Wow. I can't believe this makes five weeks since I've been running. The last time I had to take this long of a "break" was in December 2013, when I strained my calf just before beginning my first marathon training. The good thing is that it doesn't seem like that long. I'm honestly amazed by this.
Monday
Did: 10min on alter-g @ PT, PT
Up to 55% bodyweight on the anti-gravity treadmill. Did more plio jumps (laying down on machine), up to 5/6 on calf raises, finding it easier to do the BAPS and rocker boards. Also started doing something similar to "skaters" (horizontal "jumps"). It's not a true jump, more like a giant horizontal step, but I did have some airtime. This is the first time I've done anything like this at PT, so I'm calling it a win.
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| Ice, Ice, Baby |
Tuesday
Planned: swim for 10 minutes, core workout, yoga
Did: ~45min swimming, ~1000m?
One of my running mama friends, S, is a lifelong swimmer (swam in college, made Olympic Trials, etc.). She's been offering to swim with me for awhile now, and I finally decided to take her up on it this week.... and spent most of last night and this morning super nervous about it. I don't know what I was really nervous about, other than putting myself in a new situation, but S made me feel right as ease as soon as I met her in the parking lot.
The last time I swam was in 2014 for my first (and only) triathlon, Lake Lanier. I had about four or five years of swim lessons as a kid and can get myself from point A to point B, but I hate putting my face (or even my head) in the water, which makes me an incredibly inefficient swimmer. For Lanier, I'd gotten myself to the point where I could uncomfortably swim the requisite 400m (or yards, I don't remember), putting my face in the water for about half of it.
Fortunately, I still had all my swim "gear" from that adventure, so, unlike biking last weekend, I didn't need to buy anything new for this; all I had to do was dig out my one-piece suit, goggles, and get myself to the Y on time.
S was a phenomenal coach. She made sure we had fins and kickboards to help me focus more on form and less on staying afloat, explained and demoed things really well, and was a wonderfully encouraging and supportive person for me in the pool. I learned a few good drills to help me practice some of my "freestyle" skills (i.e. breathing, which is SO hard for me), and got some great times on hand positions and kick types.
More than that, though, I had fun. I had fun doing cardio with a friend, which is something I really haven't had in a month. I had fun pushing myself to do something challenging, which is also something I haven't had in a month. This morning filled so many of the voids I've had since this injury happened, and I'm so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to go.
Wednesday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: yoga
I'd wanted to go to bootcamp this morning, but had a late night at work and opted to get at least five hours of sleep instead. :P Sat at my desk for about 10 hours, and then joined my sis for the last free yoga class for the year. It was pretty chilly for outdoor yoga (49, plus wind!), but a nice way to stretch and relax.
Thursday
Planned: PT, 1/2hr run on AlterG at ATC
Did: 1.3mi @ 7:30/mi on AlterG at PT
Had a good run and workout at PT this morning, but ATC was randomly closed without notice when I showed up for my halfhour timeslot on their AlterG at lunch. Grrr.
Friday
Planned: bootcamp, 1/2hr run on AlterG
Did: bootcamp (ATC was closed today too, so no AlterG run)
Despite having done some things this week, today felt like the first time I really worked out all week. It was nice to have the camaraderie of our bootcamp class again, since that group environment is what I'm finding myself missing most about being injured.
Replaced #4 with speed squats/plank with hip slaps and #5 with a variety of things (wipers, knee push-ups, various squats, leg raise with hip lift, etc)
Was supposed to have an hour on the AlterG today, but, again, the office was closed. At least I knew about it before I went over there today.
Saturday
Planned: swim
Did: 30 laps (~1500m?) in about an hour
So, this swimming thing is happening. I found an municipal aquatic center that offers super affordable drop-in and long-term rates near me. The only downside is that they're closed Sundays and don't open until 7am on weekdays, which means morning workouts can't really happen. Still, it's better than paying a $100 "initiation fee" for a gym plus whatever absurd monthly rate they want to charge me, and then dealing with the cancellation mess (which has happened to me EVERY SINGLE TIME I've ever joined a gym).
I'd been planning this outing since my Tuesday swim with S, but, still, without fail, got up this morning with tons of negative self-talk in my head.
What if I get there and the lanes are all full of super fast swimmers?
What if they don't have kickboards?
What if I look like a complete fool doing my awkward "drills" that aren't really swimming strokes and the lifeguard thinks I'm drowning?
Y'know, the normal. :P
But, I'd told S I was going to swim this morning, AND I'd made a special trip to buy fins yesterday. I just needed to get myself there.
Everything turned out great. There were only five people there when I arrived, two of whom were staff. I had a lane all to myself (and it was only 4'-6" deep, perfect for 5'-3 1/8" tall me). There were kickboards galore (though they were a different style than I was used to).
I wanted to do at least 1000m, and ended up doing even more! (all with fins UNO)
- 3 laps of "warming up" with kickboard
- 7 laps of backstroke
- 3 more laps of kicking
- 2 laps of attempted freestyle with breathing practice (kind of gliding on my side to catch breath between face-in-water attempts)
- 2 laps of miscellaneous frog style/breaststroke hybrid
- 2 laps of head-out-of-water freestyle
- 1 lap freestyle breathing practice with hands on kickboard-- realized my biggest struggle is getting the air OUT of my lungs under water so all I have to do with my mouth out of the water is INhale (problem not solved, but identified, sooooo progress?)
- 2 laps backstroke
- 3 laps backstroke no fins
Successes:
- confident in my backstroke and really enjoyed it-- so much that I added extra laps at the end! I almost didn't want to get out of the pool, but could feel fatigue taking its toll on my form (I kept hitting lane lines)
- definitely got a cardio workout!
- with no external prodding, I went swimming, put my face in the water, and had fun
- felt comfortable enough to swim without fins
Struggles:
- counting laps- OMG, this is seriously the hardest thing about swimming!
- there were no flags at the end of the pool, so I jammed my fingers twice and hit my head once :/
- breathing OUT under water
- thrashing wildly and getting water down my ear canal every time I tried to freestyle
- fatiguing at the end and getting water in my nose, which I could tell shook my confidence and made the last few laps tough... until I calmed down and relaxed again
I bought a month pass to the center, and plan on trying to go a few times this week.
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| I have this sinking feeling in my stomach that I'm going to want to do another triathlon next fall... |
Sunday
Planned: 2-3mi walk
Did: ~4mi on bike @ ~6mph
Met up with my "team"'s lone marathoner (for this season) to accompany her on her last ~4mi of her 22 miler. Definitely NOT a workout at all, but SO nice to spend some time ""on the run" together.
End of Week Thoughts:
Things I never thought I'd hear myself say: I'm doing OK without running. I don't like it, and I can't wait to be back, but I'm doing OK.
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