Frogolf and New Trail to run !

Frogolf  --- that's frisbee golf or disc golf for the uninitiated of you all out there.  Apparently Ozark has a course down in the park.  After hearing tales of drivers, putters and mid range discs flying into trees and every which-a way I got nostalgic for my childhood.  Ah the days where a couple bucks bought you a hard plastic disc to wing through the air at your friend and hopefully not smack them in a sensitive part of their face.  BTW that area under your nose... get smacked there will bring tears to your eyes.  Anyway a cheap set of discs will set you back about $15 bucks or so.  They even have their own Professional Disc Golf Association http://www.pdga.com/  .  What a nice way to spend the afternoon !
Now onto running news.  I must report that the shin splints have returned BUT I have found a new tool that is keeping the pain to a minimum.  Its called a  foam roller .  This deceptively simple device has one purpose ...to cause eye popping , tear bringing , terrible pain.  Well only the first few times you use it.  I bought one as when I started running the calf and shin problem I had last year returned after a week of running.  Determined to keep going and improve I went out to the internet to search every physical therapy and runner's forum I could find.  For those of you who don't know .. once I get set on something I will pursue it like a pit bull holding on to it's favorite chew toy.  
I bought my roller at Target and it is the beginner model.  The principle behind this is that the muscles tighten up and form trigger points that cause more tightening loss of blood flow and stress to the area which leads to more injury etc.  So It's like getting a deep tissue leg massage.  I read several phys. therapy research papers that supported the myofacial /muscle trigger point release process for dealing with shin splints.
Now the first time I used this was on the back of my calves which was where most of the pain seemed to be.  Cautiously I laid both legs on the roller just above the ankle as the instructions stated and immediately was greeted with the most serious pain ever. I did the required 20 rolls and by number twenty I had stopped gritting my teeth but I still had some soreness.  I use the roller at least twice a day now and the backs of my calves have improved 90%.  I am now working on my soleous muscle from the insides of my ankles to the knee.  I can barely get through 20 rolls in this area as it is still really tight.  I also use it on my whole  back which has lots of issues and it feels wonderful as it created just enough pressure on my spine to pop those pesky vertebrae back where they outta be just like when my chiropractor does an adjustment.  I have worked my quads and hamstrings, lats, triceps and most interesting the IT band area on the outside of the thigh.  That one brought tears to my eyes as well and I haven't been able to make it to 20 rolls over that area yet.  All in all using the roller is enabling me to run relatively pain free while building up my endurance.