5 Race Day Tips

May 1, 18

5 Race Day Tips

Final preparations are in place for Bon Secour Hospital Great Limerick Run. it is important to make a “To Do” list. Follow my race day tips and once you are organised, you can breathe a sigh of relief .Step away from the Fitbit!! Like most people training for the run, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of your training, obsessively checking your stats after every training session and fretting over whether you have done enough! It’s time to relax now and have some fun, so follow our five steps to make sure you enjoy the day!

1. Trust Yourself

There is not much you can do in the final week from a fitness perspective, you have done the hard work, think of all the hours you have put in and the sacrifices you have made in the last few months. You are prepared and your body is ready! The best thing you can do for your body now is to get enough sleep and keeping hydrated.

2. Hydrate and Eat Properly

Drink plenty of water on the days leading up to the race, avoid alcohol and minimize your coffee intake for this week only!! Cut down on water intake on the morning of the race as you really don’t want to have too many pee stops. Choose your food and eat loads of carbs especially the day before the race. Remember to visit the water stations during the run.

3. Stop Thinking about the Race

You could say that all of the effort and training of the last few months is about to culminate in this one single running event but constantly thinking about it is just going to stress you out. Try to do something to take your mind off running for a bit, watch a movie or read a book, take a bath, give some attention to your other hobbies or spend time with friends and family that you have no doubt neglected in the last few weeks.

4. Check Your Running Gear

One of my most important race day tips is Do not put on a brand new pair of shoes because you think you are going to run better. It is ideal to run in the shoes that are already broken in and your feet and body are accustomed to. Wear suitable clothing. I can recommend http://i-spy.ie/product/running-kit/ which are stylish and comfortable and the kit includes a sports bra, running shorts and a micro fibre towel. Perfect for your day. Wear clothes that can be adjusted easily (running gloves, running hat, arm sleeves, etc). The last thing you want to do is shed clothing that was expensive and you leave it on the ground.

5. Family and Personal Matters

One of my favourite race day tips is to be selfish and think about you !! Double check on your babysitter, children’s needs and entertainment. Once the kids are happy, you will feel more relaxed. Treat yourself to a meal with friends after the race. There are so many wonderful restaurants to choose from in Limerick but book early to avoid disappointment.

6. Remain Present and Stay Focused

This is the perfect time to increase your yoga practice as it will help your body remain stretched and flexible without taking anything away from your race day effort, it will also help you recover faster and will prevent injuries. Yoga can also help you combat nerves and tension prior to race day by promoting mindfulness which will help you stop your thoughts about the race going into overdrive.You are about to be part of something amazing, think about how great it will feel to cross that finish line, how proud your friends and family will be and how you will celebrate afterwards. Think of the race as a reward for all of your hard work rather than a dreaded challenge. Prepare some music to listen to that gets you pumped and into a positive mindset or maybe treat yourself to some new gear from I-SPY and finally find a nice spot in our home for your medal! Enjoy the atmosphere on the day and don’t forget to smile . Do not fear anything just be super-excited, because YOU are going to do it!

I have to admit that I enjoyed the last 8 weeks of blogging and preparing you for the run of your life. However I can only touch the tip of the ice berg through my blogs but you will find in the Limerick region with my SportsYoga.ie classes running in UL Sport Arena at 7.15 am / 6pm every Wednesday and many classes to choose from in the Loft Yoga Studio Clonlara. Best of luck to you all and enjoy the weekend and the BH Great Limerick Run 2018.

Paulette Egan

The Loft Yoga Studio

Clonlara Co Clare

0863183646

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Hitting The Wall-Marathon Endurance

Apr 9, 18

Hitting the Wall – Marathon Endurance

I have had a lot of runners ask me about marathon endurance this week. I’m sure anyone who is training for the BSH Great Limerick Run full marathon will have heard of or even maybe experienced a phenomenon known as “The Wall” which usually occurs around mile 20, give or take a couple of miles. Your pace slows down, your legs and arms feel heavy, you can’t think straight, muscle coordination is difficult, and self-doubt starts to creep in!

You can hopefully prevent this from happening during your race if you have been training at marathon goal pace, have at least run a 20 mile route in advance of the race, fuel your body properly before the race and find comfortable running gear like the I-SPY Cobalt steel shorts

But if despite following all of the marathon training guidelines it still happens that you reach a point in the race where you feel like you literally cannot take another step, these tips will help you push through:

1. Fuel Up

Hitting The Wall is basically running out of energy. The most important thing is to stock up on calories. Simple sugars are best such as sugary sports drinks or fruit Juice. But do not gulp lots at once because there are limits to how fast you can digest, and drinking a lot at once can make you sick so aim for 150-250 calories to take in immediately followed by another 50-150 calories every 15-20 minutes after your initial intake, until you reach the finish line.

2. Slow Your Pace

Slowing down is probably not a choice at this stage as it is inevitable that your body will slow down when you feel really spent. But slowing down will also help you to digest the calories you have taken on board quicker and when you start to feel better you will know the carbs have kicked in and you can hopefully pick up the pace again.

3. Break down the remainder of the race

Marathon endurance is tough at this stage and difficult to focus on crossing the finish line at mile 20 when you know you have another 6 to go. It will feel impossible to your exhausted body and mind, instead shorten your immediate goal and set your sights on a closer point to aim for, maybe the next water stop or the next crossroad, breaking it down into smaller bite size sections will help you feel it is achievable, then,as soon as you reach that point, immediately set a new one.

4. Counting

If your brain is able to at this stage try counting to 100, it will distract your mind away from the pain and exhaustion of the wall and the rhythm of counting may even help you get back into your stride.

5. Visualisation

Visualise is essential for marathon endurance, Imagine something pleasant like what you are going to do after the race, how you will feel, who you will see at the finish line, recounting to them how you hit a wall but kept going, how good it will feel to have a shower, where and what you will eat. Like counting, a detail-oriented mental tasklike this can distract your mind away from the exhaustion.

6. Accept some pain and….. breathe

No matter how fit and prepared you are running a marathon hurts. Accepting this fact as part of your race gives the pain far less power over you. Expect the pain and greet it calmly, focus on your breath, you may be surprised how quickly you’re able to push through the wall and find your second wind.

The Wall is something many runners hear about and fear, but it’s also something all runners are capable of overcoming but with 4 weeks to go, I am confident that I can help you to climb that wall with my Breathe for Speed Program. So, best of luck!

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Athletic Posture to Key Performance

Apr 2, 18

Athletic Posture – Key Performance

The importance of athletic posture is often overlooked in many sports but I feel that it is the key to the ultimate performance. An athlete must build his posture on a foundation of balance of muscle groups and standing tall. An athlete must think about the way that he holds his body, the position of his spine, the movement of the neck and the good control of his neck.

The base of control in athletic posture comes from correct posture so regardless of your sport, if the base of control is not aligned correctly, the athlete is wasting precious time and energy.

Athletic Posture

How can I help you?

We must first look at the reasons behind poor athletic posture especially in running. If you are training for Bon Secours Hospital Great Limerick Run 2018,take time out this week to watch my video on the benefits of good posture for running. Poor athletic posture comes from sitting down too much. In this day and age we spend hours in a seated position and whether we are aware or not, some of our muscles are weakening while more are overused. The fact of the matter is that sitting will compress the spine, the glutes and the hamstrings. Sometimes the quads are overworked and will eventually tug on the hip flexors causing an anterior pelvic tilt (APT) – causing the front of the pelvic to be lower than the back. This is one of the causes of bad posture. At SportsYoga.ie I build personal program for athletes and more often than not, it is due to bad posture. I usually incorporate some core, middle to upper back and chest expansions and breathing techniques to improve their athletic posture. I retrain and encourage new movement patterns and work on the smaller muscles that are sometimes overlooked.

I am launching my new program Breathe for Speed this week so this will add a whole new dimension to your training, sign up to my free on-line training if you visit my website and if you want to look amazing have a look at I-SPY fitness and Yoga range for your running shorts or our super absorbent I-SPY less leggings.

Chat to you next week,

Regards

Paulette

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Yoga on the Run

Mar 21, 18

Yoga on the Run

If you are a runner training for the Great Limerick Run 2018,yoga is a great addition to your training schedule but it can be hard to set aside dedicated time with your mat when you need to run every day also! But the good news is that you don’t need to spend a massive amount of time practicing yoga to notice the benefits. Try adding even a few minutes of yoga into your day and your muscles will be thanking you! Try sneaking these poses into your daily routine and you will keep your body supple and stretched and ready for your run. You may get a few funny looks from family, colleagues and friends but it will all be worth it when you cross that finish line!

When you wake up in the morning, instead of pressing the snooze button on the alarm do 2 or 3 minutes in Cobblers pose. This is a great stretch for runners as it opens the inner thighs, knees and groin, and even boosts mobility in the hips.

Bend your knees and draw your heels in toward your pelvis. Press the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop open to both sides.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil for your morning tea or coffee try doing a little tree pose. Tree Pose stretches the thighs, groins, torso, and shoulders. It builds strength in the ankles and calves and can also help remedy flat feet.

Bend the right knee shifting all the weight into the left leg. Turn the right knee to the right wall resting the heel against the left leg. Slowly slide the right foot up the left leg, only as high up as you can maintain your balance. When you are balanced here, slowly bring the palms together, prayer position in front of the heart. If you are very balanced here, try the next stage by inhaling the arms over the head. The fingers are reaching up and the shoulders are down and back. Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

A plank pose while you wait for the microwave to ping! Plank Pose is great for runners because good core strength is a must to prevent injury. A strong core and having an awareness of your core is going to ensure you have proper posture and form when running.

Start by getting into a press up position. Bend your elbows and rest your weight onto your forearms and not on your hands. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine. Hold this position for as long as you can!

If you have an office job try a Seated Twist at your desk. You’ll get away with doing this in the office without looking too crazy! Twist to your right from below the waist, keeping your spine straight and your head in line with your spine, focus on your breath and remain in position for several breaths, repeat on the other side. This will work the oblique’s which are important for core stability .

It’s so easy to sink into the sofa after a long day for an hour or two of TV or Netflix but you could so easily squeeze a cow face pose in during your fave show! This shape helps bring back the natural curve in your feet, knees, and spine helping with posture and it will feel fantastic if you’re just back from a run.

Get into a kneeling position. Make sure your knees are placed directly under your hips. Let your hands rest on your knees. Bring your knees closer to each other so that the gap between your feet automatically widens. It should be wider than the width of your hips. Then, firmly press down on the tops of your feet. Gently lower your hips, roll the calves away. Ensure your hips are right between your heels. You need to make sure that while you get into the pose, you do not feel any sharp, twisting sensations in your knees

Low Lunge or Crescent Lunge is a runner’s best friend. Try doing this stretch right after your run as your cool down stretch, this will opens the whole front of the leg and front hip muscles, into your lower pelvis and abdomen. All of these muscles tend to become overly tight after running. Hold this stretch while warm for at least 20 to 30 seconds per side.

Step your right foot forward between your hands on the ground, aligning the right knee over the heel. Then lower your left knee to the floor and, keeping the right knee fixed in place, slide the left back until you feel a comfortable stretch in the left front thigh and groin. Turn the top of your left foot to the floor. Inhale and lift your torso to upright. As you do, sweep your arms out to the sides and up, perpendicular to the floor. Draw the tailbone down toward the floor and lift your pubic bone toward your navel. Lift your chest from the firmness of your shoulder blades against the back torso. Repeat with the left foot forward for the same length of time.

So go for it, you’ll be amazed how much yoga you can fit into your day and slipping on a pair of I-spy liquid mercury yoga leggings will make it even easier to squeeze some yoga into your day!

The good news that you can attend my SportsYoga.ie Breathe for Speed classes in a location near you.

Join in my classes in the following locations ;

The Loft Yoga Studio Clonlara. Tuesday 8.30pm

UL Sport Arena UL Sport Arena Wed 7.15am & 6pm

Limerick Strand Hotel Strand Hotel Limerick Thursday 7pm

Safe training and I will chat to you next week

Regards

Paulette

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Mindful Strides and Visualisation of the Race

Mar 20, 18

Mindful Strides and Visualisation of the Race

Run ,run, run, Have you ever thought why you are running, or are you preparing for Bon Secour Great Limerick Run 2018. Either way I am going to share some of my simple tips on mindful strides and visualisation of your race. How many of you train with the main focus on your body, some may focus on the mind body connection but how many of you focus on the full package of mind, body and spirit. At SportsYoga.ie I have developed a new concept in sport training which will help you to rethink your training program

1.Be Mindful

The race is only 6 weeks away and you may find that you are getting fretful or stressing out about workouts, getting aches and pains where you never had them. If the answer is yes, you need change your way of thinking. Consider alternating workouts every-other-day. alternating running and cycling, or running and swimming, or better still try yoga! When you run mindfully, you are aware of everything that is going on inside and outside of you. Since you’re not trying to force anything, but just being with the run, you begin to feel the connection with your surroundings and even your fellow runners. This helps you let go, in a sense, just taking it all in, and running in a state of bliss. I know that this sounds cliché but if you want to be change your running form, you must become mindful. I work with individual athletes on mindfulness of their sport.

2. Ease Off Full Throttle

Have you reached a block in your training. Your mind is telling you to power on but your body is screaming at you to back off. I would recommend that you train at low intensity every second day. Remember masking the problem is never the answer. However, there are still great benefits to rest and doing recovery work, to allow inflammation to subside, to relieve tension, and working to remove knots or tight spots. This does not mean you should ignore the root of the problem. Far from it, as doing so only invites even more challenges as the race approaches. Now is a good time to introduce visualisation techniques Yoga Nidra is one method that I teach, so while your body is rebuilding in strength, you can make that connection between the body and mind with a personalised visualisation. Even after two weeks, you will be back on track and feeling better than ever.

3. Posture is Key

When it comes to running, we often work hard on our form, drills, intervals, and everything and anything to do with our training. However, we only run perhaps an hour or two a day. Good posture is one aspect of my program that you can work on 24/7. When you become aware of good posture on a moment to moment basis, it transfers over to how you run. Strong core is essential but awareness of how to hold the upper body is crucial to key performance. I will be posting up videos to help you achieve this simple change in your way of thinking.

4. Slow Your Pace

You may be saying to yourself, I want to run faster not slower but trust me on this one. You must slow down, tune into your breathing and learn to breathe in unison with your footfall. My second principal of SportsYoga.ie is respiratory conditioning and I teach many techniques to condition and improve your overall efficiency to ensure that you will run smarter and faster .Your breath then becomes a mantra which is a repetitive word or short sentence that you repeat mentally to yourself to keep you focused. Depending on your race, your mantra might change during the race to avoid crashing into that wall! Build slow and consistent and enjoy a stronger and more powerful you.

5. Visualisation of your Race

Visualization is a powerful tool for athletes. When we visualize performing an action, it activates the same brain areas we use when we actually perform that action. Visualizing a race primes your mental muscle the way speedy intervals condition your legs and lungs. By mentally rehearsing running relaxed and steady, your brain will become accustomed and you will automatically run your race relaxed and steady. However preparation is a key factor but you still have time Regrister for the GLR now . Dedicate 5 minutes daily to train yourself to quieten down.

Rehearse the race, the starting line, the stumbling blocks, the weather, the people, see yourself being in control of your breath.
Be realistic and remember it will not be all sunshine. You have to visualise that the journey will not always be the perfect race so allow time to work around these areas that may happen on the day. You have to be prepared for a dog running out in front of you, a cramp or even having to stop at traffic light.
Paint the picture that you want to see and spend a few minutes daily on the days leading up to the race. However these are only pointer for you. I offer one to one consultations where I help you to construct your visualisation and I record a personalised copy for each person.

The Great Limerick run is a fun day for all so you must enjoy the build up and love your training.

SportsYoga Breathe for Speed Training at 3 locations near you starting on April 4th

Loft Yoga Studio Clonlara Tuesday 8.30pm

UL Sport Arena Wed 7.15am /6pm

Strand Hotel Limerick Thurs 7pm

We have 15% the I-SPY Yoga Range. Namaste Paulette 0863183646

Breathe for Speed

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Stretch Daily Before The Great Limerick Run

Mar 18, 18

Stretch Daily Before the Great Limerick Run

Beep, Beep, Beep! The sound of your alarm is the LOUD signal of a bright new day.

As you emerge from beneath your warm and cosy duvet, every movement you make is a sign that the day has indeed begun. For most of us, the first few movements we make every morning are slow, stiff and uncomfortable.

I guess you could say that each subtle shift your body makes is like a pending volcanic eruption. The more movements you make the more momentum and strength you gain. Each movement is a catalyst that leads to more and more movement until your body erupts like a mighty volcano into the mother of all stretches. Your duvet will get kicked into the area while your arms and legs will get dispersed to all four corners of the bed.

Little did you know that your morning ritual of stretching is very important for you. However, for many people this is the most stretching they’ll do all day. Unless of course, someone left the biscuit tin on the top shelf or you’re bending down to pick up your phone…

As you begin your training for the Bon Secour Hospital Great Limerick Run it is imperative that you start stretching. Stretching is a simple activity that can bring about amazing benefits in the long-term. There is no better place than a yoga class to practice your stretching and to ensure that you are doing it correctly. Yoga stretching is huge effective and here are some of these benefits:

Increased Circulation – Yoga stretching increases your blood flow levels and circulation. This results in a healthier body. Your energy levels will increase as stretching helps your blood reach all the muscles in your body. It also results in a clearer mind as oxygen is reaching your brain more effectively. A healthier body with increased energy levels and a clearer mind will significant benefit you in your training for the Great Limerick Run!

Flexibility – Yoga stretching reduces muscle tension your body. If you begin training with tight muscles you will leave yourself vulnerable to injury. And injury is something you definitely want to avoid! Yoga stretching loosens your muscles and enhances your flexibility. Flexibility is vital if you want to improve your performance consistently in training.

Injury Prevention – Incorporating yoga in your training schedule will help reduce your chances of suffering injury. Failure to add any level of stretching into your schedule means that your body will not be prepared for the physicality and endurance of a marathon and this will result in serious injury. Yoga stretching can help you reduce the threat of injury and prepare your body for a great performance.

These three benefits show you that yoga stretching is extremely important element to include in your training schedule. You can do this by yourself at home or in the gym but it is well advised that you seek assistance from a professional trainer beforehand. However, your best solution is to attend my SportsYoga class! The best form of stretching is through yoga class as it tackles every muscle in your body and strengthens them. Wear top quality Irish designed Yoga Leggings and show them how great you are with I-SPY!

So with all that said, remember that instead of just stretching in the morning, you must be stretching consistently to guarantee that your body will be fully fit for the Great Limerick Run. There is also a fine aul stretch in the evenings too! So it’s the perfect time to begin your training!

Best of luck and remember to register today.