Shipley and Saltaire strolls

I'm in Shipley this weekend for the Saltaire Recorder Weekend (radical!) where I know I'll be struggling to keep up with others. However, on the footpaths around here I can be confident of being a brisk, confident walker even though I still can't return to running.

The principle paths are, of course, the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Shipley Glen. The latter has been a popular tourist destination since Victorian days. I didn't manage a ride on the tram as it only runs during Sunday and I was being musical then. Around these very popular paths are routes farther into the Glen and along Baildon Bank. Although there are Rights of Way I found many additional paths so even in this semi-urban environment GPS mapping was useful.

Ruins of Milner Field Manor

Most of the 20km route was unexceptional, a pleasant day in good weather, but I enjoyed looking at some remains of the ill-fated Milner Field Manor. I'd heard that there is a risk of dogs, and perhaps people, falling into the cellars so I was very limited in my exploration and didn't stray from evidently solid ground.

Still progress with freestyle

The evening coaching block finished last week and I'm eager to sign-up for another block should there be one early summer. I've found this to be an excellent support for the intense sessions in the endless pool. The coached sessions allow more drill and equipment use than is usually permitted in a traditional pool environment but keeps the basic structure of 'lengths'. Importantly, both coaches pick up on the same points of my stroke and appear to have similar goals in mind so I'm not split into whose advice I should follow. This hasn't always been the case with swimming teachers in my limited experience.

I can't say that I enjoy the endless pool sessions but I've definitely become accustomed to the water flow, noise, and absence of a pause every 25yards or so. I'm even becoming used to the snorkel. Even so, the situation allows checks on technique and the continuous nature means that the stroke development is hindered by turns. Last session I had more trouble with my legs than previously which I think was due to too much kicking which in turn pushed my legs under the flow, needing more kicking etc. Not a problem with the stroke, more to the mechanics of the pool.

My stroke is clearly becoming more powerful and efficient based on the timing figures from my own pool sessions where I'm not manging 4:30min for 200 yards and 57s for 50 yards. Not great but better, and reproducible. The videos still show:

• Elbows low on catch, especially left
• Left arm wandering outwards on pull
• Drooping of my arms on reach, right a bit more often

The first two are very much involved in not generating ideal backwards force. The endless pool provides instant feedback on every stroke as an effective one pulls you forwards towards the mirror and weakness results in a backwards drift. This is very helpful as it does help to develop the feel of the optimum arm position.

A backwards step for foot pain

This morning I woke up with the typical pain of plantar fasciitis for the first time in many weeks. This feels like a major step back in my healing. Let's backtrack slightly. My foot pain first came to my notice as something other than a one-off niggle in early March, but I believe the onset was in February. After a few runs with background pain, and worse the day after, I stopped running. My walks continued as practice for the Peak Pilgrimage and didn't seem to trouble my foot. I also started to include some slow jogs to the weekly strength and conditioning session. 

Uphill from home was a little uncomfortable, but the session and the return uphill section were fine. By this week the physio suggested that as my 2 x 8 minute jogs were basically comfortable, try 2x 5 minutes on Wednesday as well. Yesterday that seemed to go OK after a very mild discomfort 3 minutes in on the first section.  I was pleased with that and was looking forwards to the rest of the return to running plan I'd been given.

However, this morning has been a painful indicator that the tissue isn't as well healed as we'd thought. I'm back to the plantar pain and tenderness and discomfort through the Achilles tendon and into my calf. Oh dear. Why yesterday should have caused so much irritation is unclear. Second in the week? Different shoes? Different route? Swim in the middle? The advice was to not repeat the run if the pain reappeared so that outcome was partially foreseen. Back to walks and more calf roller time as the muscle tightness seems to be re-establishing itself as a negative influence.