Exercise 4.2

This morning's swim should have gone well as the pool was quiet and I had an empty lane for the first half of my 1km. I tried hard to keep a tidy stroke with entry and exit together with a body roll on breathing. I also attempted to keep a steady pace with minimal pauses. However the end result was slow progress. A little disappointing but perhaps this is one of those backwards steps needed before a step forwards.

Rollering before bed and that was it for today.

Exercise 4.1

A rest day, just work and the related walking. That meant that it had to be time for strengthening exercises. I've completed 2 sets of 10 chair squats and 1 set of 10 small lunges - they did pull a little - followed by the stretch routine. This isn't much but does seem to be as much as I can cope with. Whilst walking home I thought how good it would have been to run a little into the Peak District, it was pleasantly warm and the sun breaking through the cloud. Of course I couldn't manage it, or more accurately, if I did it I couldn't repeat it in the next month or so. I must be patient.

Exercise 3.7

I managed a good swim at lunchtime today and feel that I maintained fairly neat form. After work I had my monthly back and shoulder massage - mostly that's to keep work-induced stiffness in check, but today there was lower back ache from back extension exercises at the gym. Now I've just done a basic set of rollering and stretches. Even though yesterday was quite tough on my knees they've felt OK today, just a little issue with the right patellar tendon. So not right, but going in the right direction.

Exercise 3.6

No swimming today due to too much work and a suspicion that it would tire me out before the circuit. As in previous weeks I ran to the circuit class, walking the downhill sections. Aiming for a high cadence was hard physical work but it is becoming a little more habitual and thus less of a mental effort.

The circuit class included squats and lunges, some of which I avoided and others I kept very small and well controlled. After all of that activity it seemed best to walk home. This was all done without any twinges but once home I had a tiny amount of patellar tendon pain on the right.

Exercise 3.5

By the time I'd walked downstairs to make breakfast I knew that my quads were tender and my left knee a little rough. It would be wrong to say that it was painful, just rather grumbling. During the day both knees have been fine despite going up and down stair a myriad times and on only one occasion did I detect a twinge. The consecutive run/walk and hike have clearly irritated them a little and I hope another night' sleep will give a bit of resolution.

I had hoped to fit in a swim today as yesterday's class was cancelled due to it being a Bank Holiday. It didn't work out though as I had too much work on and didn't manage to leave on time, by which point I suspected that the university pool would be busy.

Now I must make sure that I do the rollering and stretches. No strengthening exercises though as I think they've had enough trauma for now.

Exercise 3.4

The weather forecast predicted a dry morning before heavy, possibly thundery showers in the early afternoon. At breakfast time the sun was shining confirming our plan to hike the eastern section of the Sheffield Round Walk. The woodland was exceptionally green and we had a lovely trip except for witnessing a couple of stout dogs trying to kill each other in a park (we saw them later and they seemed fine so it wasn't as severe as it appeared). That was an undulating 11 mile walk, mostly done without pole, although I did use them on the long Norton Lees descent.

After a picnic lunch on the patio at home I cut the grass and finished just as it started to rain.

After all of this I was aware of my knees and made a point of doing lots of rollering of tight muscles and the usual set of stretches.

Exercise 3.3

I woke up with muscle aches in my shoulders, at least I'm hoping it's just fatigue and slight overload, from yesterday's swim. Most of the day has been wet, and although that's no excuse not to go out I had plenty else to get on with. Late  afternoon I rollered and as the evening came it was dry and a short run seemed in order. I decided that the rain would have made the paths in the woods a bit softer so that would be healthier than road, so long as I walked all of the descents.

Playing with  burst mode on the camera

I also made a point of checking my cadence a few times and I'm getting into the hang of 180 steps/minute. It feels very rushed! I also tried to keep my feet either side of an imaginary line to avoid my slight cross-over gait. As well as that I was aiming to keep a mid to fore foot strike and drive from my glutes with soft feet

Of course there was rollering and stretches to do at home. Hopefully I won't feel injured tomorrow.