There are 54 days left until the London Marathon. Are you taking part or know someone who is? How are you feeling? Do you feel ready and on top of your training schedule?
I’ve seen a lot of clients at my home clinic who have taken part in the London Marathon. I’d say the current theme (yes, I nearly said 'running' theme…) I’m getting from them is a little panic and that the majority of my clients are overdoing it. They're turning up for treatment feeling anxious, worried they're not doing it right and predominantly most feel exhausted or dead legged (yup, it's a word). There’s quite a few half marathons taking place at the moment and taking part in these on top of an existing training schedule can be a bit overwhelming. So, if you feel the same don’t feel alone!
Ideally during your marathon training I’d recommend starting with soft tissue/sports massage therapy at least every other week for the first 4-6 weeks of training, then increasing to once per week during the peak of training.
When you’re drafting or maybe now re-writing your training plan include when you will have a massage treatment. Make sure you include a 24 hour recovery period post massage treatment and include this as a full rest day. And when I say 'rest' day I mean rest - no exercise, no 'bit of yoga' just take the day off. Have a hot bath, stretch a little & watch a nice film instead.
Don’t forget to add a post marathon treatment session as you’ll definitely need it and more importantly you will deserve it! Give yourself at least 24-48 hours after the race before you come in to see me.
If you’ve never had a massage before make sure you avoid getting one too near the time of the marathon. Your body won’t be used to it and it could affect your performance. With 54 days left you’ve still got some time to get some massages booked in
Virgin Money London Marathon supports using sports massage to boost your training. They say on their website, ‘Massage has a number of benefits for body and mind. It can prevent injury, help repair injured muscle tissue, boost your performance and help keep you in all round good condition.’
If you are in any doubt about your training, confused or just need support do please get in touch. There is no such thing as a stupid question at BodyTherapy.