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.