Peak Win Foam Roller

With a half marathon in a few weeks, and hopefully a full marathon in the fall, it's time to start learning better recovery and self-care techniques to use throughout my training.  I've already discussed the importance of foam rolling in the past, but the rollers I own haven't always been the right tool for the job: one is too soft and one is often too firm for a sensitive muscle.  Finally, though, I think I have the Baby Bear foam roller - it's juuuuust right!

Disclaimer: I received this product at no cost in exchange for my review.  All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This Peak Win foam roller has two surface textures and is made of a spongy substance that lets me control how deep my rolling goes.  The flatter surface is soft but not too soft, and is great for the days when my training makes for sensitive, sore, but not knotted muscles that just need some gentle massage.  On other days, when I have huge knots that need some extra work but are too sore for an ultra-firm roller, I can use the bumpy surface of the Peak Win roller.  The little nubs dig in to the affected muscle, but because of the roller's slightly squishy material, there's just enough give to keep the roller from causing more pain than relief.

In addition to being a very usable massage tool, the Peak Win roller doubles as a convenient storage unit!  The end caps unscrew, granting access to the hollow core of the roller.  This means I can tuck some gym extras right into my foam roller!  Small towels, earbuds, resistance bands or tubing, hair ties or headbands, even keys or other odds and ends can be stashed inside the roller for convenience.  I could see this being a huge asset when traveling for any of the destination races on my list: knowing I'd travel for a longer distance race, it'd be great to take a roller for post-race recovery without losing tons of packing space in my luggage!  Or, on the home front, it's a great way to keep track of fitness accessories in a home gym or even at the office (which is where my roller has ended up).

Now that my foam roller collection is complete, I'm actually looking forward to some of the tougher aspects of training for long distance running!  Knowing that I can properly take care of my body throughout my training is a big confidence boost, and I'm excited to start ramping up!  How do you take care of your body after long runs and challenging workouts?