Early on in my running journey, I signed up for many marathons (both half and full) -- in fact, too many! But when I started training for them, the consistent message I heard from all trainers and coaches was the importance of stretching/cross-training (i.e., incorporating yoga into my training program) to prevent injury and support recovery.
However, there was one time when I disregarded this message. I trained hard in the summer through fall of 2015 and completed my first marathon, the Chicago Marathon, in October 2015. The experience was fantastic! So, I started preparing for the Disney half and full marathon the following January 2016. I felt good when I ran the Disney half marathon, but something felt wrong during the full marathon the next day. Around mile 17, walking felt more comfortable than running, even while doing intervals (a mix of walking/running). I didn’t know what was wrong, but I continued to finish the marathon. However, when I returned home, I knew I needed to see a physical therapist to determine what was wrong. The diagnosis was a groin strain, and it was due to, you guessed it, overtraining and not stretching enough!
If I had focused more on cross-training, especially yoga and stretching, my body would have been more resilient. Plus, did I need to run two marathons and a half back-to-back? In my mind, I did since I signed up for the Disney half and full first - and it was a serious investment, not to mention I was running it with friends. I didn’t think I would get into the Chicago marathon since it was by lottery (it’s an Abbott World Major Marathon), and when I did, I felt like I could not pass it up. We all learn from our decisions, and in retrospect, I learned an important lesson, thankfully without any long-term physical impact: how important it is to listen to your body, rest, and stretch.
After this experience, I also found that strength training was another game-changer for me. When I trained for the Georgia Publix Marathon while working in São Paulo, Brazil, I focused on doing more strength training and yoga three times a week, in addition to my training plan for running. That combination paid off tremendously, and my muscles felt significantly less sore afterward.
Yoga can support runners (and other athletes) by enhancing their performance, providing a safeguard for injury prevention, and increasing mental focus. In the International Journal of Yoga, Polsgrove, Egglestone and Lockyer suggest that the practice of yoga as part of traditional training methods enhances the components of fitness that are the essential components of sports performance.
Thus, the practice of yoga may provide an additional training option to enhance performance. There are many studies that on yoga and stretching and their positive impact on athletes. McHugh and Cosgrave found evidence in their study that pre-participation stretching reduces the incidence of muscle strains. Dr. Aladar Kogler, an Olympic Fencing Coach and Sports Psychologist, in his 2007 edition of Yoga for Every Athlete, sums this up best, “Sports training requires a holistic approach and one of the remarkable advantages of yoga is that several tasks (physical, psychological, etc.) are achieved simultaneously because of the synthesis of mind and body.”
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