Training log - Week ending 8/4/13

This week was 9 miles of “real running” plus 30 “miles” pool running, and 5500 yards of swimming breathing drills -- training log is here.  

Yup - that's my lowest mileage total in a LONG time.  Since March.  But for a good reason. 

I've had a slightly weaker and much less flexible left leg for a long time (like decades), and I finally got sick and tired of managing it and the myriad of issues that seem to crop up from it.  So I gave a cortisone shot to my rear (piriformis) a try, so as to stop that pesky muscle from pushing on my sciatic nerve.

The cortisone shot came with a few obligations.  One was to take 4-7 days no running.  Done (and my swimming may have improved a bit.  Or not).

Second obligation was to take advantage of the next few weeks to retrain myself.  Meaning all the injury prevention exercises I do anyway, but really being obsessive about form.  I need to get that leg moving absolutely correctly, and unlearn all the little compensation habits I've ingrained over the years.  The whole point of getting the shot was not so I could jump back into running training ASAP, but rather to reset my body to neutral, and then do some relearning.  Which includes gradually ramping up the easy miles.

The running itself should be fun - my leg feels different.  More springy and responsive.  It's still slightly weaker than the right, but that makes sense.  The muscles are getting the signals full tilt now, but they still need to build up.  So I have a lot of stretching, side planks, and single leg squats and deadlifts in my future.  Good thing.  I was starting to get sick of swimming.

Dailies

Monday:   In the morning, 60 minutes of pool-running for "6 miles" plus 1000 yards of swimming breathing drills and some upper body strengthwork.  Foam rolling at night.

Tuesday:  In the morning, 9 miles easy outside (8:11 pace) plus yoga.  Cortisone butt shot in the afternoon.

Wednesday:   2000 yards swimming in the morning, all with pull buoy.i

Thursday:   In the morning, 70 minutes of easy pool-running for "7" miles plus upper body strengthwork.  Foam rolling at night.

Friday:  In the morning, 70 minutes of easy pool-running for "7" miles plus 1000 yards of swimming.   Foam rolling at night.

Saturday:   In the morning, lower body strengthwork and injury prevention work plus 1500 yards of swimming; got a massage in the afternoon.

Sunday:   In the morning, a yoga class.  In the afternoon, "10 miles" in the pool, including a 20 minute stretch at marathon pace effort, plus 10x45 seconds very hard, 15 seconds easy, for the heck of it.