Week in review April 22-28: Feeling like I’m getting back on track

A much better variety last week.

It was a better week last week, as far as training goes. Even with two days of no training, I managed to rally for a nice, long day on Saturday and some pre-Game of Thrones yoga Sunday, which is more than what I’ve done in a while.

My two days off training came about after I had to work a special event Tuesday evening, making it a 15-hour work day, and when I came home Friday and hid in bed under the blankets for a while. I eventually got hungry enough that I came out for wine and crackers, but I was not in the head space for a workout, so another rest day it was.

I did something active the other five days, and cooked healthy-ish dinners six days, so I’ll take that as a win. My activity ended up at:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 50.25 fake trainer miles in about 3.5 hours. This is the one thing I’ve managed to keep consistent for the past seven weeks now and I’m going to ride it (heh) as long as possible. This might be extremely optimistic but the area closed off from car traffic begins this coming Saturday, so I maaayyyyy get to ride outside safely then, provided the weather holds up.

PT: One in-person therapy session and two homework sessions for about 2.75 hours total. Not great but at least I’m doing something during the week. I went through all my knee and hamstring exercises on Saturday and it took for-ev-errrrrr. It’s just so discouraging.

Weights: Hey, I actually did some weights: one of my heavy/body routines on Saturday for about 1.25 hours. I did almost as many reps as I did on the last go-round a few weeks ago, so it was nice to see I hadn’t lost that much strength.

Yoga: One 15-minute session Sunday evening of pigeons, down dogs, twists, etc.

Total: 8 sessions in about 7:47. Not bad.

I am looking forward to not having any work commitments in the evenings this week and maybe even making it back to barre. It’s supposed to rain, but I don’t have clearance to try running again yet anyway, so I guess now is the time to be on the injured list. If I can do my usual Monday-night trainer ride and healthy (ish) dinner, I’m hoping that momentum will carry me for at least a couple of days. That and caffeine, of course.

Still grumpy about PT

Point and flex my toes to strengthen ... something.

I’ve been going to PT once a week these last three weeks, and my mood hasn’t improved about it. I arrive crabby because I know it’s going to hurt; there are some exercises I do that are painful in my hamstring.

And, my SI joint is all screwed up as a result of my hamstring being too tight, or my hamstring has locked up due to my SI joint being all screwed up. We haven’t figured that part out yet. I don’t remember hamstring issues the last time my SI joint was bothering me, though, so who knows.

I was in a much better place mentally when I was in PT for my knee and I’m not sure what has changed. In both situations I was in a bit of pain and I knew PT would address underlying issues. Maybe because knee PT never actually hurt and hamstring PT does? Maybe because I am not happy I have to go through this again? Maybe because the knee was an acute thing and I’ve resigned myself this time around to lifelong issues now that I’m a year older?

Sadly, I have appointments for the next two weeks at least and no clearance to return to running. So, there’s not even a light at the end of the PT tunnel at this point.

If there’s any silver lining to this, the weather is taking yet another turn for the worse this weekend, so at least I’m not missing any good running weather.

Sincerely,

Oscar(etta) the Grouch(y Non-Runner)

Week in review April 15-21: Not very “hoppy” with how the week turned out

A good week for trainer rides but not much else.

Guys, it was a week. I really struggled to do my workouts, even with a day off work on Friday. I’m not happy about having to go back to PT. I’m not happy that I’m not running. I don’t care if I never swim again. I feel like my get up and go, got up and went.

I ended up with three days off from training last week: I got a haircut and color Thursday after work, I spent all day Friday running errands and cleaning, and yesterday (Sunday) I was busy with family coming over for Easter, and then food prep all day. I’m sure I could have squeezed in a bit of yoga or a half hour of PT homework during the morning, but I also wanted to relax and enjoy some coffee before the chaos started. By then I was mentally writing the week off as a wash, anyway, and a nice cup of coffee and doggo belly rubs can be self-care, which is also healthy, right?

The one thing I have been consistent with is my trainer cycling. Last week was the sixth week in a row that I’ve done three rides, two shorter rides of about an hour during the week and a longer ride of about an hour and a half on the weekend. At the very least, I have that going for me even if I don’t do anything else.

Last week shook out to be:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 51 fake trainer miles in about 3:35.

PT: Twice, one in-person therapy session and one homework session, for about 1:30. I have no excuse; I just dropped the ball on this last week.

Yoga: After a day of errands and cleaning Friday my lower back was really hurting me, so I did 15 minutes of yoga before bed. It wasn’t enough to make it feel good, but it was better. My SI joint still feels like it’s a bit out of place, even with a few different stretches and ways to loosen it as my PT demonstrated to me. The whole left side of me from the hips down has been the bane of my existence for years now. It’s getting old. (And so am I, apparently.)

Total: Six sessions in about 5:20. Not great.

I didn’t do any weights last week. I prioritized trainer rides after work and also after I ran out of steam and took a nap on Saturday – it was rainy, gloomy, and cold out, and my body couldn’t resist. I also didn’t make it to the pool.

One thing I DID do was not pack too many stressful things into one evening. Most evenings I did one workout, showered, made dinner, relaxed, and went to bed at a reasonable hour. So, yay for me for not cramming too much stress into an evening, I guess? Also, we ordered dinner in only once during the week, not counting Easter dinner yesterday, and I consumed only a reasonable amount of Easter chocolate and mimosas yesterday. More small victories.

Today kicks off a new week and I’m going to prioritize some solid workouts. I’m working an event tomorrow night so I know my week will be screwy on that end, but I’ll try to take a late morning Wednesday and maybe get in an extra session then. I’ll focus on trainer rides, eating well, and not stressing out too much, and hopefully everything else will fall into place, too.

I hope you had a hoppy Easter if you celebrate and even if you don’t, are enjoying some 50% off candy today.

Week in review April 8-14: Small victories

Comparatively lots of biking.

Last week was one of those weeks where even accomplishing the smallest task feels like a feat of strength getting it done and a victory when it’s over. I got a late start pretty much every day, I only did the bare bones of training, and I ended up taking two days off. Not the greatest week.

I did have one victory in that I increased my FTP again. I did the 20-minute test through Trainer Road on Monday, and am confident that I could not have lasted for even one more minute. My next rides were more challenging, of course, but not unreasonably so. Biking on the trainer was the one thing that was a solid success last week. I even rallied after a lazy Saturday morning and put in a good 1.5 hours when I really wanted to go take a nap.

Other than that, though, all I did was one weights video, one PT session, and one PT homework session. I’m glad I did any weights, PT is coming along, and my PT homework was a monster session of all my homework from both my knee and hamstring injuries. Even though I could have done more, at least I did something.

And, it wasn’t like I did nothing useful. Friday’s day off was because my husband and I took advantage of the first nice day of the year and had an outdoor happy hour. Sunday’s day off was spent getting groceries, food prepping, and cooking a special Game of Thrones-inspired dinner. Not bad reasons to take a break.

So, let’s call last week a recovery week, and hopefully I can jump right back into it today.

By the numbers:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 49.5 fake trainer miles in about 3:34.

PT: Twice, one in-person session and one homework session, for about 2:15.

Weights: One video for about 55 minutes.

Total: 6 sessions in about 6:44. Not great, but not terrible, and I’ll take it.

This week is going to be another weird week – I already have a long overdue hair appointment one evening and PT another evening, I have Friday off work but have already scheduled an oil change and optometrist appointments, and I need to clean the condo Friday/Saturday because we are having family over before we go out for Easter dinner on Sunday. I really have no idea what I’ll be able to do or when.

I’m going to do what I can and hope for the best. Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring me some magical house-cleaning fairies or a few extra hours! I’ll plan on the chocolate, though, just in case.

Physical therapy check-in: I'm going, but I don't have to be happy about it

Thera-bands are my new best friends.

I'm back in physical therapy and have gone to three sessions so far. It's too early to tell how it's really going, but I do know that I can definitely feel the moves they have me do, so I presume it's working.

I do a lot of hamstring stretching, straight forward and also while twisting this way and that. I do resistance stuff. I flex various leg muscles in various positions. I do this weird move where I do a pelvic raise and then slide my left leg out and back in. It's not fun, but I know it's necessary.

But still, I don't have to be happy about it. My therapist told me yesterday that I was absolutely NOT cleared for returning to running yet. I am missing my tentative goal half marathon this Saturday. PT takes forever and is expensive. I haven't been doing any of my knee PT homework because now this hamstring stuff takes priority. I made a note in my training log Monday: "I'm going to have the longest PT exercise list in the history of injured runners." And this is just a strain and some weakness!!!

Some slightly good news is that my therapist doesn't think I need to do in-person sessions more than once a week. And, most of the random pain has calmed down, so it doesn't hurt to sit with pressure on the hamstring, and it doesn't hurt to walk. I am still biking and lifting weights (mostly). The sky is not completely on fire.

My big concern is how on earth I am going to manage these hours of PT exercises, returning to running, maintaining bike and strength fitness, going to the pool occasionally, doing some yoga occasionally — all while working a full-time job and not eating junk food three times a day. I am overwhelmed just thinking about it! And I don't even have kids! Sheesh.

Until my next session, you can find me in my living room, re-building that hamstring strength. To be continued...

Week in review April 1-7: At least bike training and weights is still on point

Not bad training minutes last week.

It wasn’t great, but last week was good enough and I definitely could have done worse. After spending last Friday evening and all day Saturday with family, I was looking forward to relaxing and training all this weekend. Joke was on me because I ended up having family come into town for a few hours Sunday. But we had fun, caught up on each other’s lives, ate delicious food, and did a LOT of walking, so it all worked out.

Training was pretty consistent all week, with me doing something from Monday through Saturday (and even the Sunday before to make seven days in a row). That included three bike trainer rides, two weights sessions, and two physical therapy sessions for my hamstring. I really had high hopes to do some yoga but I was so tired yesterday (Sunday) after the family day and cramming in a few hours of food prep, I was exhausted and just went to bed.

By the numbers, last week was:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 50.25 fake trainer “miles” in about 3.5 hours.

PT: Four times, two in-person physical therapy sessions and two homework sessions, for about 2.75 hours.

Weights: Twice, one barre class and one heavy/body session, for about 2.25 hours. I was able to do another half pull-up or so and I am feeling it today.

Total: 9 sessions for almost 8.5 hours. Not bad!

I didn’t make it to the pool, and I could have done some yoga, and I probably could have done more PT, but it was still a good showing. I got in a good mix of training, downtime, personal work, and fun. I cooked dinner every night from Tuesday through Saturday. I didn’t get enough sleep, but I’m working on that.

I'm already off to a good start this week and am hoping to build on last week to have an even better week, this week. Happy training.

March was something between a lion and a lamb

Minutes trained in March.

Considering I was out of the country for the first third of March, I’m pretty happy with how the month shook out. Add in that I only ran three times before my hamstring pain got to be too much, and my totals make much more sense.

My training was nothing to write home about but I was relatively consistent. Bike trainer-ing was on point. Weights weren’t too shabby. I made it to the pool. And I dusted off my boxing bag to replace some of the running.

We had another spell of cold weather and that, combined with me only running a few times, means I didn’t get outside at all after my vacation. Sad face. However, it’s looking like the weather forecast for the next week or so includes temperatures in the 50s and 60s, and I am hopeful that my hamstring will have calmed down enough to do a test run before too long.

March worked out to be:

Bike: Nine times, all on the trainer, for 149.75 (so close!) fake trainer miles in just less than 11 hours. I’m pretty proud of this: The three weeks I was in the country, I logged solid, consistent rides. Go, me! I know I need to re-test my FTP soon but man, I don’t want to. Some days I feel I am barely holding my target watts in the warmup! I’m going to give it another week or two and suck it up.

PT: Five times for about 4.5 hours. Eh, not terrible, not great either. I had a couple weeks of nothing and a couple weeks of multiple times per week. It’s so hard for me to find the time during the work week. I really do the best I can but there are only so many hours in a day.

Weights: Four times – two heavy/body sessions, one barre class, and one video – for about 4.5 hours. I’ll take a 1-2 times per week average as a success.

Run: Sigh. Only three times, twice on the road while in Buenos Aires and once on the treadmill after I got back, for 12.5 miles in about 2.5 hours. The BA runs hurt and the treadmill run when I got back hurt more, so I’m taking a break while I go back to PT and figure out how I can course correct. Blech.

Swim: Another minor victory for March was that I made it back to the pool for the first time in months. I just did kickboard and pull buoy drills, as I’m still trying to get my sense of the water back. I meant to swim a mile so I did 1600 yards… forgetting that when it’s a yard pool I usually do 1750 yards. Oops. Well, I’ll do an extra three laps next time.

Other: Because I’m not running, there were two sessions where I needed to warm up before I did PT or a weights workout, so I dusted off my boxing gloves and bag and did 20 minutes of combinations from my cardio kickbox days each time. It was fun to shake it up a bit.

Total: 24 sessions in about 23.75 hours. Not shabby at all.

I did completely neglect any yoga, which I’m not happy about, looking back. Boo.

I made a few loose goals at the beginning of the year:

- Continue to rebuild running, SMARTLY. I thought I was being smart, but apparently not smart enough. My run is now officially in the shop.

- Make my PT as much of a priority as running. Well, now I’m back in actual PT instead of just doing my homework, so this became true by necessity.

- Keep cycling on the trainer until it's nice enough to cycle outside. OK! This one I’ve done.

- Figure out a pool schedule that works and get over my swimming anxiety. I made baby step progress this month but baby step progress is still progress.

- Stick with my casual lifting rotation of videos, barre class, and a heavy/body routine. Success!

- Get into a good yoga groove. I was unsuccessful this month.

- I would also like to do a sprint triathlon again this year. The jury is still out on this one. Right now I would be happy with any kind of running race this year.

And my phrase of the year: ARRIVE, DRIVE, STRIVE, THRIVE, ALIVE.

Arrive: I have been showing up.

Drive: I have been putting my head down and doing the work in some aspects. I’m working on the others.

Strive: Working to improve is a work in progress.

Thrive: I am still enjoying my training. I love the work, the challenge, and the reward.

Alive: I’ve done both training and non-training stuff that have made me feel alive: traveling, hanging out with family, sleeping in, going to brunch. And punching a boxing bag, working toward multiple actual hanging pullups in a row, etc.

I have lots of work to do in April but I think I can do it. And if I can’t, I want to have fun trying.

Week in review March 25-31: Great for seeing family, terrible for workouts

Lots of blank space over the weekend.

Every once in a while I’m going to have a week where I feel like all attempts at training go out the window in favor of life events, and last week was definitely one of those weeks. Unfortunately, there’s not really much I can do except brush it off and try to move on.

I wasn’t feeling great on Monday so I decided to take the day off training and dedicate the evening to personal stuff. I was able to rally for two decent trainer rides and a weights video mid-week, so at least I had a solid mini-stretch in there.

My sister-in-law ended up coming into town unexpectedly last week so we all went out to dinner as a family on Friday evening. My husband and I got a late start Saturday for our usual brunch /  market / errands routine, and I had good intentions to do another trainer ride afterward, but my sister-in-law wanted to visit one more time before heading to the airport. Since I never see her, of course I changed my plans, and as we poked around the neighborhood I discovered a specialty chocolate shop dangerously close to my home, so it all worked out (haha).

Velodrome time!

I already had plans with my parents to go to the nearby Lexus Velodrome for the Saturday Night Rumble, a lineup of a whole bunch of cool events. My dad hadn't been yet, and he cycled a bit and even did a century when we kids were little. In fact, he teased me about doing "only" a 60-miler on my first 70.3 training go-round, so I made sure to do a 62-miler, a metric century, the second time around. Anyway, Saturday ended up being a wash as far as training. But I ended up getting to hang out with pretty much my whole family, so it was a win in that regard.

I was able to do my trainer ride yesterday in between food prep sessions, so at least I did something active this weekend. Overall, it worked out to be:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 49 fake trainer miles in about 3.5 hours.

Weights: One 55-minute video.

Total: Four sessions in about 4.5 hours.

I had a lot of stuff happen in one week and there's not much I can do now except put it behind me and start looking forward to the next week. We'll call it a deload week and move on.