Muscle Soreness and Massage

I have been sore, for weeks now. It’s odd, I go through periods of not being sore for a long time, then all of a sudden I feel like I am hit by a Mack truck for days on end. I can usually count on being sore when my training changes, sometimes it lasts and sometimes it doesn’t. This time it’s been a while.

Typically when I start a new program, I am sore the first few days after a new exercise, grip, or foot stance. It doesn’t take a huge change to make my body respond. I can tell the difference between muscle soreness and an injury, although I try to ignore it, or just brush it off, I know the difference, when I try to “convince” myself that I am only sore, I know it might be more.

I have been cursed with a couple of issues since June, my left hamstring, left glute and both hip flexors.  You have read all about it over and over, I won’t go on about it. In the last two weeks I have now just decided that my hamstring is fully healed. I started up training again with my regular weights long before that though, and I could tell after every workout that I still wasn’t…quite….right. 

But I kept going. Might have been a bad idea, might not have been. The soreness was more of a pain, and when it’s not evenly distributed, that is worrisome. But now;  now I can tell the hamstring is fine. The only soreness is a muscle soreness that both hamstrings feel, it’s not pain, and it’s done, a part of my past like so many other things I will allow to slip from my memory bank.

The last couple weeks my upper body has been crying, but it’s not the soreness of an injury, it’s muscle soreness. I seem to keep training so hard that I don’t ever give my body enough time to recover. My delts are tremendously sore due to the slight changes in foot position and tension that Roy has made.

He has me standing with my feet four feet from a pole, I am leaning in and doing a side lat raise. Now you have probably only seen people do this leaning out, but we are doing it like this to recruit the delts differently. No one will dare say anything to me such as suggesting that I am doing it wrong- one look at my arms and they shut up and start taking notes.  It’s obvious something I am doing is working. Even my son saw me recently and said “My god mother! Your arms are huge!”

I am training my Back hard and heavy as usual, super heavy and only once a week; my lats have been screaming for weeks. I have had trouble sleeping because it’s all so sore. My arms cannot find a comfortable position as I try to lay there, I move and toss and turn. Laying flat on my back seems to offer the most relief, but not how I like to sleep; I just lay there, wondering when the soreness will subside.

Dressing and undressing have been a challenge, a couple times I came home and was alone, all I wanted to do was to take my shirt off, so I crossed my arms at my hips (right hand to the lower part of left hem of shirt, and left arm to the right hem), I couldn’t lift and uncross them to take my shirt off. I just crumpled in frustration and slumped to the ground.  Just….want….it….off…. I want to cry but I really don’t have tears, it’s more frustration than anything. I pick myself up and get the shirt off. Luckily I have no hips, so I can pull my bra top down past my hips and butt, and off, I just step out of it, there would be no way I could remove a tight piece of clothing over my head and shoulers.

David has had to help a few times, he laughs when he does and likes to watch me flounder a bit but we both laugh afterward.

I couldn’t take it any longer, so the other day I texted Matthew at Trio Therapy: “Can you see me this afternoon? I am so tight, my lats, delts, shoulders, upper back; and my left hip flexor just a tad”

Yes, he put me down for 5:15…I waited anxiously all day.

The pain and the pleasure;  along with the relief that comes from a deep tissue massage is amazing. Sometimes I want to cry. As he worked on my left  I.T. Band, I think I flinched, he said “Are you ready for this?”…”Yes” I was, I took a deep breath and slowly released it.  His arm traveled up slowly, the pain coursing through my body straight to my core.

The left glute. Nothing…..the piriformis was fine! But over to the right and that glute was sore, but not the I.T. Band, how odd. I said “This time it’s the right butt cheek and left I.T. band; at least the soreness is moving around and not staying on the same body parts, I suppose that’s a good thing”. He laughed and said that he could tell by how deep he could go and my reaction each time.

He was working on my shoulders and lats, it didn’t feel like he had to use a lot of pressure to make me feel the intensity of it, but then there is really no fat anywhere on my back, so his hands are moving over lumps and bumps that are hard, and tight and very, very sore. I am breathing hard, sometimes I find myself holding my breath and I have to tell myself the pain will go away, breathe, breathe. 

My arm is hanging limply from the table, and he holds it gently at the shoulder, to work the knots out of the upper shoulder, I can hear the hard tissue moving under his hands. It’s those damn chin ups I tell myself. But my back, my back has gotten so wide, I cannot stop now.

Biofreeze sprayed over (most) of the body. I laugh and tell him “You know how many Biofreeze accidents I have had in the last couple weeks?” 

Then to the front of my body, my quads are sore and I hadn’t realized it, you don’t sometimes, at least not until someone puts pressure on them.  The chest, the neck, and parts you just don’t think about.

My left hip flexor, he finds ‘the spot” and I rotate the leg in and out, just a slight tightness on occasion, but why put up with that? I want it completely gone. I told him how a guy at the gym was “flashing” me from across the room; he was lifting his long shorts to reveal pink Kinesio tape on his leg!  When I spoke to him a few days later, it turns out it wasn’t Kinesio tape at all, it was pink duct tape! His daughter was working on a school project, so he decided to put some tape on his leg as he had seen on mine…..I told him that tape must have hurt like a son of a gun when he ripped all the hair off his leg removing it, Kinesio tape doesn’t do that. So when Matthew was asking which color I wanted on my leg this time, I got pink in his honor, and I showed it to him the next day too!

90 minutes later, actually a bit longer and he was done. I could lay there for three hours doing this if I didn’t have to get up to use the bathroom.

I slipped into my clothes and uggs, home to egg whites and spinach and bed. I slept better, my shoulders and back didn’t keep me awake all night long.

Massage is vital for healthy tissue and muscles, especially if you exercise like I do. Don’t take it all for granted, healing just doesn’t take time, your muscles need proper fuel, rest, hydration and post training bodywork. That includes stretching and massage.

Active Myofascial Therapy

Nice tape huh? Kinesio tape applied by Matthew Trujillo of Trio Therapy. 

So let's back up a bit. A while ago I experienced a great stretching session with Stephen DiLustro, it made my whole body feel better and set the healing process in motion. But the more I read, and thought about it, I realized that the Stretch To Win sessions would be great for continued flexibility, but I needed to fix my injury first. An intense stretching session every few weeks wouldn't fix the problem, in fact it may hinder it. 

I talked with Matthew and explained my problems. I have already seen a chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, stretching with Steve and my family physician. I refused to believe that I had strained hip flexors and would have to just stop using them. I had stopped squatting and lunging for almost five weeks, and no changes.

After stretching with Steve I knew that Matthew's techniques would be what my body needed. He is an Active Myofascial Therapist. He uses similar stretching techniques that Steve does, and incorporates trigger point massage. 

We chatted on the phone and I went in to see him on a Friday. It was typical a Friday, the gym at 5:00am, work till 11:30, training with Roy at noon, posing with Kristy Enos at 2:00, then off to meet Matthew for the first time.

We went into a therapy room, similar to but larger than a massage room. He wanted to see me lunge, stand, walk, squat. He asked if I have ever heard of a pelvic tilt. "Yes, and I have one." I explained. Then I told him of my dilemma, I know I have one and I make every effort to tuck my hips in and not create the "sway back", but in posing practice, you have to make the sway back, you work hard to stick the butt out!

I laid on my back on the table and he started in looking for the painful areas of my left hip flexor, it was easy to find. Tight as a guitar string, just slight pressure made it feel as though it might snap. He applied pressure and then instructed me to rotate my leg in slowly and out, we did that a few times. He had me perform "pelvic tilts" to retrain the neuro-muscular connection. With every move I made, he applied pressure.

At one point I almost jumped off the table, "You tased me!" I said. I was sweating. His finger was pressing in on a muscle running up my groin, and a sharp, intense pain zipped from his hand all the way down my leg, to my foot. He apologized (although he hadn't done anything wrong) and said it was a nerve reacting to the treatment.

He worked on my right, but it wasn't as tight. He worked on my glutes, that darn piriformis on my left side is a stubborn little cuss. Then on to my QL. There is a video here that shows trigger point massage on the QL.

Matthew had me perform various stretches, holding for 2 seconds, then relaxing 2 seconds, before the brain told the muscle to tighten even further. With the Stretch To Win I was holding 3 seconds, not much longer.

We were supposed to go for one hour, and ended up spending 90 minutes. Matthew ended by applying the Kinesio tape (above) to the areas we worked on the most. This would stay on 3 to 5 days.  The tape is close to the thickness of human skin, and the body doesn't recognize that it is a foreign object. It lifts the skin allowing increased blood flow and circulation of lymphatic fluids. It's waterproof and you don't even notice it's there (unless you are looking at my picture, then it stands right out).

I enjoyed the session, Matthew was fun and very personable, as I made fun of myself and the "bodybuilding world" he joined in by asking questions about it that many other people have always wanted to ask but were afraid to. The type of sessions we had were ones where talking is best, it would take my mind off the pain and discomfort as he poked and prodded my sore muscles.

Afterward Matthew had me lunge, squat, stand, walk, I immediately felt better! I also had homework, I needed to do my stretches and pelvic tilts.

The next day at the gym, I talked to more people than I had in a year! Everyone came up, motioned for me to take out my earbuds, wanted to talk. They all wanted to know what it was, what was it supposed to do, what did I hurt, how long would I wear it, on and on and on. At times I think it was a good excuse just to chat with me.

I would go back on Tuesday to see Matthew again, and the days in between everything felt better, I was really experiencing prolonged relief for the first time in months. Training went well, I was lifting more than ever. I got up to 205# (10 reps) on my RDL's but we backed off to 200#.

Tuesday I went in, I had texted Matthew earlier and he said I should take the tape off, he would be applying more. Below is the second taping, as you can see, the tape now extends down my legs lower, and over my left hip, the pain and tightness shifted! He said that wasn't unusual at all. 

When I arrived, he asked if I had been doing my stretches and pelvic tilts. "Yes, I have." I said, "But I have a question- I was explaining the pelvic tilts to my trainer and I couldn't explain WHY I was doing them."

Matthew looked at me with a straight face and said "Oh those? Those were purely for my own personal entertainment."

We looked at each other for a couple seconds and both burst out laughing. He had me for a minute! Then he explained it was neuro-muscular retraining. 

We went through the same trigger point massage, I rotated my leg in, then out. At one point I started laughing and Matthew asked what was so funny. "I just tased myself!" Just like last time, but I could now control the nerve by how I moved my leg....a bit frightening.

Matthew worked on the hips again for an hour, and the adductor, IT band and QL. The glutes got their share, "windshield wipers" ha ha, I love it. On my stomach, he finds the nasty piriformus and presses in, then instructs me to bend at the knee, bringing my foot up in the air and move my leg back and forth, like a windshield wiper. The pain as I move my leg is one of those "hurts so good" pains....he says I can stop, but I think I keep wiping...

A week later I am back, we would work on the tight areas again and a little massage, you can see the third taping below. Only one leg! 

Seems my adductor has been giving me a lot of pain, literally! Matthew didn't have to work on the right hip flexor much, and the left only a bit. He massaged my lower body quite a lot, but it wasn't one of those "oh so relaxing I want to drift off to sleep" massages, in fact, it was quite painful at times.  I am always amazed at how tight my whole body gets. I forget that I really expect quite a bit from it.

I suppose this was more trigger point therapy and sports massage. I know there were spots that hurt like a son of a gun when he moved his forearm over them. The kind of pain that makes you breathe in really quickly and sort of hold your breath, and then you slowly release it wondering if the pain will also stop.

I must say, that Matthew does win the award for glutes though. I have written over and over how I want my glutes massaged, I always have sore glutes. The massage therapists I go to do massage my glutes, but everyone seems to have their "limits" and it has always stumped me because the glutes are the biggest muscle in the body, if you are a real athlete, these suckers are sore!  I think Matthew pretty much just tossed the blanket aside and dug in, it was heaven! I am sure he would not do this if you had instructed otherwise.....

He worked on my back and shoulders, I told him that sometimes I am so tight, I cannot pull my shirt over my head, and David just laughs at me. Oh he helps, but not right away, he will let me flounder around until I beg for help. 

Matthew also introduced me to Biofreeze pain reliever an amazing product, I am a junkie! He sprayed it on the target areas after each session, and all over my back on the last one. I bought several containers from him, the gel and the spray. Take it from me, use gel on your hip area. Spray can freeze body parts that you really don't want frozen. And make sure you wash your hands after applying it. This morning I applied it to my hamstrings, then slathered my sunblock on my face. A lot of soap and water later and then I was fine, just a slight delay in my morning routine.

So how is my body after all this?

I am sore. Wednesday is my two a day lifting day. I train arms at 5:00 am on my own, then quads at 5:30 pm with Roy. I was sore, all over my entire body when I met him. I told him that I really cannot have any work like this done before a hamstring or quad day, I am just too sore afterward.

But the hips, how are they? I think I found my cure! The pain I had been experiencing is gone and the tightness is dramatically reduced, I have to search for any discomfort. The range of motion is back, I can squat low without the tearing feeling in my hips. 

Is it completely gone? As I write this on Thursday night, every muscle in my body hurts. It's a combination of a change in my training (and when my training changes I go through new found soreness each time), and the massage therapy I went though. I am not feeling the intense pain when I sit, or drive a car, or try to lower myself onto a toilet, or when I am sleeping, yes I was in pain as I would lay in bed. So while I am not completely healed, I am almost there. Like any injury or overuse issue, it will take some time, but I am close, very, very close. 

Provided I continue with my stretching and pelvic tilts, and my rumble rolling, I am confident that I will be right as rain very soon. Matthew said I should probably come back in two to three weeks. And I am calling Steve too, I have plenty of room (and need) in my life for a lot of bodywork.

Give Matthew a call, or visit his website. He can fix your aching body.

Massage Gift

Massage, probably my favorite treat in the world, even more than peanut butter or chocolate!


A friend gave me a gift of a massage quite some time ago. I placed the certificate in a "safe place" and couldn't remember where that was. Until now!


"J" gave this to me before I left Courtside, it meant a lot to me. Not the gift necessarily, but the reason, the thought behind it. She knew I loved massage, I write about it all the time. She wanted to show me appreciation, and she knew that although I like chocolates, or other treats, this is what I would really, really love and it would fit right in with my goals of striving for a healthy and balanced mind body connection.


She thanked me for taking the time to do what I like to do. To write my blog, and explain what has worked for me and what hasn't, to share diet and exercise, and to answer all her questions over email. I enjoy doing it, and so to be recognized makes it even more special.


I scheduled my massage for Monday, I was off for the week. My left glute and hamstring are really causing me some issues, sitting at my desk or sitting in a car are painful. The only relief is when I am not sitting, so I end up kneeling at my desk half of the day. I cannot drive like this though.


I was hoping and praying that this massage therapist would work on my glutes, some will not. Those are therapists I never return to. I find it very odd as this is the largest muscle in the human body, it needs work! I have also encountered some who will not massage the stomach area....it's all just so puzzling to me.


At 12:30 I walked into Chuck Worley's office, just down the street from my house, I was looking forward to this. I had been to the gym in the morning, hit the stairmill for 30 minutes then some posing before the yoga folks descended upon the room, and off to hit the calves. My entire posterior chain was sore, I can only guess it is due to the kettlebells I have been using lately, whenever something new is thrown into the mix it causes soreness.


I explained my dilemma to Chuck, and yes, he would work on my glutes. He has quite a comfortable set up, he is very thoughtful in ensuring that the table and room is set up the way the clients want it. He gave me some tissues, my nose always gets stuffed when I have a massage, and I like having the tissues on hand.


He worked on my calves, I didn't realize how tight they were, it felt like the fascia was tightly encased all around the muscles and it wasn't gliding back and forth as it should, I will need more work here soon I can tell. 


Chuck asked if he could work on me longer than the 60 minutes, no charge, he wanted to make sure he addressed my complaint, included the rest of the body and that I left happy. Ah, I was thinking heaven, simply heaven.....

Chuck worked on the glute and it took a while but he found it! He said I have a contracted GOGO muscle! I laughed when he told me, I said "only I could hurt my GOGO muscle!!", who on earth has this much fun when they get a massage! 


GOGO muscles are the  Gemellus Superior, Obturator internus, Gemullus inferior, Obturator externus. Chuck actually emailed me the following day to check on me and said that he did a bit more research and he thinks my problem is not the Gemellus pair but more likely the Obturator internus or Quadratus femoris. Both laterally rotate the leg. He said that he anticipated that DOMS would set in on Wednesday morning, two days after the massage. 


So, I didn't "strain" my butt as I thought, it's just a bit "tight" I suppose....


Chuck works on a lot of tri-athletes, and a lot of professional athletes. He said I was the most muscular woman he has ever worked on, I love hearing stuff like that. This just confirms that my training is going well, I am moving in the right direction to add more lean mass. We talked about my competitions a bit, he pointed out that my right erector spinae is bigger than my left. Well I didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me, my right deltoid is bigger than my left, I am stronger on one side than the other, so I have been doing uni-lateral training to help alleviate that. He also remarked at what a great back I had; I do work on it quite a bit, and for the last two months have only been training it once a week, wait till I get back to the twice a week sessions!


Chuck was familiar with Dr. Leahy and said he was surprised I wasn't in there having A.R.T. done on the glute, but I explained I had scheduled the massage before I was told about the imbalance, so I was there ready to try the massage anyway.


Chuck finished the massage with a full body relaxation massage, so not only did he work on the glute but the rest of the body as well. It was great, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will definitely go back. 


Is this "cheating' on Rachael? No, I have room in my life for more than one massage therapist, just as I have room for different friends, wines and food. I can enjoy them all. 


He reminded me to ice the glute when I got home, that way blood would rush to the area to bring healing nutrients. I could easily go home and lay on some cold stuff!


Here I am on the bed reading, I have an ice gel pack on the offending glute. I am reading a great book, I love this! It shows illustrations of people performing exercises, but they have no skin, so you see the muscles! It explains which muscles you target and how to preform the exercise. It is Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier. I refer to it when I need to concentrate on a specific area, and when I need to change up training on my own a bit. Take a peek inside to get an ide of the wonderful anatomical illustrations. 

Chuck sent me away with what he called "homework", he loaned me a Thumbby and advised me to use it anywhere I needed, my glute, my tight rhomboid, any place! He said I could just drop it by when I was done, or I could buy it if I decided to keep it.


I went home to try it, it sticks to the wall! I was excited to try this instead of my lacrosse ball. I pushed it against the guest room door.

Got down and looked for those darn GOGO muscles. 

Got 'em! This thing is great! I can apply a lot of pressure and it stays against the wall. 

Like it, like it, like it!!! Fun all over again! I did this for a while longer. I worked on my rhomboid too.

Virginia stopped by, since we are off for the week there has been a whole lot of nothing going on, it's nice for a change. "Wow! This feels great!" she said. She said she was going to go get one herself! 

You know when you scratch a dog in the right place and their foot goes "thump, thump, thump, thump" really fast? That's what she was doing here, we all laughed hysterically! 

I was done, I had to go train with Roy and it was.......Hamstrings! Oh boy. A little update, as I write this on Tuesday afternoon, I feel a slight tightness, but have not experienced the pain as I had been. I sat in a  restaurant for lunch with the boys, I am at my computer (but I am sitting on my Thumbby) and I have been in and out of the car. This may have just done the trick! 


Give Chuck a call, tell him I sent you and that you want to try a Thumby too! It works for just about any bodypart, I think you will be pleased. 


And "J"- Thank you so much, I will never forget your thoughtfulness.


Be strong and train hard!

More than Weight Training

We often think all it takes is to hit the gym and train. We go and lift, but those who have been successful know there are many other factors at play here. We need adequate rest, proper nutrition, supplements and we need to care for our bodies.


By "caring for our bodies" I mean it is important to be in tune and listen to it. Some people incorporate yoga, walking, tai chi, meditation, stretching, massage. These are all excellent methods to ensure a holistic approach to a well balanced mind and body connection. 


I practiced yoga three times a week for a couple years, but the instructor, Venus, left the country. My personal connection with my trainer, or my instructor is a major factor in my success. If we don't connect, I will not succeed. I haven't done any yoga since Venus.


I love massage. I love to be alone. I love to be naked. I used to love to go to Santana Row, and to the Left Bank Restaurant. I dress in a knock out dress and high heels, I have a small overnight bag. I sit outside and people watch. I then order a Salad Lyonnaise and a glass (or two) of French Champagne. 


I then walk through down the center of the row, and end up at Burke Williams Spa and spend a few hours there. I would float in the jacuzzi, then in the cool mist room, then the steam, the dry sauna, and the finale, was a massage with Seji. 


Seji left and then used to come to my home and give me massages, we have since lost touch. It's hard to find someone to connect with, it's very personal and the relationship, or the way you perceive the relationship can make or break the experience.


Several months ago I found a new massage therapist, Rachael Hender and she is at Roman Paradigm Therapy and Massage. Life is good again.


I know that I often cut massage out of my budget, when something has to go, it always seems like it is the one thing to get cut. But this is a bad decision and I am working hard to make sure I don't cut it. 


There is no way I will cut my training with Roy, ever. I have left Courtside Club so my gym dues are hundreds of dollars less a month. But, I have a son heading off to college in August, that seems to eat up money. And I am going through protein powder like crazy- it seems to have doubled lately!


I always buy massages and facials on Groupon, Yelp, Living Social, you name it. The odd thing is, I haven't bought any since I started going to Roman Paradigm. I still have a few I haven't used, and I won't let them go to waste, but I don't think I will buy more, how can I even think I can top what I have now?


Recently one of the co-owners of Roman Paradigm, Robert Vignoli asked me to record an interview of my experiences at his business, I wanted to share that with you. I think you will enjoy seeing me (if you have never met me) and will gain a better understanding of why massage may be just the thing your training is lacking.


This was done immediately following a massage on my legs, right after I had trained with Roy, my face still had "head down and all puffed up look after a massage" and it appears I was barely able to finish dressing properly too! Gotta love it!


(Email subscribers will need to navigate to the blog to view this video).

Massage at Roman Paradigm with Rachael

No, I don't plan to tell you about every massage I get, there will just be too darn many! But the last one left me hanging, so I assume it left you out there too...just wondering what would happen next. 


My appointment was two weeks after the first, read about it here. The last one was one hour and only my left glute and leg received treatment- I asked for it, really, but the rest of the body needed some work too. 


Friday I walked in and had 90 minutes scheduled with Rachael Hender at Roman Paradigm Massage and Therapy. I was looking forward to this all week.


I was led back to the waiting area by one of the co-owners, Doreen Jattan. She walked back and gave me some of their alkaline water and said "I am the partner of 'the striking man' as we walked back. I laughed and said "ah! The striking woman!" (it's in the last blog above.)


We talked a bit and I learned she is a holistic health practitioner, I find it all very intriguing. I would like to learn more, I do value the belief that as a whole we need to treat the mind and body connection, you really cannot ignore one and consider just the other. 


I told Doreen how I have always had issues with my dorsi flexion, it seems to be quite the root of my problems, darn feet. She asked if I sleep with my sheets tucked in, it pushes the feet down, I should un-tuck my sheets and I may feel a change. I planted a seed in my head to do that when I get home.


Rachael comes to greet me, she wants to know how I felt after my last massage, what were the benefits, were there any issues. I told her how I felt that I had more range of motion, I was able to squat to a better depth, but my right side needed some attention (along with the left again of course). 


She asked if I had my short shorts...hmm, well I was wearing what you see in the picture above underneath my sweats, but how did she know that? I was naked last time we met! Ah, she saw my blog, I am always in these "short shorts", yeah, I stripped down to this and laid face down on the table. I haven't had a massage clothed before...it's gonna be something new! 


She started in on my calves, immediate pain! "What is this called?" I asked. "Structural alignment" she answered. How on earth can her hands on my calves create such tension? Such deep pain? She explained what she was doing and it seems that she was releasing the fascia and realigning my body, so it was moving in the direction(s) it was supposed to. But it had been moving in the wrong way for quite some time, so this hurt, this hurt a lot!

 The calves, the glutes, the quads, ankles, feet, all of it was pulled and kneaded and put through some intense pain. I remember her talking about my "medial line" but cannot recall much, I think it's out of whack!


On my side, one leg up, other straight, I helped as she pulled and lengthened, but what I did most was breathe, deep breaths in then very slowly out, it's that same pain, when I release she just goes deeper. I think she was a little concerned at times, but I assured her I was OK, it was good pain, at least when she was done.


We talked most of the time, not like my other massages where I was relaxing and trying to zone out, this was definitely a interactive experience! I kept thinking about food, it is hard not to, I am hungry all the time and constantly dreaming about my meals after my competition. She was explaining about the tight fascia running up my calves, the muscles were encased in a sheath and couldn't break free and grow, the fascia must be released! 


It reminded me of pork tenderloin. I told Rachael and I think I could see her head shaking side to side...wondering how on earth my calves reminded me of pork tenderloins. It's the silver skin I explained, you see, my calve muscles have silver skin surrounding them, I need to get rid of it! Below is a short video of removing silver skin in case you have no idea about  what it is! One look and you will understand why my calves won't grow!

(Email readers will need to navigate to the blog to view the video below).







She worked on my Achilles, oh my, that hurt! I laughed and said "Who cares about the Vulcan Death Grip- just use this, it will kill your opponent every time!" 


She never got to the rest of my body, it was the hips down only for 90 minutes! And never was it restful, it was a very long period of tightening and releasing, stretching and pushing, pain and ...no pleasure really, but it felt good. I cannot describe it really. There were times the pain was so strong that she would remind me to breathe. 


At some point she was working on my hamstrings I think, or it could have been those tight calves again and the pain was almost too much. She remarked "Dang, I can see the veins popping out of your calves!", I think I could FEEL the veins popping out of them.....


The amazing tension built up, the pain and then the release just went on an on.


She ended by releasing my psoas, and this too was intense, and I think we need to do it again! Here is a video so you have an idea of what this was:




 This video makes it appear so calm and easy, well let me tell you- maybe my psoas was (were?) super tight, but it was not so easy as this, it was pressure and tightness and tension.

That night as I lay in bed (with the sheets untucked so my feet were loose and not pressured ), my calves were hard and felt swollen, they throbbed. I made an effort not to let my feet get pushed down by the sheets, but I actually like to sleep on my stomach or side, so I ended up scooting all the way down and laying on my stomach, with my feet hanging over the edge of the mattress! ha ha fooled em! Then, because I have an old antique bed (David's grandparents), I pushed my feet against the curved wood foot board, and stretched my calves and finally fell asleep. I woke quite a bit and kept thinking how I must foam roll them in the morning. I did, but that did nothing, my foam roller was no match for Rachael.


Sunday, my Achilles were very tender, the insides of the ankles hurt as I walked on my treadmill, I could see slight bruising too and that is to be expected with this kind of massage. I tried rolling on a lacrosse ball, but I couldn't get enough pressure with that either.

Mondays I meet Roy at night to train hamstrings, so in the morning it's calves, abs and cardio. I hit the stairmill for 20 minutes and was fine, but the calves were not OK yet. I did my Donkey Calve Raise with 90 pounds strapped to my waist, 4 sets of 30 reps. My calves were burning at 15 reps, not typical and I didn't stop. They looked full, they felt hard.  


I have an appointment in a couple weeks, some day we shall get above the hips, but for now, I want to stick to what we are doing, I think it will improve my physique and my overall health. 

Massage @ Roman Paradigm Massage & Therapy

Have I ever said how much I love massages?  Given any opportunity, I would have a massage any time, any place, any how and by anyone. Whenever there is a Groupon or Yelp Deal, and it features a massage, I nab it. 


I bought one for Roman Paradigm Massage & Therapy ages ago, I never had an opportunity to use it until recently. I think it may have just changed my life.


I called to schedule my 60 minute hot stone massage and said I wanted the therapist who gave the deepest, hardest massages. None of this frilly stuff for me, I train hard and I need to feel it deep in my sore muscles.


Rachael is the one they immediately said.


It was a Friday so I trained with Roy and then headed off to my massage. Traffic was a bear due to construction, I was running late. I have seen the place a zillion times but never knew what was in the building, close to Santana Row.


I came in and was greeted by two very friendly women, I used the bathroom down the hall and was led to a back waiting room to fill out paperwork. It was a casual place, comfortable and relaxed, it wasn't trying to impress or put on airs.


A striking man looked up at me and said to the woman standing near him "Oh my, look at this!" He walked over to me and with a smile said "Do you mind?" as he reached out to touch me, he wanted to feel my arms. "Ha ha, not at all, I love it!" I exclaimed. "Do you compete?" he asked, "Yes, I have a competition in 9 weeks" I responded.


The woman stood by watching and laughing, "we are a very friendly group here" and I told her "I can tell, that's good!"


The man walked away towards her with a grin on his face and said to her "Looks like you are gonna have fun with this one!" 


I was really starting to like this place! She walked over to shake my hand "You must be Rachael" I said and she acknowledged that she was my therapist.


We walked into the treatment room and she explained that she and Rob delight in treating Athletes, it's a treat for them. She said he was probably quite jealous that she was in there with me instead of him being in there with me. "We love all of our clients" she explained, "But an Athlete is something special. Someone we can really treat with various modalities and see great response." 


I told her about the problem I was having with my hamstring and left glute, right at the tie-in. It is causing me discomfort when sitting. Sometimes I kneel at my computer at work to alleviate the discomfort.  I am also much weaker on the left when I squat, it is impeding my growth.


She asked what type of massage I liked, she said I had the "hot stone". I told her I want the deepest massage possible and I really don't need stones, it was the Yelp Deal.

I never saw a stone.

There was lots of discussion and stretching, Rachael determined that the cause of my problems was my foot. "Did I ever suffer from Plantar Fascitis?" Oh yes indeed I did, back when I was 40 and training for a marathon. I had to stop running for two years due to the pain.


Turns out the pain in my butt is all because of my darn foot! Who would have known?


Rachael had me actively participating in the massage, having me push against her, then release and she went deeper. I would take a deep breath each time I pushed, knowing that as soon as I started to relax the pain would only become deeper and deeper as her hands and arms were able to move deeper into the muscle. She asked if I was OK several times, I was panting and breathing hard, but the pain was good pain.


We discussed A.R.T, she knows it and incorporated some. She added in Structural and Fascia Alignment, Trigger Therapy and Deep Tissue.


I thoroughly enjoyed the way she interacted with me, making me as much a part of my healing as she was, we worked as a team.


It felt so good I wanted to cry.


I asked her why this was so different than any other massage I have ever had - no massage has been like this. I still love every massage I have ever received, but they were relaxing for the most part. This was work and healing and relief all at once.


My glute, my quad, my hamstring, my calf, my ankle, my foot. All of it got the attention it had been screaming about for so long. 


She asked if it was OK to work high, up at the adductor. "Work as high as you need to." I told her. It felt tight and I asked her if adductors should be that tight. "Well, yes they are typically tight." she responded, but I explained "It feels like you could pluck it like a guitar string, should it be THAT tight?". "No" she laughed, "Not that tight, but we can fix that."


It was time, she apologized as she knew I could continue for quite some time. I told her it was the best one hour massage my left leg has ever had "No" she replied, "I massaged your left glute too!"  We both got a chuckle out of that. I told her I would be back, and soon, to have the other leg, and the rest of my body worked, this was amazing, I felt like I had just experienced a new phenomenon that may change my whole body.


She had me move, to see how the range of motion increased, the muscles were loose and softened, not tight and hard, resisting even slight pressure. 


Rachael said to be sure to ice the joints and insertions, then allow my skin to warm and then stretch. I would probably experience soreness for a day or two and that is expected.


I booked another appointment for two weeks later. 90 minuets, the other glute needs some work too!



I got in my car, and opened my water bottle. My top had been down, it was in the sun and the contents blew up all over me and Myredrocket, damn, this will need to be cleaned up before David sees it (and I succeeded!)

I had to eat, I had missed a meal. I drove home as fast as legally possible and I wolfed down my tilapia, asparagus and almonds.

I strapped on my ice, and found it hard to stand while icing my ham/glute tie-in, so had to sit and it felt great! I texted Roy- "It was amazing! My squat will improve, I cannot wait to show you!" He seemed as excited as I was.

 Later my calf started talking back, so I slapped the ice on that too.  I told David how fantastic it was, how it would fix everything that ails me. He said I need to find a way of going more often. Hmmm, then sell 5 packs at a discount I understand.

Later I stretched and foam rolled, I was tender. I could feel the dramatic difference between the left (the lucky) leg and the right (the unlucky) leg.  My body felt like It had a long overdue medical treatment, this was what massage is supposed to do, it is supposed to heal and balance. I don't think I will ever go anyplace else again for a massage.

Korean Bath House

I am a person steeped in rituals. Oh not the weird kind, but I suppose a lot of people would find this one weird, in fact, I know those out there who are a bit more conservative certainly will.

Saturday morning I went to the Korean Bath house, and the actual name of the business is Lawrence Health Center. I go here a week prior to every competition. Why? It is important to exfoliate very thoroughly so the spray tan goes on even and looks good. All that dead nasty skin needs to come off! 

The bath house has a cold spa, hot spa (waaaaay to hot for me), warm spa, dry sauna, steam sauna, therapy room, relaxation room, beauty salon and small eating and resting area outside the locker rooms.

Men and women come here to bathe and socialize. Good, clean, healthy fun. You start off by paying your fee. You can come for the day, as long as you like for only $20.00; or you can do what I do and pay for Full Body Care for $80.00, this lasts 1 hour and 10 minutes. The brochure say this about the Full Body Care:

Full Body Care is the combination service of Scrub and Massage, this service is provided in the spa area, it's most highly recommended service in our spa.

Body scrub methods are imported skills from Korea, it's exfoliation service. Body scrub treatment sterilizes and removes dead flaky skin leaving you fresh, clean, smooth skin. It's totally provide relaxed and revitalized feelings.

Acupressure Massage is method of applies pressure to certain meridian points on the body that relieve tension and relaxing tight muscles and body pains. It's traditional art of Asian deep tissue massage.

After paying my fee I was handed three small hand towels, a toothbrush and a robe and locker key, off I go to the women's section. I leave my shoes in the cubby, I wore flip flops no one will take them.

I find my locker and a woman comes to take my ticket showing I paid for a service.  Everything is sparkling clean, everyone is barefoot (well, naked actually) and the floors are smooth and clean. I trot off to the bathroom first, they have crocs by the doors to wear in the toilet area.

Then to the communal bathing room where I stash my little towels and robe in a cubby and start in on the process. There are standing western style showers , three of them. Then a whole row of small stools and hand held shower heads with mirrors in front. Most of the women plop down on a stool and start scrubbing and cleaning and chatting the whole time. They scrub themselves, they scrub each other.

I use the standing shower and clean well, washing my hair with their products. The soap is a big round green ball, smells strong to me.

A big sign says "Keep Quiet" and everyone is laughing, shouting and having fun, no one whispers or pays attention to the sign. You need to talk loudly to be heard over the splashing of the water in the cold spa, a huge waterfall is constantly pounding down a shower of icy cold water.

I won't be enjoying this long, I really don't want to stay in the steam and lose water right now, so I am quick. I weighed myself just before leaving the locker room, I will weigh myself after I am done, it needs to be the same.

I float in the warm spa a while, then into the steam room. I love this steam room, it is huge and the walls are covered in big boulders. It has wormwood on the grate so the scent is heady in the room.

Back out to the bathroom one last time and as I walk through the lounge an older Korean woman lets out a loud gasp and brings her hands to her face. It is Sue! I always ask for Sue but was told she wasn't working today. I walk over and she is holding her hand out to me with a smile on her face. She doesn't speak very much English, but that has never been a problem for us. I explain I asked for her and she said she works Sundays through Thursdays now. She asks if I am having a scrub and a competition. I tell her yes I am having one and a competition in a  week, she smiles and says something to her friend. We say goodbye, I have to go. 

I enter back into the bathing area and then my acuma (Korean for Auntie) comes out in her black lace panties and bra and leads me to the massage table. There are three tables, this is no private matter. Anyone who is not comfortable being naked should not come here, or maybe if you want to get over this ridiculous fear you should!

I lay face down and she scoops buckets of very hot water out of a big garbage pail and splashes it over me, she will continue to do this throughout. She starts scrubbing my entire body with two rough mitts. The dead skin pills up brown and waxy all over my body, thank goodness she splashes that hot water on me to get rid of it all. 

She picks up my hand and places it on my stomach, "feel soft?" she asks? It does, I run my hand up and down my body, it feels wonderful.

On my side, she scrubs every inch, the only area not touched is the labia, everything else is scrubbed thoroughly. On my back, she scrubs my abdomen, my breasts, my underarms, my inner thighs.  On my other side, legs get pushed and moved so she can get everywhere.

I think my favorite part is the scrubbing of my neck. I know that sounds odd, but to have my head pushed to one side and my neck and under my chin completely scrubbed just feels fabulous.

After she has scrubbed all my skin, she rinses me off and then scrubs again, this time with soap. Then she stands me up and says how healthy I look now. I understand that skin to Korean women is like weight to American women. The Korean women want clear, smooth, soft skin, the Americans want to be painfully thin. 

I rinse again and am handed a small towel to dry off with. Then back on the table where she applies a mask to my face. Now hot baby oil is liberally poured all over, she starts the massage. Again I am flipped and flopped all over the table.  She works an especially long time on my upper back area, it is tense. My calves are really tight too, and she massages my glutes and lower back with her forearm, it feels so good.

Finally she washes my hair and massages my face a bit more.  Stands me up, hands me the shower nozzle to rinse again and sends me on my way. 

I go to my robe and get a $20.00 tip for Huong, she did a great job. Although I prefer Sue as she is very rough and thorough, Huong left my skin less red which is probably better for the competition. 

I would do this every week if I could afford it. And every time I do this I say I will go to the little market next door and buy some of the exfoliation gloves so I can do it myself, but I always forget.

A great discovery as I drove out here was I say Dosai Place! My friend Devarshi always has pictures of himself eating Dosa on Facebook, It looks so good. I want to go after my competition and bring the Coopster. 

The don't have a website, but here is their information:

Lawrence Health Center

3545 El Camino Real Santa Clara CA 95051

(408) 243-1177

Open 7 days a week 9:00 am to 10:00 pm (last entry is at 8:30 pm)

Closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas