Baby Steps - Weekly Recap

I'm starting to feel like things with my knees are progressing in the right direction.  Last week I had a total of 5 pain free days in a row.  Then I ran 9km and it all fell apart.  However, it wasn't as bad as it has been.  The pain is different now, it's milder for lack of a better word.  I also knew when I was running that my glutes weren't firing.  I could feel it.  My hamstrings were working but my glutes were not.  This type of awareness is a good thing.  I did a bit of a dynamic warm up but I should have done some of my physio exercises before I went out.  I did that on Saturday's run and it made a big difference. I could feel my glutes and hamstrings working.  My knees hurt after the run but not like they used to.  The pain never sticks around that long any more which is a good thing.  It almost feels like my left knee cap is trying to settle back into where it should be.  It's a strange but good feeling.  Just because I'm starting to feel better, I'm not going to go crazy.  I've been cleared to start doing body weight squats so that's a step in the right direction! 

I'm also getting fitted for new orthotics tonight which should help as well.  That will also mean an easy breaking in period for those so I know these next few weeks will be all about easy little bits of work to get me back on track.  I'm hoping that by December I'll be able to start getting to a regular routine and maybe, just maybe, start thinking about my 2015 season.

I had a pretty good week of workouts this week even with one long day of work.  I even got back on the bike and was completely pain free! WOOHOO! 

Monday:  2700m swim in a.m. Pilates in p.m- I'm totally loving this.  Working with Elyse has done wonders for my shoulders as well as my glutes.
Tuesday:  75 minutes strength and mobility work
Wednesday:  OFF - was up at 3:50 am to get to work for 5:00 am.  So.  GROSS.
Thursday:  9km run in a.m., physio in pm.
Friday:  2350m swim
Saturday:  13.8km run in the a.m. some of it with Michelle and friends.  Love it when I run into people I'd never expect to see in my 'hood!

 Saturday P.M: roughly 600m of drills / stroke correction work with Leanna & David.  Then David and I went and ate these at Bacon Nation.  OMG.  And we can't forget the rules either.

Sunday a.m.:  3350 swim, almost all pull and paddles.  I definitely worked off my bacon sandwich, ha ha.  p.m.:  55 minutes on the computrainer watching the Foo Fighters Sonic Highway.  If I wasn't so darn hungry, I would have watched another hour, it was so good.  I'm sure my legs would have hated me though. 

Total time:  8h 32 minutes with 9000m of swimming!  Heck yes.

I'm riding a good wave right now.  I've been keeping an injury journal which has helped keep my head on straight when I have bad days.  The best part is that the bad days are fewer and far between so I must be doing something right.

How was your weekend?