Izba Spa

Today, the Goddess and I treated ourselves to a massage at Izba Spa.
During our marathon training, I spoke to her of Izba. I mentioned how glorious Izba was and we imagined taking a day to go there instead of running. While training, we talked about everything. I enjoyed our long runs, but dreamed of day we would skip running to go to Izba.
We have continued to run, weekly, but in a much more relaxed state. We still b.s. an array of topics and in November, we discussed going to Izba. Christmas seemed like an appropriate time to enjoy a massage. But, with shopping, work, the weather, we decided to put it off until January.
Why not? It would be something to look forward to.
And it delivered.
Our appointment was at 3:30. We arrived early so that Lindsay could fill out the paperwork. Izba offers many services and I had arranged for us to have the Short Spa Treatment. Basically, there is a 15 minute dry sauna session, followed by an hour long massage. During the Banya session, a therapist gently beats your back with oak leaves. The air is filled with the essence of peppermint or lavendar--sometimes--and then, they slather you with honey. At this point, you are hot, finding some difficulty breathing and then they douse you with cold water. It feels amazing.
A quick rinse off shower follows. Then, a massage ensues. Lindsay had a female therapist and mine was male. My guy was fine. I was super relaxed from the banya treatment and the massage was great. He focused on my rhomboids, neck and eventually, my legs. I need to be proactive with stretching. The last two massages have been rough on my legs.
We showered, dressed and then drank hot tea and ate orange slices. It was the perfect way to conclude the experience.
Lindsay loved the massage and told me that she wanted to buy one for her mom and aunt for Mother's Day, or her sister, for her upcoming nuptials. I was glad to be able to share Izba with her.
Then, I realized maybe this could be a goal of 2010--monthly massages at Izba. That would be something to look forward to and a nice accomplishment. Body maintenance is essential.
Enjoy your day. I am about to melt into sleep...