IRONMAN TRAINING 2021

Week beginning Sunday, February 21, 2021

31 weeks until IRONMAN Canada.

WEEKLY GOAL

This is one is easy. Heal and not just my back.

SUMMARY

I feel I like was STRUGGLING (mentally and physically)

The idea was that if I was to say, not be able to run, then I'd be able to maintain fitness on the bike or in the pool. That is of course if you don't over do it and put a muscle in your back into spasm. The past two weeks have felt like two months and I have dealt with a range of emotions, none that I would consider postive.

9 DAYS LOST

^{and counting...}
Last week's issue with my longissimus thorasis was replaced with an even more acute spasm in my quadratus lumborum. Sitting was next to impossible; sleeping meant waking up with every attempt to roll into a different position.

SUNDAY FEB 21

I have been thinking about a new pair of Altra Escalantes as my current pair are on the back half of their training life. MEC had them in stock so I set off on my walk to downtown. Walking was ok but if I scooted through a pedestrian crossing because a driver was waiting for me to clear, My lower back was still a bit sketchy.

I got to the store, and tried on a 10.5 and an 11 (just in case there was a sizing difference with the newer model). I settled on staying with a 10.5 and then... POP!. That one hurt and hurt bad. There was an instant rush of questions in my head from "how long will I be unable to train after this one?" to "will I be able to walk out of the store?". It was scary.

MONDAY FEB 22

No training. I am stuggling to move about the house. I am medicating with Robaxact.

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TUESDAY FEB 23

No training. I am still struggling physically and the pain is wearing on me beyond that too.

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WEDNESDAY FEB 24

No training but I was able to get into to The Athlete Centre for an assessment on my back.

TLDR:  I am on the mend and the injury feels worse than it actually is. I am ok to walk and swim (neutral spine activities) but need to stay off the bike for a bit longer.

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THURSDAY FEB 25

Not much to report except that my back is feeling marginally better again today and that I typically feel better after an hour on the phone with Elliot.

The soreness is reduced to the QL muscle and a tiny bit of stiffness around the L5/S1 joint.

FRIDAY FEB 26

Sleep 3 | Fatigue 1 | Stress 3 | Soreness 5
^{Rate on an scale 1-7   1=best 7=worst   +5 is a warning}

PLANNED WORKOUT

Swim. No fixed distance, no fixed pace, no kickboard and no flip turns.

NOTES

Total Time: 40 minutes   Distance: 1500m

Another morning and another marginal improvement in the range of motion in my back; I am still not 100% and putting on socks is not (yet) comfortable.

Carina and I had a "Bubble Lane" booked at Esquimalt Recreation Centre. I swam 50s, the odd 100 and the odd 150; sometimes with a pull buoy. I felt ok, the effort was light and my back felt ok through 1400m (my watch stopped counting lengths at 1150 for some odd reason).

SATURDAY FEB 27

Sleep 4 | Fatigue 1 | Stress 3 | Soreness 5
^{Rate on an scale 1-7   1=best 7=worst   +5 is a warning}

PLANNED WORKOUT

2 short walks.

NOTES

Total Time: 0 minutes

Maybe the swim was what I needed but I woke up feeling a bit tighter than what I remembered yesterday and on Thursday.

I took it easy today. I did the regular Saturday chores (laundry) and gave myslef a haircut but formally getting outside to walk around, that was skipped. Today felt far too much like last Sunday before walking to Downtown.