Ouch in the Abs

STRENGTH: 45 mins of the Chest & Back, skipped the Abs
SWIM: about 25 mins and 1000y as a 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 lap ladder

After taking yesterday completely off, I though I'd be more charged about today. The goals were strength training and swimming early in the morning, still getting to work on time.

I'm happy to say that at least at the minimum, all goals accomplished. Stress on the minimum.

And it's for that reason that although I checked everything off the list, I still don't feel good about it. I don't have that satisfied high.

Let's start at the beginning. Up at 4-freakin-am with the dog, then a little after 5 upstairs for C&B. To my surprise, a lower left ab muscle was sharply pained. I didn't notice that yesterday?! Regardless, it was there and ruining my pushups. I did what I could, but ended up mostly on my knees to keep from contracting it. An anatomy chart seems to say it's a lower rectus abdominus? Between my left hip and belly button, low on the abs, kinda angles with the hip bone. OUCH! Only hurts when being used, sitting here is fine, walking is fine, but anything that engages the abs hurts.

I usually love feeling my muscles flex as I move, it's a reminder of how everything is connected, how I'm using various muscles at all times, and how body parts leverage against and with each other in movement. After a tough session, like Friday's Legs & Back, it's a joy.

After an injury, it's a bitch.

Off to swimming. I almost didn't go. I pushed me and DH to commit to a weekly schedule of "your day at the gym" and "my day at the gym" so we could avoid those dreaded WasGonnas. Today was my day to head out early to the gym while DH took care of the doggie. I finished the P90X, wandered unmotivatedly downstairs to visit with him, and almost just showered at home! Thankfully DH kinda pushed me out the door. Off to the pool, actually smiling happy that I was really going to do this.

I wondered if I'd see LC or D at the pool, but didn't. In the shower I decided on the ladder, with the goal of focusing on problems and extending my swim length intervals. I did OK up to the middle of the 1st 200. My abs muscle was getting distracting, so I took the pull buoy. It helped, but the workout continued to degrade. I'd feel great after a rest on the wall, but the good feeling would diminish by 35y into the lap. I'm setting the bar for improvement pretty low here. Imagine me, who last year swam 100+ miles for 2 140.6 races, struggling to finish a 100 and having to encourage myself to finish "just 3 more laps, that's it, just 3 more".

Wow.