A marathon took place this past Sunday in Austin, Texas, and I’ve seen a few runners who came in for massages. (Runners: Ask for Ashiatsu barefoot massage. Every runner I’ve ever worked on loves the deep pressure on the hamstrings and calves.)

It surprises me that so many runners, triathletes, bicyclists, and people who work out are unaware of two over-the-counter remedies that are very effective at relieving muscle pain. Hence this blog post!

It’s not that I don’t want to see you on the massage table. I do. Massage has great benefits, including pain relief. But it’s like this: Very few people can afford to get massage every time they work their muscles so hard they feel pain afterwards. Wouldn’t that be nice, though?

In between massages, here’s how you can find relief from muscle pain. These are remedies professional athletes, dancers, and others who work their bodies hard…