A Runner's First Aid Kit

I attended a First Aid refresher course earlier this week, and one of the questions the course leader asked was whether or not we had a First Aid kit at home. I answered no, as I don’t have an endless store of triangular bandages, gauzes, antiseptic wipes, gloves etc (does anyone!?). I do however have what I guess you could call a runners first aid kit, which basically contains what I need to keep running! 

1) Frozen Vegetables - any slight tightness or pain means I will spend the evening sat on the sofa with frozen vegetables carefully balanced on that body part. Frozen peas are the best option, I would however say frozen carrots and broccoli are a little too bulky - as you can see I have become quite a connoisseur in the frozen vegetable department (see images)! 

2) Deep Freeze – if frozen vegetables don’t do the trick the trusted Deep Freeze tube comes out. I have been using this gel for years, since my football playing days, and the smell brings back strangely fond memories of Sunday evenings sat nursing post match injuries. The smell is not liked by many though, so I only apply this at night time – I am considerate! 

3) Ibroprofen – when the pain gets too bad the ibroprofen comes out. It has only really been on one occasion where I have heavily relied on ibroprofen (fingers crossed!), when I hurt my shin during the final few weeks of my London Marathon training. I remember going into the pharmacy and asking for the strongest form of ibroprofen they had… I think the women behind the counter thought I was some kind of addict! 

4) Rock Tape – my introduction to this kinesiology tape stemmed from said shin injury. Who knew what is essentially elasticated sticky back fabric could be so effective? Wearing it definitely helped me get through the final weeks of marathon training and the day itself. I am just glad that when I purchased the tape they only had the black colour left, as otherwise I would have chosen a garish purple to match my addiction to purple exercise wear – which may have been a bit too much! 

5) Compression Socks – do they or don’t they work? It seems to be very much up for debate. I don’t run in the socks, but do put them on every evening after running/going to the gym. In my eyes they can do no harm, so I religiously stick them on. 

Its when I forget I am wearing them the problem occurs. I have often left to go to the shop  or answered the door stood in shorts and purple (obviously) knee high socks leading to a few strange glances!

In an ideal world there would be no such thing as a 'runners first aid kit' - no one wants to be injured - but when the dreaded pain strikes this is what I turn to to get me through!