Butt.

Knees.

Legs.

Hip.

Feet.

Back.

You name it, I’ve had pain there. While I’m not an elite athlete by any means, I’ve been running about 30 miles a week since 2006 (stopped only when I had my stress fracture) and my body has certainly felt the mileage.

I’ve suffered from IT Band Syndrome, chondromalacia, patellar tendonitis, metatarsal stress fractures, slight Achilles’ tendonitis, plus some… I’m a Physical Therapist’s nightmare (or best paying client..well, actually I’ve only ever been treated for the chondromalacia and stress fractures…but, I digress)

Enter foam roller.

Um, nice face there, Abs.

Dave bought it for me for Christmas, and since then I’ve trained for a marathon (hopefully will survive it on Sunday) and have been running the longest distances I have ever run before….relatively pain free. Yea, there were some "owies" and "that’s not good" thoughts during my runs, but compared to the pains I’ve had in previous years, I am amazed.

This little guy has become my new best friend, and sometimes I wonder if my husband isn’t just a little bit jealous of the time I spend in close contact with it. Hey, he’s the one who bought it for me!

Foam rollers are a poor-girl’s massage. I neither have nor desire to dish out cash after every long run for a massage, and Dave’s patience isn’t boundless. Anyhow, foam rollers are used for self-myofascial release…aka a self massage. The idea is that by using the dense foam and your body weight, you can release the tension in your muscles, producing similar effects of a deep-tissue massage.

Ahh, massage, sounds so nice and relaxing, right?

NO. This sucker hurts. If you hit a tender spot, or trigger point, don’t be surprised if you start crying. Have no fear, it’s supposed to hurt. The sorer you are, the more you need to release the tension in your muscles. Just keep rolling..just keep rolling..

I need to add as well that the kind folks at Yoga Tune Up were so kind to send me their Therapy Balls to try. They came with a DVD with some exercises to do with the balls. While I have yet to watch the DVD, Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls have become a crutch. I carry them with me everywhere I go and work out sore muscles with them when I can. I use them self myo-fascial release technique that is excellent for getting muscles that the foam roller misses. My co-workers have borrowed them, too!

Anyhow, I try to use the self-myofascial release technique to alleviate pain, aid in recovery, and prevent injury. Therefore I focus on areas that I notice bother me the most. Each runner and athlete can be prone to different injuries, but my aches and pains are pretty common, so I’ll share the areas that I’m sure to roll and stretch. It might help you!

• Iliotibial (IT) band!

• Quadriceps!

• TFL (tensor fascia latae)- This bad boys leave me alone, but if I don’t work it out on the roller, I notice my IT band hurting.

• Adductors-these actually give me the most trouble while I’m running. They are easy to neglect, and when I remember to work them, they cause serious pain (proof that I need to pay attention to them).

• Calves- These get so tender that I don’t let David touch them when he’s willing to give me a post-run massage. I have to use my roller to have control over them. At work, I sit cross legged and use my knee to work into my calf muscle to release any tension.

• Piriformis–this one kills me because it never bothers me on my runs, but the next day or two it will be screaming at me. I’ve learned many tricks for stretching this muscle out at work because it likes to interfere with my non-running life. And yes, I sit on the Therapy Balls at work. Ask my office-mate, it’s true!

• Trapezius (yea, it isn’t a leg muscle…)- These muscles hurt due to running form. Runners tend to slightly hunch their shoulders, which can cut off small blood vessels in their back and create trigger points. Runners who also lift their shoulders (bad habit…must break), have it worse. I use the Yoga Tune Up therapy balls for these.

I also make sure to work the sides and tops of my shins too to prevent any shin splints from developing. Other tips? Ice, I do a lot of icing. And stretching. I stretch immediately after every run or I’m a-hurtin’ in the morning!

I hope that this can help some of you avoid some sports injuries. Before the foam roller, I swear I was always nursing something. Another reason why I’m going to try to make the switch to barefoot running. But I’ll save that for another post!

What are some ways that you avoid injury? Do you have a favorite stretch?

Post Scriptum- I am DONE with Greek and I finished my last training run tonight! When I got home I didn’t know what to do with a free evening! I think that next week is going to be somewhat of a shock for me!