Massage Rolling and Training

Since it has been over a week, I figured it was time for another post about my training. The training has been going pretty good and starting to see amazing results. Still running three times a week but there was a slight change in the schedule. My longer run is on Saturday but since it rained heavily, I decided to do it the next day so I was more refreshed. I felt some pain in my stomach during the run but I pushed through and did very well. If you are wondering, I did eat right after stretching. My paces for the three runs were 6:46 (6 miles); 6:40 (4.82/7.76km); and 6:46 (12.05). Very confident in my progress and can't wait to put that to the test in Philadelphia, 26 days from now.

Aside from training, stretching has been very important to me whenever I take part in a recreational activity, such as running. My habit is to always stretch before and after a run to prevent long term injuries. I decided to take it one step further by purchasing a massage roller. A massage therapist highly recommended it to me after running the Saratoga Springs Half Marathon back in September. After putting it off for a couple weeks, I decided to purchase one at Target for about $20 and it has been a great investment. The company that made this product is Gaiam. I've tried other massage rollers before that were not very comfortable on my legs or did not get results. Maybe it is because I'm not a big fan of hard plastic rollers and it was too expensive. The one I purchased is very simple to use with discs that can be arranged in numerous ways contouring to your body. It would've been tough to use a foam roller on a wooden floor so I opted for a massage roller instead. It is easy to use and can be taken on the go for your next running event. The rubber plastic discs are forgiving on the body and reach sore spots easily. If you do not have a massage or foam roller, I would highly recommend purchasing one to save you troubles down the road.

 Restore Adjustable Massage Roller