christmas week workouts + standing figure 4 posture breakdown
Another 30 mile adventure under my belt, including a fun and funky Christmas Day fartlek workout by the water! My body is feeling good, though some parts beg for further foam rolling and stretching. Next week I’m starting a new bullet journal to correlate with the start of 2020 and of Big Sur training, and devoted part of my daily workout box to recovery protocols, which will certainly aid in accountability.
Below the summary I’ve included a breakdown of Figure 4 stretch, a wonderful multipurpose yoga pose for post-workout cooldown or any daily practice.
Monday, 12/23: 40 min incline walk + 20 min strength
Every time I perform a hilly treadmill hike, I’m reminded how incredibly hard it is! I varied the speed between 3.8-4.5 mph (mostly at 3.8) and the incline from 6-12%, then followed with this lower-key strength workout:
- 3 x 25 clamshells with resistance band
- 3 x 20 hip flexions with resistance band
- 3 x 20 per side lateral monster walks (last set with 10# dumbbell)
- 3 x 15 upright rows
- 3 x 20 walking lunges w. 10# dumbbells
- 3 x 20 row with resistance band
- 3 x 10 superset bent row + reverse fly
Tuesday, 12/24: 6.26 miles, 9:52 pace
Joyful Christmas Eve march beneath glowing Christmas lights! Most of them weren’t lit in the morning, but enough to make me feel a bit more festive.
Wednesday, 12/25: 8.41 miles, 8:35 pace – Christmas Fartlek Fun!
Organized a very meticulous set of intervals aligning with the 2019-12-15 digits. SUCH an enjoyable workout, hit some surprising paces and felt happy and strong the whole while!
- 1.2 mile warmup
- 20 min tempo run (8:07 average)
- 1 mile float recovery
- 9 min tempo run (8:07 average)
- 1 mile float recovery
- 2 min @ hard effort (7:35 average)
- 2 min recovery
- 5 min @ medium-hard effort (7:59 average)
- .53 mile cooldown
Thursday, 12/26: 5.22 miles, 9:45 pace
Recovery run in my new Adidas Boston 8s! Bouncy, responsive, and quite comfortable – first impressions from this run. I think the Bostons and I will be good friends during Big Sur training.
Friday, 12/27: 25 min elliptical + 30 min strength
HIIT and heavy weights in the gym this afternoon!
- Elliptical HIIT: 5 min warmup, 3 x 1 min @ lvl 6 (1 min easy), 4 x :45 @ lvl 7 (:45 easy), 5 x :30 @ lvl 8 (:30 easy), 3 min easy cooldown
- 3 x 8 Warrior 3-high knee
- 3 x 6 split squats
- 3 x 15 jump-out squats with band
- 3 x 12 yogi squats
- 40 fire hydrants/leg
- 3 x 12 weighted jump lunges
- 50 clamshells/leg with band
- 3 x 15 weighted single-leg calf raises
Ended with five minutes of stretching and evening foam rolling to recover.
Saturday, 12/28: 4.74 miles, 9:39 pace
Sunday, 12/29: 7.42 miles, 9:41 pace: 5 x :30 ups & downs
Hills. Oof. Intervals clocked from 6:33-7:05, with about half going uphill and half going down. Ultimately I was very pleased!
I taught my final yoga class of 2019 in the evening, and of Year 25. The sunset in the cover photo says enough about how magical and serene the practice felt. Four wonderful souls joined me on the mat for a gentle evening flow. So rewarding to see some regulars show up on the Island, and a beautiful way to close out the year.
Total Mileage: 32.11
I often relax into seated or supine postures during my post-run yoga, but sometimes after a particularly taxing workout or if my legs feel stiffer, standing poses are a go. An extended upright cooldown helps prevent further tensing of my already-tired muscles, so when I do plop onto my couch I’m less likely to fumble with my footing upon rising whenever I do so.
Figure 4, or One-Legged Chair, is a multifaceted yoga posture with numerous benefits for runners. As a stretch, Figure 4 targets the piriformis, glutes, and TFL muscles, as well as the quads and adductors for some. The ankle and foot stability it offers, too, is worth noting. Learning how to properly balance on one foot without postural deficiency targets mobility in the smaller muscles and bones, so when you skid over a pinecone mid-run, you’re less likely to fall and twist or rupture something.
To reap the full impact of this wonderful post-run stretch, one must keep some alignment cues in mind. I’d recommend any practitioner consider the following while trying Figure 4:
- Core engagement. Tuck the belly towards the spine to protect the low back, and use your deep muscles to track the hips in line with your body’s midline. “Dumping” into the planted hip (in the photo below’s case, the left hip) causes unnatural alignment and, over time, can lead to injury.
- Knees. In the planted leg, at least the big toe should be visible in front of the knee – I usually like to see all five toes.
- Elongation of the spine. The metaphor I enjoy using is to pretend a string pulls along a diagonal from the crown of the head to the tailbone. It is helpful to press the shoulderblades gently together to release neck tension and tuck the tailbone forward and down – this also helps activate the core!
- Breath. As always, maintain a steady pattern of inhales and exhales. If the breath becomes labored or uncomfortable, back out of the pose.
To start, try holding on each side for :30. Feel free to use a wall, chair, or even a tree to find your balance. Then, see if you can hold the posture without any support. Work up to :60-:90 to see great improvement in your balance, form, and stability.
