LA Marathon Tip #3 Bodywork and Its Benefits Before and After Your Marathon

I firmly believe in bodywork. I am seeing my bodywork mentor Lenny Parracino every week now before the Catalina Marathon. As Lenny says, “Soft tissue work is like dental flossing for your muscles and all other connective tissue.” You wouldn’t skip dental flossing, so as an endurance athlete, and the amount of time you put in training, your soft tissues to get worked. Why wouldn’t you get bodywork. Well, I know some of your answers; it is expensive or I don’t have the time. Well, Lance Armstrong gets bodywork after almost every workout when he is in serious training mode or racing.

Pre-Race – A nice relaxing Swedish, without too much deep tissue work is great. Thursday or Friday are prime days for this. If you have one scheduled Saturday make it very relaxing, a painful massage may do more harm than good. I also get a pedicure race week. I gotta show my tootsies some love. That sounds like something good to do on a Saturday.

Race-Day – A quick stimulating massage is perfect. These are only a few minutes long to stimulate the blood flow to the muscles and other soft tissues you’ll be using during the race. It also loosens you up. I’ll be out there and if you ask me, depending on how much time is available, I’ll work on you for free! Call it Karma.

Post-Race – I have read different opinions on when after your race you should get a massage. Well I won’t have my table with me, so if you can manage the lines they offer massages at the finish line. An easy 20-minute session is great. If they’ll work on your feet too (they can get kinda gross after 26.2 miles), better for you.

Sometime over the next week, while you are recovering, a thorough full body massage is a great idea. I’ve been training in very specialized sports massage techniques this January and I’ll offer a special post race 1-hour massage for the price of $50 Email Steve for an appointment if you come to me, in Pasadena. Whether you see me or someone else, treat yourself, you deserve it.

Train Focused, Steve Mackel, Certified Massage Therapist

March 1, 2007 | Filed Under Steve's Posts 

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