ow, Ow, OW! Thanks, where do I pay?

I started this week with an 18 mile run on Sunday afternoon. Setting off at about 4pm and returning home at around 7:30pm.

I didn't do my normal 5am start because it was Mothering Sunday, and also Helena's birthday on the following Monday, and both Helena and Suzi needed (and deserved) breakfast in bed.

The run route was a change from my normal run route also. I set off from home to Eastville Park and then followed the Frome Valley Walkway all the way until just after the Winterborne Viaduct (see picture), where the pathway began to cross very rough fields that made the going quite tough, and so I decided to return home.

I felt like the 18 miles was pretty much my limit. Thinking about how to go further, I think I either need to toughen up, better my nutrition, or go more slowly, or probably a bit of all of these.

When I returned home I used an ice-pack on my knees as they tend to be the area that feel the most sore. This treatment seemed to really work, and on Monday I ran the 8 miles round trip to the Junior BAD Tri track session at Filton Academy and my knees felt fine.

Tuesday (today) was a rest day. However, I had booked myself for a sports massage. Hence the title of the post - My God it was painful (but effective).

Gina, my massuer, highlighted some possible issues with my legs and gave some helpful advice on ways to improve things:

1. I have an imbalance between my legs. Most pronounced is that my left hamstring is much weaker than my right. So from now on, when I do weights sessions, I need to concentrate on strengthening my left hamstring
2. My ITB's are both tight. Gina recommended using a cut-off part of a swim woggle as an effective roller to loosen my ITB's
3. My glutes are very tight, and she gave me some stretches to assist with this

I'll try to repeat the torture of the sports massage every 4-6 weeks, as it has really helped to loosen-up my legs.