My new BFF

I should retitle this post "My new non-human BFF", as I still love my BFF Elizabeth.  However, I have a new non-human BFF that I love even more than chocolate.  It is my foam roller.  

Such a thing of beauty! 

 

I would gladly wear white and exchange rings with this thing; that is how much I adore it.  It is the only thing that works when I am as sore as I am right now.  It tops ibuprofen by a landslide.  I think the only thing that would be better would be an actual deep-tissue massage, but seeing as how we bought a new-to-us mini-van today, that is not in the budget nor will it be for quite some time... therefore Mr. Black will have to do when my legs are screaming at me.

Which brings me to the question of why.  Why exactly am I so sore after I race?  I can see it after a half-marathon, but seriously, a 5K?  I don't get why my legs hurt so badly.  I have a new area of pain after yesterday's race that has joined my calves: my butt. Yes, my butt.  Really, it's my upper right hamstring, but it does extend into my gluteus maximus, and it hurts when I sit.  I have figured out a great way to roll it, though, and wow does it ever feel amazing terrific orgasmic.  I am totally not exaggerating here.  I rolled three or four times total today (I've lost track), and each time I was able to walk without pain afterwards.  The pain eventually came back, but another rolling session helped alleve it each time. 

Anyway, back to the why.  I have only one hypothesis.  I think I am pushing myself too hard during my races.  Or, at least, harder than I trained myself to go.  Not that I am going to stop pushing myself hard during races, not by any extreme, but I don't know why else my muscles would respond in this way.  Unless this is typical... but I haven't heard other runners expressing the same discomfort after measily 5K's.  

Today's rest day ended with a nice long hot soak in the tub, and of course some more rolling.  Tomorrow I am planning on working my arms heavily, and my core a bit.  Still going to baby my legs, as I have a tempo run scheduled for Wednesday morning at 6 AM that is already scaring me.  Hopefully one more day off will do the trick.