My masseur Rick has retired. We shared many pleasant moments together. He would put my head back together as well as my legs. I'd go to him convinced I'd done something terrible to my soft tissues. I'd come away reinvigorated and reassured that actually it was nowhere near as bad as I'd imagined, and all was well for my continued assault on the marathon courses of the world (well London anyway). His sessions were pleasant and relaxing, and only on one occasion when I damaged my ITB, could there be anything I could describe as pain.
Rick has now retired!
I'd gone a month without a massage, and my legs were starting to tell me that I should seek pastures new and entrust my muscles to new hands. And so to the Sports Injury Clinic at my local sports centre. Whereas with Rick, I'd have a lunchtime massage and go running that evening, it was suggested that I went running at lunchtime and have an evening massage. "We go quite deep here". That was a fair observation with hindsight.
As soon as her thumbs touched my thigh, I knew I was in for a different experience. (That last sentence could be used in an entirely different type of story telling!) OUCH! Deep tissue? She wasn't kidding! I know that my hamstrings and calves were a bit tight after a month of building my mileage back up, but struth! "You'll hate me later this evening", the nice young woman with the thumbs of steel said to me as I departed.
By the time I got home the inside of my thighs were already bruised. (That last sentence could be used in an entirely different type of story telling!) I put ice on my legs as a precaution. I see why she felt running that evening might not have been a good idea.
The following day (yesterday) my legs were tender to the touch. The only visible sign was a series of small bruises down the inside of each thigh, but I was tender all over my calves and hamstrings. By the evening I was still sore, with the prospect of a very hilly 8 mile run with the running club. The run went OK, in fact my legs felt quite good, but at the end my calves felt bizarre - tingly, and feeling like stretching really wasn't a good idea. The application of more ice followed.
Today I am still very tender to touch - particular the inside of my calves - more so than yesterday. I've just been for a run, and despite my fears, my legs are still OK for running. It seems that despite the "deep tissue" massage, it's only the surface layers that are tender, and the massage has had a beneficial effect where it matters. Not sure if I want this experience every fortnight though! Some feedback may be necessary. Maybe my tissues are a little more sensitive than some?
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1 comment:
yes, I felt bruised after some deep digging
a few days later it was better than before she started
after a couple of sessions that physio was ona course and I went to a different physio at the same Sports injuries clinic and had a toally different experience - much more emphasis on stretching
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