A runner's best friend

I received an e-mail from the local running store yesterday. They were announcing a mini-workshop on ankles and feet. A local podiatrist and runner was the guest presenter. I jumped on the opportunity. A few weeks ago I strained my ankle doing a trail run and it's been bothering me since. I took this as an opportunity to get some medical advice without the co-pay or wait involved. The class lasted about an hour, the doctor did some Q&A and was well-versed in the common injuries.

There was a common theme that kept coming up...ice and ibuprofen.

When I started running I had a friend who runs (was very active and now isn't) tell me to stock up on the advil, alleve, tylenol and any other pain reliever/anti-inflammatory I can find. When I first started running I couldn't imagine how that was possible. But now....I'm generally not the self-medicating type, but there are times when I have stretched and iced and rubbed and rolled and nothing is working. That's when I reach for the handy vial of ache-and-pain be gone. I am think that in the inventors of advil should be granted Sainthood, automatic berth into heaven, etc..