Being an avid runner, I know how important it is to take care of my body. With that being said, runners don’t always have time for stretching. I have learned that taking care of myself helps with injury prevention. I have put in more miles this year than ever before so I know that, in order to continue to be successful with running, I need to be mindful of my body.
So over the past year, I have purchased a variety of massage equipment. While I already had several different types of rollers and lacrosse balls, recently I have discovered other products that are helpful in recovery. I have found Air Relax Compression Boots as well as Hypervolt extremely helpful in aiding recovery and lessening injury. The Air Relax boots help to aid in recovery by increasing blood flow to repair the muscles and reduce muscle fatigue. The Hypervolt helps to increase circulation and blood flow thus assisting with recovery. Additionally, I purchased a cupping set which has also been useful in getting the blood flow and speeding recovery. These tools have been a big component in improving my training regimen.
Aside from massage tools, I have found other methods excellent for muscle recovery. While I am not a person to take time to sit still, I have found that Epsom Salt baths are incredibly helpful in relaxing my muscles and aiding in muscle fatigue. I also dabble a bit in Kinesio Taping which has come in handy for some short term relief in the case of muscle tightness and injury. Kinesio Taping helps healing while providing support and allowing for range of motion. Taping helps to lift the skin to allow for increased circulation to reduce the swelling and promote healing.
Even with all of these tools, I recently found myself with a bit of a pain at the back of my heel. After trying my multitude of tools, I figured out that I had some tight muscles and the pain in the back of my heel was just a symptom–not the source– of the problem. All muscles are interconnected, so it’s important to remember when stretching or massaging that where it hurts may not be the root of the problem.
With this in mind, I decided to try Fascial StretchTherapy (FST). FST helps to improve the mobility of your nerves and flexibility of your muscles and fascia. Sticky adhesions develop between the fascia lines: when your muscles are continually tight from let’s say running, the surrounding fascia tightens along with them.
So long story short…My 100 mile race is in just over a week and the last couple of weeks, I have tried FST paired with chiropractic support. My tight muscles and spots that were a bit sore are feeling great! I am focusing on my taper along with recovery methods to help get me race day ready! Not to mention, I am making sure to drink a daily glass of Tailwind to get my gut prepared and keep myself hydrated! Key takeaway: make sure you are taking care of your body so you can stay in the race!