Running the East Bay

Perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:51:00 +0000

You might say I'm on a bit of a high. Today I completed week 5 of my training plan. I did a 4-mile run in the Berkeley hills with two guys from my running group. I finished strong and with zero pain.

My progress has been unbelievably encouraging. A few weeks ago, I was considering giving up on ever running a marathon. I thought it might be time to accept that my body is just not built for that kind of distance.

Luckily, I came to my senses a few days ago and resolved to take whatever steps necessary to fulfill my dream of running a marathon. Sure, after 5 weeks I've only built up to a 4-mile run. This gradual increase in mileage does not deter me, however. I'm ready to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, at this point.

With that mindset, I've planned out 10 additional weeks of training after I finish the first 10 weeks. In those 10 weeks, I'll build from a 6-mile long run to a 10-mile long run. I'll also transition from running three days per week to running four days per week.Finally, I plan to participate in some races along the way.

For now, there are 4 things I'd like to commit to that I believe will improve my training:

Attend one yoga class per week for strengthening and flexibility.
Complete physical therapy exercises three times per day, five days per week.
Take two calcium supplements everyday.
Drink one glass of water at each meal (yes, I have problems with hydration).

So, there it is. There's no doubt about it, I love to run!

A Lesser-Known Means of Injury Prevention

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:57:00 +0000

I'm happy to report that I completed the first run of week 5 of my training program today. I ran a pain-free 3-miler in the beautiful Berkeley hills in perfect weather. I feel energized and excited to continue progressing through my training program.

In an effort to stop my hip injury from returning, I've been doing physical therapy exercises everyday. I think these exercises have been effective in strengthening my hips and core, and the result is that my injury hasn't been reactivated. However, after reading this article at Competitor.com, I learned that there is even more I can be doing for injury prevention. Surprisingly, it has to do with what and when I'm eating.

The article outlines four ways you can make sure your eating habits are helping to prevent injuries:

1. Eat enough food. I've known many runners who have been overly restrictive in their food intake. When runners under fuel themselves, their bodies are forced to burn muscle for energy because there aren't sufficient calories available. This impairs tissue repair after workouts, leading to a greater risk of injury. You can know if you're eating enough by monitoring your performance for any dips and by making sure that if your weight drops, so does your body fat percentage. A decrease in weight without an accompanying decline in body fat percentage means your weight loss could be coming from muscle.

2. Consume fat. Fat is essential for preventing cell damage during workouts and for decreasing inflammation. Unsaturated fat and omega-3 essential fat sources are key.

3. Ensure adequate calcium intake. The recommended daily intake is 1,000 to 1,300 mg daily, which can come from low/non-fat dairy foods or supplements.

4. Eat soon after workouts. Muscle and joint tissue damage is repaired within a two-hour window after workouts, and the repair process is fueled by food. The article recommends consuming a combination of protein and carbs following a workout, such as a turkey sandwich on wheat bread or a glass of chocolate milk.

While I would never have thought of food intake as a way to prevent injuries, I'm happy to know that there's more I can be doing for my hip. Personally, I need to focus on calcium intake and refueling properly after workouts. Looks like it's time to dust off my calcium supplements and stock up on chocolate milk!

Getting Back in Shape After a Long Break

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 02:01:00 +0000

Happy 2011! After a long break from running and fitness in general, I’m ready to get back on track. Last week, I went in search of a running plan that would get me back in shape. Since my level of fitness is so poor right now, I steered myself toward novice plans to ensure that I didn’t take on too much too quickly.

Here’s what I found.

1. Hal Higdon: I used one of Hal Higdon’s running plans many years ago, so I revisited the site to see what I could find. I found a “Novice Supreme” training plan that would be great for runners wanting to run several days per week.

2. Runner’s World: Runner’s World has a program called SmartCoach that allows you to enter information such as a past race time, how many miles you’re currently running per week, and the level of intensity you’d like to train at to create a personalized training program. A link is available on the Runner's World Training page. It requires you to register with Runner's World before you can use it, but registration is quick and easy. This program requires you to pick a distance you are training for in order to create a plan, so I picked a distance of 5 miles. It created a moderate plan complete with a suggested pace for each run. Pace is something I won't be paying attention to, at least for the first few weeks.

3. Competitor.com: Competitor.com has a great Running 101 article that provides a 6-week training schedule. It starts with 3 runs per week complemented by non-running cardio and progresses to 6 days of running per week.

These are all great plans, but there wasn’t one that had exactly what I was looking for - they either called for too many days of running per week, or they progressed in mileage too quickly. So, I decided to use these plans as guides to create my own 10-week training plan. It’s progression is painfully slow, and it starts and ends with only 3 days of running per week. However, this is only the beginning of the year, and I want my plan to ease me gently into longer distances while giving my body plenty of time to recover in between runs. I have included my plan below. It calls for 3 runs per week, and runs can be completed on any day of the week as long as there is at least a day of rest in between runs.

Week 1:    2   2   2
Week 2:    2   2   3
Week 3:    2   3   3
Week 4:    2   3   4
Week 5:    3   3   4
Week 6:    3   4   4
Week 7:    3   4   5
Week 8:    3   4   6
Week 9:    4   4 6
Week 10: 4   4   7

Be sure to check out this article on Runner’s World about getting back into shape.

If you’re coming back from a long break, how will you get in shape for 2011?

Thankful for Today

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, I am thankful for spending a wonderful day with my boyfriend's lovely family and for the opportunity to run!

I'm in southern Utah for the holidays, near Zion National Park. I finally got in a run today with southern Utah's stunning landscape as a backdrop. I did a 4 mile out and back but only ran 3 of those miles until my hips began to hurt too much to continue on. Kind of disappointing, but I'm pretty happy I could run at all!

As I said, it was a gorgeous run, temperature in the 30s and a rolling, curving, single-track trail to follow. I hope to get in one more run before I have to leave on Sunday.

Crisis Averted?

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:10:00 +0000

My right hip miraculously stopped aching this morning. What a relief! I felt ready to run, but based on my personal experience, I didn't. I've learned that when you think you're recovered, give it more time. The mind can be very good at tricking itself into thinking everything is ok. Plus, another day or two of rest can only help.

Tomorrow, I am planning to make up the 3-mile run that was scheduled for today. I'll run until I feel anything at all in my hip, at which point I'll walk. As anxious as I am to get on with my marathon training, I have to be patient with this latest injury. An ounce of prevention now will be the key to whether I'm able to run in March.

Disaster Strikes

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:59:00 +0000

Today was a bad day for my running career. I set off this morning to do the 8-mile run scheduled for today. It rained for the last two days in Berkeley, so I headed for a trail that I knew would be dry. It's a paved trail but has nice gravel shoulders for the most part.

I was only 2 miles into the run when I started feeling something in my hips. This something soon escalated to near-pain, so at mile 4.5, I forced myself to stop running. By that point it was hard to even walk. And because of the route I had selected, I still had 2 miles to go before reaching the parking lot, so I had a nice, long walk to feel the pain and think about everything it would mean for my upcoming half marathon and training schedule.

The pain is now mostly in my right hip, which is interesting because it was my left hip that was injured earlier this year. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised given that my hips were starting to ache on the treadmill just a few days ago. For now, all I can hope is that the pain is just a muscle strain that needs a few days rest.

Rain Rain Go Away

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 07:11:00 +0000

The rain forecasted for this weekend came earlier than I thought it would. I had planned to run 5 miles in the early afternoon, but it started raining much earlier. I contemplated running in the rain so many times but in the end couldn't bring myself to do it. So, I did what I did earlier in the week and headed back to the gym. Ugh.

I wanted to do 5 miles on the treadmill, in line with my training program, but I didn't have the willpower. Even with "Born To Run" on audiobook (which is really interesting so far), I could only manage to run 2 miles, take a break, and then run another mile. I wasn't feeling it mentally, and my hips were aching a bit. While I'm pretty sure the ache is just a healthy muscle ache from yoga last night, I don't like to play around with hip pain. When it starts, I stop.

So, I didn't get in the 5-mile run my training plan had scheduled for me this week, but I figure the extra 3-mile run I threw in earlier this week will make up for that somewhat.

For now, I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can get back on the trails.

Sweat and Devotion

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 06:46:00 +0000

I made yet another alteration to my marathon training plan today by attending a yoga class instead of doing the scheduled 5-mile run. If it's not obvious yet, these first few weeks of my training plan won't be followed to the letter because of ongoing preparation for my first half marathon in 2 weeks. I'm getting in all the mileage that is scheduled for this week, just not on the exact days it is scheduled. The forecast is calling for rain Saturday and Sunday, so I'll most likely switch my scheduled long run of the week from Sunday to tomorrow and hit the treadmill for the 5-mile run once the rain starts.

I went to a bhakti flow yoga class today at Flying Yoga in Oakland with Pradeep Teotia. I read that "bhakti" is often translated to "devotion" in Sanskrit. For me, it translated to lots of sweat, planks, and ab work. While not particularly pleasant in the moment, I know this class will be very beneficial for me for injury prevention, so I'll be back.

My favorite part of the class was when we were holding the second or third plank for twenty seconds, and Pradeep told us in the midst of our suffering to either hold the pose or not to hold it, to choose one and go for it. He said too often in life we go back and forth, should we or shouldn't we, and that life is too short to spend so much time in this state. I really went for that plank (that approach became harder to take with each subsequent plank), and I intend to apply that thinking to other aspects of my life.

Lunch Break

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:11:00 +0000

I threw in a nice 3-miler at lunch today that wasn't on my marathon training plan because I'm getting scared. I have my first half marathon, the North Face Endurance Challenge, coming up in two weeks. Preparation was going really well until about 3 weeks ago, when life problems hit and caused me to stop running. I got back into my routine last week, but it's been really hard coming back. The half marathon course has a good amount of elevation gain, hence my fear, fear that at best, the race will be incredibly painful, and at worst, I won't finish.

So, I woke up this morning planning to go to a yoga class at lunch, but the combination of the looming half marathon and the absolutely gorgeous weather caused me to change my mind. I know in the grand scheme of things, the short run today won't do much for my race preparation. But, it felt great getting out there, and at this point I'll take any confidence booster I can get.

About the run: I ran a loop starting at the parking lot at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park. This is one of my favorite loops! Thanks to the clear and sunny day, I got a nice view of Mt. Tam in the distance.

Treadmill Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Day two of my 16 week training program is complete. Today called for a three mile easy run. I had originally planned to complete this run in the Berkeley hills as soon as I got off work, but my boyfriend needed the car for the afternoon. By the time he returned from his errands, it was too dark to run outside. So, my only option was to head to the gym later in the evening.

It's funny how magical a training plan is. Any other day, I wouldn't have come close to even considering a run on the treadmill, that's how much I dislike it. But because the training plan had miles scheduled for me today, I was willing to do whatever was necessary to get in the distance.

The run wasn't so terrible. I set the treadmill at an easy pace and zoned out to "Once a Runner" on audiobook. In fact, tonight was probably good for me. As a trail runner, I take beautiful scenery and fresh air for granted. However, with the (relatively) rainy season coming upon us, I'll probably find myself in the gym more often than I'd like. So, I better get used to it and be thankful I'm able to run at all.

So far, so good for my training plan.

Marathon Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:27:00 +0000

I've wanted to run a marathon for a long time. Six years ago, my first and only attempt at training for a marathon ended in a stress fracture. Today, I've made the decision that I'm ready to try again to meet my goal of completing a marathon. My one goal for the race? Getting across the finish line!

I've tentatively chosen the Umstead Trail Marathon in Raleigh, NC, on March 5, 2011. Umstead is a beautiful park where I did all of my long runs for my marathon attempt six years ago, so it seems fitting that I would return for my first marathon. Plus, it's close to my home town, so it will be a good opportunity to visit with my family. I say I've tentatively chosen the race because registration is limited to 200 runners, and I've heard all 200 spots go very quickly. So when registration opens on November 29 at 5am PST, I'll be at my computer, credit card in hand.

Behind all successful marathons is (usually) an effective training plan. I've decided to use the SmartCoach tool at RunnersWorld.com. Essentially, the tool asks you for various information - a time from a previous race, what intensity you want to train at, how many miles per week you are currently running - and produces a tailored training plan.

The information I entered into SmartCoach produced a plan that has me running only 3 times per week. This doesn't seem like much running, but if it gets me across the finish line, I'll take it.

I'll be making a few adjustments to my training plan:

1. I'll most likely be running more than the scheduled amount for my Tuesday runs; the training plan calls for very short runs on Tuesdays, but that is that day I meet with my running group, where we typically run between 4 and 8 miles. I think the low number of running days per week - only three - will allow for this additional mileage.

2. I won't be strictly following the speed work. I won't do speed work at all until after the new year, and when I do, it will most likely be with my running club's Thursday night track workouts. So, I will do speed work, but not necessarily the specific workout listed on my training plan. Also, I will eliminate speed work the second I feel the onset of an injury.

3. I'll be throwing in a half marathon race the third week of training, which is more than the scheduled mileage for that week. I've had this on the calendar for a few months now, so it's happening.

So, I'm excited to be working toward accomplishing my long-time goal, but I'm also wary of being disappointed again. I have a few things going for me that I didn't have six years ago: a year and a half of solid running base, wisdom to stop running at the first sign of pain, and the right pair of running shoes for my feet.

Good luck to me!!

Changing It Up

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:27:00 +0000

Variety is key in running. Mix in speed and tempo work with long runs. Cross train. Cut back on mileage every now and then to aid recovery. Variety should apply to running surfaces as well.

However, since I started running in May 2009, I've been exclusively a trail runner. Lately I've been wondering how that monotony in running surface has affected my running.

I came across an article entitled "Get Off Your Asphalt" by Mario Fraioli at Competitor Magazine. The article is primarily geared toward convincing road runners to step off the asphalt onto trails. However, the article also addresses trail runners who don't hit the pavement.

It cites two reasons for trail runners to spend some time on the road: training for road races and speed. If you run road races, you obviously need to run on roads to get your legs used to the hard surface. Further, roads typically have a smoother running surface and less hills than trails, so running at a fast pace is easier to accomplish.

I started to apply this advice to my own running. I don't run road races, so that's not a reason for me to run on pavement. However, the speed aspect got me thinking. I could definitely benefit from some faster runs in my training. I spend so much time dragging myself up hills and navigating uneven terrain that I rarely just go fast.

This should be a point of consideration for anyone like me that prefers to do the majority of their running on trails. It's inspired me to dedicate one of my short runs each week to the road. Here's hoping the variety is good for me!

Deals on Yoga Classes

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:20:00 +0000

In one of my earlier posts, I discussed the benefits of a yoga practice for runners. The one drawback to yoga is its cost. Many of you may be interested in giving yoga a try but don't want to throw down a lot of money before you know if you like it. Alternatively, some of you may know you want to practice yoga but haven't settled on a particular studio. I've compiled a list of yoga studios in the Berkeley area that offer specials for first-time students. This provides the opportunity to try out yoga or to sample different studios and yoga styles. Check them out and report back!

Adeline Yoga: 2 classes for the price of 1. 3320 Adeline St., Berkeley
El Cerrito Yoga: $29 for 30 days of unlimited yoga. 10078 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito
Funky Door Yoga: $29 for month of unlimited yoga. 2567 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Monkey Yoga Shala: $20 for two weeks of yoga with certain instructors. 3215 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland
Yoga Kula: $20 for 3 classes. 1700 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Yoga Mandala: $30 for 3 classes. 2807 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Long-Distance Runners

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Need an excuse to get yourself to the nearest massage therapist? I'm going to try to give you one.

I've started to hear more about elite runners using massage therapy during their training and before and after races for preparation and recovery, so I was interested in learning more about the effects of massage therapy on long-distance runners.

The alleged benefits of massage therapy are many. Physiologically, massage therapy is said to increase blood flow to muscles, reduce muscle tension, break up muscle scar tissue, and remove waste products that result from training and racing. Psychologically, massage therapy can bring about a general sense of well-being and relaxation. Finally, trained massage therapists are able to identify problem areas that could lead to future injuries.

Unfortunately, there aren't many studies that examine the effects of massage therapy on endurance athletes. I did find a 2005 study in the Journal of Athletic Training showing that massage therapy reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by 30% but had no effect on muscle function. That's too bad about muscle function, but at a minimum, it seems that decreased DOMS would allow runners to get back to training more quickly.

So, while there isn't clear scientific evidence backing the advantages of massage therapy for long-distance runners, the potential upside could make it a worthwhile option. Ready to throw down some money? There are several massage therapists in the area, so I would suggest you start by finding a certified practitioner through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Then, take a quick visit to Yelp to read about others' experiences with massage therapy here in the East Bay.

Trail Racing

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:13:00 +0000

Nothing beats a good trail race. Trail races are the perfect opportunities to push ourselves, connect with fellow trail runners, and take in some beautiful scenery along the way.

If you're used to running road races, there are a few things you can expect from a trail race.

Hills. And I'm not talking about Heartbreak Hill. I'm talking about elevation gains that start at 800-1200 feet in the shortest distances and increase to thousands of feet for longer distances.

Singletrack. These trails can narrow to a body width across, which means that passing during races gets pretty creative.

Varied terrain. During road races, you have pavement to contend with. During trail races, there's mud, streams, rocks, low branches, etc. Be ready for an adventure.

These may sound intimidating, but anyone who has run a trail race knows that these are the exact reasons that trail races are so much fun and so addictive.

The abundance of trails in the Bay Area means that there are trail races nearly every weekend. Check out the resources below to find your next trail race.

Local Racing Series:

Web Sites:

Running Shoes: Trail vs. Road

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:35:00 +0000

I've been running exclusively on trails for nearly a year and a half, yet I just switched from road to trail running shoes a few weeks ago. Why so slow to catch on?

I think like many people, I wasn't sure there would be much of an advantage to running with trail shoes over regular running shoes. Also, I wasn't sure if the surfaces I run on - some single track but mostly fire trail - really warranted trail shoes. More importantly, I tried on several pairs of trail shoes but couldn't find a pair that felt good.

Everything changed when I saw the Asics Attack 6 shoes. You can't miss the hot pink and yellow color scheme, and once I tried them on, they were everything I was looking for in a new running shoe - cushioned, lightweight, and narrowly cut.

I was even more blown away when I took them out on the trail for the first time. I couldn't believe the traction they provided me. I stopped skidding on steep downhills and was able to be more aggressive overall in attacking single track.

My advice to anyone is to try trail running shoes if a significant portion of your running is done off road. It is possible to get trail shoes that are as comfortable as road shoes, and the thicker tread will change your running dramatically.

If you're ready to do some shoe shopping, here are some local stores to check out:

Lafoot Plus: 2917 College Ave., Berkeley
See Jane Run: 5817 College Avenue, Oakland
Transports: 6014 College Ave, Oakland

Yoga for Runners

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 04:24:00 +0000

My running has been set back several times over the years by various injuries. About 6 weeks ago, I was suffering from shin splints and a months-long ache in my left hip. On a whim, I decided to restart my on-again, mostly off-again yoga practice. Six weeks later, I'm injury free and back to running regularly.

I wanted to learn more about the effect of yoga on running to know if my experience was merely coincidence or if there is some underlying relationship between the two activities. I did some research and came across a great article in the Yoga Journal called Yoga for Runners by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola.

The article highlights two benefits that runners can gain from yoga. First, running results in the "pounding, tightening, and shortening of muscles," while yoga counterbalances this with "restorative, elongating, loosening work."

Second, yoga leads to the development of "body intuition" that allows runners to detect the body's messages that warn of oncoming injury or muscle imbalance that might otherwise be masked by endorphins.

I can identify with the first benefit. I credit the disappearance of my shin splints to the elongating and loosening effects that yoga has had on my hamstrings and calves. Beyond that, I think yoga has kept my hip pain at bay by strengthening and stabilizing the weak muscles in my hips that were causing the muscles around them to overcompensate.

As to the second benefit, I can only hope that when the time comes (and it will), I will have developed by body intuition enough to detect the warning messages my body is sending me.

Interested in seeing what yoga can do for you? See my earlier post about affordable yoga classes in the Berkeley area.

Rethinking Tea

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:10:00 +0000

I recently decided to stop drinking coffee to see what, if any, benefits there are to having less caffeine in my diet. Instead, I did what I thought was the healthy thing to do and switched to tea. However, I came across this video from Competitor Magazine, and it seems as though I'm not realizing the full health benefits of drinking tea. Why? I use tea bags instead of loose leaf tea.

In the video, nutrition expert Dr. John Berardi explains that the tea in tea bags is referred to as "dust," or "the waste product" that is left over after the higher quality loose leaf tea has been sorted out during the tea production process. Further, tea bags may not steep as well as loose leaf tea due to the restrictive size of the tea bag.

So how do you make good tea? Dr. Berardi suggests that in addition to using loose leaf tea, you should use a tea press and add hot water to the tea leaves that is just short of boiling; boiling water will scald the tea leaves.

Further, he recommends against adding milk to tea, which can negate several of the health benefits associated with tea. Milk is generally added to mask the bitter flavor of tannins in tea from tea bags. Switching to higher quality loose leaf tea will result in better tasting tea and will eliminate the need for milk.

Finally, Dr. Berardi offers assurance that if you do use tea bags, don't worry - you are still getting the health benefits associated with drinking tea, just not to the same degree as with loose leaf tea. Also, any kind of tea will do: black, green, white, etc.

So, ready to make the switch? Here are some places in the Berkeley area to find loose leaf tea:

A'cuppa Tea: 3200 College Ave, Oakland
Country Cheese Coffee Market: 1578 Hopkins Street, North Berkeley
Far Leaves Tea: 2979 College Ave., Berkeley
Teance: 1780 Fourth St., Berkeley

Trail Running Clubs: Berkeley Running Club

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 03:18:00 +0000

I love trail running, but sometimes it’s hard to motivate myself to put my shoes on. Even when I am self-motivated, it’s nice to have a way to meet new people or converse with others that share my interest in trail running. Luckily, there are several trail running clubs in the East Bay.

One of these clubs is the Berkeley Running Club, organized through Meetup.com. This is a very active running club that currently has regular Tuesday morning and evening runs, Thursday evening track practices, and frequent Saturday and Sunday morning runs.

Meeting spots typically include places in and around Berkeley, such as Tilden Park, the UC Berkeley Campus, the Berkeley/Albany waterfront, and the Berkeley High School track. However, the group has also scheduled events at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, Angel Island, and the Marin Headlands.

This is a great club for a few reasons. First, club organizers are good about scheduling regular runs. A lot of other running clubs I’ve joined will go for months without scheduling an event. As I mentioned, this group has several runs scheduled each week.

Second, club members are encouraged to submit their ideas for running events. Want to try out a new trail in Lake Chabot Regional Park but don’t want to go it alone? Submit an idea to the club, and chances are people will join you. In fact, several ideas from club members have become regularly scheduled events.

Finally, this running club draws a diverse group of runners of all abilities who gather together for one reason – they love trail running!

To join or learn more about this running club, visit: http://www.meetup.com/facebook-com/. Hope to see you out there!

Affordable Yoga Classes in the Berkeley Area

noreply@blogger.com (MLilley) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:51:00 +0000

Yoga has several known benefits: stress reduction, increased flexibility, strengthening, and relaxation. However, yoga classes can be pricey. Check out these studios in the Berkeley area for affordable yoga classes.

Niroga Center for Healing: Donations-based. Suggested $10/class. Free day of yoga classes first Wednesday of every month. A spacious and eco-friendly studio, offering healing yoga and meditation classes. 1808 University Avenue, Berkeley.

Rudramandir: Donations-based. Suggested $10-12/1-hour class. Provides a nourishing environment for the journey towards profound physical and spiritual well-being. Mission is to serve the community by offering a breadth of programs to aid in the exploration of each individual’s full potential. 830 Bancroft Way (at 6th Street), Berkeley.

Square One Yoga Collective: Sliding scale starting at $10/class; $6 cash-only classes Monday-Thursday evenings. A mission-driven business, committed to making yoga completely accessible to the entire community by keeping prices low, offering work-trade scholarships and maintaining a healthy, unpretentious community. 1540A 62nd St., Emeryville.

Yoga Room: Suggested $10 donation for Community Classes. Offers a wide range of yoga classes and workshops for students of all levels. 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite D, Berkeley.

Yoga to the People: Donations-based. Suggested $10/class. A yoga studio with the goal of making yoga available to everyone. Classes are in the Power Vinyasa Flow style. 64 Shattuck Sq., Berkeley.