I waited a whole year for this one...

There's one race I look forward to all year each year. It's the Summer Solstice Run held at Minnewaska State Park in New Paltz, NY. The Shawangunk Mountains outside of New Paltz, of which Minnewaska is a part, fascinate me on several levels. There's world-class rock climbing, gorgeous lakes that surprisingly have never supported fish (see Lake Minnewaska, the starting location for the race, above), and architectural remains of the region's popularity as an early 20th century getaway for NYC vacationers. This latter fact led to the establishment of miles and miles of carriage roads that criss-cross the Minnewaska and Mohonk Preserves, and the Summer Solstice Run covers 8.3 miles of these carriage roads in Minnewaska.

"It's a good thing that the course is gorgeous, because the first three miles are grueling..."

The particular carriage roads the race traverses are gorgeous. They follow a cliff edge with sweeping views of the valley below and then dip down to a moist, wooded region that follows a lake accessible only via trail and affords views of several waterfalls. The race is also perfectly timed to occur during the height of the mountain laurel bloom, so white, light pink, and fuscia bushes line the trails along the way.

And it's a good thing that the course is gorgeous, because the first three miles are grueling. They're almost entirely non-stop uphill. At the end of the climb, you burst out onto a cliff top called Castle Rock. The views are breathtaking enough to wipe away memories of the three uphill miles, and the water station situated there allows you to switch gears before starting on the last five miles of the race, which luckily are almost entirely downhill! During the half mile leading to Castle Rock the most prominent thought running through my head is always 'I can't possibly finish this race'. This is probably an indication I haven't done enough hill training, but in some ways I think one of the most spectacular beauties of the race is feeling like you have nothing left and then finding it in yourself to run five more miles.

I enjoyed this year's race so much that I've set a new goal, and that's to come back and run in the preserve several more times throughout the year beyond the race. (It's surely a whole different kind of gorgeous during the fall foliage season!) If you're like me and running is equally about the places you get to see as well as the miles you log it's hard to find a better place than the Minnewaska and Mohonk carriage roads.

Cross-training highlight: Trail running helps improve agility because it forces you to navigate over and around rocks and roots, improving your footwork. Just before the start of this year's race there was a torrential downpour so over the course of the 8.3 miles we all got a lot of practice in the art of jumping over puddles!

Hip Focus

In my yoga post, I mentioned appreciating the hip opening exercises that are a frequent part of the practice. I have very tight hips, which sometimes trouble me enough during periods when I'm training hard that it's challenging to sit still through long meetings because they just ache and ache. The tightness also keeps my stride shorter than I'd like. So, I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve hip flexibility and strength. I stumbled across this video of Shannon Rowbury today, and her warm-up includes some fantastic hip exercises that are frequently included in myrtle routines. (Myrtle is a play on the fact that the exercises focus on your hip girdle.)

If only my abs rippled like hers during sprint training! I hope things go well for her in the big USATF championships this coming week.

Here's a sample myrtle routine courtesy of Nike.

Ohm La La

No matter how many miles I log I realize I can't develop core and upper body strength solely by running. For a time I didn't find it was necessary to build these strengths, but I have come to know that good running form stems from core strength and upper body strength will aid me when I pour it on at the end of a race. The thing is, it's miserable to do repetitious, relatively sedentary exercises at the gym using free weights and machines. I find crunches even more intolerable. There had to be another way! For me, that other way is yoga.

There are four popular styles of yoga: Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Bikram. Since Hatha is traditionally slow paced and emphasizes meditation, chanting, and breathing runners may struggle to remain physically engaged. Bikram yoga, which is done in a room hotter than 100 degrees, is not recommended because the hot temperatures can lead to over extended muscles and other injuries. That leaves Vinyasa (“flow yoga”) and Ashtanga (“power yoga”). In both styles you are led through a serious of poses linked to one another with continuous movement. While Vinyasa and Ashtanga cannot be considered true cardiovascular workouts, they both involve enough movement and dynamic action to sustain the attention of a runner.

"I frequently leave a class feeling mentally relaxed, while my body is humming on a high frequency and ready for anything."

I've already mentioned that yoga can help build considerable core and upper body strength (try boat and plank poses), and it also lengthens and loosens a runner's overused leg muscles. Yoga practices generally involve hip opening stretches, such as pigeon, that greatly improved the length of my stride on downhill grades. In fact, yoga trains you to be aware of muscles you may not have previously been able to isolate. The increase in total awareness will keep you in tune with your body throughout a run, allowing you to optimize muscle utilization.

Yoga is known to encourage relaxation, but one of my favorite aspects of a deep Vinyasa or Ashtanga practice is that it releases latent energy. I frequently leave a class feeling mentally relaxed, while my body is humming on a high frequency and ready for anything. It's equally energizing and restorative. The next day, when I head out on a run, I can then call on all that energy.

Your first yoga class will not necessarily allow you to reach that desired high. Initially, the vocabulary is distracting. Terms describing anatomical features and poses such as sacrum, Tadasana, and Surya Namaskara will take a few classes to learn. Stick with it until the vocabulary is no longer unfamiliar and you can direct attention to how your body feels throughout the practice. Resist the urge to be competitive with those around you. You'll find that yoga will teach you new ways to breathe, dynamically stretch, build strength, and take new advantage of 'rest' days.

"It's not a bad idea to complete a short run before class and use yoga as an extended and enjoyable cool down."

If you're in the New York City area I recommend Sonic Yoga in Hell's Kitchen or one of the free 8pm classes each Sunday at Lululemon Lincoln Center. It's not a bad idea to complete a short run before class and use yoga as an extended and enjoyable cool down. Ideally, a class once a week will get you comfortable with a studio, instructor, and flow. Before long, your increased strength and flexibility will equate to better running.