When it comes to gear, I like to keep things minimal. I don’t really actively seek out the latest gear or sports tech, but every once in a while, a piece of gold falls in my path and leaves me wondering how I ever lived without it.
Number one — insoles. I’ve never switched out the insoles in my running shoes — it never crossed my mind. But I recently received these ENERTOR™ Performance Insoles and decided to test them out in my Nike’s. I went out for a run with no expectations. I ran with them all week. Then I tested them out on a long run. A couple weeks later, and I’m sticking with them. They’re great. I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t been injured often, but like most runners, I have those occasional nagging aches and pains, one of which is an aching feeling on the bottoms of my feet — not like plantar fasciitis pain, but just a soreness, like a fresh bruise. I haven’t experienced that pain since I switched to these insoles. I don’t know what it is about their technology, but I can tell you that my feet have been less sore and tired. And while there are many factors playing into performance, I can also say that I’ve felt good on all of my runs in the past three weeks — some days are better than others, but I’ve felt stronger on my runs than I have in a while. I’m not saying go out and buy these, but I’m just saying there might be something out there that can improve your performance — even if it just takes care of those nagging aches and pains.
Number two — the ROLL Recovery R8, aka my torture device. It hurts like heck, but THIS THING IS AMAZING. I know foam rolling isn’t hard — I’m just terrible at remembering to do it, and when I do remember, I never really want to roll around on the ground trying to get in just the right position for the optimal amount of pain. Now, I keep this thing in the living room, and I’ll just grab it here and there for a quick massage. All you do is pull both ends, close it around your leg, and roll. And yes, it still hurts, but it also feels really good, like a deep tissue massage where you cringe in delight. You can also pull the ends apart a bit if the pressure is too much. Bottom line — it’s easy, it works, and while it’s more expensive than a regular foam roller, I think it’s definitely worth it. Just thinking about it, I can’t wait for a good rolling session this evening…
This was a rare type of post for me, but that’s just how strongly I feel about my new toys 🙂 I’d love to hear from you about your favorite running gear — past or present, or gear you’ve had your eyes on. Comment below!
Cheers,
Jackie
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