Although I find myself running much less in the winter months, my desire for a good massage never dies. Maybe it’s the grey skies, or maybe it’s the cold weather, but I find myself hibernating more in the winter. I think my spirit animal is a bear because I’m all about facilitating tissue insulation through cookie consumption.
I digress…
When I’m running a lot my muscles become accustomed to the wear and tear I put them through, & when I run less I feel each mile much quicker. No surprises there.
Is it just me, or does the map route of this run look similar to the shape of the state?
While I was in Arizona I ran more in those two weeks than I had in the entire month of December. This meant my muscles felt the fatigue of my neglect. I use a foam roller, but these days I only use it for my back. Plus bringing a giant foam tube on an airplane just isn’t feasible when you need every ounce of space for snacks.
Along with many sunny Arizona runs I also watched a lot of movies, spent new years eve volunteering the same way I did last year, went on a few bike rides, hiked a couple mountains, and had many lovely conversations with family.
With all this adventuring my step mom was kind enough to buy me a massage that satisfied every fiber of my being, but massages aren’t cheap and my shoulders and neck resemble a field of clustered grape vines. Insert tiger tail, a small and easy way to bring my massage with me everywhere I go! 
This hand held massage tool is SO convenient for spots like quads and necks. Or at least that’s what I’ve been using mine for. The euphoria I feel when I use this on my neck is like that of a monkey finding bugs in their fur. I have the classic, but there is an even smaller one for easier portability.
While I base my muscle rolling on feel (hurtssss so goooood), it’s nice to have a reference of trigger spots to search for. The happy muscles book intrigued my inner science lover and was like a mini anatomy class.
Nothing beats an actual massage, but at $80 a pop I find paying $35 one time for a muscle roller to be a much better option. Plus, I’m all about shopping local. Since being back home in Washington I’ve only run four miles (whoa there, slow down Brittany), but the knots in my neck are still large and in charge.
Muscle fuel.
Stretch more, eat green, drink water, roll muscles – the way to a happy body and happy mind. Oh and in my case, EAT. LESS. SUGAR. One day I’ll master that. 😉
Q: Do you take care of your muscles like you should? I’m a work in progress.
