KW Recovery Lab: A Runner’s Saving Grace
So, this past Sunday I did my first half-marathon…like who even signs-up to pay to run 13.1 miles? I can tell you now that I am so happy I did. And I probably would not have survived this past week without my session at KW Recovery Lab! Running a marathon was just something I had on my bucket list, but just needed a little push to do.
That push came on New Year’s Eve when my cousin, age 40, approached me, age 25, and said we’re running the Orange County Half-Marathon. My competitive spirit couldn’t say no! How was I going to let this old man out run me? Granted, I know he’s not old, but come on, I couldn’t walk away from the challenge.
I started training in July using the Nike Run App, which, if you didn’t know, personalizes a run plan for you and tells you exactly what you should be doing every day. It’s pretty cool, and I stuck to my plan for a few months. I fell on and off the wagon about a week at a time but got back on. That’s the important thing you need to remember…if you fall off it’s okay but you have to find the motivation to get back on. Mine? My 40-year-old cousin. It became a little stressful three weeks before the race because I wasn’t getting in my long runs like I should have and come race day, to say I was nervous is an understatement.
The Big Day
Here we are: race day. I go at a pace I feel comfortable with and actually cross the finish line because I really thought I might just collapse and have to get carted off the course. Guess what?! I made it at a whopping 2 hours 2 minutes and 37 seconds. My goal was under 2 hours and those 2 minutes don’t bother me one bit.
Well here’s the bad part about all of this. My legs were killing me immediately after the race. When I say immediately, I literally mean the second I crossed the finish line…
Driving back to Turlock from Southern California that same day was brutal…tightness built up a lot and I could barely walk. The next day was not any better and I turned to the Internet to find a solution. Boy was I relieved to find that down the street was a recovery lab- the KW Recovery Lab! Since this was my first half-marathon, I’ve never really looked for a recovery treatment per say; just sort of stretched and tried to let my body recover.
A Gift from the Run Gods
At KW Recovery Lab, I met Susy who helped get me set up with what she calls Normatec Technology, and I call an angel sent from heaven above. Going into the lab I was walking like Robo-Cop and could barely move my legs from the tightness. As you can see in the picture, they are these long sleeves that hug your legs. Once Susy turned it on, it began building up pressure and compressing the muscles to help get the fluid moving and get rid of the buildup. I had a great conversation with Susy during the full 60 minutes just about the body, working out, and incorporating recovery into your regimen.
Coming out of the sleeves, I didn’t exactly know how it was going to feel. I thought it might be magic and everything would be fine, but I knew that was a fantasy knowing what I put my legs through. The results were actually amazing! The tightness and soreness were gone and of course there was still some pain in the muscles, but I COULD WALK!
The Morning After…
I feel like this was going to be the real test. When I woke up, I felt amazing. Honestly, I thought I would be super sore still, but my legs feel so much lighter. I could move and walk normally without much discomfort or pain. If I decide to continue my training and do another race, I will definitely incorporate more proactive recovery and go to the KW Recovery Lab again.
KW Recovery Lab is located at 1044 Geer Road in Turlock, CA. Schedule an appointment by calling (209) 250-2321. Follow them on Instagram @kw_recovery_lab and on FB at @KWRecoveryLab