Training towards the MdS 2010 - 5

My run on Tuesday evening was a good one, but I may just have gone too far considering the leg/hip problem. I suffered quite a lot on Wednesday, although I refused to admit it to anyone. I did limp quite a lot, and knocked back more Aspirin that is good for one.

Towards evening, I went to gym to re-start my training programme there, that I had designed last year with running in mind. Whereas during my power-training/weight-lifting days, I used to go to gym four times a week, I have now reduced this to twice a week, doing upper body on one day, and lower on the other. For the exercises I do, I have dropped my weights markedly, and am concentrating more on repetitions than weight.

Yesterday afternoon, as mentioned, I did lower-body - leg extensions, calf exercises, leg curls, hack squats, dumbbell lunges, lots of stretching for my Psoas muscle problem, and some abs work and pull-ups (the latter weight-assisted as I am still getting over my shoulder operation from 2007). It felt really good, and my glutes today are letting me know, that they were well-used. I'm glad to be back at gym, because I missed it, as did my body!!!!

Afterwards, I also re-started my Wednesday evening wellness, and returned to Bener Park where I have an annual subscription. It may be small, but is modern and immaculately clean. Wednesday evening is for men only, and I am usually alone there, which suits me fine. I made good use of the Finnish sauna, caldrarium and steam bath, and will start using the swimming pool again from week. In keeping in line with conditioning the body to withstand high temperatures in the Sahara Desert, I stayed longer than normal in the actual sauna. It's amazing how the mind works. Until yesterday, I could never stay longer than 15 minutes in the 85°C sauna; yestereve, I was determined to start heat-conditioning training, and easily managed 20 minutes.

After the exercise and stretching of yesterday, my leg is somewhat better than it was, and I will certainly get in a short run this afternoon. Planning on a long, slow run this weekend. One day, my leg will be fully healed, and I can really get into training in a big way. Until then, I do what I can, and when I can.

Here is my run route from Tuesday - discovered I could add it here. I use the programme "SportTracks", which I find excellent when connected to my Garmin Forerunner 305. Click on the pic for an enlargement.