Tuesday/Wednesday Training (Swimming/Gym)

A quick recap of the Tuesday & Wednesday Training this week with absolutely no running involved...

Tuesday (am) - swimming

• Swam 80 lengths of the 25m pool at Crook Log (in around 1hr 15 mins)

Tuesday (pm) - Gym session (legs and core only)

Warm Up

• Row - 2000m (in 09:03).  Av HR 130bpm, Max HR 162 bpm.

Leg Weights

• Leg Press:  6 reps x 80/90/100/110/120/130/140/150kg
• Leg Ext: 6 reps x 40/50/50/50/55kg

Abs

• 10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists with 6kg bar)

Cool Down

A gentle 1.5 mile walk back to my parents house after a quick shower...

Wednesday Eve

My normal home work out in my living room...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Considering, the knees feel reasonably ok.  I seem to be feeling a lot of aches and tightness at the moment, especially in the left hand side of my groin following the swimming exertions on Tuesday.

I'm still religiously taking 400mg of Ibuprofen to treat any inflammation in the knees.  I'll take this until the weekend when the Physio asked me to call him back to let him know how I was getting on.

Happy Birthday me...but not quite the present I wanted from the Physio...

Happy Birthday me.  38 years young today.  Physically I feel it but definitely not mentally.

The knees were a little sore still yesterday after Sunday's cross country, so I took fellow Plums Robin and Les' advice about speaking to their Physio, Nelson Gan.

A quick phone call and diagnosis over the telephone.

Discomfort in both knees indicates overtraining.  Where I've got the discomfort is patella tendonitis.  Exactly the same as last year.  So the Physio has advised no running for 7 days and rest the knees as much as possible in an attempt to get ready for Paris.  Swimming is allowed.  Some weight training may also help.

In his own words, the Physio said "look, I could take a look at you, give you a prod here and there and charge you for the priviliedge, or you can go and spend that money at the swimming pool and get your cardio done that way!"

So thats what I've done.  I'm on a flexi day so spent the morning at the pool.  I havent swam in months, so to swim 80 lengths (a new distance PB for me) before climbing back out of the pool, I'm content I've got a good session in.

By coincidence, I climbed out of the pool to bump into fellow Plum and Paris marthoner Robin.  He'd been on the phone to Nelson too and he'd been given the self same advice.  No running, just swimming for 7 days.  You couldnt make it up!

Weekend update...Izzy...the knee...and the cricket...

I had a cracking 24 hours and a bit with Izzy this weekend.  Chilled out in front of the tv last night and we hit Crook Log at 7.30 on Sunday morning for some swimming.

26 lengths of the 20m teaching pool = 520m in the bank.  For a 7 year old, thats a cracking effort.  It was a bit of an effort for me to keep up with her if the truth be known.

The good news is that the knee reacted well afterwards and during the day, so I cut the 7 day of complete rest by a day and headed out on the road after Top Gear this evening for a relaxed pace 5k.

 

Nothing miraculous, just down to the Plums club house, turned left and looped back on myself, just about spot on the 3.1 miles back home. I didnt feel the knee throughout the run and I havent felt it in the hour since being back. I ensured I stretched properly, rolled both quads and IT bands on the foam roller and I guess it helped that I walked down to the corner shop to grab a can of Diet Coke to sip while I soaked in the bath.

So far so good but tomorrow morning will be the ultimate test to see how it reacts to not moving and possible stiffening over night.

Oh and not forgetting the weekend was topped off by the brilliant climax to the Test Match. Will post up my thoughts shortly.