RunLEJOG, foam rollers and mindgames

[CBDB]

I feel immensely lucky to have such a beautiful route in my neighbourhood as pictured above. I am both consolidating my C25k 🏃🏾‍♀️ , now with C25k+ podcasts, as well as busy imagining running in just as beautiful surroundings in Cornwall as part of RunLEJOG.

It was my third run using the Stepping Stone podcast, and it demonstrated the power of the mind 🧠 to unconsciously direct your muscles 🦵 to do something that is actually a highly complex process:

I finally managed to hit the 160bpm. 🚀

Whereas before when trying to hit the beat on time, I was “pushing“ my legs to go faster 🚂 . The concepts in my mind were “push harder“, “strain a bit more to get faster“.

But when Laura suggested to go up to 155 with light, small step, I thought about “lightness“ , “a fairy dribble jog” (I passed the fairy house at that moment) and thinking about Hiroaki Tanaka 🧚🏻‍♀️ . And I am certainly not light, but just thinking about treading lightly allowed me to get beyond 155 and hit the 160 for the duration of the 5 minutes, well most of the 5 min anyway....

... as, yes, the moment I let my mind wander, I fell back probably to ca 145. So focussing on that concept of “lightness” allowed me to get to 160 again!

So yeah! Stats show nothing special, but just me managing to get my legs to do something that they hadn’t done since probably three decades, that’s a great success.

After that run, stretches and shower 🚿 I was immensely tired and actually cold 🥶 , and I think I need to consider adjusting my hypothyroid medicine as running probably does take a strain on the thyroid. (So any runner with similar condition and experiences, let me know)

But I also did a foam rolling session, and the foam roller is my new best friend! I now have one in the living room and one in the bedroom 🛏 ! Yup, I’m that crazy about foam rolling! And I could tell through the 5-6 months of running, I increasingly have the need to use the roller to unknot the tightness in my calves. I assume that this is a good sign, a sign that my calf muscles are tightening and as part of the process, muscle knots are part of the process.

So any runners reading this who haven’t bought a foam roller yet, I can only recommend that you do. No matter how slow, or how short, or how seldom your runs are. A good rolling after just feels like it does wonders to my tight calves.

So here, I am. Both running in LEJOG and at home, using quite a few runner‘s tools in our toolbox 🧰, from mindgames, foamrollers, motivational races such as LEJOG. Anything to keep me running.

P.s. I couldn’t put my mileage into LEJOG4, today and am wondering if anyone else has this problem?

[David_G]

Hi CBDB, glad you managed to get out and enjoy your run! I tried stepping stones but I just couldn’t get on with it for some reason😕

Foam rollers are great and I’ve used them from time to time. I’ve got a sports physio too who looks after me when needed. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it and she’s a runner too so she understands!

I’m also doing LEJOG4 as you know, but I didn’t have any problems uploading my data earlier. Maybe just wait a while and try again? Anyway, keep evidence of what you’ve done and you can always upload it at a later date if you need to.

Good luck, and I’ll see you in virtual JOG! 🙂👍

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to David_G]

Thanks for this, David_G, yes I’ll be patient with LEJOG. They’ve done a fab job but are obviously challenged by their own success 🤣🤣 . See you on LEJOG. 🏃🏾‍♀️👍🏼

[Fabulous450 Graduate10]

Well done on the stepping stones!! 😁😁 I’ve not tried that. Sounds like fun!

😁 Ah....The foam roller!! And I mean “aaah”! I bought one, but it felt like torture when I used it 😮. No idea why they mention foam at all! 😂

It was used at a time when I was feeling a strain though ☺️. Its been tucked away for a while 🤓. I might just dig it out to see if it feels ok without needing a specific remedy to a symptom! 🥴

I was able to log my LEJOG mileage this morning. So hopefully it’s ok now. ❤️

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Fabulous450]

Yes will try later. My evidence is in my ‘safe’!

Foam 🤣🤣 ... I just imagine I’m getting that wonderful massage 💆🏽‍♀️.

There are some fab videos out there about foam rolling, most of them put a lot of body weight on the roller. But because I use it mainly on the calves, it works really well to let the weight of the legs (one or two) do the work. So I can just sit there and let the legs do a bit of rolling. I roll a bit around to get all sides (so not something with guests around 😉) and I can usually feel the knot. And as some website suggests, hone in on it and if in much pain, stay for a moment on that and concentrate on relaxing. And then rolling on is suddenly less painful! Amazing!

[Fabulous450 Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

It didn’t have the same effect on me 😂, but never say never as they say! 😁❤️

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Fabulous450]

Yes, I will have to find a name also for my rollers. I have a feeling I’m as much in love with my rollers as some are with their Garmin! 😉😂 But with one being made out of rubber and ribbed, the other being smooth, naming could be a tricky issue! 🤣🤣🤣

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Looks a beautiful route CBDB. The foam roller is brilliant I got one a while back and used to wonder why I needed it🤣

Good luck with LEJOG 😊

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Buddy34]

Yes, same. My husband had one and I pooh-pooh-ed it, as at the beginning it didn’t do anything for me.

And than he bought me one, the thoughtful person that he was, but at that time (Week 7 of C25k) I still was quite dismissive of it! So I didn’t even unpack it until consolidation run 5 or 6, when I was increasing the distance and running 3 times/week. (Before it was 5 times in 2 weeks)

And suddenly I fell in love 😍 with the foam rollers. So of course both rollers are now mine (‘all mine, my precious rollers’), one is rubber and ribbed, one is smooth foam with a removable core.

And yes, I need them regularly ! 🤣