Kathryn Mitchell, Soft Tissue Therapist

Another fantastic week of myofascial training although it's certainly been a scorchio one🥵😎!

Today's class finished early to allow our bodies a well-deserved break from working in the heat, so we swapped the massage couches for a refreshing dip in the sea🌊.

This week we've continued deepening our knowledge of fascia and learnt some incredible techniques to help ease tension and pain and also restore movement.

Today's focus was on the back, neck and shoulders including some seated techniques which all felt amazing! (One of the perks of massage training - both giving and receiving the techniques you are learning😍)

I'm excited to share everything I've been studying soon...once my heat-fried brain has recovered🫠!

In the meantime, I hope you are all managing to stay cool back home in Reading🍦

As the weather warms up and many are going sock-free, I just thought I would re-post this little reassurance for anyone feeling self-conscious about their feet....

Important components of any training plan are recovery periods that reduce overall running volume. Such periods allow for micro trauma and the stresses placed on the muscles, tissues, bones and joints to repair and recover (among many other things).

Recovery periods factored in after and also between races are just as important.Taking a little time to schedule these can help reduce the risk of conditions such as, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, stress fractures, tendinopathies, Patellofemoral Syndrome, ITB Syndrome and Plantar Fasciitis and general fatigue.

Professional athletes have planned rest periods to allow them time to recover from the physiological and psychological stresses of races.

As a recreational runner, your recovery needs can still be significant—especially after periods of high training volume or intensity. To optimise recovery after a race, consider taking complete days or weeks off running, or limit running to easy, low-intensity sessions. Support your recovery with lighter activity, optimal nutrition and hydration, massage, good quality sleep and reducing your overall stress levels.

The impact of sleep and recovery was discussed in an article by Halson.S (2013) considering 'Sleep and the Elite Athlete’, in which a keynote states 'sleep is essential for athletes, both for preparing for, and recovering from, training and competition' suggesting that increasing overall sleep time and including napping (no longer than an hour), can help optimise training AND recovery.

What a lovely, sunny evening for a wind-down stroll along the seafront after another great day of training🙂

The day began with a spot of Tai Chi on the beach and was followed by experimenting with cornflour and water to replicate fascia (fond memories of my old Nursery Nurse days!). It ended with some amazing massage swaps as we practised our newly learnt techniques on each other.

I will definitely be sleeping well tonight🛌

✨ A little reminder that I'll be away in Brighton for training on:

📍 Tuesday 16th – Thursday 18th June
📍 Monday 22nd – Friday 26th June

💆‍♀️ Please note that Friday 19th June is now fully booked.

To help accommodate appointments around my time away, I'll be offering some additional afternoon appointments on Tuesday 30th June. These slots won't appear on my online booking system, so please contact me directly if you'd like to book in.

Thank you for your continued support. I'm really looking forward to sharing what I've learned. I also look forward to bringing some exciting new techniques to help with a variety of different conditions back with me!

Watch this space.. more information to follow😊

Endure24 – Wow, what a wonderful weekend at Wasing Park🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️!

A massive well done to everyone who took part in Endure24 and ran through 24 hours of wet, windy, and often slippery conditions.

I hope you are all resting and recovering well today and continue to listen to your body over the coming days, prioritising sleep, gentle movement, good nutrition and general recovery.

It was great to see so many of you and to hear how much you benefited from the inter-event massage provided by the brilliant massage team.

A huge thank you as well for all the pats on the back, cheers, waves, words of encouragement, and support as I embarked on my own slightly crazy adventure over the 24 hours. It was very much appreciated🙏🏻!

I'm pleased to report I've been practising exactly what I preach today—plenty of sleep, rest, recovery, gentle movement, and, of course, some well-earned post-event massage😀!

Father's Day 21st June - Bespoke gift vouchers available!