A while back I built a website for Dene Hickey, a “qualified neuromuscular therapist”. I hadn’t a clue what ” neuromuscular therapy” meant at the time, but it sounded impressive. I recently met Dene about another website for his growing sports massage business.

When I not so subtly mentioned the acute back pain I was suffering Dene immediately offered me a free deep tissue massage where he would “de-activate” the trigger points. I’ve had sports massages before and I’ve noticed that the masseuse or masseur rarely goes hard enough on the troublesome muscles. No such trouble with Dene, he’s a strong guy who works on amateur and semi-pro rugby players regularly, but as well as just going in strong, he really found the pain points and sorted them out.

As he was working on the muscles, one of the interesting things for me was learning a bit about Trigger Points. I won’t try to explain it here – click through the link to Wikipedia or Dene’s trigger points therapy page.

I felt an order of magnitude times better after the session, the acute back pain was greatly diminished almost to non-existance. If you’re suffering from chronic muscular spasm or pain, from sports or even from office chairs, then I highly recommend you find a massage clinic specialising in deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy. If you’re in the Dublin area, I don’t think you could do much better than to give Dene a call.

• Deep Tissue Massage
• Dene Hickey

Here’s the route map thanks to Gmap Pedometer.

By the numbers:

• Distance: 28.8km (17.9 miles)
• Time: ~ 1 hour 20 mins
• Average HR: 135
• Maximum HR: 170 (took it easy!)
• Calories: ~ 1149 (estimate from Polar)

Picture from Dad of a spin we had out last Friday.

I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in my body fat and weight over the last 12 months and it’s past time I rectified matters. I measured a fantastic 110.8kg today — 244lbs or 17.5 stone in old money. Wow. I’m normally around 92kg or 14.5 stone. Time for a change

So similar to my blogging pledge, during the month of September I’m hoping to put a serious dent into that figure. Not by crash dieting or anything stupid like that, but just by healthy eating and a significant amount of exercise every day. I’ll report back here at months end and post up for the record how I got on.

I’m a sports addict, regularly playing rugby (3 times per week during season), sailing (twice weekly in summer) and cycling – mountain biking and cycle touring for holidays.

Starting my internet marketing business has serious impacted my fitness – for about 4 months I’ve done almost zero exercise.

I really can’t believe how much of a detrimental effect it’s had. I’ve taken back up sailing at least once a week, I’m in my first week of running from 7am-8am in the morning, and hopefully I’ll have time in late August to do a week or two touring in the Loire.

Hopefully I can report back in a couple of weeks time that I’m back on course. If so then I’ll be able to give good data on how much fitness actually does affects business performance.

Well now I’m getting a chance to find out first-hand! As I mentioned before I’ve had serious problems with my back, to the point where my GP has been able to help me arrest the slide, but not improve my condition.

I’ve taken a colleague‘s recommendation and am now attending his chiropractor . The guy seems like a good guy, and I’m delighted that one of the first things he wanted was an x-ray – he seems to be following some sort of scientific methodology

In case you were wondering why the sudden drop-off in cycling posts, now you know why I haven’t been out much on my beautiful Cross-Check, nor out on the rugby pitch for that matter!

It’s been so bad that amazingly for me, The Procrastinator Champion of the Universe, I actually rang my doctor yesterday, the first workday since the holidays, and arranged an appointment for today.

I like my doctor, he’s a medical doctor but also a homeopath and alternative therapies kinda guy. Today after a little physiotherapy I was treated to some acupuncture – first time I’ve had it. It wasn’t a full session, only 5-6 minutes, but I can feel some positive change in my leg already – still sore but a lot more movement. Hopefully it continues to improve so quickly
Photo from mikefats on flickr.

I don’t remember exactly the time it happened, but it was on my trip back home after going to the Garda Station. The first couple of hours I could feel my back seizing up, and sharp painful spasms. The next day I could hardly get out of bed (worked from home horizontally – don’t tell the boss!). Thankfully it was the weekend then, so with a hack saw and a mop handle I had a useful walking stick to help me get around.

After that weekend I was able to get around pretty ok so I got a lift to work a couple of days and taxies the days I didn’t. Expensive, but better than walking. Being my stubborn self it was only this week that I finally acknowledged that I was not improving at the rate I hoped to be and bit the bullet by going to the doctor.

Doc tells me I’ve pinched a disc and that it should heal up by itself over time. I need to take it easy and won’t be playing rugby anytime soon. I asked about the bike, I should be good to get in and out of work as it’s only a couple of miles each way. Of course I don’t need to get in and out of work today because I seem to have picked up the winter vomiting virus that’s going around. Wonderful. I’ll save that one for another day.