The 5K Mom: Now that I'm a mom, injuries scare me more than ever before

By Emily Kulkus

Injuries scare all athletes. An injury can mean you have to change course, either temporarily or permanently, and athletes don’t want to have to change, especially if it’s not on their own terms. It can change training schedules, throw off calendars and put plans and goals out of reach. Injuries are frustrating. They are also terrifying. Since I’ve had kids, I’m pretty much petrified of getting hurt. Taking care of little people is hard enough – I can’t imagine doing it on crutches, or worse. I take precautions, of course, but I’m way more careful about everything I do since I became a mom.

So while I finished the Irongirl two weeks ago in a time I was pleased with and had fun doing it, I also was in a ton of pain when I finished. When I got off my bike and started the 5K, my calf muscles seized up so fast and hard I thought my lower legs were going to burst. And by the time I crossed the finish line I could barely put weight on my right foot. I’m still not totally sure what happened but I tried to remedy the situation the best I knew how. I iced and elevated my foot, stretched and rolled out both calves several times a day for several days. The pain was easing but it was still there and was significant every time I stood and walked after sitting for a while. Then someone at work said I should try RockTape. I know a good amount the product but had never tried it personally since I’ve been (thankfully) pretty injury-free for months.

A colleague taped both of my calf muscles and the relief was instantaneous. I was blown away by how quickly and effectively the product worked. Not only was my pain pretty much gone but I could also stretch and roll those muscles better than I’d been able to since getting hurt. Yes, I was happy to no longer be in pain, but I also felt like my muscles were healing faster than they’d been able to without the tape.

I know full well that we give you a fair number of sales pitches but like I tell customers all the time: we only sell products we believe in. And I can tell you confidently that RockTape is one more product that me and my legs believe in 100 percent. So if you're having any sort of pain or troubles, please stop in and see us. I'm sure we have something that can help you heal faster and more effectively so you can get back on course and keep those injuries at bay.

Emily Kulkus is marketing coordinator at Fleet Feet Sports. Reach her at ekulkus@fleetfeetsyracuse.com.