Exploratory swim, and (whisper) a number

Canyon Meadows pool saw me this morning at 7 am for the first time in about 3 months. That's the longest I've been off swimming in several years. What with arm I was wondering how it was going to go. I went in with no expectations at all.

Well, I didn't go very far, maybe 400 m or so, but certainly not 500 m. It's hard to describe how my arm felt. It didn't particularly hurt, but there wasn't much strength there, and the area around the elbow felt hollow. It twinged pretty good, and started aching. I didn't push for any speed at all, just tried for a clean stroke. Amazing what you forget. I might have to learn tumble turns after all. Mostly you turn left if you're swimming with other people, and the way I used to grab the lip of the pool with my right hand, tuck my feet, twist, and push off, is painfully impossible. I had to give myself a rest after doing that once by force of habit.

Afterward (if the word afterward applies to something so short) I went into the dive tank to try the core exercises I like to do. I can get my arms hooked onto the lip of the pool ok. The idea is to do the exercises without using my arms for leverage. That sort of works. I still have most of the flexibility I had before. About the same time, I twisted just a bit too hard, and the pool filled up with an oldies but goodies class. Time for me to hit the hot tub, and stretch a bit.

And I got a number. Patience.

Had a nice morning reading the paper, drinking coffee, and nibbling a goodie from Cobb Bakery. Then I started puttering at the mess in the basement. Lots of cardboard to go to recycling. Lots of clothes to go to the Sally Ann. Lots of mess cleaned up.

The run plan with JN didn't work out, but I went anyway. From my house up to the South Glenmore boat launch and back in 90 min. Well, almost. Started off a block or so from my house. Ran 60 min 14/1, then 30 min 9/1 as I was getting tired. At the end, I was a 4.5 minute walk (600 m) from my starting point, and I turned around at exactly the half way mark. This was all at a mid zone 2 pace. I had lots of heart and lung left, but I wanted to see how the legs made out. I promised my feet a nice scrub with a salt/sandlewood scrub we have. Mostly it was good, but it got a little choppy toward the end. Left calf was tightening up.

The out leg was 5.75 K in 45 min, for about 7.6 Kph
The back leg was 5.1 K in 45 min for 6.8 Kph
The total is 7.2 Kph.

Stretched lots after, nibbled a banana with Nutella and a glass of milk. Nice shower and the promised scrub. Drinking a Spanish Tempranillo wine while writing blog. Life is good.

There was something else.

I'll remember soon.

Oh yes!

228! I seem to have escaped the gelatos. There's new stuff below, keep on reading.