It Tastes Like Burning...

The snow is finally falling in Michigan's U.P., and Elm Creek here in the Twin Cities is getting perilously close to opening its man-made loop. All the pre-season hard work is about to be put to good use. That is, assuming you didn't over-do it. I have a bad tendency to not rest as much as I should. And, since I train for multiple sports, I can get pretty sore.

What many people don't know is that I am also a certified massage therapist, and, though I don't get as much bodywork done as I should, I can also help myself. So, if you are facing the slings and arrows of ouchie muscles, here are a few of my favorite (cheep and/or homemade) self-help tools:

THE FOAM ROLLER: Every athlete should have one of these. Mine is simply made from a cut-up pool noodle. It may not be as hard as the ones you can buy, like from Trigger Point Performance Therapy; I also didn't spend $20-$75 on it.  Sit on it. Lie on your side and roll it over arms and legs. Put it against your occiput (that area between neck & head). It feels soooooo good.

THE TENNIS (or whatever) BALL: OK, the tennis ball is a good size, and you can roll your shoulders all over the wall with it; it is also relatively squishy, so is good if you are a "pressure wimp." A softball or baseball also works, and it harder--something you can sit on to get to glute (butt) muscles. Hamstrings can be hard to get with either a foam roller or tennis ball--so, you can try a small soccer ball or something similar, too.

THE TIGER TAIL: I typically use a Tiger Tail more for pre-workout stuff. It is this thing:

It is basically a mini-foam roller--a glorified rolling pin--which, by the way, you can use, instead. No, I am not joking.Go get one from the Goodwill, if you want, since it will go all over sweaty skin. You can glue some light foam batting over it, if desired. The Stick is another tool. I don't like the mini-rollers on it; they are too likely to get caught up in a person's leg or arm hair, if they have any.

 

MARBLES: I don't have too much of a problem with getting sore feet. However, if you do, buy a big ol' bag of marbles, and get a plastic shoe box (or something a bit larger). Put the marbles in the box and roll your feet over them. You can also use a golf ball for more trigger-point specific work.

 



AROMATHERAPY & CREAMS: We all know about Icy-Hot or Aspercreme. However, sometimes those stink. You can buy blended aromatherapy oils specifically for sore muscles and add them to a carrier oil (like coconut or jojoba) or low-to-no-scent lotion you already have (about 5-10 drops per 1 oz. of carrier). You can also add the oils to a bath. There is Tiger Balm (stinky), Biofreeze (not so stinky), Prossage Heat (more stinky), Bon Vital Sport Cooling Gel (never tried it), and my favorite that comes with both cold & hot versions, Lotus Touch (all-natural, not tested on animals, and not too stinky either way). You can also use just plain Arnica gel, which is unscented.

Of course, I have to plug myself at this point: if you live in the Minneapolis Metro area, I work PT on my own, and I am pretty much a hyper-specific sports & therapeutic therapist. The "feel good fluff and buff" (traditional Swedish massage) is all well and good, and I do that, too. I also like to specifically help people get out of pain; I can easily spend an hour on a couple body parts that are in need of rehab--so I always need to know if a person wants all over body work with emphasis on a few spots, or a truly therapeutic/rehabilitative session. This is legitimate health-care, people. I don't do "Asian" massage with "that" type of ending.

And the phrase is Massage Therapist, folks. A Masseuse is not only an antiquated term, it now has, generally, that awful sexual connotation with it. People looking for that type of body work should be seeking out their local Red-Light district.

Dryland for Wet-ish Days

Late October into November can, in a word, suck. We have had an average of 3-4 days of wet, punctuated with 3-4 days of dry(ish) weather for going on three weeks. There is no snow for skiing, but you can't always get out on rollerskis (at least, I don't, for safety reasons). If you like misery (which I don't), I suppose you can bike.

So, when the roads & trails are dry, then I hit the bike. When it is truly wet, there is the trainer and the slide board, the pool and the weights. But I absolutely HATE those in between days--you know the ones I mean: where it spritzes on and off, never getting fully soaking wet, but never truly drying off, either. The thought of another indoor workout just makes me want to gag. Really: a person can only train inside for so long. Guess it's time for "dry" land--not my favorite thing to do, but fresh air is better than stale, musty, sweaty-gym smell. If you're not into it, I understand--neither am I, really. But, I coach this stuff, so I should know it & do it. And, even though many exercises seem more oriented to classic technique, we skaters can still benefit.

Pole Hike: This is always an easy one. Grab an old pair of poles, some shoes you don't mind getting schmutzy, and off you go. You can avoid muddy trails and stick to the grassy and/or gravelly ones, and not get too dirty. Then you can add some...

Bounding: To get that power, don't just walk, bounce! (Well, bound, really...). This video is pretty decent (but since my computer's sound is dead, don't trust me re: vocals...).

Plyometrics (& Skills Drills): On the same topic of bouncing power, there are plyometrics--you know, that jump all over hell thing to work on balance and strength. But, you also need to do it skillfully. I like the video I added below because it shows you the good ol' favorites: the "falling" drills for both classic and skate, and variations on the uphill bounding for classic & skate. There are also some one-legged plyos/skills drills.

The Exer-Genie: OK, so this one is a little weird. I came across it in my search for other dry land videos. If you know what a SkiErg is, you will see this is its "little cousin." If you don't know what a SkiErg is, check this out. Anyway, the Exer-Genie is this adjustable thing to help with poling workouts. If you are big into classic, and don't have the space or inclination for a SkiErg, this little thing is pretty cool. You can also use it to basically increase the tension in your other dry land workouts. It is hard to explain; just take a look:

According to their website (here), this device is used by Kikkan Randall.  You can do it outdoors, or, if you have enough space, indoors. However, it is a bit cost-prohibitive at $230 for the system (eek). That's about 1/3 the cost of a low-end SkiErg, though. Honestly, if you went to the hardware store, bought some rope, pulleys, and a couple other odds and ends, you could probably jury-rig something up.

Resistance Bands: Alright, I don't like weight training much. I have the genes for bad joints, so I am super careful about them. However, I do really like the stretchy resistance bands; it is easier to control the weight (resistance) and motion of them. Since they are portable, you can do these outside, if you want. I guess it just depends on how weird you want to look to the neighbors. But, if you take them to your local trails, you can mix them in with a bounding/plyo session. The trees won't tell tales. 

So, don't despair. We have already had some light snow around here, and if it stays cold, I bet the snow making operations will start soon. We might even have a real winter (what a novel idea...). May as well prepare for it.