Running and Yoga

My relationship with exercise is somewhat fraught.  I'm significantly more active now in the latter half of my 30s that I was in the first 35 years of my life.  My attitude was always: "I can't do it, I'm not sporty, exercise is not for me, I can't think of anything worse."  I'm not sure what the switch was but I started running.  I am a runner, I run.  I have to remind myself of that to combat the doubts that tell me I can't run.  I do run.  I ran a 10k last year in 1 hour 9 minutes.  Not spectacular but for me it was a massive achievement and if nothing else running makes me feel like I've accomplished something...but it's more that that.  It's MY time, I can feel my lungs explode and my legs complain and it feels good.  

What no one tells you when you start running is about all those pesky little injuries.  We never got these injuries as kids when running was the preferred method of ambulating, other than the odd grazed knee.  No plantar fasciitis, no Achilles tendonitis, no patellofemoral pain syndrome.  You don't see kids hobbling around moaning about their running injuries.  My pesky injury is shin splints.  A sharp, shooting pain in the side of my shin with every single step.  Not wanting to be beaten by a stupid muscle rubbing on bone or whatever the hell it is I tried everything to continue running: physio, ice packs, insoles to support my arches, an incredibly painful sports massage that left me bruised, rollering, compression sleeves and running through the pain which made it worse of course, I could barely walk at one point and convinced myself I had a stress fracture thanks to Google.  For the 10k I resorted to acupuncture and kinesiology tape.  I had no pain during that 10k.  But the pain returned and I stopped running for months.  

Wanting to try again I went for gait analysis.  Horrible.  I never want to see my arse jiggle in slow motion again.  It was useful though; my hips were off balance (I don't think I have core muscles), my stride too long and my trainers too small.  I did purchase the recommended Saucony trainers but on eBay brand new but significantly cheaper than in the running shop. 

Then more physio, this time I'm told that when I started running initially I built up too fast, despite using a Couch to 10k app.  I got shin splints then but now it's psychosomatic, all in my head.  Run through it, try tapping it, disengage brain from pain, stretching exercises.  The fact that I ran the 10k pain free meant that mind of matter is definitely at play here.  Oh and also the foot that won't flex properly at the ankle, the internal scar tissue on my shin from some trauma I can't remember and my terrible balance probably don't help.

I started a Couch to 5k but took it slowly, if a session was difficult I repeated it rather than moving on.  Combined with my awesome new trainers I'm managing to build up slowly.  I'm rubbish at doing physio exercises though.  It's boring and takes FOREVER.  I needed a way to stretch and increase flexibility and improve balance and tone up the Christmas flab that gets increasingly worse in your late thirties.  I've done pilates before and loved it but then I joined the gym at the leisure centre and either couldn't get booked onto pilates or yoga (so popular they fill up in seconds) or when I did go I couldn't get on with the instructor.  She talked a lot about irrelevant things and thought she was a comedian.  I wanted to feel relaxed but ended up feeling angry and cheated and hating people.  

The NHS website states the following about the benefits of yoga:

'Dozens of scientific trials of varying quality have been published on yoga.  While there's scope for more rigorous studies on its health benefits, more studies suggest yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity, especially strength, flexibility and balance.

There's some evidence that regular yoga practice is beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains - including lower back pain - depression and stress.'

I feel like they are holding back, wanting scientific evidence.  Many other websites and publications gush about the benefits of yoga from improves digestion to improved sexual performance.  Either way I needed strength, flexibility and definitely balance.  And I'm stressed.  Gym subscription no more and impatient to start after Christmas I downloaded an app for my iPhone ('Daily Yoga') .

In my bedroom I rolled out my yoga mat and began from the beginning with the beginners' ten day course.  An easy to follow video with soothing music, encouraging voiceover and uber flexible lady to show you the moves.  I loved it.  I felt stretched and relaxed.  Seven days later I have just taken the ability test on the app which kindly gave me 53/100 and told me my balance was appalling.  The fact that my 'tree pose' is more 'tree-in-a-hurricane pose and the physiotherapist and past experience telling me I can't balance for shit made this no surprise at all.  I haven't lost any weight and I don't look in the least bit toned which is disappointing after a whole week but for the relaxation and the stretching out of the old limbs after jamming them into the ground running I am massively feeling the benefits.  

Twenty minutes a day is relatively easy to fit in.  I don't have to trek to a leisure centre and pay a fortune to feel inferior.  I don't have to do it at a set time.  I paid for the pro version which at £35.99 is ten times less than I paid for the gym membership I barely used.   

There are downsides to being at home though:

• No direct instruction.
• The risk of interruption - I told the boy this morning that I was doing yoga and it was strictly do not disturb.  Part way through grappling with a side plank he pops his head around the door to tell me he needs his hair cut.  
• Catching glimpses of yourself in a mirror and realising you don't match the serenity and grace exhibited by the lady on the screen.  Red face, slightly pained, the finesse of a pantomime dame.