"How can something that gives me so much pleasure carry with it so much pain?" Jennifer Warren asks of running in her article, "For Runners on the Fast Track, Massage Aids Performance, Recovery." Warren writes that she has not found the answer to this question but she has "found one avenue that helps a lot: massage." The personality traits of the runner and some of the more common muscle aches and pains the runner endures for the love of this sport, are described by Warren. She conveys the importance of receiving massage therapy for runners and refers to Mark Dixon, a California-based sports-massage therapist, who states, "Athletes consistently have mentioned to me over the years that their performances have improved as a result of massage," and, "These improvements come from decreased recovery time, leading to increased workout time, increased range of motion and a decreased risk of injury, all resulting from massage." The benefits of maintenance and event massage are detailed by Warren, as are the appropriate times for these types of massage. Warren exemplifies massage techniques and tips on how to work with runners and points out the importance of getting "to know the individual client" and establishing a strong therapist/runner bond. A sidebar of "10 Common Running Injuries" is included.

Source: Massage Magazine, March/April 2001.