Recovery (and a Moji Massager GIVEAWAY)

I have been starting to get together a list of my races from this past year for an end-of-the-year type recap post. I just counted and with the half marathon I have at the end of the month I will have completed TWENTY races this calendar year! Now don't get me wrong, that in no way competes with some folks (i.e. Dani from Weight Of My Shoulders who just finished 52 races in 2014), but for someone who started running in 2012, I would say that is still pretty great!

The more I run, the more I realize how important RECOVERY is for me and my body. This is ESPECIALLY crucial when adding longer training runs and increasing weekly mileage (like I am currently doing for the upcoming Dopey Challenge in less than a month and for the Phoenix Marathon in February). 

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I figured I would share a few things that I have found to work for me. Sharing is caring, right?! (Remember, I am NOT a doctor and this is NOT medical advice, just what works best for my body and maybe in turn you will find something that works for you.)

Hydrating: Thankfully I love water. I gave up pop a while back (actually it was January 23, 2012) and for the most part stick with good ol' H2O as my drink of choice. Water is used to maintain your body's proper temperature, remove waste, lubricate joints, and keeping a healthy blood flow (among other things). Because you sweat during your runs or workouts (and can I be honest for a second?! I sweat A LOT), you need to replenish that lost liquid to keep your body functioning at its peak.

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Wearing Compression Gear: My go-to company is PRO Compression (sure.... I am an ambassador for them.... but that is because their stuff WORKS). I wear compression socks during my long runs, as well as after difficult workouts. The compression gear keeps the blood and fluids flowing properly to support your muscles and tendons so you can recover quicker. 

PS If you didn't know, PRO Compression is having an END OF THE YEAR SALE! EVERYTHING is 42% OFF! Use code "2014" (DON'T DELAY, THE CODE EXPIRES ON FRIDAY!) on your order NOW!

Foam Rolling & Stretching: I did a post dedicated to this topic a while back. Feel free to check it out here if you haven't already (there are videos and descriptions of some of the rolling techniques which work best for me). I try to do this every evening. Normally Ryan and I are watching some sort of Michigan or Detroit sports at night before going to bed. While we are vegging out a bit, it is the perfect time for me to pull out the foam rollers. (My go-to roller is the M80 Roller because it is extremely firm and gets a deeper massage, but I will use my Trigger Point Grid Roller on my back because it has more cushion and is nicer on my spine.)

Lately I have been trying out a NEW product I was sent by the AMAZING folks at Moji. I received the Moji 360 Massager and would give it 2 thumbs up (and lots of happy muscles)! As you can see in the picture above, I have "The Stick". I will normally use that for my calves so I can get a deeper massage than I get with a roller, as well as have the hubby use it on me in areas I can't seem to work out myself (i.e. the outside of my booty, etc). I have been using the Moji 360 Massager in place of my stick for a while now and really like it! 

The Moji 360 Massager has rotating stainless steel spheres that smoothly roll over whatever muscles you are massaging. You are able to control the intensity of the massage by the amount of pressure you use (not to mention the continuous gripping surface allows you to hold on to it whatever way is most comfortable for you). I also appreciate that is is a manageable size and can fit in your gym bag.

I've been using it on my calves, quads, IT band, and just about anywhere I can rub it! [It'd be GREAT if we could all afford sports massages on a weekly basis, but until I find a money tree that is NOT a possibility, so self massaging will have to do.]

The MARVELOUS Moji Magicians (okay, maybe they aren't magicians, but I really like alliteration and the massager is sort of magical in how it helps with sore muscles) also sent me a Moji 360 Mini Massager to give away so YOU can recover faster too!

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I'm not sure if you are on Santa's naughty or nice list this year, but just in case you didn't make his cut, you can try your luck at winning a Moji 360 Mini Massager for yourself. Make sure to enter the GIVEAWAY below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter early and often (some of the entries are available DAILY). The giveaway will run through Tuesday, December 23rd at 11:59pm PST. I will contact the winner via email (using the email address listed through Rafflecopter). Also, the entries ARE verified, so please make sure you complete the task or I'll have to pick a new random winner.

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL WHO ENTER!!