Training log - Week ending 11/24/13

This week was 19,000 yards of swimming, 85 minutes on the arc-trainer mimicking easy pace running, and several test runs (up to jogging 5 minutes at a time)  -- training log is here.  

And now, we're cooking.  I've been told that sometime in the third week is when the PRP kicks in, and yup, that's been my experience.  Healing a soft-tissue injury is generally like watching water boil or paint dry - you just don't see changes from day to day.

Supine plank. 
No, I'm not up to the leg raise yet

Except I am seeing the changes from day to day.  For example, I do a supine plank every day to assess how the hammy feels (when I can do the supine plank with all my weight on the bad leg without pain, I'll know the hammy is healed).  On Monday of this week, I rated my pain during the plank as a "4".  By Wednesday, the pain was a "3", by Friday a "2".  And on Sunday there was no pain for the first 20 seconds of the plank (felt about a "1" on the last 10 seconds).

Similarly, on Monday I took a few "test jog" steps of running.  No go.  Hurt.  But by Thursday I was jogging pain free.  Very slowly.  But jogging.

And that's how things have been progressing.  I've been upping the jogging day by day.  Nothing noteworthy - I'm not even at my normal easy pace yet.  But I'm making progress surprisingly fast.

New bathing suit on order.

At the same time, I'm also progressing my swimming.  During the past few weeks, I've just been doing straight continuous freestyle at an aerobic effort.  I understand that that is the least effective way to improve one's swimming (well, besides not swimming).  But I was OK with it, because I'm not a swimmer - just someone trying to maintain some basic aerobic fitness.

But now, I've decided to add in some interval work.  It should make the time pass a little faster, and
also has a mental callousing effect that I've been missing the past few weeks.  Staying focused and tough during workouts is a skill, and I haven't had much of a chance to practice that recently.

I did some reading, and started with sets of 4x100m on 2:30 - I was swimming these all out in about 2:02-2:04 (we all have to start somewhere, right?)  Any experienced swimmers care to comment on whether this is a reasonable way to structure a basic swimming workouts? 

Other suggestions for workouts are welcome - please keep in mind that front crawl is the only real option for me strokewise right now (breaststroke is too much for my hamstring, I veer all over the place in backstroke, so don't want to do in while sharing a lane, and butterfly is a complete no go).


Dailies

Monday:   In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work, 20 minutes on the arc-trainer, and 4000 yards swimming.  Also got some ART and Graston done.  Foam rolling at night.

Tuesday:  In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work, some leg strengthwork and then 3000 yards of swimming.   Foam rolling at night.

Wednesday:   In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work and 20 minutes on the arc-trainer.  Foam rolling at night.

Thursday:   In the morning,  injury prevention/rehab work, a test jog of 3x75-90 seconds SLOW jog (3.0 mph) with 1:00 walking, and then 3250 yards of swimming.   Foam rolling at night.

Friday:  In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work, a test jog of 4x90 seconds (up to 4 mph), followed by 20 minutes on the arc-trainer and 2500 yards of swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Saturday:    In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work plus test jog  (2:00 run, 1:00 walk, 3:00 run, 0:30 walk, 3:00 run - speed maxed out at 4.2 MPH). 

Then I did 3500 meters in the pool, including a workout of 2 sets of 4x100m on 2:30 (Splits were:  Set 1: 2:02, 2:05, 2:07 (stuck behind guy dolphin kicking ), 2:03;  Set 2: 2:06, 2:04, ?, 2:04).

Brian and I did a couples massage class at night.  Wow - giving a massage is hard work.

Sunday:   In the morning, injury prevention/rehab work and leg strength work, followed by a test jog (segments of 3:00 (at 3.5 mph), 3:00 (at 3.5-4.3 MPH), 5:00 (at 4-5 mph). One minute walk between each).  Then did 25 minutes on the arc-trainer, followed by 2750 yards of swimming.  Foam rolling in the afternoon.