How To Rest!

Hello blog lovers.

1. Reach the grand old age of 50 so someone can buy you a massage for a birthday
2. Save the gift certificate for at least 8 months so that you have no other agenda to have a massage than just total relaxation
3. Have massage.

I haven't been running and I haven't been cycling, but I still had to write up this days activities. Rest is a very important part of running and cycling! Normally when I rest, I potter about the house, doing cleaning, washing, running after kids, but it doesn't include being pampered. But today was different.

Last November I reached the grand old age of 50, and for that my lovely baby brother, (who by the way is in his 40's) and his lovely girlfriend bought me a massage, for me to use in the run up to the marathon, or after, which ever I wanted.  Well I finally cashed in that gift certificate today! As I had a kid free morning and afternoon.

Now my experience of massages is very limited indeed, having only ever had 2 before this.  One when I was totally stressed out and probably didn't really feel the benefits of what a massage can do, and that was when my mum was still with us.  And then my second massage plus physio was for more pressing needs as I had hurt my back 2 weeks before the marathon.  And this is where I thought massages belong, you know for when you really need them, for hurt muscles, physio therapy, to help get all those miles out of your muscles that you have been running into them!  Or when you have pulled something, twisted this or twanged that. It was after I had been to PhysioMike that the benefits of a massage actually showed itself to me!  My back was 'unlocked' my muscles working, and my plans for the marathon were back on track!

But here I was cashing in my certificate, not really knowing what to expect of a 'pampering' massage.  But wow, when I got there, there were candles burning, some beautiful aroma coming out, Amanda put me at my ease.  And once all the paperwork done I got my self ready and for an hour and 15 minutes I was pampered.  From my feet (yuck, but I didn't say that out loud, and so glad she didn't spend that much time on them) to the tips of my fingers!  Cottage Therapist, just down the road from me! Hidden away in the tardis style garden she has!  Yep, these massages are not just for sports injuries or rehab they can be for total relaxation and pampering too,  who'd have thought it, eh?

Very very nice, very relaxing. I didn't want to go home and do housework! So I called my mate and we had lunch!