Back when I only did yoga I thought I was plenty strong enough and that what I needed was just flexibility. I am pretty mesomorphic and had no trouble with many of the yoga strength poses. Fast forward a year or so to the new Crossfit version of me. I’ve gained at least 10 pounds of muscle. A great surprise to me is that I’ve also gained flexibility. I thought I was strong back then!! Bah. In between crossfit I now maintain a haphazard and occasional yoga practice that in no way resembles the rigid thing I had going on back then. While the muscle and strength keep increasing at quite a clip, many weaknesses and imbalances have reared their lovely heads. A few of these are the result of an obsessive yoga practice that didn’t do enough to strengthen and stabilize those stretched out body parts.
The main injury I’ve had as a Crossfitter is an Achilles tendon injury. No running, skipping or jumping for me for the past six months. Though the injury has now pretty much cleared up I’ve spent a lot of time looking forward to running again and researching why this injury happened in the first place. Me…looking forward to running? How did this happen? I HATE running.
By now the following book is old news, but for those who haven’t yet heard of it, Born to run is equal parts adventure, investigation into the biomechanics of running, look at the legendary Mexican tribe of super endurance athletes, and showdown race through the Copper Canyons. Why do some running shoes, at huge expense, offer super gel soles thicker at the heels, and why are many runners returning to minimal running shoes and even barefoot running? This book deserves the huge stir it has created in both the running and writing worlds.
Off course : inside the mad, muddy world of obstacle course racing. Ever wondered about the crazies who run in Tough Mudder and the many spin off events held around the world each year? What is this mental movement about and why is it getting so huge? I’ve met a few of the mudders at my gym and would have liked to have joined them this year….too bad my run looked more like a hobble back in July. Erin Beresini is a beast of an athlete, and she definitely knows how to write a good story. Fast paced, revealing, funny, looking forward to finishing this one off.
Like I said before, I’ve never been a ‘runner’, as in long distances done regularly. I’ve run out of necessity while playing team sports, and I did enjoy the burst of quick sprints, but anything more than 400 meters has usually caused me dread. There is a lot of new talk about cadence, style, and gait in the running world. Lots of new information about how to care for your precious heel cords and calves on a daily basis. Lots of suggestions about moving slowly to minimal footwear so as not to overstress your feet. I’m curious to see if I can learn to enjoy running and run pain free. I know many people who dearly love it. While perusing the new incoming library books I noticed Running & being : the total experience, by the apparently legendary George Sheehan. Like I said, I’m just discovering running. This guy is regarded as a SAINT! A cardiologist who found his true passion in a midlife return to running, he wrote many books in the 70’s and 80’s that are still well loved today. Looking forward to reading this guy’s rhapsodizing.