The frequency of my visits increased, lately, because of minor problems I encountered while training for the half-marathon. I learned my right hamstring is weaker than my left one, and as a result, my right IT band has a tendency to become inflamed during long runs. I decided to attack the problem from multiple angles. I added to my workout regime of weight lifting exercises that target my right hamstring, infrequent visits to the chiropractor (luckily covered by my insurance), a weekly run performed clockwise on a track, and my beloved massages.
Without my masseuse I would not have been able to log the amount of miles I have in the last eight weeks. She's hands-down the most skilled therapist I've received treatment from, including the numerous sports massage therapists I saw as a college athlete. But more importantly, she has amazing energy and emanates warmth. During our last session she suggested I purchase a foam-roller to use both before and after my daily runs. The roller, in all seriousness, has greatly increased my ability to sustain an aggressive level of training. My IT band problem is now nonexistent. It has also decreased the frequency of my need to schedule massages. I know she suggested the purchase aware of the impact it would have on my contribution to her weekly income, which only confirms my initial perceptions of her. She and roller both rock.
If you are a runner, and have had problems of any sort, I highly suggest shelling out the bucks for a foam roller. I purchased the one pictured below at Target for $29 because I needed the roller immediately. I wish, however, it was slightly longer because that would enable me to use it on my back with greater ease. If time isn't an issue, I suggest you order the longer and slightly more expensive Go Fit roller here.
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