Fitness Friday–7/18 & Injury Prevention

Currently training for: Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon
 
Saturday – Baby Shower Day (a friend’s, not mine), no run
Sunday – 5 mile run in the rain (I enjoyed it!)
Monday –  3 mile run – low humidity! YAY
Tuesday –   2.5 miles with Jason
Wednesday – Rest day, although it wasn’t actually a “rest”…no down time after work…long story, even longer day.
Thursday – 3 mile run
Friday – Haven’t decided yet – getting off of work early, going to see how I feel.

This weekend, I plan on catching up on sleep. Last week and the weekend completely wore me out, so I’m hoping to have a chance to sleep in at least one day this weekend!

Recently, I began training for Fall/Spring marathon season. With new rounds of training comes new potential injuries. My goal this year is to run my races pain free and I’m doing everything in my power to reach this goal!

My number one running necessity is a foam roller. Without a roller, I’m not running.



My foam roller collection consists of:

• Mini travel sized foam roller (fits perfectly in my suitcase for plane rides)
• BCG Fitness foam roller (resides in the back of my car, permanently)
• Rumble Roller, large size. I plan on adding the mini travel sized roller to my collection soon 

After using foam rollers for the past two years, I finally found one that WORKS for me. Some people swear by The Stick – I swear by the Rumble Roller. Last year, I randomly stumbled upon this roller at Dick’s Sporting Goods and tested it out in the store (yes, I’m one of those)…

I’m not gonna lie, this foam roller HURTS…but it’s a “hurts so good” kind of hurt…and after testing it out, I knew I had to have one. Jason bought a Rumble Roller for me for Christmas…you know you’re a runner when….yeah.

Never foam rolled before? No worries – prior to my first experience with the foam roller, I googled and researched to ensure proper form. My running coach once said, “If it hurts like crazy, you’re doing it right!”

Here’s a few sites I found helpful to me

• Runners World Tips on foam rolling
• Runners World 8 Part foam rolling video series

Another necessity in injury prevention is an ice pack. Recently, I was contacted by the guys at TheraPearl to review their hot/cold sports pack.

Prior to using TheraPearl, I relied on bulky ice packs and frozen reusable cold packs that never stayed in place. I often fall asleep with an ice pack around my knee, so I was excited to test the TheraPearl, complete with sports strap!



I love that the TheraPearl is movable and forms to the area of the body it’s placed on (even frozen)! Another feature I love about the TheraPearl (I’m totally a nurse-geek for this one) is the fact that it holds heat/cold for the recommended 20 minute time span!



Guess what? This product is available at Target stores nationwide! TheraPearl is also available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Last but not least, my third and final running necessity is a good sports cream. I’ve tried everything from Icy Hot to Bengay patches to BioFreeze and Atomic Balm.

The aforementioned creams/gels all have a certain odor to them – which works in the sports realm. However, said odor does not work in the professional work force realm, especially when dealing with cancer patients who might have an aversion to certain smells.

Enter REgel. A few weeks ago, REgel contacted me for a review of their product and I agreed.



REgel is not just a pain reliving cream, it was created to help relieve pain, repair damage, and help athletes recover from soreness after a workout.



Guess what? REgel does NOT have an odor at all, which means I can use it while at work! Apart from relieving symptoms, REgel helps promote healing and long term recovery. All right up my alley, and it works. I love this stuff!

Along with a product sample, Thach (the creator of REgel) also offered a few extra IT Band exercises to add to my normal routine which was incredibly nice of him! I plan on sharing my entire IT Band exercise routine with you guys next week.

Thanks TheraPearl and REgel for this opportunity!

Disclaimer: I was supplied product from TheraPearl and REgel at no cost of my own. Even so, all opinions stated above are original and belong to me. 


What’s your favorite injury prevention tip? Have you found something that works well for you? Please share!