I have not completed a full, 5-day week of training since 21 March. I was traveling the week of 24 March and 7 April, but the big reason is that my right shoulder began hurting enough that I decided to back down on what I was doing. My massage therapist warned me that I needed to reduce the weight I was swinging because she thought my shoulders were coming too far forward. She advised working with lighter weight until my “stabilizer” muscles developed enough to manage the heavier weights. After several weeks of using the 16 kg kettlebell for everything – goblet squats, swings, and get ups, my shoulder hurts less, but remains touchy. I am going to stay with the lighter weight on swings for another few weeks.

I have gotten a massage every week for the past several years. When people hear that, many think of it as an indulgence, but it my case, the massage is always the most painful hour of my week. After having had such regular treatment, you might think my muscles would be more “relaxed,” but some days you can hardly tell the difference between my flesh and bones or cartilage. A former therapist talked me into scheduling some 90-minute sessions, assuming that my muscles would release their tension with a longer work session. It didn’t. I suffered for 90 minutes instead of 60 minutes on those days.