With most things in life, I’d say I either love them or I hate them. I of course can have neutral, sort of apathetic feelings too, but for the most part I tend to have strong opinions. And very rarely do I experience a “love-hate relationship” with anything. It’s either one or the other. Cue the foam roller – my first love-hate relationship with a piece of fitness equipment.

If you don’t know what a foam roller is, here’s a picture of the one I have, which I purchased for about $40.00 at Dick’s.

Fitness Gear 36" Foam Roller from Dick's Sporting Goods

At first I thought, seriously? $40.00 for a piece of hard foam? It’s gotta be a scam. But I went ahead and purchased it because I had heard such great things. Apparently regular use of a foam roller can help increase performance, increase flexibility and decrease your risk for injuries.

Unfortunately, I kept a very lonely roller in our basement for three weeks before I tried it. Note to self: preventative foam rolling therapy is a lot easier than necessary foam rolling therapy. What incited my first use of the foam roller was actually a weird pain over the top of the big toe of my right foot. Very nervous I had injured something permanently, I began a furious online search for possible causes. What I discovered was that this particular pain could be caused by overuse of an already tight calf muscle. And how could I loosen such a muscle? You guessed it.

After reviewing several videos about how to use a foam roller, I recommend this one from active.com. It’s called Coach Jenny’s 3 Foam Roller Exercises for Athletes. I’ve been doing these exercises both before and after my runs for about five days now. It’s made a huge difference. Not only is the pain above my big toe gone, but I’m noticing more flexibility in both legs, which I didn’t even realize was lacking until now.

Even if you’re not a runner, using a foam roller can only benefit you. But if you are a runner, I’d say it’s borderline required.

It’s like getting a deep tissue massage every time (seriously, to the point where I feel completely relaxed afterward and reach for a fluffy white robe that doesn’t exist). However, I must warn you that, just like a true deep tissue massage, this bad boy hurts in the process. Like really, really hurts. Tears have come to my eyes and swear words have come out of my mouth. Loudly. This is the “hate” part of the love-hate relationship. But I’ve also come to realize that the pain is really a muscle that is just screaming to be set free. And, once it’s free, the “love” returns. Deep thoughts.

For more information about foam rollers, check out this Running Times article and this Runner’s World article.

Last month, I praised the Nike + system for its assistance in helping me track the distances, calories and total times of my runs. It’s a great little piece of technology.

And as I mentioned, up until today, I had been shoving the sensor underneath the laces of my running shoes. You’re not supposed to do this, but since I don’t have Nike shoes (which come equipped with a special spot for the sensor), I felt I had no choice. I even ran my half marathon last year with that sensor firmly secured under my laces. No major problems.

However, what I didn’t anticipate was that minimalist shoes (which I just got in October) don’t have as much padding. I’m still shoving the sensor in there, but it’s not immediately comfortable. I try to adjust it as best I can, but sometimes I still feel it digging into the top of my foot, and that’s not good. Not good I tell you!

I’m considering some longer distances this year, so to avoid the inevitable further irritation, I was thinking, ok, either A) get rid of the Nike + and get a Garmin, or B) switch to Nike shoes which would have the special area for the sensor. There is one huge problem with option B and that is, simply, I LOVE my Saucony Kinvaras more than life itself.

Saddened by the thought of saying goodbye to my Nike +, I went to our local running store yesterday just to check out the Nike Free (Nike’s version of the minimalist shoe). When lo and behold, I saw it. Not the Nike Free, but something called a “sensor pocket.” It was a magical moment. This “pocket” was invented to solve my very problem. It’s a small pouch that holds the sensor and fastens above your laces via a velcro strap. Perfect!

Could be a temporary fix, but I’ll take it. I can’t believe this existed the whole time and I had no clue! Just goes to show, it’s always a good idea to keep exploring.

My Kinvaras with My New Nike + Sensor Pocket