First Recovery Week

Last week was our first recovery week.  It worked out well for me, with the pulled groin muscle and all.  I still trained, but less and did no running during the week.  I was trying to listen to the physical therapist so I would be good for the weekend workouts.  And, work was a little bananas at the beginning of the week.  I had some long days, and Tuesday I wound up eating all three meals at work, it was all ordered in because of all day meetings - including bagels and cream cheese (yum, but not really nutritious), Chick Fil A (also yum, but really NOT nutritious, although I did eat a giant serving of cut up fruit to try to counter-balance the fried deliciousness, not sure that's how it works, but I tried) and Chipotle for dinner (could be the healthiest of choices, except it was filled with sour cream and cheese and was enormous - no I didn't eat the whole thing, or anywhere near it).  All of these meals were eaten at my desk.  I got to work at about 6:30 am, so no run before work and didn't get home until almost 9 pm, so no run after work - probably for the best, let the groin muscle heal.  The only thing I really got right on Monday and Tuesday was my water intake.  Yay water!

Wednesday I had physical therapy in the morning and the therapist told me I slouch too much and my core isn't strong enough, and that's why the groin muscle still hurts (I'm not really sure how that works, but, okay).  While I didn't want to hear it, it does make me think about my posture more and be more vigilant about my core and strength workouts.  He also told me that if I did everything he said and was still improving that on Friday he would potentially clear me to return to normal activity (and he knows I'm training for an ironman, so normal activity is a lot).  Sweet!  I did every single thing he said.  Wednesday night was a trainer ride - my average speed?  30 mph.  What?!  That can't be right.  I did have the resistance very low to try to preserve the groin as much as possible.  But still, I feel like my Garmin can't be trusted indoors.  We'll see what it says this week (I have physical therapy in the morning and will not be able to ride outdoors).

Thursday was a team swim.  We get the whole pool to ourselves now for an hour after it closes, so it wasn't as crowded.  And, now the tri team is at the pool at the same time as the Ironteam.  But, even with the added people it worked out to be only about 2 people per lane.  Win.  I was not a big fan of starting at 8:30pm, I was sleepy - but I guess I'll get used to it.  We started doing interval swimming.  While it was tough, it felt like a good workout.  And, one of the tri coaches, Quinton, was coaching my lane, and gave me some more tips to improve my swim.  Thank you!

Friday, mid-day, I went back to the physical therapist hoping to get cleared.  He checked me out and after a quick visit - doing nothing to irritate the muscle, he cleared me to return to bike and run! Yay!  Friday night we had a swim on the schedule, which I wound up not doing.  I was at work until 6:30, and by the time I got home and let the dog out, I would've gotten to the pool about 20 minutes before it closed.  And, I figured better to let the leg rest before the next morning's ride.  So, I was all ready for the weekend's workouts.  Friday night I spent some quality one on one time with the bike.  I cleaned it and had a discussion with it.  We need to be friends, so I made sure it knew that I would be good to it and wanted to be its friend.  I was hoping this would help the next day's ride.

Saturday's team ride will get its own post, tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more adventures of me and my bike.  After practice I headed out to east Pasadena to see my psychiatrist, yes I have a psychiatrist, I've seen him for years, want to know more about why?  Read this post I wrote a little more than a year ago, for the most part it still holds true and explains a lot.  I've been feeling really anxious recently, especially when I have to ride.  And, its not just a normal amount of nerves.  It would be totally normal to be nervous, I've fallen a bunch, got a concussion, pulled a muscle.  The bike and I have had a rough go of it so far.  But, the anxiety I've been feeling is more than nerves, and I know that.  I know the difference.  Nerves I can deal with, the anxiety on the other hand, that takes my brain to dark scary places.  Places I've been before and don't want to go back to.  I've been anxious and jittery and its making me more nervous than I should be.

So, the doctor and I talked about what I can do, and we are adjusting my medication.  Hopefully this will help quell the anxiety monster and stop it from rearing its ugly, dark head.  I have to keep in fairly close contact with the doctor because the medications I take can affect my physical health when training.  One particularly - so we are adjusting that one too.  As the training days get longer and hotter we will probably have to adjust again.  But, thankfully I have a great doctor who can work with me on all of this stuff.  I know I will start to feel better soon and maybe, just maybe, I can gain some confidence on the bike.

Sunday was the last day of the recovery week and there was a 7 mile run, with hill repeats on the schedule.  I was a little nervous about how the pulled groin muscle would feel.  But, I took the whole run slow - slower than normal - by about a minute per mile.  Better safe than sorry.  I had a couple of moments of soreness, but all in all, I felt good during and after the run.  And, I'm not sore at all today.  After the run I had to stop by the bike shop to get a couple things and a running store where I picked up some new running shoes - exact same ones I've been wearing, even the same color, cause I'm a creature of habit and I love them - Saucony Kinvara.

Sunday early afternoon had a swim in store for me.  2700 yards.  Oi.  It went pretty well.  Except for the crazy man who wound up splitting the lane with me.  I was toward the slower end of the pool and splitting the lane with a woman who was done about 15 minutes after I started.  I had the lane to myself for about 15 minutes and then this man came up and asked to split with me.  Of course I said fine.  Mistake.  First, he was really fast and second, he was a total lane hog.  He seriously took up like 75% of the lane most of the time.  And, after about 15 minutes he was taking up so much of the lane that I wound up getting hit in the arm, leg and head no fewer than 10 times.  And, hard too.  I know that this will happen in races, I've heard stories, but really, in a pool where we are splitting a lane?  It was just rude.  I was practically on top of the lane line the whole time.  Finally one of the girls in the lane next to me got out and the other girl suggested we split that lane, as I obviously couldn't keep sharing with that guy.  Before I had even moved the ass had started taking up the whole lane.  Rude.  Anyway, I finished out the swim and felt good and had no pain in the leg.  Win!

So, that was the recovery week minus Saturday.  Saturday in review tomorrow.