awesome route, easy on the knees. It is on an old railroad bed and it goes downhill for the most of the route. One year, it was snowing and the bridges were snow covered and icy. That was pretty interesting…
The first year we did the marathon, it was around 50 degrees and drizzling at the start. I stripped down to a tank and shorts, wondering if I had lost my mind. About one mile in, I was truly glad that I was wearing very little. At around the 18 mile mark, I was confused as to why all of the volunteers at the water stations were wearing winter coats and shivering!! It is amazing how warm you get when you are racing!
Anyway, tomorrow (Sunday) I am going to make an attempt at 3 times around the lake. That will be my long run at about 15 miles. We do a marathon relay next weekend, with me doing the first half and Dan doing the second half. That will be our training test to make sure we are set to go for the marathon!! Then I suppose we will both start to taper off our distances preparing for the long one on October 11th.
Will keep you posted!!
yogajen….
There was some discussion earlier this week about the running club and inclusiveness. When Aurora, Dan and I first met to discuss the club, it was decided that this club would be inclusive of all, anyone who pushes forward by any means, be it walking, jogging or running. Our goal was to encourage people to get out there and do SOMETHING….exercise!!
Some people have this misguided notion that because it says running club, that if you don’t run at an acceptable speed, then you aren’t welcome or worthy. This is a very narrow-minded opinion that doesn’t portray our club in the way the founders intended. One will never run, if they don’t take the first step forward. Some will never run due to health issues, or that running just doesn’t work for them. I personally, much prefer walking. I run throughout my workout to get a little extra kick, and I run races because everyone else is running!
Most days, you will see me out there, getting around the lake or around town at a good walking pace, with an occasional spurt of jogging. I am a member of the running club. We are there to encourage people to work out. If we discourage people who we don’t feel are “up to our standards” that makes us elitist and that is definitely not our goal. If you are currently a member, and you feel that we are too “easy” on people, you might want to find a different club, or you are welcome to start your own that meets your standards.
If you are a walker, a jogger or a new runner, please join us! We would love to meet you and help you work toward whatever goal you may have! Whether you are looking to lose a few pounds, run a marathon or just get healthy, you are welcome to join us!
Namaste,
yogajen
http://www.aftontrailrun.com/results.htm
Dan ran the 25K this morning. He just called and is on his way home! Said it was pretty brutal and hilly, but he did better timewise than he thought he would.
He will do a critique of this race in the next few days, but in the meantime, here is the link to the results. I just looked and the 2008 results aren’ t there yet, but I am sure they will be soon! In the meantime, take a gander at the other posts on our little blog!
until later…
yogajen
Thanks to Kasha D. from Fountain City, we have a great new website!! Visit
www.winonarunningclub.com for links to the registration form, local races, even a message board!!
Keep checking here for updates on my marathon training, yoga info and more!!
Yogajen
We will be meeting to run on Wednesday at 5:30pm at Lake Park Lodge, Lake Winona. We have a nice group now, with everyone having a partner!! Please post a comment if you are looking for a partner at a different time or on a different day!
We had great participation at the BK5K! Thanks to everyone who came and ran!
Also, we are looking for another partner or two to train for the Des Moines Marathon on October 19. We will start the official training next Monday and Kasha and I plan on doing our long runs together on Sundays. Any other folks out there looking to do a 5-6 hour marathon?? I have the plan or you can find your own, but we figured Sundays would be a great time to go long….
yogajen….
For years I have been going out on my own, either running, walking or a combination of both. When I am out by myself, it seems as if I tend to go slow…just plodding along at whatever pace seems easy.
On Wednesday, at our weekly group run, four of us fell into pace with each other. Two of us would pull ahead for a bit, then the others would catch up, but for the most part, we did the 3.6 mile loop around Lake Winona together. Kasha, Sarah, Lisa and I had great conversations and an excellent workout! Lisa and I have known each other for a long time, and I walked with Sarah a couple of weeks ago, but for the most part, we were “new” friends who had a great deal to share with and learn about each other! What a great experience!
What I noticed most, was that I pushed myself harder in a group. I felt more compelled to run more, and to keep up speed. We all stopped to walk when needed, and honored how our bodies felt, just as we should. But we also pushed it a bit harder and got a much better workout.
Now I am not saying that we should always run in groups, but I think it will be nice to have a group who are similar paces, who can help each other to train. Perhaps it will make it easier to train for certain distances also! I hope so….
A while ago, I had put out a request for a marathon training partner, and no one has stepped up to the plate yet!! Anyone out there who would like to do a 5-6 hour marathon training plan with me for an October Marathon????
So any other of you 12 minute milers out there in Winona, won’t you join us next week?? We would love to run the lake with you!
yogajen
Today, is Sunday, June 8th. Last week I had planned on running the trails at Perrot State Park today. Unfortunately due to the closure of the Highway 43 bridge (an inconvenience for me, a huge headache for thousand of folks, I hope can be resolved soon) over the Mississippi River I could not go without driving 60 miles out of my way, so I chose to run part of the Snake Creek trail.
About a year ago while at a trail race I met Kate Havelin who was selling copies of her book “Minnesota Running Trails” after the race. I bought a copy, which she personally signed for me. The book contains information and maps of public trails all over the state of Minnesota.
I had not actually run any of the routes she outlines in her book but found one outlined at Snake Creek which is about 25 miles from Winona. Although there are about 18.5 miles of trail in total there, the route she outlined for this run was only about 3 miles. I was looking for a short route today having just finished a ten mile trail race at Chester Woods on Saturday. So I decided to give it a try.
It had been raining most of the weekend and a light rain was coming down this afternoon so I picked out my oldest, most well worn pair of trail shoes and headed out.
To get there, I drove north on Highway 61 from Winona. Take 608th street left off of 61 when you see the brown signs indicating Snake Creek trail access. Once you follow 608th a short distance it forks with a road going straight and the main road curving to the right. I stayed on the fork that goes straight to go to what a sign indicated was the “overflow” parking lot. Once on that road follow it straight back about 1/2 mile till it deadends at a parking lot.
I ran the southeastern loop of the trail which is shown on the map which can be accessed at the link listed here http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/ohv/snakecreek.pdf This is the loop that Kate describes in her book.
Leaving the parking lot go a short distance past the wooden gate and the trail goes to the right or the left. I started out to the left. The first 1/2 mile or so is a long gradual climb up to the top of what the map says is Rattlesnake Ridge. The trail is open to ATV’s (more on that later) so it is quite easy to follow. Once on top of the ridge the trail loops mostly thru the woods and along the edge of some open meadows. Most of the woods seemed to be mixed hardwoods with some pine mixed in here and there. About halfway thru the loop there is a overlook with a fire ring a small shelter and a bench. From this vantage point you can see Snake Creek Valley to one side and the Mississippi valley (out past Alma) to the other side. From there the trail continues along the ridge until finally dropping down a long downhill with some ups and downs until you finish the loop. You will come across a couple forks in the trail but as long as you stay to the right, you will stay on the 3 mile loop.
Kate does a much better job of describing the route as well as several landmarks along the way in her book. (I guess that is why she is a author and I am not.)
The only wildlife I saw today was a deer that bounded off from the sidehill below me along the ridge.
I was not bothered by any bugs and the fact that ATV’s use the trail kept it free and clear of vegetation four to five feet wide along the entire trail. Most of the trail is dirt with a few rocks and roots in places.
There is no access to water anywhere along the trail that I am aware of. You could probably do without carrying any with you on the 3 mile loop on anything but very hot conditions. However, if you chose to add in some of the rest of the trails for more miles I would recommend you bring water and possibly gu or something similar.
If you are used to running with an Ipod and listening to music on the run I would say on this trail it would probably not be a good idea. As I said earlier the trail is open to ATV’s. I did have a few pass by me on my run. Since visibility is limited by woods in many places it was nice to hear them approaching from a distance and be able to step to the side of the trail as they came near.
I took a few of the side trails I came across and explored them a short distance. When I finished my run my GPS read 4.4 miles. However if you stay to the right at the forks as described above I think the loop would be pretty close to 3 miles as Kate’s book and the DNR map indicates.
After running this route I went home and reread Kate’s chapter in her book describing it. It was then I truly realized what a wonderful job she does in describing the route and landmarks along the way. I am sure each and every trail she describes in the book is done equally as well. If you enjoy running trails and would like to check out some all over the state of Minnesota you should pick up a copy. To purchase a copy, please go to http://www.adventurepublications.net/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jqdokoe4 The title again, is Minnesota Running Trails by Kate Havelin. It is published by Adventure Publications, Inc. I have seen it in bookstores in Winona as well as at the Nature Store at Whitewater State Park or order it from the above link.
I am not sure where I am off to next week, but I am sure I will pick a place and write a little story about it.
See you on the run
Dan
Wednesday June 11th at 5:30pm at Lake Park Lodge!! Please post comments as to times and places other small groups are meeting.
Have you gotten a group together in Fountain City yet? If so, post a comment here!!
Thanks!
Jennifer
I went to Google and typed in Yoga for Runners and received a myriad of hits. Runners World has an entire section dedicated to the subject and about.com also has extensive coverage.
Yoga and running are like opposites, but you know what they say about opposites attracting! During a mile, your foot will strike down 1000 times or more. This can lead to bad backs, cruddy knees, knotted up hamstrings and crying feet.
Running creates an imbalance in the body and yoga helps to correct this imbalance by creating opposing movements to the ones done repeatedly in running. If your muscles are tight in the back of your body, the front of your body tries to compensate which just creates more of an issue by further tightening the already tight muscles!
Runners can utilize the poses of yoga to balance strength and increase the range of motion. Another bonus of yoga is that it helps you to “center” or become more knowledgeable about how the body feels, what is working and what is not working, and when to stop or change what you are doing. You will have a deeper understanding of how the body works from the poses of yoga. These poses help you to focus on a particular part of your body, noting how it feels to work in a certain way.
A common thing between yoga and running is the sense of peace and calm that you receive from both activities. This feeling is brought about by the breath. Breathwork provided in many yoga classes can help to increase your VO2 Max, your aerobic capacity, helping you to improve your endurance over the long run. Literally, you can get a runner’s high or a yoga high….I have found both to be equally gratifying!
Yoga can help you get back from an injury sooner, and help you to not get injured in the first place! By stretching muscles in a certain way, the elimination of pain can be handled without medication. A main problem with taking a pain killer in order to run is that you will not realize that you are causing further injury to your body! When the pain reliever wears off, you will know, but then it is too late. Why not try to counteract the pain and injury with a weekly yoga class and some daily poses (asanas) at home?
There are a variety of poses that can be used as a pre-run warmup and a post-run cooldown. For examples of some, please go to http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-238-409–12426-0,00.html . This article gives written and visual instructions for three yoga poses that are helpful for the pre-run.
I suggest finding a qualified yoga teacher, one with at least 200 hours of training, where you can take classes and learn the basics of the poses in order to practice yoga in the safest and most beneficial way for your body. I also want to mention that if you try a class and it doesn’t seem right for you, don’t give up on yoga, just try a different teacher or a different style. There are a myriad of yoga styles and you will need to find one that suits you best. I personally enjoy a powerful, strength-building class, but also relish a more meditative relaxed class. I have attended many classes and trainings, and can tell you that not all yoga is created equal! What one person really enjoys may not be the class for you!
If you are in the Winona, MN area, please visit www.yogafitnesswellness.com to see what classes are scheduled, or send me an email at arkjmv@aol.com to let me know when you would like a class scheduled! I also make housecalls so if you would prefer to have a yoga sequence put together that fits your needs, let me know!
If you are a runner, try a yoga class!
Namaste,
yogajen…
The answer to this question is quite simple. EVERYONE CAN DO YOGA! There is yoga for babies, yoga for Seniors, yoga for the very inflexible, yoga for the rest of us…you name it, there is a class that will fit you!! Yoga for runners is quite popular in many cities. Runners tend to have tight hamstrings, just by the nature of the run. Yoga can help to lengthen those muscles, which in turn helps you to protect other parts of you from injury. By maintaining equanimity in the front body and the back body through proper stretching, athletes can have better posture and form, thus improving their speed and agility.
What are some of the other benefits of yoga? There are so many!
Builds strength
Improves your posture and flexibility
Creates LONGER and LEANER muscles
speeds up your metabolism
helps you to lose weight
enhances your balance
reduces stress
gives you more energy and passion for life
helps aid recovery from injury or chronic pain
helps you experience a new level of emotional calm and mental clarity
opens you to the process of transformation
gives you more enjoyment in life
These are just some of the benefits! I will discuss each one of these, along with others in future blog posts.
Keep in mind, ANYONE CAN DO YOGA!! When I teach a class, each person is doing their own yoga practice. So, it is almost as if you are doing yoga with blinders on…watch me, then do what makes your body happy….If a pose doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work for you! If you need modification, I can help you with that!
I once had a teacher who told me that even if you are not physically in a pose, if you are breathing through the pose and have the pose in your mind, you will reap the benefit of the pose!
Yoga is the most forgiving physical activity I have ever engaged in. It is not a competition….do what works, and leave the rest….
namaste,
yogajen….
