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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Asking for Pain

* Don't forget to sign up for my BODYGLIDE WarmFX Giveaway HERE!  You have until July 15!

I have to remind myself that I asked her to beat me with a sledgehammer.  And, not only that, I paid for the privilege.  Am I some sort of masochist?  No, not at all.  Was it really a sledgehammer?  Nope, not that either.  But being hammered away at by a deep tissue massage therapist leaves you feeling about the same, I imagine.

So going into yesterday's half-hour massage, which actually stretched to about 40 minutes, I was hopeful that this might do the trick on my tight hamstring.  If you think DTM is generally uncomfortable, try having someone work at ONE problem spot for that length of time.  It was seriously torture.  I won't go into the details.  If you have gotten a deep tissue massage yourself, then you know what it feels like.  If you haven't, then you can read about it here.

So, before you start thinking that I am some fancy rich person who can afford massages whenever I like really like this form of torture, know that I was desperate.  Here I am, EIGHT weeks away from my grand Jungfrau adventure, which will have me running a full marathon up the side of an Alp - not just a mountain, one of the infamous Alps.  (See? Follow the red squiggly line; theoretically, that's going to be me!)


I WANT to do this.  I NEED to do this.  However, my hamstring/glute/hip have been wonky the past few weeks, and that has derailed my training a bit.  I needed all the help I could get to get back on track.  DTM may not feel good at first, but a couple days after there is generally a great feeling of ahhhhh and I am hoping that this time is no exception.

As I suspected, my left hamstring and piriformis are both extremely tight right now.  Why?  Probably for all the reasons stated here.  I also suspect it has something to do with my lack of regular yoga as well.  During the school year I had gotten into the habit of yoga twice a week, and I think that went a long way towards keeping me stretched out and flexible.  However, with summer came a serious upheaval in my schedule - what, with the kidlets home and all.  I try to fit a class in here or there, but there is no rhyme or reason to my going right now.  And the DVD I bought turned out to be kind of useless.  Beyond that, I am starting to wonder if I am somehow not running efficiently. I think I am going to sign up for a run gait analysis soon and see if maybe there is something there that I could improve.

For now, though, I am going to ice my bruised leg and continue on my stretching and rolling regimen - but take it to a new level.  I am also going to try to go in for a follow-up massage next week.  (See?  Desperate.  There goes my birthday money.)

I have to wonder if I will ever go in to get a nice, relaxing spa-type massage again. And, if I do, what will the therapist think when she or he sees me cringing on the table in anticipation of being hurt?

Happy Running!

What do you think of massage?  Just for relaxation or therapy?
Have you ever had a gait analysis done?  Was it worth it?

5 comments:

  1. I too have had deep tissue massage, and do feel like I've been beaten up afterwards. However, it helps so much that I can't imagine not getting them, or getting the soft kind (which I have never had).
    I hope you find relief!

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  2. I love massages! Of any kind, but I especially loved my last one. Called myofascial massage -- like stretching and massaging at the same time. And I just found a physical therapist who does it for an hour for the cost of a co-pay. That's $25 for an hour of awesome. I have to get a referral before I go to him (kind of weird because my insurance doesn't require it but the PT does) or would have been in there yesterday.

    I would love a gait analysis, but I haven't found a place that does it. I'm very curious to know how messed up it is!

    And I can't believe you are actually running up an actual alp. That is going to be the coolest thing ever in the history of everdom. Please get better, Shannon's ham/hip, because I want to read that race report!

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    1. Yes, the mountain run still boggles my mind, too. Sometimes you just sign up for things without really thinking them through, you know? Well, at least I do. :) Thanks for the injury well-wishes. I sure could use them! This thing is killing me. I wish I knew why my road to recovery was always so long..... not resting enough? Getting old? Not enough vitamins? :) Who knows.

      That massage for $25 sounds wonderful! We have a couple of cheaper options than where I go, but I am hesitant to try them. I have been going to the same lady for over a year now, and she is good. Plus, now that she knows me, she seems able to target problem areas pretty effectively. Hopefully, this will all shake out though.

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  3. I think a gait analysis would be really beneficial for you. Many Podiatry clinics offer gait analysis as part of a biomechanical assessment which will look closely at your gait and biomechanics.

    Best of luck for your adventure, it sounds amazing! Looking forward to the full report!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I am definitely going to get the gait analysis done. There is a person here who is a personal trainer/coach and certified ChiRunning instructor. I am going to sign up with her as a starting point. If that doesn't cut it, it would be back to my PT's office. They do gait analyses, too. Something has to click, right?

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