The 40th London Marathon was due to take place last Sunday 26 April. Sadly, due to the lockdown caused by the global pandemic, Covid-19, the streets of London remained empty and quiet from the patter of running feet. A calendar highlight for professional athletes, running enthusiasts and charity fund-raisers, the race has been postponed until Sunday, 4 October 2020. The Brighton Marathon Weekend due to take place on Sunday 19 April has also been postponed to September 2020.
Post-event massage work
I have never trained for or ran a marathon, however, for the past two years I have performed voluntary massage therapy work at both the London and Brighton marathons. Massage therapists work within a multi-disciplinary team for a nominated charity and get the opportunity to work with a variety of different athletes of all ages and abilities. It is an amazing day and I would urge any massage therapists to try post-event work at least once.
After the gruelling challenge of running 26.2 miles, the massage tent is often the first port of call for the exhausted but exhilarated athlete. As they receive a post-event massage, despite being shattered, most runners are keen to tell you about their experience and why they chose to run.
The enforced lockdown and closure of gyms and work-out classes has encouraged many people to take up running for the first time or others to dust off their old trainers and return to an activity that they once enjoyed but their busy lifestyles have restricted.
Injury prevention is key
For those taking up running for the first time, or after a long stint away, preventing running injuries is key especially during this lockdown when your trusted sports massage therapist is temporarily closed. Start by watching your mileage, you should aim to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 5-10%. It is important to include recovery days and to mix it up with walking or cycling. You should rotate regularly between 2-3 pairs of different running shoes. In this way, the impact and load are distributed throughout the lower body, reducing the risk of overuse injury.
Strength Training
Enforced lockdown provides a great opportunity to get some dreaded strength training in during your day. Weak muscles are more prone to injury and less resilient to the impact forces of running. For runners, single leg strength is key. Single leg exercises (where one foot stays on the floor) help the body prepare for the challenge of running from one foot to the other. Exercises such as single leg squats or single leg glute-bridges are great for this.
Warm up and cool down
If your muscles are tight or weak from staying indoors and lounging on the sofa, it is particularly important to warm up with a brisk walk or a gentle jog at a pain-free pace for 5 minutes before you start your run. This increases your circulation and helps prepare the muscles for the activity to come. When you have finished your run, end the activity with a 5 minute gentle walk or slow jog to allow your heart rate to slow down gradually.
Maintain flexibility
Mobility is key to a healthy body. You should aim to move effectively through a full range of motion. Even if you are having a recovery day and not running, dynamic stretches daily are great for strength, flexibility and stability. These can include leg swings, lunges and squats. Keep moving throughout the day. If you are working from home and are still sitting at a desk, remember to take regular breaks and stretch at your desk. You could place a tennis ball or bottle of water under your desk to roll out the soles of your feet whilst working.
Sports Massage
When One Massage Therapy, St Neots reopens it’s doors following the lockdown, regular sports massage therapy as part of your routine will help you stay loose and supple and support your training. Sports massage for runners helps relieve muscle tension, soreness and reduces adhesions between the muscles and fascia that left untreated can cause restrictions in muscle movement. Sports massage improves the flow of blood to your tissues bringing with it fresh oxygen and nutrients to feed those sore muscles.
Marathon training
For those who are starting out, good luck and maybe next year you’ll be at the starting line for the next London Marathon and I’ll see you after for your post-event massage in one of the charity massage tents.
