Black and Pink

"The Kinesio Taping Method is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while allowing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion." It is used to "re-educate the neuromuscular system, reduce pain, enhance performance, prevent injury, promote improved circulation and healing". Do I believe that? Oh yeah! This is perhaps the 10 000's time I am using Kinesio Taping and I do believe it helps to a faster recovery. Today's colors: black on infraspinatus and trapezius and pink on deltoid and biceps, aka left shoulder and neck. Previous locations of taping had been left heels and calves, left knee, right underarm, right hand, right shoulder, lower back, left underarm. Wow, I am glad I don't need to tape those at the same time. That would look weird. Unfortunately the tapes do not glue for very long time on the skin if you are a swimmer so I have to renew it quite often. After the first two times, I am really tired of it and wish someone else could do it for me. However, I actually wanted to update you about my training. This week I am attending morning for the first time since November last year. It wasn't hard today to get up at 4:51am. I actually fell asleep thinking about my training program today and looking forward to it. I didn't join my swim mates, but trained on my own. I have to take care of my muscles again, prevent further injury and fix that one. So, yes, I will put off the paddles again, avoid any butterfly and do my best to attend swim training every day.

In spite of the light pains here and there, my swimming year 2011 started quite well. I have a strong team behind me- my swim coach Csanad Feldhausz, my friend and biokineticist Jess Bonstein, who I am trading treats for personal training with, and my masseuse Heidi, who I am trading swim lessons for massage with. I never had so much support. This year have to be good. I haven't started training with Jess yet, but it is clear that I will be spending more hours in the gym. The training volume might go up to 9-10 sessions per week; 6 swims and 3-4 dry land sessions. Honestly, I am looking forward to it. After all, consistency is strength... However I am sure we will talk about it again in a couple of weeks, when I am not that fresh, all tired and constantly hungry.