An Event-full Month

The last few weeks have been a blur of events! …Starting with the Swashbucker on the first weekend of June (always makes me think of pirates!)…  Apparently those taking part are the “less serious” triathlete, or so I was told by one of them on the day.  This comment was made after I’d noticed several particularly hairy legs, not usually associated with your average triathlon.  But anyway, hairy legs aside, we were pleasantly busy throughout the morning from approx 9:30 am, totting up eight post-event massage treatments each in about three hours.  It was a great, sunny day; we were shielded within the safety of the marquee/cake tent, offering tired competitors a cool, calm place to relax and eat!

Last weekend saw the mammoth double competition of the Boskman and the Forestman.  The Forestman is the big ironman event, dubbed the hardest ironman in the UK, with its off-roading and troublesome hills; the Boskman is the shorter version of the Forestman and this year competitors had to push through some tough winds throughout both events.  The Forestman kicked off at an extremely early 5:30 am, and the shorter event started an hour later.  Treatments started at 11:30 am for the first finishers.  A quick and busy morning of Boskman participants was followed by a welcomed break where I was able to have a hand, wrist and arm treatment from fellow SMT, Phil from Interactive Massage (much appreciated!), in preparation for the next lot of athletes.  The afternoon continued with a plethora of Forestman finishers until the close of play at 8:30 pm.  The Forestman winner bounded in at a whopping 22 minutes before his opponents, but on the day everyone did incredibly well – and no hairy legs here!

Across the day, we met a fantastic range of people – including a few familiar faces – from all over the country; many with plans to compete in more triathlon/ironman events in the upcoming weeks and throughout the year – best of luck to all of you!

If you are interested in taking part in triathlons in the New Forest, check out www.racenewforest.co.uk for information about short, middle and long distance events in the area.  If you would like more information about post-event massage for any sport, please feel free to contact me at lstherapyinfo@gmail.com where I’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Race information

Swashbuckler

Swim 1.9km, Cycle 80km, Run 22 km

Boskman

Swim 2.6km, Cycle 120km, Run 20km

Forestman

Swim 3.8km, Cycle 180 km, Run 42.2km

The Bucklers Sprint & Standard

Sunday 12^th August saw two events take place: The Primera Bucklers Sprint Triathlon (swim 750m, cycle 25km, run 5.5km) and The Primera Bucklers Standard Triathlon (swim 1500m, cycle 40km, run 10km).

Situated once again in Buckler’s Hard near Beaulieu in the New Forest; these events combined saw 300+ triathletes take part, many in need of some TLC after their races in the form of sports massage provided by myself and Hayley from ‘Fitness in the City’ based in Southampton.

On this occasion, we were lucky enough to be located near the finish line, where we were able to see lots of different things taking place.  It was great to experience athletes crossing the finish line, and to hear all the support from the crowd.  We got to meet and treat a variety of people from a huge range of ages, from early 20s to 60’s.  One man on my massage table had been to the London Olympics the night before (where he watched Mo Farah win his second gold medal in the 5000m) had three hours sleep, then took part in the standard triathlon; now that’s commitment! 

At the end of the events, it was wonderful to see the winners from each age category receive their much-fought-for trophies.  This is something we wouldn't normally get to see as we're usually set up elsewhere, so it was a real treat.  Overall, a really great day had by all; and now only one more event which will finish off the season next month.

The Swashbuckler!

Earlier this month, the Swashbuckler Triathlon took place at the beautiful setting of Buckler's Hard in the New Forest.  Along with fellow therapists, I went along to this middle distance triathlon to offer post-event massage and with over 300 competitors taking part, we were in for a fairly busy morning!

Having eventually arrived (following a bit of misdirection at a roundabout on my drive there) and set up in one of the marquees it was straight into giving treatments to the first finishers of the day.  The athletes had a very early morning start, kicking off with a "freezing" swim, which - I was told by several - was thankfully reduced to one lap in the Beaulieu River from the usual two.  A bit of sun warmed up the cycle and run, leading to a well deserved massage at the end of the race; although as always I'm surprised at how the triathletes look as though they've been for a light stroll rather than the X-number of miles they've just swam/cycled/ran.

With a great atmosphere and team spirit, we had a steady flow of athletes throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, with the final few looking just as fresh as the first.  Also aided by a self-sufficient queue we were able to fully concentrate on those important treatments, the majority of which asking for work on achey hamstrings, quads, calfs and IT-bands, with a few needing some relief for shoulders, necks and lower backs from those uncomfortable swimming and cycling positions.  Post-event massage consists of 15-20 minute treatments of light effleurage and petrissage, as the purpose of this type of massage is to aid with recovery by improving circulation and reducing muscle tension.  A couple of extra niggles here and there but luckily no major injuries or incidents on this occasion.

Impressively, many of the competitors were using the Swashbuckler as a 'warm up' to a future ironman or marathon all over the UK, Europe and even one in Brazil!  There were also several groups of triathletes taking part with friends and family, but still in a competitive capacity of course... After such a positive day, I can't wait to get to the next event, although I can't help but feel guilty about how exhausted I feel without even competing in the race!

Muscle of the Month: Vastas Lateralis

Origin: Lateral lip of linea aspera & Gluteal tuberosity
Insertion: Tibial tuberosity
Action: Extends knee

The largest of the quadriceps, the vastas lateralis is situated at the most lateral part of the four muscles, creating the sculpted contour of the outer thigh.  Although a large, dense mass of muscle, it's only action is knee extension.

Muscle of the Month: Rectus Femoris

Origin: Anterior Inferior Iliac Spine

Insertion: Tibial Tuberosity

Action: Extends knee & flexes hip

The rectus femoris is one of the four quadriceps muscles.  All the quadriceps extend the knee; the rectus femoris is the one only of the group that flexes the hip as, unlike the others, it originates from the pelvis.

It is situated at the front of the leg, in the middle of the thigh; and inserts into the patella tendon.

A Post for Posture

Posture may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you gets those aches, pains and niggles, but poor posture can have a huge effect when it comes to injury.  We all know that good posture makes us look and feel better (including looking thinner and taller!)....but in our modern society, most of us are slumped and hunched.


Poor posture can have a detrimental effect on the way you move your body, and as a consequence can leave you more susceptible to injury.  But massage can help to improve poor posture by realigning the body.  It releases tight muscles that have been overused and helps to 'normalise' the body's positioning.

We'll put up a post about 'Ideal Posture' soon, but in the meantime when you're sat at your desk, or driving your car, have a quick think about how you're sat and if you move around and vary your position throughout the day.  Having good body awareness is an important step to making the changes your body is aching for.

New Year, New You... New Injury??

Christmas has come and gone and the goose has gotten fat... and the New Year resolutions veer towards getting into shape, right Goose?

If you're starting out in a new fitness regime as part of your New Year's resolutions, it's best to build these things up gradually.  Yes, this may be the less exciting option, but will be more beneficial in the long run and you'll be able to keep up with your new regime longer to increase and improve your fitness levels.

Jumping into things hard and fast also mean you'll be more susceptible to injury; and injury means giving up before you can really begin.  To help avoid injury, sports massage can be a great accompaniment to your new or existing training as it can break down muscle tension caused by over-use and over-extension.

Other benefits of sports massage include, but are not limited to:

- Helping to speed up recovery time and enhance performance
- Increasing blood flow to soft tissues, reducing swelling and eliminating waste materials
- Breaking down scar tissue and helping to address muscular imbalances
- Improving posture and flexibility and restoring mobility
- Releasing muscle tension and encouraging relaxation and stress relief

Including sports massage into any fitness regime - whether new or established - can help you train harder and longer, and most importantly help to avoid injury.  It is an excellent rehabilitation tool and helps to keep the body in good working condition to keep those resolutions going all year long.