Massage

Now that I’m back on-line I updated the Double Cross post (dated November 13) to add photos from the events. Check it out.

As masters level athletes (for those of you snickering, okay – “mature,” “arthritic,” “past our prime” . . . you get the picture . . . ) Phil and I have found that recovering from hard efforts takes longer than it used to.

When we’re too worn out to give our best effort we have found that failing to allow ourselves adequate recovery time is far more damaging to our training progress than missing a workout. But like many recreational athletes, we hesitate to rest, certain that the workout we skipped is the one we absolutely needed to ensure our ultimate success.

Given that we take over 9 months to train for Leadville, that is a pretty silly notion, but one we battle nonetheless.

So while we struggle to find the balance between proper periodized training and recovery, we have become firm believers in the rejuvenating properties of massage. Most athletes who can afford regular massages swear by them.

The one caution I have for you is that you should allow at least 3 days between having deep muscle work done and any event in which you hope for a good result. The deep tissue work helps to move lactic acid out of the muscles, but it leaves you with legs of lead the next day. If you do plan to have a massage the day before an event, be sure to speak with your massage therapist about keeping the pressure light and focusing on relaxation.