Tag Archive | Recovery

Whew That was Tough!

Feb23

I am so relaxed today.   So very relaxed.   It didn’t really start out that way, but I’m jello now and have been all afternoon.    I had a few months credit saved up from Hand & Stone Spa and I used one today.   It was amazing.  I went for a 90 Minute Hot Stone Massage.    I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep.   I didn’t because if I am getting a massage I don’t want to waste it by sleeping.   Really the only thing that stopped me from falling asleep was a little snore!

I felt like this…

Finn6

Every time I go for a massage, I swear I will be better and go more often.   I think today’s massage was the one that I was going to get in November after the Marathon.   Oops;)

I remember going for a Spa Day with my Mother once.  She had never been for a massage and got her first and only massage that day.  She was nervous and is a bit chatty normally and always more so when she is nervous.    I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and was only getting a Spa pedicure.   When her massage  was over we went to lunch.  She went on about how much she liked it and then she started telling me all the things her and her massage therapist talked about during her massage.   I was flabbergasted as I have never known anyone to talk during a massage.   I admit that I was so relaxed today, I would not have been able to form coherent sentences even if I wanted.   I couldn’t imagine talking through the whole thing.   It would actually make it weird.

Although if you think about it the whole process of going for a massage, it is weird.   Most of the time, you make your appointment not knowing who you are going to see.    The only stipulation that I have is that is a woman therapist.  Upon arrival, they take you into a room for you to undress and wait for them in a low light and soft music.   This would be why, you always want to get a recommendation on where to go for your massage or at least go to an established place.   There has to be a certain level of comfort to enjoy the massage experience and although the therapist is a professional, I would be uncomfortable with a male therapist.  It would ruin the whole thing for me.

I didn’t realize how much my body needed today until I was on the table.    There really is something to be said for the healing powers of massage.   I think it is an under appreciated therapy.   I didn’t realize how much tension was in my back and neck until she worked them out!   Also didn’t hurt to have the knots in my calves worked out too.   Here is hoping to staying nice and loose for this weekends 5K!

As I’ve said in the past, I must remember to go for massages on a regular basis.   I’m not talking twice a month, but I should go at least every other month.   Especially with “race season” starting up.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET A MASSAGE?

DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE WITH YOUR THERAPIST.

  .

These Boots Were made for Walking

Nov26

Never having done a marathon before, I really did not know what to expect regarding how I would feel.  Yes, I’ve read about post marathon recovery and saw the video of the walking dead after the NYC Marathon.   But I still didn’t know how I would feel and I don’t think it’s something that you can fully explain to someone either.

I do know that by the end of the marathon, I was spent.   To the point that while running the last mile, my sister ran onto the course and gave me a rose.   I took it, but then gave it back to her telling her that I didn’t even have it in me to hold the rose.  I really wasn’t lying either because at that point my sole focus was just to keep my legs moving which is harder than it sounds.   The rose just felt too heavy, so I gave it back.   I did take it to carry over the finish line (I think).

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Of course, my legs just felt beyond tired at the end.  Although in retrospect,  I actually think that they hurt worse when Dawn and I did our 20 mile training run.   They felt heavy and tired, but it really wasn’t till I stopped putting one foot in front of the other that the realization came that although I could move forward moving up and down stairs was not easy.  I get it now.   After all those miles of making your legs move forward, they forget that the muscles need to move other ways too.   Luckily that is short term and honestly so worth the pain.

The process of training and running a marathon really is similar to childbirth in the fact that you prepare for the event for months.    You go into it very excited and nervous.  You don’t know fully what to expect (even if you’ve done it before).  The pain starts off small and builds over the miles.   By the end, you are just exhausted and want it over.   Then when your cross the finish line, you realize it was all worth it and would probably do it again.  You don’t forget the pain, but realize in the end it was worth it.

I was lucky too in that when it was all said and done, I limped away with only one blister, sore heels, one sore ankle, and of course legs of jello.   Upon arriving home in the evening, I took care of the blister and soaked in an Epsom salt bath which felt amazing.   Then off to bed  where I don’t think I moved all night.

Then in the morning when I hobbled out of bed and rolled out my legs, I put these shoes on.

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Monday

bootsTuesday

Now these might seem like odd post marathon shoes, but they worked for me.   They took the pressure off my heel and supported my sore ankle.   I wore them all day too!   Maybe this isn’t for everyone, but this seems to work for me as I did something similar after long training runs. I actually did read something about wearing heels and that is why I first tried it.  I like it.   I really do.

What are your post marathon shoes?