“In all 3 sports (of triathlon), efficient and graceful form begins with body alignment and position. Functional and articulate core strength is the most essential requisite for this, creating a stable platform from which to move the arms and legs biomechanically through efficient strokes and strides”
--Zendurance by Shane Eversfield
Why is my core such a hard thing to find? I feel like its the wizard behind the curtain, the Holy Grail (or the G-spot !) in that through it, great power will be revealed. In spin class, you are told to engage your core. In yoga, it is activate your core. In triathlon, it’s strengthen your TVA. There are a lot of different ways to encounter your core, and my mission this off-season is to find the damn thing and engage, activate and strengthen it.
As many of you triathletes know, between all the pool time, bike training, long runs, mental preparation, nutrition analysis, (did anyone say recovery time?) who has any time left for core work?
I’m looking for a quick fix and I am not ashamed to admit it. I’ve tried Pilates (too long and a little boring for my taste), I have an 8 minute Ab Blaster DVD (too short and unsatisfying) but I’ve continued searching for the happy medium.
Voila! My method of attack will be the (slightly expensive) Runner- Core System DVD by Coach Al Lyman. According to the promotional materials “Runner Core is a new system of Functional Strength and Core Conditioning workouts for runners and triathletes. You will gain NEW Core Strength, Low Back Power, and Leg Endurance with 3 Progressively Challenging 15 Minute Runner-CORE Functional Strength Workouts.—Sounds delish!
I'll keep you posted on my progress.
October 28, 2008
October 27, 2008
YOGA AND TRIATHLON – Serenity in power
“It is the wisdom you bring back from your act of seasoned courage, not the ribbons or skins they hand you.”
Think back to one of your hardest training sessions, your most triumphant race finishes, holding a yoga pose or sequence to the very edge….did anything come up for you? It does for me. These sport/life epiphanies are what gets me out of bed for pre-dawn February swim training, what keeps me returning to an intensive yoga class that leaves me limp for days, and what gives me the tools to calm the butterflies before an anxiety-laden race start.
Throughout my career as a triathlete, the practice of yoga has been an essential component of my training. It has only been through my practice that I have been able to understand the power and grace of the mind/body connection. Learning how to incorporate intention, breath, and strength into movement has enhanced my racing (and my life) in innumerable ways
It is my mission to integrate the practice of yoga with the intense physical and mental preparation for triathlon. The two approaches to fitness are not different, but rather complementary, as the discipline, mental strength and ability to utilize your body to its greatest potential are indispensable parts of each.
This blog will serve as a vessel for me to share, training tips, yoga insights, inspirational stories and personal triumphs and through that, hopefully assist others on their journey toward their personal goals.
Hi-five and Namaste,
Tara
Think back to one of your hardest training sessions, your most triumphant race finishes, holding a yoga pose or sequence to the very edge….did anything come up for you? It does for me. These sport/life epiphanies are what gets me out of bed for pre-dawn February swim training, what keeps me returning to an intensive yoga class that leaves me limp for days, and what gives me the tools to calm the butterflies before an anxiety-laden race start.
Throughout my career as a triathlete, the practice of yoga has been an essential component of my training. It has only been through my practice that I have been able to understand the power and grace of the mind/body connection. Learning how to incorporate intention, breath, and strength into movement has enhanced my racing (and my life) in innumerable ways
It is my mission to integrate the practice of yoga with the intense physical and mental preparation for triathlon. The two approaches to fitness are not different, but rather complementary, as the discipline, mental strength and ability to utilize your body to its greatest potential are indispensable parts of each.
This blog will serve as a vessel for me to share, training tips, yoga insights, inspirational stories and personal triumphs and through that, hopefully assist others on their journey toward their personal goals.
Hi-five and Namaste,
Tara
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