My Road to Challenge: Training Week 12 of 40

	This week (Feb 3 – Feb 9)	Cumulative
Total training hours	12:34	167:10
Swim	03:57 / 8.15 km	25:04 / 44.9 km
Bike	05:20 (spin class + trainer time)	33:50 (spin class + trainer time)
Run	01:01 / 9.68 km	43:57 / 452.56 km
Strength training		28:38
Yoga	2:15	30:30

The disk issue that I mentioned in my last entry raged on. I tried to train through it, minus the weights, and then hobbled in to my chiropractor on Tuesday after work, searching for relief. After a painful adjustment that brought me near tears, he advised: no running, no weights, come back in 2 days. Thankfully I’d done the longest planned run of the week at lunchtime. It aggravated my back – but it would prove to be the only training run I’d get in that week. Since the bike, swimming, and yoga were still on the table, on Wednesday I did all 3. When I headed back on Thursday, I was still hurting, but the numbness traveling down my legs wasn’t as bad. I was dressed for my favourite yoga class of the week, ready to head there after my appointment. After an honest answer to how swim, bike, yoga felt on the back, yoga was taken off the table.  And have I mentioned that my trainer challenged me to make February a dry month? Man, could I use a glass of wine!

Saturday morning, I went to the club swim. Disaster! Single arm drills twisted my back and caused it to spasm. Catch-up drills caused my hips to sink and that aggravated the back. The whole swim was a struggle. Woe is me! Thankfully, it was a beautiful – although cold – day and I went for a late morning hike with my husband. It was great to be moving, very therapeutic. 

When I returned to the pool the following day, I did my whole swim with a pull buoy to keep my hips up and came out of the water with my back happier than when it went in. And with nearly everything else off the table, if this made my back happy, I'd plan to do more of this.

Here is week 12:

Monday	Brick: 1:30 spin on the trainer + 10 minute run on the treadmill (1.5 km)
Tuesday	8.2 km run Yin/Restorative Yoga Class
Wednesday	Hatha Yoga Class Tri-Club Spin Class 2000m swim
Thursday Rest Day
Friday	2100m swim
Saturday	1900m coached swim workout 1 hr spin on the trainer 5.4 km hike at Minnekhada Park (not included in totals above)
Sunday	2150m swim w/ pull buoy 1:45 spin on the trainer Hubby snapped this picture as I was busy headed nowhere.

In my last entry, I mentioned an experiment with the Thrive Forward 7-DayNutrient Dense Menu Plan. It was a great success… worthy of its own entry. J