The Runner's Guide to Yoga: A Practical Approach to Building Strength and Flexibility for Better Running (The Athlete's Guide) [Paperback]

Sage Rountree (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2012 | Series: The Athlete's Guide

Yoga will make you a better runner.

 

Millions of runners practice yoga daily because it cuts injuries and leads to more fluid, enjoyable running. In The Runner’s Guide to Yoga, Sage Rountree—America’s leading expert on yoga for athletes—shows you the poses and practices for stronger, healthier running.

 

Filled with color photographs, clear instruction, and easy-to-follow routines, The Runner’s Guide to Yoga offers simple ways to make yoga a part of your everyday training, even if you have never set foot in a yoga studio. This practical guide highlights the routines that ease tightness in the hamstrings and hips, strengthen the core, build strength and flexibility throughout your body, and speed recovery from minor injuries.

 

Rountree highlights over 100 key poses modeled by real runners and includes focused routines as well as key pre- and post-race yoga sequences. The Runner’s Guide to Yoga will complement your running every day, all season long.

 

Discover how yoga can improve your running with

 

• Dynamic warm-ups and cooldowns for your workouts
• Poses that target typical trouble spots, such as hips, calves, and hamstrings
• Self-tests to determine areas of weakness or imbalance
• Breath and meditation exercises to sharpen mental focus

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Endurance athletes generally have poor flexibility, core strength, balance, and posture. Improving these can really change performance for the better. The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga is a great resource to get you on the path to better training and racing." —Joe Friel, founder of Joe Friel's Ultrafit and author of The Triathlete's Training Bible, The Cyclist's Training Bible, and The Mountain Biker's Training Bible

"After running and racing for nearly thirty years, competing through five Olympic trials and the 1996 Olympics, and traveling the world on U.S. track, road, and cross-country teams, I thought I knew all the tricks for success and longevity in distance running. Yoga helped me set a world age-group record in the indoor mile and an outdoor American record in the 1500m at age 45. Yoga should have been—and will be from here on out—added to the mix of ingredients for success for any serious endurance athlete. Incorporate the practice of yoga into your weekly training regimen, and it will make a difference in your life as an endurance athlete. I highly recommend The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga to all athletes who want to train smarter and race faster." —from the foreword by long-distance runner Joan Nesbit Mabe

"Whether you're a yogini or you've never heard of downward-facing dog, you'll come away with something useful from The Athlete's Guide to Yoga." —Women's Adventure Magazine

 

From the Back Cover

 

Yoga will make you a better runner.

 

Millions of runners practice yoga daily because it cuts injuries and leads to more fluid, enjoyable running. In The Runner’s Guide to Yoga, Sage Rountree—America’s leading expert on yoga for athletes—shows you the poses and practices for stronger, healthier running.

 

Filled with color photographs, clear instruction, and easy-to-follow routines, The Runner’s Guide to Yoga offers simple ways to make yoga a part of your everyday training, even if you have never set foot in a yoga studio. This practical guide highlights the routines that ease tightness in the hamstrings and hips, strengthen the core, build strength and flexibility throughout your body, and speed recovery from minor injuries.

 

Rountree highlights over 100 key poses modeled by real runners and includes focused routines as well as key pre- and post-race yoga sequences. The Runner’s Guide to Yoga will complement your running every day, all season long.

 

Discover how yoga can improve your running with

 

• Dynamic warm-ups and cooldowns for your workouts
• Poses that target typical trouble spots, such as hips, calves, and hamstrings
• Self-tests to determine areas of weakness or imbalance
• Breath and meditation exercises to sharpen mental focus

 

Runner’s World columnist Sage Rountree holds coaching certifications from the Road Runner’s Club of America and USA Triathlon and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher. Her popular yoga classes for athletes draw students ranging from Ironman® triathletes and Olympians to everyday cyclists, runners, and walkers, as well as team-sports athletes. She is a well-known writer who contributes frequently to Yoga Journal, USA Triathlon, and Endurance Magazine, and is the author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga, and The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery.

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Velo Press (April 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934030848
• ISBN-13: 978-1934030844
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sage Rountree, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, holds coaching certifications from USA Triathlon (expert level) and the Road Runners Club of America, as well as a PhD in English Literature. Sage's popular yoga classes and workshops for athletes draw students ranging from recreational athletes to Ironman triathletes, Olympians, NBA and NFL players, and NCAA players and coaches. She also coaches clients in triathlon, duathlon, running, and ultrarunning. She is co-owner of the Carrboro Yoga Company and the Durham Yoga Company.

Sage teaches workshops on yoga for athletes across the country and online. Find her workshop schedule and videos for streaming at www.sagerountree.com.

An accomplished age-group triathlete and runner, Sage has raced distances from sprint triathlon to Ironman, 400 meters to 40 miles, including the Boston Marathon and the 2008 Short-Course Age-Group World Championship in Vancouver, Canada, where she represented the U.S. as a member of Team USA. Sage lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, Wes, and daughters, Lily and Vivian.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, useful book April 7, 2012

By Readsalot

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm surprised, with the high sales ranking on this book, that I am the first review! But glad to do it as I like this book a lot. It's full of very good information for yogis who run at all stages, and for runners who want to do yoga. I have done yoga for 2 years, and wanted to start running.

I think doing yoga helped my beginning running efforts succeed, but I did start having some minor issues after 2 weeks and so I bought this book (and a new pair of running shoes) and I did the warm up the other day, about 30 min before going out for my run, and everything was so much easier. Will use the after-running stretches for after-gardening and other activity as well. Generally, well written, well-illustrated, and very practical reference that addresses most topics the every day yogi-runner will need to know.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing "Must Have Book" for all runners. June 19, 2012

By Pam

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"The Runner's Guide to Yoga" is an essential book for every runner. This is a book that you can reread many times and still learn something new and valuable each time. Chapter 8, entitled "Prevention and Correcting Overuse Injury" is currently my favorite chapter. As I work through the self tests in Chapter 8, I keep discovering new insights about my body as a runner and a yogini. As a result, my running and overall health has improved greatly. Sage's descriptions of the asanas make this book very enjoyable and easy to understand so that it is beneficial for all levels. I also greatly appreciate the fact that she incorporates yoga philosophy into the book.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing. May 15, 2012

By Cultural Groupie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is intended for runners who don't do yoga, or who are VERY new to yoga. I'm a runner, and also an intermediate/experienced yogi, and this book didn't tell me anything I don't already know. I'd say you're better off spending the money to take a couple yoga classes, and learning how to properly do the poses. That will teach you much better (and in a safe environment with an instructor where your risk of injury/overstretching is reduced) what poses will help stretch your thight spots.