Fit for the Challenge with AdvanceSRM

• Author: John-W. Hughes - Advance SRM
• Published: 10th May 2017
• Categories: Blog, Clanfield, Advice

Fit for the Challenge with AdvanceSRM

On Sunday 700 runners, from tiny tots to seasoned veterans, will be running in the Clanfield Challenge 2017. John Hughes of AdvanceSRM  http://www.advancesrm.co.uk/ is part of the Challenge Team and in 2016 helped to ensure that everyone had a great day. This year John is going to be far more ‘hands on’ and I caught up with him to ask more:

Q. What are you planning to do at the Clanfield Challenge this year?

A. I am offering a pre-and post-event massage service at the Clanfield Challenge.

Having provided treatments at events across the south of England, I have seen the benefits of on-site massage treatment for all types of activities. It helps the particpant's performance and aids recovery, improving their overall enjoyment of the event.

Whether you are a world class marathon runner or a competitor in a local event, pre-event treatment will loosen tight muscles, activate or stimulate tired muscles and ensure a relaxed state of mind. From experience of working at cycling, triathlon and obstacle course race events, I know that participants look forward to a massage – and by the end of the run they have earned it!

Q. Time, cost and booking?

• Massages will be available from registration until the end of the day (8am – 3pm).
• Massage session costs £10.00 and last 15mins.
• Consecutive sessions can be booked if you wish to have a longer massage (max. 30min). To accomodate everyone, we ask for these sessions to be pre-booked using the online enquiry form stating your interest and payment will be taken on the day.
• Confirmation of your booking will be sent to you via email, bring this along with you on the day.

Q. How important is it for runners to warm up properly before an event?

A. It is essential. Without preparing themselves appropriately, runners increase the potential for injury considerably. I am often asked how best to warm up the muscles for an event like the Clanfield Challenge and the advice I always give is to follow these 3 simple steps:

1. 1.    Massage the soft tissues to iron out the tissues ready for stretching. This can be done using a foam roller or even better by a qualified therapist.
2. 2.    Perform static stretches on all the muscles you know you will be using in the event. So, in the case of the Clanfield Challenge runners should really be thinking about stretching out the back, quads, glutes, hamstrings, calfs and feet. Good stretching will ultimately help the runner avoid long term injury.
3. 3.    Dynamically warm-up (or dynamically stretch out), which will increase the body temperature, stimulate the nervous system and prime the muscles ready for the activity ahead. Combined with the previous two steps this will decrease the likelihood of acute injuries such as muscle tears or ligament strains.

If runners are unsure of how to perform stretches, I regularly post videos to demonstrate how they should be correctly applied. Visit my website or follow on Instagram or Facebook.

Q. Does Advance SRM just offer massage to runners and those who are fit and athletic?

A.  No, the benefits of massage are far reaching and definitely not limited to just sports men and women. At my clinic based in Clanfield, I offer advanced soft tissue therapies for a variety of conditions which may result from someone's lifestyle (work related RSI for example) or a medical condition (e.g. endometriosis): I also offer oncology massage, specialist pre-and post-natal treatments, clinical remedial sports massage, postural correction as well as simple well-being massages. My clients range in age from under 18s to those in their 90s and from all walks of life.

Q. What was the highlight of last year’s Challenge and what do you look forward to at the 2017 event?

A. As it was our first year, 2016 will be memorable for the sheer number of runners and their supporters. As a dad of two under-5s, the sense or family feel and community coming together was fantastic - whether taking part, volunteering or just cheering people on. I had only lived in Clanfield for a few months and this helped  confirm we had definitely made the right move.

For 2017 I am looking forward to getting to meet and chat with more runners - those who know me will testify I like to hear people's stories and enjoy a good conversation - must be my Welsh heritage!

John Hughes of Advance SRM will be in South Lane Meadow on Sunday 14 May from 8am in the blue tent so stop by to say hello and don’t forget to book that massage session.

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