My newest obsession in my health kick (which is really no longer just a "kick" as I'm going on about 4 years of being hyper-aware of what I'm putting on and into my body) is essential oils. I got a bunch of them for Christmas, including a couple of synergistic blends from Mom and Dad - Respiration and Muscle Relief.
Yesterday, right before my run, I noticed that all of the sudden (literally it was a sudden twang) my right calf felt really strained. I hadn't done anything abnormal - no sudden movements, no strange motions, no extra weight, nothing. But it REALLY hurt. Right in the belly of the muscle. All I could think was "of course my legs are going to start acting up a week before a race." Next Sunday is the Zena Road Race, which was my first race post-Dagny. I have been really looking forward to seeing how far I've come in a year of training and I've really been hoping to have a good day in terms of how my body feels (no side aches, no muscle tweaks, just let me run and see where my fitness is at). So of course something stupid like a calf strain would pop up and force me to take unwanted rest days. I thought, though, that it would likely loosen up during my run so I did my 45-minute fartlek. I had to stop twice to stretch that calf - it hurt the entire run. So frustrated.
BUT, then I remembered my Muscle Relief - a synergistic blend of peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender. I made a little massage oil with a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil and a few drops of the blend and dug it into my calf right before bed. Literally, within a few minutes, I could feel the pain letting up. When I woke up this morning I had the typical whole-body soreness that comes after a hard run/workout ... everywhere EXCEPT my right calf! There? No pain. No strained feeling. Nothing. Fantastic. Ran 6.3 today and didn't feel it once. I made another little massage oil and had Kevin dig it into my calf tonight, just for good measure.
I love essential oils.
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