massage therapy

I never had a massage until my second year into tri. It was just one of those tips I read in a magazine and with the recommendation of my physio, I decided to try it at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic. I wish I could go back to that first massage - it was the most relaxing, awakening moments I ever experienced. I have to mention though, I think its important to see a therapist who specializes in athletes. I've had massages at other places but they're nowhere near as effective as at McGill. I thorougly recommend it for all of you, even if its not for injury prevention; sometimes its the one thing that'll calm my mind so I can get a restful sleep. Sometimes I'm so jittery from training, stress, life that I don't sleep well.

(If you need immediate recovery though: "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... Spring" by Ki-duk Kim was the most calming & beautiful movie I ever saw)

So, I had a massage on Friday and it loosened me up to the point that I had trouble spinning properly on the bike Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the massage+yoga on Saturday really threw off my body for the Sunday swim time trial. I felt like crap, my rotator cuff felt like it was going to rip and my left hamstring felt stringy. I coasted the first 1000m, then sped up a bit for the last 500. 26:40? gah. Note to self: no more massages before tests/big events. I did it the day before Ottawa<->Kingston and I felt like crap for the first 100km of the bike ride.

So that wraps up the weekend, and this morning I was supposed to do weights but I feel like mush. Either way, Mr.Aki is going for some shots to the vet this afternoon...