Like many in my generation searching for a new hobby, I have taken up running.
It is, after all, the season.
This weekend about 18,000 runners will take to the start line of the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon, and in November I will join 16,000 others for the Sotheby’s Queenstown event.
I am taking on a half, but the last time I ran 21km, two decades and two children ago, I was a different woman in a very different body.
Today, recovery is no longer optional; it is everything.
Hence my latest interest: massage and recovery gear.
My first stop is an on-site meeting with Brett Sutton, chief executive of Les Mills NZ.
The gym chain has just spent millions of dollars on new recovery plunge pools and saunas across the country – and queues formed in Auckland last week as it opened its facilities.
The former military man says this reflects a shift in how people think, with recovery increasingly seen as part of performance rather than an afterthought.
While I politely declined an invitation to cold plunge, we met at the new sauna facilities at Les Mills’ flagship space in Auckland.
Sutton says he has a monthly “tune-up” with a masseur at the club who calls out his “hot spots”.
“I go by the saying that motion is lotion,” so the more you move and train your body to release, the easier it becomes," he says.
Sutton says years of repetitive calf injuries from running and touch rugby mean an exercise gun is “exponentially helpful for recovery from home.” He uses his twice a week.
He says this, combined with other low-tech gear like a trusty foam roller and lacrosse ball, is key to success.
Therabody: Gunning it
The team and I have been testing the latest Therabody range.
The United States firm is the fastest-growing self-care brand at Noel Leeming, up 500% year on year.
These All Blacks-endorsed massage guns are the premium choice in a growing category.
Noel Leeming small appliances buyer Reef Galloway says the American brand is heavily endorsed by National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) stars alike.
Noel Leeming generated $2 million in massage gun sales last year alone.
We tried three guns from its range, and Therabody’s at-home massage cups.
The entry-level Theragun Relief is a $299 piece of kit.
It does all the basics, with three levels of massage therapy.
At first, I could only handle the vibration on the first setting, but once I got settled in, I moved to level two, and my partner (slash run coach) went up to the third, maximum level.
Therabody’s patent-protected triangle formation is what sets the gun apart – it is easy to swing around and change your grip to massage the back of your calves and lower back.
Theragun Sense is the next level at $549 – for the bumper price, you get all the technology.
In particular, there’s an LCD screen which shows you where to put the device and times for how long.
Our in-house tester said, “From the moment you pick it up, it feels like a premium product.
“It’s solid and well-made, and compared with other massage guns I’ve tried, the thoughtfully designed handle makes a surprisingly big difference.
“One of my favourite things about it is how easy it is to reach those awkward spots that are usually impossible to get to yourself, particularly around the back and shoulders.”
The Theragun Mini 3 is smaller but priced higher at $399.
Our publisher Matt Martel said, “My daughter used the Therabody Theragun Mini, and she is now 2cm taller. I call her to get things down from the top shelf.
“She has also asked me to point out that it is very good at vibrating the top of your chest to make robot voices. She is 18.
“As someone who walks a lot, it surprised me how much tension it seemed to release in my legs. I can see it being a good part of my post-walking routine.
“I generally use it only on a lower setting, though.
“I occasionally get bad calf cramps at night. They can be agonising, and the pain can linger for days.
“I had a cramp (though not the worst) on the night we received the Theragun, and the next morning the left calf was painfully sore. I used the massage gun on medium for a few minutes and, voila! No pain. For that alone, I’d buy one.
“But robot noises are a close second as a reason.”
The good people at Noel Leeming also gifted a Therabody portable massage cup ($193).
As someone who has never tried this technique, I was extremely sceptical.
The TheraCup is billed as combining traditional cupping with “cutting-edge” technology.
It is easy to use: you flick it on, hit go, and it starts to suck for the time you specify.
This may be better in a set, as it’s pretty slow to move the cup each time.
Also, you need someone to help you position it for your back or calves.
Not for me, but I think this is a personal preference, as the product felt very well designed.
Let’s get digital
Like all appliances these days – apps are included.
I logged into the Therabody Coach app, which is free, and it somewhat scarily reminds you – carefully – that it is not providing medical advice.
I definitely do have some hesitation about injuries from massage guns after my colleague Jaime Lyth wrote about ACC injuries this year, so I am sticking to what’s recommended by the app rather than applying willy-nilly.
Once I’ve saved a few preferences and synced it to my Strava running app account, it is recommending routines for morning, recovery and night-time.
While it’s showing me suggested massages for pre- and post-running and post-basketball, it also shows “bedtime rituals”.
These are videos accompanied by slow, soft ambient music, which I assume are designed to put your mind in a massage parlour.
A bit hard when you are also watching a tiny screen, but I appreciate the sentiment.
Soon the app is sending me notifications pre-bedtime and post-run (thanks to Strava). I’m sure you can turn these off if they get irritating, but I’ve found them useful.
The coaching seems a thoughtful addition, because it’s recommending not only gun use but also a wider stretching routine.
Normatech Elite boots: Recovery beyond massage
Guns are one thing; serious runners look at compression boots, I’m told.
These aren’t massage per se, but use intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC).
The boots use air chambers that fill one after another, creating rhythmic pressure.
I’ve had a week with the Normatech Elite boots ($2295).
These top-of-the-range boots are pretty straightforward to use – jump in and pick from seven levels of intensity and four time options in 15-minute intervals.
Mine are on loan from The Running Store, where owner Gaz Brown has a “tried, tested, proved” philosophy.
He won’t stock anything that doesn’t meet his standards as a professional trainer and specialist running coach.
Brown says the boots encourage muscle recovery, blood flow and oxygen flow.
He says for many the boots replace rollers and stretching for ease of use because you can “just chuck them on”.
It is indeed remarkably easy, although there is just one size and my shortish legs don’t quite fill out the boots.
After one mammoth 15km run, I throw the boots on and find I have very minimal leg soreness the next day, but lots of issues with my feet, which aren’t benefiting from the compression in the same way.
No problems for my 6″2 (188cm) run coach, though, who fits the boots perfectly.
Brown says there’s also a psychology around their use and “it’s not just about the physical aspects of it”. Lots of people fall asleep when using them.
“The second layer to this is this idea that hey, if I jump in the boots I am out of the world for half an hour, 45 minutes, my kids won’t bug me, they get a deep relaxation feeling.”
For more than $2000, one would hope it heals the body and mind.
Readers can work this out for themselves when The Running Store moves to a new location on Wynyard Quarter next February and offers in-store demos.