The Crucial Role of Painful Sports Massages
in a Runner's Journey

Hello everyone and welcome back! Today, I’m sharing my reflections from my most recent sports massage session; it was quite a painful experience, but also an eye-opener. For those of you who might not know, I’m Kevin Brittain, and today marks consecutive day 1223 of my daily running streak as part of my mission to save children's lives by attempting the ultimate ultra marathon. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, like, and comment – the more people we reach, the more funds we raise for this noble cause.

Let me take you through my journey of sports massages and why I believe they’re indispensable for any serious runner. Historically, I’ve been getting a sports massage every six to seven weeks for the past four to five years. These sessions have played an instrumental role in keeping my muscles supple and preventing injuries. However, over the last few months, my regular masseuse was unfortunately out sick, and I had to go without a session for roughly three, maybe even four months. This morning was the first time I managed to get a massage since her return.

It was an incredibly painful session, perhaps the most painful I've had in my three-and-a-half years with this particular sports physiotherapist. She noted a significant level of tightness in my calves and quads, and she also worked on my ongoing issue with plantar fasciitis. While the discomfort was intense, it was clear that my muscles had considerably tightened due to the lack of regular massages.

This experience has taught me several valuable lessons and reaffirmed my beliefs about the importance of sports massages. Here's what I gathered from today’s session and my overall experience:

1. Regular Sports Massages are Crucial: These sessions can make a significant difference in keeping muscles supple and in good condition. More importantly, they help in preventing significant injuries. Despite experiencing plantar fasciitis, a common running injury, I’m convinced that regular massages have kept me from suffering even more.

2. Awareness of Your Body: After today's session, I was advised to stretch my tight calves and quads rigorously in the run-up to my race day. This awareness and proactive approach can be the difference between finishing a marathon comfortably and struggling with injuries.

3. Preventative Measures: Regular sports massages should be viewed as a form of preventative maintenance. They help in minimizing the risk of severe injury and keep us in peak physical condition, especially when engaging in rigorous activities like daily running.

In conclusion, if you're a regular runner or engage in any rigorous exercise routines, I highly recommend incorporating sports massages into your regimen. My painful but enlightening experience this morning reinforced my belief that these sessions are not just beneficial but essential.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line, and I'll respond to everyone. And as always, your subscriptions, shares, likes, and comments are invaluable in supporting my mission to save children's lives. All the information about the challenge and how you can get involved is available in the link below.

Stay positive, stay happy, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.

Best,

Kevin Brittain