Recovering through Sports Massage

Do you take your underwear off when you get a sports massage?

I contemplated this for a few hours before my appointment finally arrived last Wednesday.  Of course it makes sense that you need to be naked, or at least close to it for a regular massage, but if they are focusing on your legs, and the muscles surrounding those tender spots, I don't want to be left fully defenseless.

I took a completely opposite approach and decided to wear jeans to my first sports massage.  Dumb.  Don't do that.  As it turns out, the massage therapist, Scott, took 20 of the 60 minutes to stretch my legs out fully and jeans are cumbersome and slightly embarrassing.  I couldn't move appropriately and instead I looked like the rusted Tin Man.  

It finally came time to disrobe.  I asked Scott to spend the entire session on my legs so I felt this was a rather crucial decision.  After a lot of silent debate, I kept my underwear.  There are muscles and ligaments in my leg that feel like they attach half way up my spine. 

It is crazy how many muscles are in our legs!

He kept laughing really hard saying, "Wow your muscles are PISSED!"  Well, thank you Scott.  Any self doubt that I once had has definitely multiplied.  "What are you doing to yourself to make them this angry?"  Another gem was, "You aren't very fast are you?  You are way too flexible to be a sprint distance runner."  But my favorite compliment of the session was, "Even though you can't be that fast, you are built for endurance.  See these muscles, they are your distance muscles.  They are the really pissed ones."

Apparently you are supposed to take 1-2 days off after a sports massage before returning to your normal training routine.  I didn't know how important this was until a few days later.  I knew I would be sore.  He kept telling me that over and over again as he massaged out the anger from my legs, "Oh, you will feel this one again tomorrow!"  Scott has a way with words.

I only ran 5 miles the next day, but I also hiked 3.5 miles and stayed on my feet constantly.  Two days after the massage I ran 10 tempo miles.  My calves kept aching for a few days still and I questioned whether the massage did more harm than good.  But five days later, I felt really good and my calves felt remarkably less rigid.  Regrettably, I ruined that progress in one 16 mile trail run and now I am sore as ever and my muscles remain pissed.

It was a good experiment in recovery.  I am always looking for new ways to improve the process and I did learn a few good things along the way.

• Don't run after a massage.
• Epsom Salt baths 2-3 times a week can relieve muscle soreness.  I thought this had to be a load of Scott's crock but I tried it and did some research and it really works.  
• Epsom Salt kills fruit flies in your plants, aids constipation, and provides a safe and healthy facial scrub.  Who knew? 
• Ice baths truly do help.  I do them 3 times a week, Scott said do them 5 times a week.  Honestly, I hate him a little more now.
• Stretching is worth it, I also learned a few new stretches to relieve calf pain.
• Foam rollers are the nicer version of a massage therapist.  They don't speak. 

Because I don't do it often enough, I let a lot of acid build up in my muscles.  It was really painful and I think for it to be truly beneficial and not set back my training at all due to the soreness, I would need to do it much more often.  I 100% believe in the healing powers of massage, but I won't be getting another one until I finish the Colfax Marathon in May.  That said, I plan to get one that day if possible.

~Roadburner

 

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