Massage and the Marathoner

Aspiring marathoners beware. Runners begin training for the marathon one year before the race, cumulatively running between 20 to 30 miles per week.

Training sessions include weightlifting, stretching, chiropractic, acupuncture and massage. Running alone is not enough preparation for marathons. Weightlifting builds muscular strength. Stretching elongates the muscle fibers to prevent cramping and lactic acid buildup. Chiropractic eliminates nerve interference. Acupuncture balances energy. Massage prevents injuries, restores fatigued muscles and shortens recovery time.

Marathon running means total movement involving timing and synchronization. Muscle tightening affects all muscle groups, resulting in loss of power and coordination. The power of a runner is a synchronized wave of smaller motions in different muscle groups. Each muscle feeds upon and magnifies the force and motion generated by the preceding muscle groups, thereby empowering individual movement.

Marathoners advocate massage therapy for training sessions as well as before and after the races. Pre-event massages are two days before and up to 2 hours before a race - with the purpose of loosening, warming and readying the muscles for intensive use. Post-event massages are immediately after a race and up to 24 hours after the race.

Runners utilizing all of the above health professionals, including a healthy nutritional diet, will have conditioned their bodies for a safe, peak-performance marathon.