The Randonneuring Season Approaches

During my second Portland winter I have retreated toward a smooth, heatbuilding sequence to maintain strength in my quads and glutes and help fight the rain-induced lethargy that always lurks about during those chilly, dark days off from working and riding. I am a chef in my rent-paying job and winter means more parties and more business in general. So the less than ideal weather (bike-wise) coupled with the increase in work responsibilities leads to a desire to sit around the house on my (few) days off, sipping tea and reading books by the wood fired stove.

When I feel tempted by this slothful siren I unroll my mat and do the following sequence.

Seated breath awareness - A few moments of conscious breathing, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Neck circles - Imagine a paintbrush attached to the end of your nose and your job is to paint a circle on a canvas directly in front of you. Start with a very small circle that gradually gets bigger and bigger, until you are painting across your lap, but do not paint the ceiling. Painting the ceiling creates compression in your neck that should be there. Start in one direction (say clockwise) and then paint in the other direstion.

Cat/Cow tilts - Transition to hands and knees, gaze is between your hands. On an inhale, drop you hips and sway your back (looking like a cow in a field), bringing your head up last and only to look straight ahead. Do not try to look to the ceiling (this creates the same neck compression as described in the previous exercise). On the exhale, slowly arch your back (like a scared cat on Halloween) bringing your gaze towards your navel. Repeat this for several breaths.

Downward Facing Dog - Tuck your toes under and press back into downward facing dog (Ado Muhka Svanasana). "Walk" you dog by rising up on both tippy-toes, bending first one knee and then the other. Come back to the toes and bend both knees and then slowly lower the heels toward the floor. Take special care to keep the upper arm bones rooted into the shoulder sockets. Keep a slight "inward rotation" to the arms (counterclockwise with the right arm and clockwise with the left arm). Look between the hands and step or jump your feet between your hands. Raise your torso to be at 90 degrees to your thighs on an inhale and as you exhale...

Utanasana - keep a slight bend to the knees (a micro-bend, just off of locked) and fold over forward, allowing gravity to pull your upper body toward the floor. Inhale and come up halfway with a flat back and as you exhale, fold over again. Hold this for several breaths. This stretches the hamstrings and is a great way to start the day. After holding for several breaths, on an inhale, bend the knees and come up to standing. Bending the knees here helps protect the lower back from strain.

Putting it all together...

From standing, inhale and raise your arms over head. As you exhale, do a swan dive, with a flat back, over into utanasana (previous asana). Inhale and come up halfway with a flat back. As you exhale, place your hands to either side of your forward foot and step or jump your feet back into plank position (just like the top of a push up). On an inhale, take a giant step forward with your right foot, keeping your left foot back, heel lifted. Make sure your second toe is pointed straight ahead and (this is important) your knee is directly above or (better yet) slightly behind your ankle. Come up into a high runners lunge. Keep your back (left) heel lifted, but moving toward the wall behind you (not up on your toes). Hold for five breaths. On an exhale lower your hands to either side of the forward foot and return to plank. Hold for a breath or two then take a giant step forward with the left foot and repeat the runners lunge on the left side. Cycle back through plank, lower all the way to the floor for a cobra. While bringing the shoulder blades back and down, as if you were holding a pencil between them in the center of your back, extend your spine on the inhale to raise your torso, only slightly using your hands. On the exhale, raise your hips up back into adho muhka svanasana (downward facing dog). On the next inhale, look between your hands and step or jump your feet between your hands. Come up halfway with a flat back and then exhale and fold forward (utanasana). Take a big dip with your knees and extend your arms out to the side, leading with the thumbs as you come back up to tadasana (mountain pose). Repeat this sequence three to five times.



This is based on a classic asana sequence known as a sun salutation. It builds tapas (heat) and engages your major cycling muscles in a natural way. I feel it is much better than leg presses for keeping those glutes and hamstrings strong and loose.



Thanks for visiting and namaste!