Maximizing Your Marathon Massages: Deep Tissue For Big Recovery
Whether you're preparing for your first or your twentieth marathon, surviving the training is likely to be more difficult than the actual race itself. To get the most out of each workout, you must maximize your recovery efforts.
Deep tissue massage can help repair your damaged muscle more quickly, which will keep you running all the way up to and through your big race day.
Supercompensation
Training for a marathon is all about teaching your body to adapt. Think about your body the way that you might think about a student learning a new skill. At first, the student is likely to be overwhelmed and not fully understand how to apply the knowledge and skills they learn.
However, over time, that student will adjust to the learning environment and begin to utilize the knowledge and skills they learn. When you train for a marathon, your body does the same thing. However, as your muscles and cardiovascular system adjust to your training you will begin to run longer and faster with the same effort.
- 17-21 Days: it takes the body about 21 days to adjust to any consistently applied stimulus. Within this 21 day cycle, your fatigue is likely to peak between days 17 and 21, which represents the nadir of your body's adjustment process. Thus, scheduling a deep tissue massage to coincide with this low point can give your tired muscles the replenishment they need to turn the corner in the recovery process. When you receive a deep tissue massage during this critical window, it's important to have your massage therapist focus on your larger muscle groups (calves, quads, lower back, and glutes). By focusing on these bigger muscles, your massage therapist can help you get the most bang for your massage buck.
Active Recovery
A deep tissue massage shouldn't be a relaxing experience. Your massage therapist is breaking apart scar tissue and other legions deep in your muscles, which can be uncomfortable. When you finish a deep tissue session you'll likely want to take a nap and call it a day. However, engaging in active recovery can help you circulate oxygen to these sore muscles to help optimize your deep tissue session. This active recovery can come in the form of an easy run, light cross-training session, or even a vigorous walk. You do not want to just sit on your couch though, even though you're likely to want to.
