First Massage!

Rest Day
Race Countdown: 87 days

The organization I work for is having our big annual Forecast Conference this week, which means long work days and no time for blogging. BUT I had to come write about my first massage experience this morning.

My back, especially lower back, has been a chronic source of pain for a while. It's probably due to a combination of my work in front of computers, my office chair, posture, etc., and the stiffness is always exacerbated when I start running more. I finally gave in and schedule an appointment with Daniel, a massage therapist that works in the Bally's near my office. He uses a combination of different techniques, including deep tissue, sports, swedish, and thai massages (for that last one, he climbs onto your back!).

I scheduled an 60-minute appointment for 7am, two hours before I have to be at work, and ended up staying there until 9:30am! This guy was great. He started out by standing me in front of a mirror and examining my posture, pointing out my strengths, and giving tips to straighten my neck and spine. The actual massage worked every--and I mean every--part of my body. Daniel is definitely not a therapist for someone who feels self-conscious or values their personal space, but he is amazing at stretching out the body. He pinpointed all the tight spots on my back and neck immediately and could tell right away that I lean harder on my left leg when I run. Toward the end of the session, he had me lay on my back and focused on stretching my right leg to help relieve some of the pressure on my lower back. What great exercises! I will definitely have to do more of those, though it makes such a difference to have someone else pushing on your leg than doing it yourself.

Not only did my 60-minute appointment turn into a 2+ hour massage, but he even offered me a discount on the original price and didn't charge for the extra hour! I will be drinking lots of water the rest of the day and my muscles will probably feel a little sore. But I'm hoping that this will really help with my running. Massages are my new favorite cross-training activity :)