New week, same old beginning -- wake up with a sore back that gets worse as the morning goes on. Just what I need with six weeks to go -- something to plant doubts in my mind, like what if I wake up on may 30 and my back feels like this? Anyway, hit the whirlpool at the AC when it opened, plus some stretching in the sauna, and that got it loosened up enough to do 6 on the dreadmill at recovery pace. Back felt pretty good during the run, but now it's trying to stiffen again. Guess I need to stretch some more. Anyway I'll do another 4-5 this evening.
My taper starts 21 days from today. Forty-one days to the race. Yikes. Just cross my fingers that the rest of the preparation goes well, I don't get hurt, and I give myself the best chance I can when I line up in Newport.
Anyway, Pam and I went back to the club tonight. I did my 4-miler, and Pam swam and hit the whirlpool. While she was in the whirlpool and I waited outside, I believe I identified the recurring Sunday morning problem wit my back: Failure to properly stretch after the Saturday LR. I bent over to try to touch my toes and couldn't get within six inches -- and the pulling was in the back, not the hammies. A few more reps got the fingertips down to the tips of my toes, and the back felt much looser. Will do some more stretching tonight before bed, and try to maintain the stretching through the week. I would have to say that my stretching has not been what it should have been during this cycle, but I have enough time to fix that. | 