Self help tools

Having had numerous injuries over the years, we have accumulated a number of items to help us through and help us prevent injuries.

The foam roller - especially for my quads and hamstrings. I probably don't use this as much as I should, but it's good for those days when my quads are tired and I still have a workout to do.


I tend to get a lot of knots/points in my legs, mainly in my calves. The tp massage ball and all its related accessories work for this. I have to be careful how hard I push though. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I have gone at trigger points to the point of making it worse. On more then one occasion.

And the most loved piece of equipment in our house. The stick. This is pretty much a daily thing for both Graeme and I. It has helped me through calf issues before and the combination of the stick and self massage has my legs back to almost 100%.

We bought the stick from the Canadian distributor, who's warehouse happens to be in a location close to where we often ride. He swore the stick had saved his life and guaranteed me that I would be back to running if I used is religiously. He had been in a water skiing accident in his 20s and his hip (I believe) had come out of its joint and had never been the same. Then, in his 40s he developed fibromyalgia. He said the pain was just unbearable and he had made a decision that if he was still in the same pain at 65, he would end his life. In his 50s he was introduced to the stick. He said he was now able to jump up and down (which he proudly showed us) and was looking forward to celebrating his 65th birthday the next week.

I can't say the impact has been that great for me, but I do think the stick is a huge part of me being able to continue running (mostly) pain free. And I am a much better and nicer person when I can run.