brian tries… stretch zone
i drive past ‘stretch zone’ all the time on my way down to south philly, and i’ve always been curious. somewhere along the way, i stumbled across an offer for a free 30-minute stretch from run club. god knows i don’t stretch enough before or after running, so i called and booked it.
i went in this past friday and met cameron, who spent a good 15 minutes talking through my goals before we even got started. i told him about the tokyo marathon in march, my current 40–45 miles a week, and the plan to build toward 70. with that much running ahead, i figured it was a good time to pay more attention to recovery and learn a little more about the body i keep asking to do all this stuff.
he walked me through the process, then had me lie on a sturdy massage-style table. they use straps to hold certain parts of your body in place while they stretch others. you tell them when you start feeling the stretch (calling out a 3/10 rating, then 5/10, and then 7/10), and they work with you from there, formulating a plan to increase flexibility.
it became apparent pretty quickly that i am, in fact, tight as hell. especially in my hips. this was not breaking news to me!
cameron spent about 30 minutes stretching me, mainly focusing on my lower body because of the running and the abuse my legs take. he also noticed that my right side had less mobility than my left, particularly during one of the rotational stretches. that’s the side where i dealt with plantar fasciitis for several years after previous marathon training.
we talked about that history and the lower-body strengthening i’ve been doing to try to avoid a repeat. i can’t say what caused what, but feeling the difference between the two sides was interesting. it’s something i’d like to understand better as the mileage builds.
the whole thing was really enjoyable. cameron was knowledgeable, explained what he was doing, and took the time to understand what i’m training for. i felt incredible walking out. my hips felt noticeably more open, and everything just felt looser.
so, naturally, that “free” stretch became a $540 visit. hahaha
i wasn’t ready to commit to a monthly membership, but i bought a 12-pack at about $45 a session. going roughly once a week should take me toward the end of the year and give me time to decide whether it’s worth continuing through winter marathon training. regular sessions are about 30 minutes, and he said i could use two credits for an hour if i wanted to give the upper body some attention too.
is it worth $45 a visit? we’ll see. the first session felt great. whether that translates into something worthwhile over the next few months is what i’m paying to find out.
if you want to try it, let me know. i can refer you for a free 30-minute stretch, and (i think) i get a free one too. full disclosure: your curiosity could subsidize my hip flexors. do it.
#briantries #fitness #tokyo2027
