Some More Treatment for my Busted Body

I've known Jenny H for a few years. She took ALL the sweet photos in my showdown with Devon at the 2013 Gear West Duathlon race report because Jenny's man was my teammate for that race:

I love this pic of me and Pete in our awesome shorts just before the 2013 Gear West Du.


Pete and I working hard at the GW Du
(before Devon and I become BFFFNs ["best friends forever for now"]).

I haven't seen much of her or Pete over the last few years, but her and Pete have gotten photos of me at the last 2 years of the TC 10 Mile:

From Pete and Jenny: 2014 and 2015 at the TC 10 Mile.
Just about 0.5 miles left! (So HURTING.) Thanks again for the pics guys!

So anyway, I got a note from Jenny a few weeks ago, just after I was put in my boot for my "stress reaction." She said that she wanted her peeps at Magna Fitness to help get me back to running again. She started Magna maybe 5 years ago in downtown Minneapolis (kinda right between the Old Spaghetti Factory and the new US Bank Stadium). They're sort of a "full service" fitness center (all these thoughts and words are mine, so they might be slightly different than what Jenny might say). They have lots of group fitness classes, personal trainer sessions, strength & conditioning classes, etc, etc, AND they also have chiropractors, sports masseuses, and acupuncturists on site too. She wanted to hook me up with Robert the acupuncture guy ASAP. So I went to see him a few days ago.

Rolling up to Magna.


Some of the strength areas inside.


More of the inside.


Easily THEE nicest "gym shower" that I've ever seen.

I met with Robert, and he took me back to a small room. He had lots of specific questions about daily habits (you all know I like to talk about my pooping routine) and other issues outside of my sore leg. We maybe chatted for 20 minutes before he got started.

It was convenient that I could leave my dirty, used marijuana needles in there.
(Yes, that's a joke. I know you take hits of marijuana by snorting it. Duh.)

Here's why Robert likes working with athletes and why his acupuncture is different than what you might get at your chiropractor. Robert explained that he does more of a traditional Chinese form of acupuncture, which meant nothing to me. He actually studied for some time in China too. He asked if I'd had "chiropractor acupuncture" before, and I told him I had (from 2 or 3 different chiros). He warned me that this would be different:

- What I was USED to in the past was some needles being "flicked" in, feeling a slight prick when they went in, and then feeling nothing much as I laid there for 30 minutes with them in.

- What THIS was going to be was more of a gentle "ache" for 30 minutes as the needles sat in me. He said that this is the more traditional form of acupuncture. He didn't quickly "flick" the needles into me; instead, he worked them into my body between 1 and 5 seconds each. He noted that the purpose of this form of acupuncture is to get the body to react to the needles. As I laid there with approximately 15 needles in me for 25 minutes, I could close my eyes and practically count all the needles on my body because I could feel them. THAT was the biggest change from former "chiropractor acupuncture." They sure didn't hurt - I could just feel them. Robert noted it feels a bit like getting a sore area "worked out" by a masseuse.

Tee hee.


Caption from an Instagram pic: "Had a great acupuncture treatment from Robert
here at @magnausa this morning, then some PT for
my ankle in the afternoon. Trying to get better ASAP!"

So I've only seen Robert once so far. I'll be seeing him maybe weekly for the next 1-2 months to see what he can help with. Thanks Jenny and Robert from Magna!!

p.s. This just hit me based on the last photo. I have a Magna Fitness tag on my Tumblr page that I've used 3 times (all in 2015). I posted three photos from @magnausa on Instagram, and here they are:

I beg to differ, Jenny. I BEG TO DIFFER.

So check out Jenny and her peeps at Magna if you think they could help you. Check them out on Facebook and Instagram too.