Working with Cyclists

I recently went to the "last race of the season," the Greenville Cycling Classic, to offer massage and active isolated stretching to the cyclists. Since I like to ride bikes and am a sponsor for the local woman's team (next year there will be 2 women's teams, but this year it is singular), I've developed a pretty good sense of where cyclists are likely to need work. It was a great day to be outside and watching the races; a series of "crits" or criteriums where the different categories of cyclists (based on gender, skill, and age) raced a one kilometer loop from 15 to 40 times in their race. Some folks, such as Sean, had two races in the same day, so a good stretch and light rub in-between helps a lot with recovery. I worked on Sean a lot last year, and he was kind enough to share how he benefitted from that work:

"I have been working with Lucy Allen for approximately one year. During this time she has not only been directly associated with the best performances of my cycling career but has become a true friend as well. My 2007 season was the best I have ever experienced with numerous top 5 placings and culminating with an USCF upgrade to a category 1 racer, the pinnacle of amateur racing. Lucy's expertise benefited my in many ways most most importantly my recovery time was cut tremendously. She listens but also intuitively knows where and why. Often I did not need to speak any words at all and she was working on the exact spot. I feel she also has a very nurturing personality and really wants to make a difference.

I would HIGHLY recommend Lucy Allen to anyone and if this does not convince you...well go see her...you will be BACK."

Sean Weddell
CTM elite cycling team member
USCF Category 1 racer
USCF Certified Level 3 Coach
10 year NCAA D1 swim coach

Sean did feel better in the 2nd race of the day. And in addition to helping out some of the racers, I was able to finally meet one of my favorite cyclists, George Hincapie, and get his autograph (now located in my massage office).

Thanks to Team BI-LO for the opportunity to work at this race (and to Melissa Weddell for the photo).

Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling. ~James E. Starrs

Integrated Massage

I belong to a networking group that requires a 30-second blurb about our business every time we meet. Mine is something like, "Hi, I'm Lucy Allen with Hawthorne Massage. I specialize in integrated massage therapy based on the need of the client. Modalities include Swedish, deep tissue, and Active Isolated Stretching."

But what does that really mean? How do I change each massage?

The term "integrated massage" comes from a book we used when learning about deep tissue massage, The Balanced Body: A Guide to Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Therapy, by Donald W. Scheumann. He details an "integrated deep tissue therapy system" incorporating polarity, shiatsu, Swedish massage, cross-fiber techniques, connective and deep tissue, neuromuscular, and stretching. Scheumann specifies exercises that use all of these techniques. Learning this approach gave me a sense of how to mix up various skills to give the best massage to my clients. Everyone is different, so I choose the techniques that work best for each person's situation.

If someone comes in with a frozen shoulder, I'll probably start with some stretches, and then follow it with massage. During an hour session, we'll probably only work with the arms, neck, chest and back.

* For a cyclist, they might get some stretching, but more likely I'll give an hour massage with a longer period of time and more deep work on the legs and hips.

* For an elderly client with arthritis, I'll only use light pressure.

* When I worked on a cancer survivor who couldn't lie on her stomach, she started on her back then went to her side, supported by lots of pillows; I massaged her back and legs from that position. She reported later that it was the most comfortable she had been in a long
time.

Because everyone is different, I don't give a cookie-cutter massage. That's why I like to know a bit about you before I start my work. Once I know what you need, I can give you the best massage therapy for your situation. It makes it more rewarding for me that way, too, knowing that we're taking care of problems and bringing relief together.

"The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes."--Marcel Proust