Simon Fitzmaurice, CiRF, spoke to us about how to integrate hot yoga into a marathon training plan. As a running coach and ultra-marathoner, he has experienced first-hand the benefits of yoga on his training and recovery. Simon has his own free and accessible running group, Track and Towpath, in London that meets for morning workouts every fortnight.
Can you start by telling us a bit about your coaching background and your experience with marathon training?
I completed my first marathon in Manchester in 2014, and have run 36 marathons and ultra marathons to date. Recently, I achieved my personal best marathon time at the Shakespeare marathon over the summer, with a time of 2.59.45 after overcoming a sacrum fracture earlier in the year. I started leading run clubs as an Area Activator for the fitness and volunteering charity, Goodgym, and have since become a UK Athletics certified Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF) in 2019.
What role does cross training play in a runner’s overall training or recovery journey?
Cross training can often be overlooked by many runners, but I believe it is essential for boosting athletic durability, longevity and adaptability. When combined with varied running sessions, cross training can allow runners to build aerobic capacity without the strain of pounding pavements every day.
Long-distance running can take its toll. From your experience, how can hot yoga support recovery and help keep runners injury-free?
During peak training weeks, hot yoga is great for carefully activating sore muscles while recovering. Regular low impact exercise routines, such as yoga or pilates, are excellent for proactive recovery, engaging core strength and promoting functional flexibility, read more about the benefits of hot yoga for runners here.
If you could design the “perfect week” of marathon prep that includes hot yoga, what would it look like?
A typical running week in one of my training plans would include at least one of each of the following sessions:
- An interval session (faster paced efforts over less time duration to build aerobic endurance
- A tempo or threshold session (a middle distance run with controlled steady pace variations)
- The classic long run (a workout to prepare the body for time on feet, dependent of the overall target time or distance)
- A hot yoga session the night before an interval session, or the day after my long run which allows time to fuel and hydrate.
Hot yoga sessions are really beneficial during “taper time” – the last few weeks before race day.
Here are 5 poses for runners that you can integrate into your warm-ups and cool downs.
Marathon training is as much mental as physical, how do you see hot yoga contributing to a runner’s mindset and focus?
I have found that hot yoga helps with building mental fortitude for the times when fatigue sets in during longer distances or difficult race conditions. Hot yoga is also particularly great for runners looking to acclimatise for events in Summer or in warm climates.
In your experience, what’s the biggest misconception runners have about yoga or flexibility training?
Some runners see yoga as a form of rehabilitation, only practiced in the recovery period after an injury- the frustrating time when they are unable to run! Flexibility and conditioning goes hand-in-hand with key running workouts for building a super base level of fitness and preventing injuries.
What advice would you give runners who are hesitant to try hot yoga?
I recommend trying hot yoga for the first time with your fellow running friends or run club mates. But be prepared to start including classes into your training schedule! There are great beginner friendly Hotpod Yoga sessions, I have found them to be very accessible and welcoming.
Finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d give every marathon runner when it comes to recovery and longevity in the sport?
Your training plan is your own portfolio of running projects. Fill it with exciting experiences and memorable workouts! Race day allows you as a runner to test yourself, but the end result isn’t the only marker to define your running achievements. Enjoy your training, and you will love running for many many years to come!
Find your local Hotpod studio here to experience the benefits of hot yoga for runners.
We offer intro offers at all of our studios for £25 or less, giving you access to unlimited classes for 10-14 days, making it easy to try out the pod.
Looking for more advice on how to recover from your runs? Read our blog here on a physio’s top tips for recovery.