18

I have recently just started to read a book called "Body, Mind and Sport" by John Douillard. It ties together yoga with breathing exercies along with some training workouts. It gives training tips throughout the book. I am only on page 18 but I feel so drawn into this book as I love sports and am trying to expand my mind through yoga. I enjoy going to the gym and doing a number of things to get the heart rate pumping. I have taken to the treadmills for my cardio workouts and have usually just hopped on and ran away. But lately I have been seeing another side to it. I have always been interested in running, in marathons, and triathalons, and have been running the past while thinking about starting to train for them(half-marathons, marathons, triathalons). I am interested to see how far I could go, see what my machine could handle and how it would perform. I think after finishing this book my outlook on training might change for the better.

Training Tip #1: The Acid Test
Try your normal workout while breathing through your nose. If you find it more difficult than usual and can't get enough oxyen, this indicates that you do not have maximum respiratory efficiency. You can reach your full respiratory potential when you learn how to draw on to it.

Training Tip #2: Count Your Steps
Go for a walk and count how many steps you can take per one full inhale and exhale through your nose. Keep trying to increase the number of steps per one complete breath. Anything over 18 steps indicates a good start toward total respiratory efficiency.

Counting steps...for the past while I have been counting my steps while I run. I have found it suprisingly difficult. Not the counting but more-so being able to pace 18 steps for each complete breath. I've found that in order to be able to do this properly, I've had to slow my running pace down now to effectively accomplish this skill. My breathing and heart rates are stable, I can complete 18 or more steps, and I feel great after my workouts. In the book they talk with a man who has incorporated this breathing procedure. He started off slowly, as I am, and after a period of 18 months of training has competed in marathons. It talks about his experiences starting off slowly to him being abe to run a comfortable 6 minute mile, which is incredible. One day....someday. We shall see. dun dun dun. 18.