That was 90 minutes of pain, and I loved every single one of them. Even though she tried to be as gentle as she could while remaining effective, I was tight enough post-marathon to need some pretty serious work. My quads are still sore, and I still have some tightness in my chest and my left hamstring/calf, but I think that I can stretch those out myself. I do feel ever so much better. For those massage skeptics out there, give it a try after your next long race. Its worth every penny.

Two interesting things came out of today’s session. First, she recommended that I see a chiropractor again since my hips are a little uneven, and the massage isn’t enough to get them straightened out. My shoulders were off as well after the race, but she could relax those muscles and even them out; my hips are in a different category. Second, she said that I must be pronating somewhat, based on my tightness patterns. I’m going to try to see a real expert at RunTex before doing any other long runs (over 10 miles) and get the full story on my feet. If my shoes aren’t supportive enough then I’ll change, even though I’ve got two pairs of the Triumphs with only about 150 miles combined on them.

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