So I've been keeping the runs and bikes easy and building the length each session. This week's run will be up to 30 mins on Sunday and the bike will be at 1:15:00-1:20:00 on Saturday.
I haven't had any pain so far other than a little bit of tight shins on my last run but my MCL has been doing better and better. Sometimes I wrap it and/or ice it to keep swelling at bay so it can heal properly but I've never needed to use either technique to reduce pain.
I plan on continuing to increase the length of my runs and bikes gradually until my runs are about 1 hour long and my bike about 1:30:00 before I decide to add any speed or strength work (I will add speed/strength on the bike once I hit 1:30:00 on the bike, I will add speed/strength specific workouts on the run once my runs hit 1 hour). I hate to do this so close to race season, but I understand that if I want to be able to train consistently and injury-free I am going to have to build a proper, very strong base before getting into the tough stuff. Unfortunately, this means that this season won't be nearly as fast as I wanted it to be, but I have 3 months before nationals in Toronto so hopefully I will be fit enough by then to secure a spot at world's in Edmonton next year. If my running goes well this summer perhaps a shorter race season will allow me to run cross-country for the Western team next year. Wouldn't that be something! The reason I'm saying my race season might be short is due to the fact that I probably won't race with the intention of racing until June from the looks of it. It will allow me for some time to build a proper base and make sure I'm 100% injury-free, as I mentioned earlier.
I started noticing during the last few weeks of masters swimming that my pull really hasn't been up to par. I always fall behind and it's really not where it should be for my level of swimming. Pull used to be my strong point back in club swimming so hopefully I can bring that back. That being said, swimming isn't going badly at all. I definitely miss that speed I used to have but on Wednesday I did a 4x400m set, odds swim, evens pull on 6:30, holding around 6 mins per 400. There was supposed to be a 3,4,5,6 breathing pattern by 50 and I was pretty good, doing 3,4,5-1-5.. per 50, for the first 400 but after that I really pushed myself on the pull forcing me to breath mainly every other stroke, adding in a few breathing patterns of 3 every now and then. I wasn't quite sure if the main purpose was to make the repeat or work on the breathing, but I felt it more appropriate to focus on making the repeats on the pull which was definitely a challenge, no thanks to the pool being long course.
The weather has been really nice these past couple of days, although very windy, and I look forward to taking full advantage. I probably won't be biking outside until I feel more comfortable that my MCL is healed. I am almost positive my little tumble is what strained it in the first place and I wasn't even moving when I fell so I am a little apprehensive that it might happen again, but worse due to it being weak from the previous incident. There is also the fact that I need to bike in heavy traffic to get out of town and I don't really find it worth it for an hour ride.
Anyway, those are my thoughts of late and I'm sure I will be back with another update soon.
Until next time,
Matt Mahaffy
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