Have you seen it? It’s blue.
It’s made of rubber. It has the
name “Andy Moose” written on it with a Sharpie (***don’t ask***). It has a bit of a funky odor. It’s my Yoga mat! It is a very special tool in my triathlon
toolbox!
Why?
I use it just about
every day for
·
stretching,
·
core strength,
·
swimming,
·
meditation,
·
cycling,
·
and finally, Yoga!
Stretching – I’m doing a
lot more stretching these days. It might
be due to the fact that I turned 40 last year.
I don’t know. All I know is that
I try to stretch my muscles in ways that are opposite of the motion that is
normally done in swimming, biking and running.
I just want to make sure those muscles don’t get neglected and come back
to punish me!
Core Strength – For those
of you know me, train with me, are coached by me, read my blog, you all know
how I feel about having strong core muscles.
When athletes (and non-athletes) have strong core muscles, all things
are possible! You will go longer, faster
and avoid injury!
Swimming – Ah, how I love
to bring my Yoga mat to the pool to do my core strength in between swim
sets. The stares. The snickers.
The whispering. I just laugh as I
drip a on my mat and do my 2 minute plank on the deck. It’s blissful!
Meditation – This is a
bit new to me, but I’ve began to get serious about meditation. It is very easy for me to get caught up in my
daily activities and forget to breathe deeply.
Taking time to meditate each day has helped me be centered and
focused. My Yoga mat provides the extra
cushion I need to sit down and not think about the hardwood under my booty.
Cycling – I’ve made it a
habit to set up my Yoga mat next to my bike trainer. Just like with my occasional core strength
between swim sets, I enjoy combining core strength sets between cycling
intervals.
Tim Crowley, founder and
owner of TC2-Training and Coaching who currently coaches several Elite and Ironman
Athletes, including 2008 Olympian and two time World Champion Jarrod Shoemaker,
US National Team members Alicia Kaye and Steve Sexton, as well as ITU athletes from
the US, Egypt and Canada, recommends “enhanced indoor intervals to develop
strength in the context of bike workouts”. He provides an alternative of slow spinning as
recovery with jumping off the bike and doing one leg set, one core set and one
upper body set. (Source: Triathlete, December 2011, Page 66). Tim: I love it! You get an A+ in my book! <wink>
Yoga – After a good
friend of mine completed her Yoga Teacher Training Certification last year, she
convinced me of the many benefits Yoga provides athletes. Yes.
It is difficult to fit it in my already busy schedule. Yes. It
costs a bit extra money that I could be using to pay for race
registrations. Yes! It is worth the time and money! Not only is Yoga an excellent way to stretch
and recover, it encourages strength and balance. My blue, smelly Yoga mat that once belonged
to Andy Moose travels with me to class!
If you don’t already
have one or two (might be nice to keep one in the trunk of your car in case an
impromptu Yoga session breaks out during lunch), go to your favorite store, pick up a Yoga mat and add it to your
triathlon toolbox!
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