Massages, just for the pros?

[redrhodie]

Every day during the tour de France, it's mentioned that after the stage, the riders get a massage. It sounds to me like this is the big perk to the job, and the one that would make me consider a career as a grand tour rider.

Well, since no one is ever going to pay me to get a massage, I haven't had one in a couple of years. How about you?

[Biciclista]

i got one after i did the Seattle to Portland ride. I think it helped. (I was so wasted by then...but i do remember how good it felt. I picked a big strong male masseuse.)

I recommend them.

[Eden]

I found a place that has students - $30 for an hours worth of massage (and they are students of oriental medicine, not massage students, they are quite knowledgeable about more than just massage) I tend to get a massage every few weeks during the racing season.

[Running Mommy]

when I'm Ironman training I go to an ART guy. With the huge loads I'm putting on my body I need the ART massage to loosen things up.
ART massages HURT when you are having them done, but I feel SOO much better after it's done!
I believe what I have done is much different than the tour riders. I'm sure theirs are to flush out the lactic acid.
And ART is not something you'd have done daily.

[papaver]

I've got a degree, so after we go for a ride, I have to work.

[OakLeaf]

Not as often as I should. But IMO it's like good nutrition, it's one of those things that are expensive but really important for good health.

[witeowl]

Oh, my, massages are great on so many levels! I get one every two months because that's all I can afford. In between, I use a foam roller as really cheap self-massage (SMR).

[limewave]

I always schedule a massage after a big event (marathon or AR). They are so beneficial. Sometimes even after smaller events I'll schedule a doctor's appt to get "rolled" out. They use the rolling pin thingy on my thighs, calfs, and bum—I can't believe the difference it makes.

I have one scheduled for next week to help with my "detox" I'm doing right now.

They are pricey though . . .

[TrekTheKaty]

I started because of my lower back pain. It took me several massages while on vacation in Breck, CO to perfect it--a 30 minute massage on legs and hips leaves my back feeling loose and happy! Schools are also an excellent way to go. I also use the foam roller.

[colby]

During the peak of training for an Ironman, I will have them once a week. In recovery, I go in 2 days after and then again 1 week after. Otherwise, as needed, but like running mommy they are not "relaxation" massages. The last time I had a relaxation massage they told me to go see the not-relaxation-massage-guy because the problems I had were too specific to being active and what he did was perfect for that. It really is - but sometimes it seems to take 48 hours before you see the whole benefit (immediately after feels "weird" but more mobile, within a couple hours it feels like your muscles are "repairing", then around 24 hours things feel good, but the ultimate is 48 hours).

The tour guys are probably getting massages to keep the blood flowing and get rid of lactic acid. I don't know how "relaxing" they are for them either - though I imagine sometimes just having that 30 minutes away from everything dedicated to recovery is really nice.

[redrhodie]

Well, I'm obviously long overdue. I'll see what I can do about that.

[pfunk12]

When I was running and competing regularly, I got a massage every 2 weeks. My massage therapist was amazing. She did deep tissue massage and although it hurt (because I had so many knots and junk in my muscles), I felt fantastic the next day. At the time, I was also seeing a chiropractor and physical therapist on a regular basis. The nice thing about my massage therapist was that when I was dealing with different issues (hamstring, piriformis, glute issues, etc.), she would always do research to find out what she thought would work best for me. Each massage was never the same. I think the massages helped my training and racing quite a bit. Since I'm no longer racing and cycling is kinder to my body, I use a foam roller and a Goose Bumps massage ball.

[TrekTheKaty]

Yep, I get deep sports massages. My GF falls asleep--I just try not to yelp! I tell the masseuse, "It should hurt--I do yoga twice a day--I need you to go deeper! I'll tell you when to stop." I'd love to go monthly, but frequently let it slide.

[kjay]

Every week for me :-)

[redrhodie]

Mission accomplished.