Thoughts on running..

The London Marathon. An amazing event. I have run it twice 16 and 18 years ago, I have to work quite hard to remember a lot of what occurred in those years but the marathons are vividly clear. How I felt throughout training and all around the actual days is at my disposal any time I want to reflect. Etched in my memory.

The greatest gift I got after completing the first one was the absolute conviction that I could now go through my life and have a go at anything I set my mind to. Until that point I had managed to start and not finish many projects, schemes and plans. I had not considered the impact of giving up or what it represented.

Once I began training and started to raise sponsorship I knew I had a responsibility and that quitting was not an option. At last I was taking a 'project' and myself seriously. And I could have quit many many times!

As I crossed the finish line I realised it was not just about running, my mind had got me round the long miles. My legs followed. That was when I realised I was way more capable than I had ever given myself credit for.

That is the gift an endurance event can bestow. Challenges that push limits and test will. If the training has been done then the body should respond, it is all down to the mind and dealing with the tricks it can play. 

Today many marathon runners will have questioned their very knowledge of themselves, their sanity and reason. They will answer those questions and develop a new self awareness. This ridiculous event and test of ability offers a reward not matched easily. The crowds, support and comradeship is a collective energy that connects all the 30 odd thousand runners and all those involved with them.

For a brief time the runner is special, earning a respect from strangers who are genuinely pleased for them for what they have achieved.

Amazing.

When I participated I was a housewife, I was looking for some kind of challenge that would give me some meaning outside motherhood. I was lucky enough to have plenty of time for training at reasonable hours of the day.

Many participants work the full time 12 hour day and motivate themselves to train at hideous times of the day. That is the marathon. Training in all weathers through the long winter with limited time. Sore tired legs stuck statically under a desk all day longing for a stretch!

Running can be an addiction. Any level. When people commit to training for a goal with limited time then one realises just how much is gained from running, how valuable it must be if it occupies valuable diary time.

Or no goal, running still offers escape, fitness, strength and space. Time to oneself to clear the head, think something through or just to 'be'.

I got addicted to the time and space. I decided to run a marathon to have an excuse to run more! 

I completed The Yeovil Half Marathon 3 weeks ago and still love my running time. I may never do another full marathon now that triathlon has entered my life but running will always be a great love. As long as my knees hold out, great massage helps me recover and time permits I will be eternally grateful to my trainers for their support!

Well done everyone today. I have 3 runners I hope I can help to recover with time spent on my couch tomorrow. Awesome.

Pre and post race preparation.

Today I ran theYeovil Half Marathon, it is the first half I have run in 3 years, my usual distance is10K so I have worked quite hard to get my mileage up.

I have really enjoyed the training and have had some regular massage along the way, monthly by my usual therapist. I have a hamstring niggle that has hung around and rears it's ugly head now and then. My therapist keeps on top of it.

However, a few weeks ago my guy had to go off air so I had to muddle on without treatment. I realised last week that my legs really needed some work. I had a few good training sessions and got ready to 'taper' wind down before the race, I managed to get an appointment 2 days ago.

The massage was excellent, my legs felt light, loose, flexible and ready to run. The timing was perfect. If anyone is in a position to, even just this one pre race treatment would be enough to alter performance on the day.

For me it was running 5 minutes quicker than I had hoped for! I am thrilled. 

The Olympic cycling team talk about a 1% extra they give to their training schedule that gives them the edge, for them it is things like training on Christmas day as well as excellent support care.

My 1% today was the treatment I got on Friday. Without question.

If we are going to motivate ourselves to achieve a goal surely recovery massage makes sense, the prevention or cure argument again. My hamstring felt good today, what can be a background distraction did not dominate my run, my mind could be put to focusing on the end goal.

After finishing I got a 10 minute leg rub from the volunteers on site at the race, whilst these therapists cannot deal with anyones serious issues they can promote recovery and healing and right now 12 hours on, my legs feel pretty ok!

All in all a very good day, I k=have done the training so got the result but definitely not without help!

Giving up..

My five year old has just moved up a swimming group, this is to be celebrated as her swimming is progressing really well. Little Miss was the strongest swimmer in her previous group, confident and happy.

I sew the new badge to her kit towel, the certificate is with the others, all is good.

Two weeks into the new group she doesn't want to do it anymore! 

Little Miss is now the weakest in her group, it is a struggle, there is a much greater effort needed, expectation has changed, the demand is great. Give up..

No! This is where I am very mean as a Mother because I will not let her stop, we have been here with each group change, it is difficult, there has to be a learning period that is a struggle before it becomes second nature, if all things were easy then how would we feel the achievement?

I had a run today that was a little slower than I would have liked, I was tired, I could have passed but I still went and after was glad, a run is better than no run!

Training for an event always throws up some doubt, why am I doing this? I am tired and want a rest day, I am fed up with horrid weather, I don't have the time etc etc If we did not have these hurdles then the end result of completing the event wouldn't seem so satisfying. Training the physical is one part, training the mental is quite another. 

It is always easier not to. We can talk ourselves out of anything, talking ourselves into is a mountain at times. 

If all the training has been ticked off then on a race day the mind is what gets the job done. The 'I can' mentality crosses the line.

I spent years starting things and not finishing them until I completed my first Marathon, it had a profound effect on me, I realised I really could motivate myself, alone, just me, and achieve. I honestly felt I could do anything I set my mind to, that race and all the training was so epic, I had never done anything like that before and it changed my life. 

I was not 'sporty' at school, I forgot kit, couldn't be bothered, was un-enthusiastic, grumpy and generally a pain of a student. I wish someone had bothered with me, pushed me harder, encouraged me to find the activity that fitted. I now know that could have been running or swimming, it would have changed my adolescents for the better.

We don't have to be 'sporty' but it is good to have a go...keep trying...practice...persevere.

I will keep encouraging my 5 year old, after all she is in a group with 7 and 8 year olds, she is doing great and needs to be reminded of that, there is no hurry, she will be glad she persevered and she does love swimming. Her achievement will be all the greater when she feels herself improve as I know she will, hopefully there will be some pride and her version of character building. When difficult tasks come her way she may just stop and think, I can.

The four stages of competence...Unconscious incompetence, there is no understanding of how to do something and no idea of the deficit or what the point is. Recognising the value and owning the incompetence means moving onto Conscious incompetence, recognition of not knowing and the value of knowing, the strength of the desire to learn will determine how long this stage lasts before Conscious competence the learning has taken place but concentrated thought has to be applied to the new skill, lots of practice then progresses to Unconscious competence, the skill has become second nature! 

Come on think back, driving! So obvious, do you remember how hard that was to learn? I certainly think that sitting beside each of my 17 years olds as they were learning was one of the toughest and most frightening roles I have ever had as a parent!  Now I always want either of them to drive..

The clocks change in two weeks, the days are getting longer, the weather warmer, time to motivate, get 'it' done, just generally decide "I can" and feel good about whatever that might be. 

As far as the 5 year old is concerned...after all my coaxing, encouragement, support, praise and organising if there are still some reservations then...there is always bribery...

To run or not to run?

I wrote about prevention or cure last, this topic continues to some respect today as I think about two runners I have encountered in the last two days who have overuse issues.

Both are ladies who are training for marathons, one London, one a Dorset local.

The London runner called me in distress because she had a foot pain that had meant she pulled up short at 12 miles from the Bath half marathon on Sunday. No! This really is a runner's worst nightmare, injury is bad enough but to pull out of a race is heartbreaking. Worse still when it is actually a training run for a bigger prize.

I saw her yesterday,Monday, the pain was easier but the foot was slightly swollen. After some discussion it became clear that this lady runner had put in a fair few miles over the last three months, worked on her feet extremely long hours and was exhausted. I decided to give her lower back and legs some thorough massage to promote some recovery and bring some life back in to her legs.

The treatment was very un comfortable, painful and a bit miserable for the runner, her legs were over due. 

I found so many niggles and issues in the muscles that it became clear to me that her foot was a referred pain from her calf, I am hoping I am right and that in the next few days this lady can resume her training programme. When she arrived there was talk of taking two weeks off! At this point in training for The London Marathon you do not take two weeks off without seriously considering your chances of continuing or reviewing predicted outcomes.

I could not believe that this lady had got to this place. this is an existing customer! She knows the benefits of massage but had over looked including it in her training schedule. I know not everyone has the time or money to give to massage or any other relevant treatment but actually half sessions, with me at £25, can be extremely effective and affordable. How quickly can most of us fritter a £20 note? This is about achieving an ambition, a goal, receiving sponsorship and ticking off a bucket list for some. Why would we sabotage ourselves for the sake of one or two treatments along the way?

I have had many marathon runners over the years and all have fed back that their training has been more manageable, their recovery quicker and their end time better than expected through the use of massage during their training.

Next, the local Dorset marathon runner, I ran with today, we did a 'hills' interval session, 8 miles around some tough Dorset countryside. This lady talked about some problems she was experiencing, pains in her quadriceps that she can run off, pulling in her hamstrings "do you think that is a problem?" my alarm bells start to ring and we are doing some treatment later today. Get it sorted before it becomes something distressing like the above. Great! 

Fair to say that Dorset runner lady had me beside her nagging so I think I left her no choice!

However this lady has also been having some negative attitude issues, putting herself down if her performance is not what she thinks it should have been, comparing herself to previous run times etc. I pointed out that actually some treatment will revive her legs, give her some spring in her step and re boot her training. When our legs or body in general feels heavy so does our mood, fact.

Dancing is a classic example here, we wake up our body, we feel alive and kicking.

The most important thing for any runner or committed exerciser is to keep going. Quite often it is also the rest of our live's that cause problems. Even though London Marathon lady was tired from her busy job at least she is on her feet all day, this is actually better for her legs than sitting behind a desk all day, sorry to you office workers, I don't know how you do it.

My point is always the same, my message is a continuing one, get some massage, give yourself a chance to feel better, achieve the the things that matter, manage the life you have, get through the day!!!

Run!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prevention or cure?

I have seen a string of new people lately who have come with specific issues that have plagued them for a while and have become life distracting. I have a 3 treatment rule with myself, if I cannot get on top of a problem or have made significant change in 3 treatments then I must refer. 

Usually 1 session can do the trick but it is fair to say that if an issue has built up over a period of time then it can take a period of time to remove! So, I work the work, it can be truly amazing what some deep targeted massage can achieve. People leave feeling a sense of freedom from the problem that they had thought was not possible, we talk about why issues arise and how crazy it is that we are a nation of 'putter up withs' and soldier on. Why do we leave it so long? Inevitably the massage is far ,more uncomfortable than it needs to be.

A 2nd/3rd session is needed when it becomes clear that the presenting issue is actually the referred pain and others issues surface once a layer has been peeled away. I think of it as a 'mother child syndrome' the mother is sick so the child cries.

What is obvious here is that whoever I am treating has 'put up with' niggles and pain for a really long time, then come along looking for a cure.

Now is it not true that the better we look after something the longer it lasts?

I think about a great pair of shoes, maybe I am showing my age in this disposable consumer society we are in but once upon a time, polishing, re healing and caring for a fab pair of shoes meant they lasted well, got more and more comfortable and hard to part with. I have boots that I bought over 10 years ago, irreplaceable!

So that brings me to prevention..it may seem a strange notion, "I feel fine, why do I want a massage?" because it keeps you feeling fine. Massage can promote recovery from life's day to day wear and tear, strain and toil. There is always a price to pay for whatever we do, when we are feeling good is the time to take the best care.

I always think that when I congratulate myself on how well something is going it inevitably goes wrong! We should nurture and persevere in 'good times' conserve and respect, maintenance programmes allow for steady progress on whatever path we follow. 

We brush our teeth twice a day to preserve their longevity, we wash/shave/cut/colour our hair, use products to promote/enhance our physical self, how far do I need to go with this??

I get a massage every 4 weeks, for me it is necessity, my job is physical, my hobbies are physical, I am a 'do-er' the idea of injury fills me with dread, I will do what I can to prevent. 

For some a massage once a year is enough and absolutely can be, there is no fixed rule apart from the one that states I MATTER! 

So, there are therapists for most ailments, cures are out there and thank goodness, if needing one leads to the revelation that prevention is the way to go then that is great and often is what it takes for the light to switch on.

If you are reading this and don't have a need for a cure and you feel pretty ok then BOOK A MASSAGE!!!!

The wonder of a new client..

It is always a wonder to me when a new client comes along, more often than not they have come my way as a recommendation, sometimes as a last resort, a little skeptical but usually ready to try anything once!

I am often asked 'who' comes for treatment, generally someone who has an issue somewhere. We talk about the issue, I explain my plan of action which usually involves some general treatment along with 'issue specific' then we begin...about 15 minutes in the list of other ailments begins to unfold, an old sprain, a neck crick, a pull, an old sporting injury, etc etc..

This is the wonder...once we begin treatment it dawns on any new client that they do not have to put up with feeling as stiff, sore, tense, achy or old (!) as they have been. Good deep tissue massage is so wonderfully relieving. "Everything you touch seems to hurt" "I had no idea I felt so stiff" "I wish I had come sooner" "How often do you think I should come along"

I love it! Always the same questions because good massage is great. 

I was laughing with someone the other day because it took him 17 minutes to say "no pain no gain I suppose" and I am going to admit I play a little game with myself with a new person to see how long it takes for them to say it! Everyone always does!

You know when you have read an amazing book or seen a great film that leaves you feeling a little altered for a while after? Don't you then envy a friend who is about to experience that same book/film, you know how they will feel. Well I envy every new person to my massage couch, I just know how they are going to feel. Sometimes I have a client who has never actually had a massage of any kind ever before...this is a huge responsibility, if I get it right they will make massage a part of their life always, if I get it wrong..What a privilege for me, I never under value the opportunity.

It is fair to say that some people don't come back, maybe my skills are not for everyone but funnily enough, even some of those who are not that keen still come again because they recognise the necessity of the benefits they get. I have one lady who comes along about 4 times a year, she says she doesn't really look forward to it but knows how much it helps so she grins and bears!

Anyway, I am a lucky lady, I still meet plenty of new people and have the opportunity to spread the word, I may be thinking about my retirement in the next year or so but before I go I want to encourage as many people as possible to improve their health, well being, flexibility, energy levels and take care of the greatest gift we have, our awesome body.

So, any new clients who may be reading this, book a massage!! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. (With maybe a little pain!)

R.I.C.E

I was with a client recently who is 7 weeks into the recovery of a very severe torn hamstring. The accident happened whilst he was riding , he fell and landed HARD through his leg, jarring it violently as he tried to stay balanced. With adrenalin pulsing through his body and a group of fellow riders to keep up with he climbed back up and finished the morning. He knew he had done some damage but carried on with his day, going out to dinner in the evening. After a glass of wine he felt very odd and realised he was in 'shock'. The next day again he had family comittments etc, I saw him in the evening and was quite alarmed by the blackness of the bruising/level of swelling, we did very gentle flushing strokes, the leg looked pretty bad. It was at this point after talking I realised that he had not made time to even apply ice to the area.

The first 24 hours after a new injury the best route to follow is what we call RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. As soon as the injury has happened Rest. The body is amazing and wants to start to heal you, no matter how 'ok' you think you feel, stop. Apply Ice as quickly as you can to the local damaged area, for 10 minutes  to reduce tissue swelling, the surrounding area needs to stay warm to carry away fluid. Ice then needs to be reapplied every 2 hours. Compression is not always an easy thing to apply if you do not have stretchy bandages or the injured area is hard to reach so in this case just try to be still, keep movement to a minimum, if it is a leg or arm and a bandage is handy then as long as it is not too tight then put it on for support. Elevation is just that, feet up, arm up, sit up, basically you want swelling to reduce so where possible elevate above hip height.

If these simple steps can be followed for 24-48 hours then the continuing recovery will be greatly improved and further damage minimal.

My poor chap had so much life to attend to that his leg doubled in size, he had badly torn muscle tissue which would have worsened by continuing to ride and not administering any real recovery methods for about three days. Thankfully he is now almost there with the injury but it has taken probably 3 weeks longer than it needed to, frightened him and his family and taught him a valuable/hard lesson in pride. Luckily he is very fit and has followed all advice to the letter since and will be back to all his activities soon.

Injuries are horrid, no one can predict an accident but good recovery massage can be a great preventative measure if part of a training programme. We plan our lives and expect to be able to do all things on the list, don't ignore niggles, they are warnings!

When I worked at The London Wasps Rugby Club one of the players once said "real men get injured." The person you are after recovery from a 'stopping' injury is usually a little wiser and more respectful of the gift that is our amazing body.

And so it begins.......

It has been said that I am a talker! I generally have something to say about everything, I try to tell my children that there are times in life when one does not have to have a view/opinion or anything to say, that one can say volumes with no words but I do not always practice what I preach..so this is my blog if you like, I will post updates regarding massage/training/food/general musings, your company will be welcome..

Saturday 24th January.  Today is a rest day. I have run, ridden and swum in spite of it being so cold this past week. Yesterday's run was more of an ice skate, I added 5 minutes to my usual time for a usual run BUT still better than no run..I shortened my bike rides by half, so many layers of clothing and I still had cold finger tips. Swimming is fine once you are there because the building is warm, it is just the idea of de-robing and being wet that I always struggle with. However, I am always glad I have been!

A point I now want to make is the ridiculous issue of giving myself permission to do what I can when I can instead of pushing myself to limits to reach goals that are always in place but life messes with. For example, the weather, sick children, more work etc etc.

I had a client talking to me about the fact that he had not been to a yoga class for a while, he felt slightly less flexible and thinks he should get back to it soon but has played other racket sports along with some exciting work changes so he cannot find the time slot. He seemed to be feeling guilty! 

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Are we not all doing the best we can with the tools we have? 

I am a believer in physical activity but it doesn't have to be a '10am every wednesday morning' situation, it can be any movement, the above chap is happy, busy and having a great (!) massage so he is doing lots for himself, yoga is there waiting when he is ready. 

We move in cycles, things we fill our lives with for one period may not figure in the next. That is ok! 

I did 6 triathlons last year, raised funds for my daughter's school swimming pool, I was competitive, mastered open water for the first time, placed well, even won my age group at Olympic distance but I may not enter any this year, I may give myself permission to apply my energy elsewhere...

At least I am giving myself until the end of January to decide! Now, what is on the tv tonight?