Rolling with Addaday

In March 2016 I was part way through training for my first marathon. I was registered to run the 2016 Ottawa Marathon at the end of May. It was roughly 6 months after having Lennon and I was still nursing her (nonstop) – and running 90+km weeks. I was neglecting recovery and strengthening because I simply didn’t have time (or so I thought). I learned the hard way that these things are just as crucial as the miles we run.

I ended up injured – jolted my pelvis hopping off a curb and landing funny, but also with a SI joint sprain, which was discovered once the swelling subsided and my pelvis was regaining mobility. During this time I was on a heavy rotation of PT, Chiro, massage, mobility routine, strengthening exercises, icing, epsom salt baths, etc. I took this opportunity to learn more about what I needed to do in order to make it to the starting line and actually finish a marathon.

One of the things I discovered during this time was foam rolling. To be honest, I struggled with it and found it difficult to tell if I was doing it properly or not. Then I came across the rollers from Addaday and I was hooked – and my body has been appreciative, as I’m currently part way through training for marathon #2 – Boston!

Here are the Addaday rollers I currently have an what I like about each of them:

Type C

The Addaday Type C roller is my favourite out of the ones I’ve tried so far. I use this one everyday to roll out all areas of my legs, and if my husband is around, I get him to help roll out some parts of my back. The red roller on this one is an important piece – it really digs deep and you can feel it working. I adjust the amount of pressure I apply on the roller to get a deeper muscle massage.

Uno

The Addaday Uno roller is my go-to for travel – even though you could definitely take the Type C one on the road with you too. I love that you can adjust the roller, lock it into place and you’re ready to roll! I use this one to get to harder to reach places like my lower back and neck/upper shoulders. I adjust the amount of pressure I exert on the roller to really get in there and get the blood flowing. This roller lives in my purse!

Junior

I originally purchased the Addaday Junior roller with the sole purpose of using it on my feet. I like this roller because the flat base makes it sturdier than trying to roll out your feet with a golf or tennis ball. I also hold the base of the roller in my hand and can use it to target very specific spots, typically on my legs.

The other thing I really like about Addaday is that they have a ton of information on their website that shows you how to use the rollers and the different options for each. The Tutorials by Product Type section is incredibly helpful!

There are other products I’m interested in trying, especially the Nonagon roller. Do you use Addaday rollers? If so, I’d love to hear what your favourites are!

Recovery Re-Discovery

Back in the spring, I was training for the 2016 Ottawa Marathon. When training began, I was only a few months postpartum (Lennon wasn’t quite 10 months old on the day of the race) and I was exclusively breastfeeding during the first part of my training cycle. I was on a pretty intense training schedule, and began ignoring things I knew I should have been paying attention to – core strengthening, cross-training, body work…you name it, I wasn’t really doing it, other than running.

I thought that not running on rest day and inconsistent trips to a chiropractor and massage therapist, combined with a handful of stretches was good enough for ‘recovery’ – which, is definitely not the case when preparing to run a marathon.

Especially after just giving birth.

When it rains…

Halfway through training, I ended up spraining my SI Joint when I hopped off of an irregular curb – the landing, combined with all of my loose ligaments and core weakness was really the perfect storm. At the time, my world was crumbling and I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was 10 weeks out from running a marathon and I couldn’t even walk properly. At the time, I felt like it was the worst thing to ever happen to me, but when I look back on it, it was actually one of the best things that could have happened to me. Without this injury, I wouldn’t have understood the impact of childbirth on my body, even though I had gone through all of this before, and I also would probably underestimate what my body needs to support the load of marathon training.

The light at the end of the tunnel

It takes a village! I started going back to my chiropractor and massage therapist. I found an amazing physiotherapist that specializes in running injuries. I got to enjoy the wonderful world of dry needling (honestly, amazing). I followed a core strengthening routine. I committed to stretches I saw in Hit Reset by Erin Taylor of Jasyoga. I drank tart cherry juice like a boss – thanks to Lauren Fleshman. I was soaking in epsom salts and icing my body when needed. I tried foam rolling, which, to be honest, I really struggled with until I got my hands on some different products from Addaday.

I’ve been using the Type C massage roller on a regular basis and it was love at first roll. The rollers rotate and dig in deep to work out those nasty little fibres that get stuck. The pressure is easy to control and the rollers help to pinpoint specific areas that need the most attention. I log a lot of miles, and I found that using this roller has really helped keep my legs fresh and has eliminated a lot of the soreness I was experiencing with higher mileage. To my kids, this roller is the newest item in their Jedi tool belts 😉

Getting some R&R

It’s better to take an extra rest day than it is to push through a run when you feel like an injury or illness is brewing. Think about it this way – would you regret skipping a run? Or would you regret pushing through on the running, and ending up injured? Sometimes the wisest choice is to set the training plan aside for a day and give your body the rest it needs. I was out of marathon training for 6 weeks, and I made it to the start line on race day. There were a number of days where I wanted to push through because I could tolerate the pain, but I knew that all those steps forward would mean nothing if I didn’t give my body a break.

I started listening to my body – really, really listening to it. I started making recovery just as much a priority as the miles I logged. I feel stronger, I run faster, and I feel better in general. I hope that the lessons I learned will help me do my best to prepare for the Boston Marathon in April, as well as the other races on my radar – NYC Marathon 2017, Ottawa Race Weekend 10k and half marathon. There’s a whole new meaning to R&R now – run and recover!