catchup

Wed swim was nice and relaxing. My thought was to concentrate on being long and strong, smooth and steady.
1 K just a hair under 19 min, but nice and easy.
20 min core and flexibility work in the dive tank.

In fact, if a couple of the people I was sharing the lane with hadn't got in the way near the end, and I had pushed it a bit more, I suspect I could have made a significant improvement in my personal best time for that distance. But that isn't what the swim was about. I was doing my best shark impression, how they look slow till you try to escape, then CHOMP! And yes, I was trying to visualize what a swim cap with a shark fin on the back would look like as I was going back and forth.

And don't get the idea that the people I was sharing the lane with were being bad. Not at all. They were going at a respectable pace, and were letting me by. There was only two occasions (once each) where I was slow the last few meters of a lap waiting for them to get to the end. They probably quite legitimately thought they could make it to the end before I got there, and I'm not going to bust their chops about it. Overall, the people I've been sharing lanes with at the FOMC pool have been excellent about sharing.

The massage last night was very nice. My therapist (may rose petals be scattered in her path) worked a long time on my legs. Oddly enough, my mid-back was surprisingly good. But she thinks I may have actually pulled or torn a bit of muscle in my calf. It's not bruised or obviously swollen, but she thinks the left is bigger than the right, and it's way tighter. Her thought is to dial back on the running a bit, since that's when I get the pain, and give things a chance to heal up. She also suggested that since I'm new to running, that I get someone to actually look at my stride. She thinks it's possible that my left leg is doing something my right isn't, that stresses the calf muscle differently.

So even though the IGP™ called for a 50 min 6r/2w session this morning, I didn't. Things are still sore this morning, and I can feel the pull during a normal walking stride. I think running right now, even very carefully, would be asking for it pretty please with sugar on top. It's supposed to be nice out at lunch time, so I'll go for a walk then. Tonight, back on the bike again! Sunday calls for bike then short run, and we'll see how things feel. Maybe run slowly, lightly, with more frequent walk breaks than usual.

And J, after Tuesday's long ride, my butt was fine. Honestly, I could have kept going, but there was Greg, looking at his watch, tapping his toes, holding the store keys.... NOT! No, I could have kept going, but people were getting off their bikes and starting to pack up. I think I've absorbed the lesson that just because I could eat something bigger than my head, I don't have to. And just because I could go longer or harder during a workout, doesn't mean I should.