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New Age Training Tips for 2001

Health/Training Tip for 2001

Try BikramYoga. I have done two sessions and am very intrigued by its potential benefits. My good friend Tom Onda, the ballet dancer who led the stretching at Pyscho Weekend 2000, has been insisting that I accompany him and I finally did so.

The key element here is that it is done in a room at 120 degrees, session lasts 90', and it methodically works total body doing the same routine each time so you can monitor your progress in the various poses and stretches. I have done other types of yoga, but find the movements here to be much more relevant to what we do--swim/bike/run. The heat aspect can be rather brutal. Important to drink a lot before, and of course bring water with you. You sweat buckets.

I have done two sessions and plan on continuing my participation. The second session showed me much improved, but I am still needed to take several "sitting 8 counts" to regroup. You walk out of the place feeling cleansed, and a bit loopy, and as if you have done a long swim workout--- kind of that worked but not brutalized feeling.

I am curious as to the possible heat training effect;figure that there must be something to be gleaned in this deparment, even though I have raced well in the heat. Tell me if you give it a try, I think you will find it to be a rather interesting experience. Do not schedule anything serious afterwards though.