Another Injury and a New Interest

Sometimes injuries lead us to new things. Several years ago, I trained for my first-half marathon, but an injury prevented me from even reaching the starting line. It was a heartbreaking way to end an attempt at a first half marathon. I tried cross training, adding cycling and swimming to my routine and came back to the starting line of the half-marathon a year later as a stronger athlete. Of course, we all know what the combination of swimming, cycling and running leads to: a new passion for triathlon!

This year, I got a case of runner's knee from a cycling trip, and then I proceeded to aggravate it with each big workout or event. After the season was over, I rested and proceeded to cut back and rebuild, with a particular emphasis on core exercises. Core work has always been my nemesis, and a task I approached with all the excitement of going to the dentist. I researched core exercises that would help strengthen my hip muscles and reduce the imbalances that were aggravating my knees. I've gotten into the habit of doing a few core excises after each treadmill run in the mornings and I try to get to the gym for the oh-so-exciting core workout.

Around this time at the IronGirl packet pickup and through social media, I became aware of a new yoga studio opening up. And of course I'm a sucker for a good Groupon. Who can resist a deal like $30 for 30 days of yoga? My interest was piqued.

I've never thought of myself as a "yoga person." I'm inherently a Type A personality and the only way that I can relax is to be active. Running is stress relieving. Swimming a thousand yards is very relaxing. I didn't understand how assuming a yoga tree posture was supposed to relax. Those "yoga people" all seemed to be Type B people and they seemed to be naturally relaxed.

I walked into the yoga studio resolved to keep an open mind and try it. I already had a mat and an outfit from a similar failed experiment. This beginner class was different. It was introductory, but we actually did something other than introduce ourselves, talk about our bodily injuries and try a few simple poses. I was befuddled at the sequence of the poses and the instructor noted that we would do this set in between flows. How was I supposed to remember all of this?

I turned to the Internet for research, trying to identify this sequence that I was supposed to remember. In the process, I Googled up picture after picture of yoga poses. I noted a remarkable similarity between yoga poses and the core exercises I had been doing to strengthen my hips and knees.

Here was something that involved poses that are beautiful. Athletic. Artistic. Creative. And require a strong core and upper body, particularly for some of the advanced moves. I was moving my body in new ways and strengthening my core at the same time. Better yet, the more active forms of yoga offered me the intensity and release that I needed to be relaxed at the end and to actually welcome the respite of laying down on the mat in a meditative pose.

The 30 days of yoga came to and end. But the best news was that I discovered that yoga classes are free at my fitness center. I've tried a few classes. Maybe I'll try some more, and keep researching and learning on the internet. The above warrior pose is my favorite pose so far and I really feel like a warrior when doing it. This may yet be a gift from an injury.