Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to pamper my body and feet by getting a sports massage. I've done this once before, but since I'd been a little achy lately, I decided to do it ASAP again.
As I blogged before, I've recently incorporated stretching and rolling into my running routine, so it made sense to get a massage.
I made an appointment for 9pm. I was a little nervous since I was scheduled to run a 20 miler the next morning. What if I was too sore? What if I'd be unable to run? Luckily, the soreness wouldn't end up settling in 'til about 24 hours later.
My massage began with a foot rub/massage. Despite having sensitive feet, it felt great. I won't lie, it was...kinda painful but not in a pain pain kinda way (if that makes sense).
What followed, was the most intense massage ever. There was quite a bit of moaning and grunting coming from that room. Several times I wondered if the room was sound-proof or what others in the building might think was going on. Yes, it was that loud.
Finally, the stretching began. I've been stretching for a while, but prior to that, stretching (before or after a run) was a foreign concept. The massage therapist said I lacked flexibility...as if I didn't already know this.
This morning I ran 20 miles, and I felt really good. As a matter of fact, I hadn't had as good of a run as I did this morning in a looooong time. In addition to tweeking my hydration/diet during my run, I am sure the stretch the night before had quite a bit to do with it.
As I write this, the soreness is slowly creeping in.
As I've aged, I've re-discovered stretching and taking better care of my body thru diet and stretching mainly. Besides, I ask a lot of my body...it's only right I pamper it.
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