Exercise 8.4

The was tennis and football on the TV this evening so the swimming pool was very quiet, just 4 of us and one teacher. That worked very well for me as it meant that I was able to get feedback on my stroke after almost every length. I can feel my arm position fairly well but I need help to analyse what is good and where there are faults. After 34 lengths of trying and adapting I think I've got an idea of what I should be doing. Basically it needs effort and concentration. If I try to take it easy or take my mind off the stroke all sorts of laziness creeps in.

The long strokes require more effort than lazy ones and I made I deliberate plan this week to try to do 2 lengths consecutively. With the close supervision I had to make an effort to retain good technique.

Exercise 8.3

Before lunch we took our habitual walk through the local woods so that's 14km or so hiking in total. Not much, but that meant that I had some energy left for a run in the woods. As last week, even the little walks gave some adverse sensations in my left knee, but are they significant? Anyway, I took the plunge and went out making three little runs this week, the first time I've managed that in ages and just under 20km at 19.7km (including some walking bits).

The edge of the wood is tantalising - beyond next week?

At the end of the run the left knee felt a little odd, almost 'swollen', but nothing to see and nothing really tender. All seemed well after rollering and stretches. Perhaps this is the beginning of a clear recovery?

Exercise 8.2

This morning's swim went OK but I suspect that I'm training myself to do a length and then have a 5 second rest. I'll have to break that trend at King Edward's as the Goodwin is too deep to have to quit part way through a length - and also a little too much traffic!

This afternoon we went to Lincolnshire to camp and before dinner managed a 7km stroll through the local woods. Very pleasant, although much colder than last week!

Exercise 8.1

Nada.

Exercise 7.7

No exercise today but I was pleased to have a massage booked after work. This morning I was very aware of both knees and walking into work I could feel discomfort in my left patellar tendon - that has persisted much of the day while the right has faded away.

The left calf and hamstring had become very knotted over the last few days and I suspect that such tightness doesn't help the knee pain.

Last week I was warned that I'd have painful abs after 3minute planks but I didn't have. Today though I have noticed a bit of muscle soreness and I put it down to the ab-roller exercise that we were introduced to yesterday.

Exercise 7.6

A potential swim this morning was thwarted by pressure of work but I had activities planned for this evening. I ran slowly to the circuit class and for the first time in many weeks included the slight descents of Psalter Lane. The class included some leg work that I avoided but I ensured that I had done my recommended exercises. The second set of squats triggered a little tenderness in the left quadriceps tendon. On the return I ran the level bits ver gently. Moving around home I was aware of my right quads. The weakness is clearly bilateral, indeed before my injury the right knee often seemed more delicate when I was running up rough steps.

The evening meal was a chickpea curry so that should have provided a fair top-up of protein.

A good rest period is needed now.

Exercise 7.5

The physio has advised me to try to ignore the plethora of small niggles that I'm now aware of. She believes that there can be an element of hyperaesthesia and theories for that are touched on in a review article. Ignoring pain can be hard as I'm very conscious of overdoing things and having to stepback. This evening my legs felt pretty good and so it was appropriate to do the run around the woods, 7km with a few easy ascents and descents. As before I walked the steep descents but I did run some parts of the shallow slopes, a little more than in previous weeks.

At one point I did feel a slight soreness in the left quadriceps tendon and by the time I was home I was aware of the right. So both legs had made themselves evident. Overall though I don't think anything has been disrupted. Half way around the loop I thought that I could have gone far further but later on I knew that it was enough. I'm finding the high cadence and light-footed gait to be hard work both aerobically and to my muscles. It was especially hard to be light on my left foot which has a habit of slapping down unless I'm thinking about it very hard.

I was too tired generally an in my legs to do the strengthening exercises but I did do rollering and stretches.