February's Training

The worst month of the year became the best so far for 2011 because I was cleared for all cardio activity, "as tolerated," the doctor warned. So I've been running slowly 3 days a week, trying to add mileage as my foot allows. Swelling remains, and it won't go down as quickly as it would were I not pounding it with my 3-mile jogs. I ice the foot the evenings I have run in the morning.
The physical therpist reports that the fascia underneath the big toe that was operated on is tight--to be expected--and she massages it the two times a week I see her.
As for strength training, I've increased both the amount of weight I'm lifting twice a week as well as the number of exercises--for example, last week I added lunges and forearm curls. And I'm adding back my FIRM DVDs, especially the kettlebell workout I received for Chistmas.
I moved up a level in yoga, to Kripalu beginner 2, and while many of the moves are too basic for me, I remember that I'm there to get my stiff body back into pliable, not-prone-to-injury shape. All yoga feels good! And the 75-minute class has become a highlight of my week.
Today, because the hubby was home and could get the little one on the bus, I was able to swim early today at a city pool which opens from 7 to 9 a.m. for lap swimmers. Although the pool is the farthest away from the house, this presents a terrific option. Because I pay $3 to swim each time, I will never swim just 800 meters; today I topped out at the half Ironman distance of 2000M, and I was pleased. I am limited, however, to swimming there only when that littlest girl is with her mother and I don't have to get her on the bus. Until then, the Swim-p3 underwater sort-of iPod makes the 40 minutes in the pool even more tolerable.

My goals for March:
1. When the weather allows, get out on my bike.
2. Add drills to one swim per week, striving to perfect my form and increase speed.
3. Build, by the end of the month, my weekly run total to 25 miles.
4. "Graduate" from physical therapy.

My training for February:

Swim: 7874.02 Yd - 2h 27m 21s
Run: 23.28 Mi - 4h 08m 29s
Strength: 8h 02m
Sports (mostly yoga): 8h 22m