SEPTEMBER GOAL CHECK-IN

And just like that another month is done. To recap, my September goal was to: be more diligent about stretching, foam rolling, and increasing mobility.

Overall, I’m happy with how the month went. I DEFINITELY pulled out the foam roller with more regularity than I ever have in the past. My hips and calves feel great, and those areas can definitely get quite tight. I also feel like I’ve made it more of a habit – hopefully one that I can keep up even after the accountability of monthly goal-setting has passed.

I’m not saying that it was always easy. Most days that I decided to work on my mobility it was at the very end of the day, right before bed. This is not an ideal time for me to do ANYTHING except sit on the couch. I am so not a night person. BUT I did it. And I’m planning to keep on doing it. Marathon training starts in 4 days and I have got to keep my body in shape. (This is what I reminded myself in the shower this morning, after I got home from my run, and didn’t leave myself even 5 minutes to stretch out my legs. Whateva, it’s October now.)

So on that note, cheers to me! Keep up the good work, CFGF. And here is a photo of me foam rolling in an outrageous outfit in a high school parking lot next to the van that I called home for a weekend.

If you’re interested, here are some links to the tools that I used during my painful month of mobility:

• Rumble Roller – This is what I use most frequently. I find that it’s much more effective than standard smooth foam rollers. But man, can it hurt. I usually start from the bottom and work my way up, rolling out my calves, shins, hamstrings, quads, IT bands, hips/glutes, and back/shoulders.
• Lacrosse Ball – While I don’t use the lax ball as much as the roller, it’s GREAT for really getting into tight spots in my hips and glutes. It’s possible there have been tears.
• Stick Roller – I don’t actually have one of these at my apartment, but I used Cassie’s a little bit during Ragnar weekend. It was great for my shins. But in general I prefer the rumble roller where I can use my bodyweight to really dig into the muscles.

Looking to the future, I’m hoping I can keep up my healthy mobility routine. The rolling has made a great difference. And I think making an effort to add more stretching in the mix would be beneficial too. So that’s the game plan. Hopefully I can keep toughing it out a couple days a week.

Previous monthly goals:

• August Goal & Check-In
• September Goal

Be on the lookout for my October goal, coming soon! I have an idea, but haven’t found the commitment yet.

Tell me, what are you working on in October?