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Sage Endurance News
June 2009

Quick Sales Pitch

I interrupt the regularly scheduled programming (and the newsletter as originally written) to mention that I’m about to order some custom jerseys, tri tops, etc. from Champion Systems. You can have them at cost plus shipping! Below, you can see what they look like in action. Contact me if you’re interested; the order is going in around June 10. I’m also ordering some nice soft Sage Endurance T-shirts from Sport Science, so be in touch if you’d like one. You get to choose the color and cut!



Now back to our June program.

Pose of the Month: Reclining Twist

This reclining twist can be modified in myriad ways: you can relax the position of the legs to make it more gentle, tighten the position of the legs and use a prop (here, the boulder) to hold them steady, or slowly lower and lift the legs side to side to target the obliques. By practicing the relaxing version of the pose, you’ll receive a great hip stretch, spinal twist, and chest opener. All of these are useful for swimmers, who need to rotate around the long axis of the spine, and who should stretch the pectoralis muscles to counter the chest tightening that often happens in the swim stroke.

You can find this twist discussed in The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, and, in a core-strengthening form, it shows up in the Core Flow episode of the Sage Yoga Training podcast.

Workout of the Month: Open-Water Swim

Oceans, lakes, and rivers are warming up as we head into summer: time for some open-water swimming! It’s a very different beast from pool swimming. There’s no line to follow, no wall to hang on or push off, and often no lifeguard. Don a brightly-colored swim cap, take a friend with you—and, ideally, another nonswimmer watching from shore or a boat—and get out in your local body of water. If you race in triathlons, there’s nothing to prep you for an open-water swim leg like a real open-water swim.

From the yoga perspective, open-water swimming is wonderful for keeping you in the moment. If you hit a choppy section or a current, you must adapt to what is happening in the present. That’s what I did in the 53-degree water of the north Pacific at the World Triathlon Championships last year. I’m rounding the buoy in this picture, thinking, “Form and breath.” Your form will shift according to what’s needed for each stroke, whether you’re sighting, cresting a wave, or negotiating your way through a pack. Your breath pattern will also need to change on the fly. Yoga!

If you’re in central North Carolina, consider showing up for one of the fun, casual Finish Strong open-water races. There’s one Sunday, July 7 (online registration ends soon!) and another in late August.

Service Idea: Watercraft Aid

Races always need volunteers. But if you have special skills such as handiness with a kayak, you might like helping out at a local open-water swim or triathlon. Boats of all kinds, motorized and not, are needed so that helpers can keep an eye on those racing. What a fun way to spend a weekend morning. It can then segue into a nice day on the water.

Teaching News

I’ve lined up some wonderful subs to cover for me when I’m in Idaho for Ironman Coeur d’Alene this month. You can find the sub schedule on my Google Calendar.

In July, I’ll be traveling to Colorado for two fun workshops. First, I’ll swing through Boulder, where I’m leading a workshop on yoga for athletes at the Flatiron Athletic Club on Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. The next day, Sunday, July 19, I head south to Colorado Springs, where I’ll teach coaches and athletes at the Olympic Training Center ways to include yoga as part of athletic training. This four-hour clinic runs from 1 to 5 p.m. and includes both lecture and practice. Both workshops are open to the public; USA Triathlon certified coaches will earn 5 CEUs for attending the OTC class.

More on all of these events at the Workshops page.

Teaching Teachers

Registration is open for my first weekend teachers’ workshop to share my approach on working with athletes: September 18–20, at the Carrboro Yoga Company. We’ll meet Friday evening, 6–8:30, Saturday afternoon, 1:30–3:30 and 4–7, and Sunday afternoon, 1:30–4. Cost, which includes a manual, is $195 if paid in full by September 1; $225 thereafter. Visit my Workshops page for details.

Discounts for You

I’m constantly updating my Amazon store containing my recommendations, including books, DVDs, and equipment for endurance sports training and for yoga. I personally recommend everything on there, and I own most of it!

I have my advance copy of The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga in hand. It’s absolutely gorgeous—if you come to one of my classes, ask to see it. Soon, it will hit bookstores everywhere! This beautiful pictorial practice guide will help you start or focus a home practice. If you order now on Amazon, you’re guaranteed the lowest price for this already affordable volume. And when you order from Amazon, you can then post a glowing review on Amazon . . .

If you need a guide for home practice right now, you’ll get a 10-percent discount off your purchase of the Athlete’s Guide to Yoga DVD through Endurance Films when you use the code SAGE108.

My sponsor Rudy Project has extended their amazing deal, with a bunch of free gear accompanying your purchase of a sunglasses kit, for two more months. Here’s the scoop. If you have your eye on one item in particular, write to me and I will share my generous pro deal discount with you.

Sponsors and Affiliations