Getting Faster Without Running: part 2

With (hopefully) just a few days left in my walking boot, but many days to come until I can run again, I'm still focusing on my critical nonessentials to prepare me for my comeback. Last week I waxed somewhat poetically about sleep and nutrition, and today I'm focusing on more specific and purposeful running-related advantages.

When I'm healthy, one of the best things I can do for myself is to practice yoga regularly. I'm lucky that I have free yoga classes at my school and that I have a great rapport with the instructor, who is also a colleague and friend. Yoga is great for a number of reasons, and you can choose which you want to focus on in your time on the mat. If I'm particularly tired from running or burnt out from work, I can use yoga to recharge and refocus, and the practice becomes less about the poses and more about the intentions. I can really unplug and let go of stress, tensions or worries. Other days, I want my yoga to help me become stronger or more flexible. I've made great progress with crow pose and headstand, although sometimes it feels like I'm still just a beginner. Yoga is very humbling and can be a perfect antidote to competitive running because you truly can't compare yourself to others. Sometimes, even just turning your head to look at someone else's pose can mess up your alignment and cause neck and spinal damage; you just need to look inward. I haven't been doing yoga since being in my boot but I'm looking forward to moving a little more freely and confidently very soon!

Some preseason flow

One of the least considered critical nonessentials is the compression sock. In fact, when I was getting my USATF coaching certification, I suggested compression socks as a recovery method and the other coaches were very surprised. I swear by compression socks, for both during and after a workout.  They help to drain your legs of "dirty" blood and get fresh blood pumping and restoring. I have a pair of fancy, neon compression socks but I also have $9 airplane compression socks that I bought at Walmart. I've been wearing a compression sock on my bad leg for the past month because it helps reduce swelling. Now I can finally see my ankle bone! Another great perk of compression socks is that they simply look fly.  They may not make me a faster runner merely because I'm wearing them but there is definitely some placebo effect when I put them on. If I look fast, and I feel fast, then I am fast. How's that for a new motto?

Don't knock these things until you've tried them, but at the same time, you should probably be running instead of reading this or browsing Running Warehouse for new socks. If I can't run, at least one of us should be logging miles. Get out there already!