Flexible Warrior Yoga for Runners

Hi Flexible Warriors!

Runners are some of my favorite people on the planet. I’m always super “in awe” of anyone who trains hard for and runs a race of any distance. The obstacles we must overcome to accomplish this goal is all part of the journey.

One simple (and free) tool I find very beneficial for all athletes is meditation, which can help to calm and center the mind in minutes, especially good if pre-race jitters are an issue. So I’m hosting a 5 Day free Chillpower Challenge September 23rd – 27th (5 minutes of meditation a day for 5 straight days). As with all training, it’s good to start practicing now well before your big day!

To join us, subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow along with the Flexible Warrior Meditation Playlist. A new 5 minute meditation video will be released each day during the challenge (BTW if you hit the “bell” in the top right corner when you subscribe to my challenge, you’ll automatically get an email each day with the new video).

And when the hardest part of the training is over, and it’s time to taper, below are several yoga-inspired tips and videos to help you recharge and fuel up for race day…

Here are some yoga-inspired tools for your taper…

1) Set an Intention. How do you want to feel on your race day? Why did you sign up for this challenge? Who can you thank for supporting you on your journey? What are you grateful for? Taking a little time out to set an intention for your race day, to contemplate and reflect on “your why” and reflect on your intentions can help keep you inspired for race day.

2) Keep it simple. If you’ve already been practicing yoga during your training, fine – take whatever yoga class your body is used to. But if not, now is not the time to be adding new training into your program. Look for formats that are geared toward runners and are more restorative. Wait until the off season for the more challenging classes. It’s all about the balance between willpower and chillpower. But sometimes less is more, so avoid throwing anything crazy into the mix during your taper.

3) Practice breathing, visualization or meditation. Learning to improve the quality of your breathing can make a huge difference in your performance and can create that calm, focused energy you want for your race day. Try this 5 minute Warrior Spirit Meditation…

4) Fuel your Prana (life force energy). Every cell in your body will thrive if you consciously fuel and nourish it. Eat nutrient-dense foods! Get extra sleep. Drink a green smoothie or try some wheat grass shots. HYDRATE! It sounds so obvious, but in our busy world these simple things get skipped.

5) Put your legs up the wall?! Yep. This 20 minute segment is great to do after your long runs or after your race day and includes one of the poses for runners is Legs up the Wall pose. It’s so simple yet so effective and restorative to invert your legs after a long run.

6) Book a massage or try Self-Massage with a foam roller or myofascial release balls can extend the life of your massage. These inexpensive tools can be used before you stretch to help loosen up tight tissue. Here is a foam roll and stretch segment to try…

7) Superfood Load to Boost your immune system… Extra vitamin C (I love a Camu Camu smoothie with berries, raw honey and coconut milk), bone broth chicken soup with lots of nutrient dense veggies, garlic, onions and parsley and himalayas salt), limit inflammatory foods (like sugar, dairy, and alcohol), hydrate well with lots of water (try adding in coconut water), add in hot lemon water with ginger and raw honey or some of my other favorite anti-inflammatory hot drinks like golden milk latte with turmeric.

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8) Get extra sleep and enjoy an Epsom Salt bath (with some lavender or Serenity Blend essential oil to support rest and relaxation).

9) Try essential oils to help support rest and relaxation, to increase “calm energy” for race day and to support immune defenses leading up to race day (because catching a cold or flu after all those months of trainins is the worst).

The oils I like most for runners are:

Deep Blue Rub (helps soothe tight, sore muscles)
On Guard Blend (to support immune defenses against seasonal colds and flu bugs)
Serenity Blend (to support restful sleep)
Peppermint Oil (to boost energy and endurance. I mix a few drops of peppermint with a little bit of coconut oil and put on on feet before I run… both energizing and moisturizing plus my running shoes always smell minty fresh 😉
Motivate Blend (an orange, peppermint combo that I use daily to help keep my spirits and energy lifted before any challenge. I keep one in my purse and one in my car!)

It’s important you use the highest quality essential oils possible. Just like you don’t want to use low-grade gas in your high performance car, you don’t want to use low-grade fragrance oils on your high-performance body! If you’re interested in ordering or learning more about doTerra essential oils you can click here.

10) To get RACE DAY READY, try this Pre Race Calm segment …

Mostly, enjoy your race day journey.

Be grateful for all you have overcome to cross the finish line…

And run with a high heart!

In yoga, Mountain Pose is all about good posture, alignment and an open, lifted heart always lifts the spirits. Sometimes, when I fatigue, I imagine a string is pulling me forward from my heart. It may sound weird, but boy does it help me get up hills! When we fatigue, the posture slumps which restricts breathing and has a negative effect on energy and performance. So lift your heart, smile, breathe deeply and run with a high heart!

The more you fill your cup and fuel your Prana (life force energy) leading up to race day, the more relaxed, resilient and energized you’ll be to enjoy every step of your journey.