Two Relaxation Tips When Running Stresses You Out
Dear A & H…Just some more strategies which encourage relaxation. It’s nice having a few tricks in one’s arsenal. ت
Training Mayhem
Hey, take a look at this.
It’s two weeks from a 50K training schedule.
Looks pretty good, huh?
- Respectable weekly mileage.
- Good variety.
- Plenty of rest days.
Hold on…
…a few things got left out.
Just a few suggestions courtesy of our friend Murphy’s Law. He likes mixing things up.
Oh, well, life happens.
Everything going 100% as planned, even if written in stone, is more the exception than the rule. And, who knows, maybe that’s is a good thing.
Why bother if something’s too easy.
Where is the reward?…The sense of accomplishment?
So it goes in the middle of a carefully planned workout, too.
Murphy says, “how boring runs get without occasional blood blisters and a sunning rattlesnake.”
Thank goodness…rare treats.
The Dark Side of Running
But, there is absolutely no avoiding that one unpleasantness that never goes away. No matter the terrain or the distance, whether you are a beginner or an elite, it just shows up.
You know, that uncomfortable feeling…maybe even a little apprehension…when faced with varying elevation changes, speedwork, inclement weather, sand, the dark, hunger, thirst, etc., etc.
It’s a given.
At some point during the course of any workout or race, to varying degrees, this discomfort will show up.
Thankfully, there is a way to manage it. To lower its intensity when you see fit.
To turn on “relaxation mode.”
Two methods that have worked wonders for me are below.
They are my path to calm…Especially when sunlight gets away from me, I’m without a headlamp and running involves dark stretches of road between streetlights.
Nothing scarier than eucalyptus pods. If they were marbles in a set, they’d be the big ones.
I do know better but…
Anyway, these methods are simple and don’t cost a thing. Best of all, the more they’re practiced, the less you have to think about them. They naturally become a running “habit.” They become second nature.
1. The Doily Effect
A lot of what makes running discomfort stick around and sometimes escalate is getting uptight. We don’t recognize we aren’t relaxing so even small challenges become intense and unpleasant.
To help combat this, simply imagine your scalp is a delicate doily.
As it sits on top of your head, consciously release the tension on the top of your head so that this doily has no wrinkles. Know that this doily is so delicate that if the top of your head has any tension, it can’t smooth out. Release the tension and the wrinkles – as well as a lot of discomfort – go away.
This one works really well because once this scalp doily is smooth, a kind of snowball effect takes place so that face, jaw, neck, shoulders, and breathing can’t do anything but relax, too.
2. Just Breathe
Another thing that makes running discomfort escalate is forgetting to breathe properly.
This is actually nice to know…a simple cause and effect.
Feel yourself getting uptight?…A simple solution is looking at your breathing.
Likely you’ve switched over to mostly using your upper chest with belly breathing falling by the wayside.
Return to your belly breathing and running discomforts will soften in response.
That’s it!
Two simple remedies to help you shift into “relaxation mode” when running discomforts cross your path.
Granted, it will take you consciously remembering to do these things in the beginning but, before you know it, without even thinking about it, you will be doing one or the other, or both, and reaping the benefits.
And, similar to these two techniques, they foster the meditative side of running.
Nothing better than that.
Much love, O.M.
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P.P.S. No spam ever. Staying away from processed is a healthy thing to do. 🙂
