How The Other Half Lives... While I Train (damnit!)

Friday morning found me back at Bodyworks again, putting in another weight / core strength routine, before heading off to see the physio.

Despite symptoms not really having abated, she reckons there´s an improvement in my back movement. More exercises given - squats, leg raises, leg extensions all done without the pelvis or hips dropping or me leaning forward. Libby reckons I´ve enough time for all these exercises to make a difference, and reckons that if this event was a year away (as opposed to 5 weeks - eek) the difference in my running style would be huge. As ever, it´s a last minute cram!

Saturday I was back in the pool. Wellington´s swimming pools seem like second homes to me having spent so long training in so many of them (I played underwater hockey for 14yrs to national level, so for a large period of my life I sweated chlorine). It seems an outrage that they´re now charging $5.30 for an adult (it was $3.80 4 years ago) just to come to my 2nd home. (Ed´s note - refer my last comment re you being old).

Thorndon Pool is a gorgeous 30.5m historic tepid-water summer pool and one of the top 10 best gay pick up joints in the world. I kid you not. I read this in a magazine in San Francisco several years ago - 10th position: ¨Thorndon Pool, Wellington, New Zealand¨ and almost fell off my chair. Never having been picked up, seen anyone being picked up, or anything remotely untoward (gay, straight or otherwise), I´m not entirely sure how accurate this is. Having said that, as I only ever went to the pool to train - rather than frolic (see photo!) or chat, see or be seen, I suspect there might have been a whole other side of pool life I was oblivious to, as I cranked out more lengths, face down.

Wonderfully, my amphibious nature has returned, and remembering how to swim, was able to take 5mins of each kilometre and breath every 3rd stroke. My back still feels like its made of concrete though and every muscle group weighs heavy on the next. Isn´t getting / being fit meant to be good for you??