Running gear on a budget
If you want to equip yourself with a lot of gadgets for running but you don't want to spend $30 on a roller, $15 on a trigger point massage ball, $15 for a yoga strap, etc., I have some great budget alternatives for you.
- Instead of spending $42 for a fancy foam roller, go to your local hardware store, like Home Depot, and buy yourself a pre-cut drain pipe. They come in different diameters; the 4" diameter one is about the same size as a foam roller, and you should be able to find one two feet long for about $10. I actually bought a "Drain Pipe Coupling Styrene" that's about 4.5 inches long, for a bargain price of $1.24 that is small enough for me to keep in my gym bag. It's long enough that I can use it to roll under my calves, and small enough that I can roll it along my quads. It isn't coated with foam but works really well.
- Instead of spending $20 for a trigger point ball, use a tennis ball or a lacrosse ball! Tennis balls are much cheaper and easier to find than lacrosse balls. You might prefer one over the other, but typically, you can buy tennis balls for a buck a piece (go to Walmart or Target, or ask around if your apartment complex or gym has tennis courts), while lacrosse balls are a little more specialized; most box stores won't carry them. You can buy them at sporting goods shops for around $3.00. Tennis balls are softer and bigger; if you want something firmer, go for the lacrosse balls.
- Instead of spending $40 for The Stick or other rolling sticks, consider using a rolling pin! Yes, the kind you use to flatten pie crusts! If you'd rather not use the one you use to bake with, buy yourself a cheap version at the local supermarket. You might even luck out and find a reasonably good one at your local dollar store! I found a cheap plastic/rubber one in neon green at the local dollar store. As a rolling pin, it's not very good -- but for massaging my muscles, it works great! And it's only about 8 inches long, so it's easy for me to pack in my gym bag.
Even if you bought the fancy expensive stuff, consider getting these cheaper items for use for when you travel, or if you want to have these post-race items available in your gear-check bag at the race.
Also:
- Instead of expensive gel packs you keep in the freezer for icing your legs, use a bag of frozen peas. Reusable and the peas will conform around your ankles/knees.
- Consider freezing a water bottle, and using it to roll under your feet. Good foot massage, and it'll cool down whatever inflammation you have.
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