My wife recently bought me a gift certificate for a massage from the guy who tends to the local cycling teams in my area. I have an Oly on Sunday and was thinking about getting the massage on Saturday morning. I don’t regularly get massages, but thought this might be a good idea to loosen me up before the race.
Any thoughts on whether it’s prudent to go ahead or will it do more harm than good?
That depends. Is he hot?
If it’s your first in a long while, then it needs to be a couple of days out, not the day before. If Saturday is your only time available then it needs to be very light. A worthwhile massage the day before a race is going to leave you feeling crappy. The toxins and other crap that get released need time to flush from your body.
Don’t do then. I would have at least two or three days in-between if you are not a regular. If the masseur goes deep, you will hurt.
I get regular massages and love them. However, I find that I feel very sluggish during any workout within 12 hours or so of the massage. Not sure why, but I have experienced it repeatedly. You might want to schedule the massage for Friday if possible.
Yea, no way you should do it the day before a race.
At least two days out MINIMUM! Also, make sure you emphasize that you are competing Sunday and inquire if a light “flush” would be beneficial. Many therapists have varying opinions on touch-some don’t believe in having soreness the next day, many do.
You may notice that once you hop off the table, your muscles ache and are sore-this is normal, more so if you don’t recieve regular massages. Drink plenty of water afterwards.
That depends. Is he hot?
EEWWWWW…