Today is the last day I would schedule a thorough sports massage. Beyond this, it is a little bit too close to the race for anything but the lightest of going-overs, as anything deeper might leave you feeling sore, or lacking in energy. Ideally, use a therapist that you’ve used before, who will be the most familiar with your own particular tightnesses and hot spots. But if you do end up booking one at the VLM Expo, you can rest assured they know only too well not to go in too deep, with the race a matter of days away!
I like the psychological boost of a final tine-up in race week - and in fact, some sceptics argue that the benefits are more psychological than physical. For example, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that having a massage in between fights led boxers to feel they’d recovered more, while physiological testing in the second bout didn’t support this.
In its defence, massage is a difficult topic to research fairly, given that you can’t really administer a placebo or account for differences in the skill and techniques of the practitioners - and anyway, there is some good evidence to support the physical effects. For example, one study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, used massage on only one leg of study subjects and no treatment on the other leg, and found that massaged legs gained four degrees of flexibility and 13 per cent strength. Meanwhile, research in the Journal of Athletic Training noted a 30 per cent reduction in post-exercise muscle soreness while a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported decreased fatigue.
It’s certainly something that I have always incorporated into my marathon build-up, with a final treatment a few days before the race. So enjoy… well, sort of!
Tomorrow: Start carbo loading. How and why.