Sarah Crudgington
Massage Team Leader
Last year Sarah joined the Clarendon organising committee and took up the role of Massage Team letter.
Her story is as follows:
When I first walked into the empty sports hall at Kings School Winchester, I had no idea how popular the post massage treatments would be.
There was a buzz of activity all around whilst our team set up. The marshals were waiting, the bags from Salisbury and Broughton began to arrive and the smell of hot food filled the air ready to entice those hungry runners who needed a refuel.
Shortly after 1.15pm we started to see the first few runners. They were followed by a continual stream of people, all with tired bodies but big smiles. This was nonstop until 4pm. I heard lots of wonderful stories and saw the happy faces of those who had conquered the full, the half, the mini and the relay.
Most had prepared and had that satisfactory glow of achievement. Their hard work had paid off. But there were a few who had simply rocked up in the hope that it would ‘all be fine on the day’! Amongst them there were moans of regret. As a massage therapist, I remain hopeful that the advice I gave them, to plan ahead and train for future events will have stuck.
Overloading muscles, when they are not used to exercising and, in this case, long distance running, can cause small tears in them which can lead to injuries. As a general guide, adding 1 mile each week to a long run is enough. Sometimes it may be beneficial to stick to the same distance for a few weeks before adding on more mileage. We will all respond differently to training plans, so the key thing is to listen to your body.
Remember to add in cross training, such as swimming, walking, cycling and strength training too. By building stronger muscles and bones, you are bullet proofing your body.
I am really looking forward to meeting more runners at the Clarendon Marathon in 2024.