Great Aloha Run Training - Week 4

Well this week was much like last week. The vog didn't relent and I was out of commission. No running, no rolling. Just a lot of coughing and a lot of mucus. For me reacting to vog is like being sick without the virus. But I didn't go the whole week being completely inactive.

Honolulu covered in vog

I was in no condition to run...not to mention the air was still voggy hazy so running in it would have just been retarded. I was in no condition to do jiu-jitsu...plus I doubt my training partners would appreciate me coughing and hacking all over them. The most I could really do was stretches so I stretched it out.

I came up with an hour long stretching routine blending postures from Bikram Yoga, some things my buddy Dan (the yoga guy/personal trainer) showed me, and regular static stretches I normally do for running. I start off with five salutations, very beginner level that Dan showed me. Then I do some side bends, or half-moon for the Bikram people, but for me it's hardly a side bend...I'm as flexible as a board and a tricep stretch. Then I do some standing bow pose, standing head-to-knee, triangle pose, and standing separate leg stretch which is basically going spread-eagle and bending forward.

After the standing stretches, which work up a pretty good sweat, I move to ground stretches. I do some hip stretches that Dan showed me then stretch out my back. Bow pose, full locust are pretty intense and even though I feel a lot of stretching going on I really hardly move...yep, flexible as a board. Then I do some cobra/upward dog and downward dog. Those ones feel pretty relaxing by this point. Then I sit down and do some butterfly. The goal is to get the knees to the ground but mine are flapping a good four inches off...yeah my hips don't really open up...like a board! Next is a hamstring stretch with one leg forward. Bikram calls this stretch head-to-knee but for me it's more like 'yay my hands can reach my toes' stretch. I stretch each leg individually then do both legs in front. Finally I finish with some sit 'n twist or spine twist for the Bikram people.

Stretching reminded me how flexible I am not but helped me avoid feeling completely slothish. It was actually a pretty good workout and I built up a good sweat. I did the stretch routine Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. I still have a pretty good cough going but it's getting better. The winds are finally blowing the vog away and the I was happy to wake up on Saturday to clear air. Hopefully the cough will be gone in a few days and I can get a run in this week.

Picture of Vog taken from the space shuttle