solution for the overtrained legs?

REST It stands for taking a break :) The other suggestions are great for dealing with any problems created by your craziness, but the actual healing is going to take time.

fmracing- good ideas. We don't do a lot of kick sets, in fact not much at all. I never wear fins. In March I only had so much time to do so many yards. I had to do all of my 100s at 1:10-1:12 pace. The only way that was happening was with fins, and fins with paddles. So I basically went from no fins to fin-crazed, and upped my yardage by about 10K/day. In retrospect, not too bright. In the future, not doing this again! If I'm reading your response correctly... I guess I question the "must do XXX amount of yards on XXX interval in XXX amount of days." idea. There's nothing wrong with throwing hard sets out there, but your description makes it sound like a requirement with a time limit that was set too difficult. If the only way you were making practices was with fins and paddles that's probably not good either. Those are usable tools in certain situations but not all the time. If I'm giving practices, and someone consistently can't keep up without them, the distance should be reduced or the time interval lengthened to compensate for that individual. In the example mentioned, if I saw you needed fins/paddles to even make the 1:10-1:12 interval over a course of a practice (especially 10k yards a day!), I'd have suggested perhaps that you do some kind of alternating 75's / 100's or 2x75/1x100 on the same interval if keeping intensity intervals was the important part of the workout. Unrealistic paces just to get yardage in encourages garbage swimming imo. People will thrash, drop technique, and injure themselves in whatever way they can just to make an interval. It's not only arguable that it is counterproductive, but I think perhaps proven in your case. Ditch the fins and drop the pace for a while til the legs feel better. You won't lose ground. I'm also a believer in the "Quality not quantity" philosophy when it comes to yardage.

Thanks everyone. I made an appt for Mon June 7th in WC. The initial cost is $150 for an hour and $75/30 min after that. She said that I would know w/in the first two visits if it was helping. I had worn paddles for much of this too. During the last week my left shoulder started to get a little twinge in it, so I stopped with the paddles for 4-5 days. Now I'm able to use paddles again. I'm usually very good listening to my body (like with the paddles), I really had no idea how much damage was being done to my legs. Live and learn. And thanks again. :bliss: Ahelee- Working full time, raising 4 kids and a husband, leaves very little time. Fins and paddles were the only way to get it done. I probably swam 100k, pulled 100k, and used fins and paddles for 100k- total was 313,500. Yep, needed some gear. Karen, mine only takes about 20 min for a standard stretching. If I have a twinge and they need to work on something more, then it will go a bit longer. Hope that helps with your preparation. Oh, and you need to update your picture to include the latest addition.

Alison, is it more stretching or massage? Or both? Do they stretch me? I'm guessing so. Oooh, I'll get the Dara Torres treatment :applaud: Michelle- Our laptop died at home so I haven't been able to upload new pix or videos for a long time. You can see some old ones on FB if you friend me :agree: Patrick, Jr is 10, Brenna, 7, Carrick, 6, and Finnian 2. They were real troopers going to the gym's daycare while I did fantastic amounts of garbage yards :D

= I need to see how much money we have currently, but I did find an ART person in Walnut Creek who has already gotten back to me. Some times the place I go to charges this on my insurance and so I pay the co-payment but it goes against my PT allowed per year. Other times, I pay $25 out of pocket per a team agreement. Hopefully you can find an equal agreement with the doc you find.

Alison, is it more stretching or massage? Or both? Do they stretch me? I'm guessing so. Oooh, I'll get the Dara Torres treatment :applaud: Michelle- Our laptop died at home so I haven't been able to upload new pix or videos for a long time. You can see some old ones on FB if you friend me :agree: Patrick, Jr is 10, Brenna, 7, Carrick, 6, and Finnian 2. They were real troopers going to the gym's daycare while I did fantastic amounts of garbage yards :D It's hard to describe. You will be moving your muscles as they are doing a tissue massage. So it's not relaxing. The hamstring one is the worst for me. I have such tight hamstrings! Mine works my shoulders, neck, delts, pecs, thighs, shins and then anything else I ask for.

Uh, ditch the heels! Very bad for legs! Heels alone will cramp those legs up! Fashion be danged! Flat shoes are in and cool! Heels not good for legs ever. Actually, my podiatrist recommended heels for my tight calves, and it worked pretty well. I don't mean 3" stilettos, but shoes with a lift. The key was to not change from heels to flats or slippers when getting home, because the transition was too drastic. I got myself a pair of comfy wedges with cushioning that I wear at home. Sometimes I do putter around barefoot, but after doing some towel stretches for my calves, and it has really helped. When I remember to do it, anyway. The other days are tight-calf central.

Thanks everyone. I made an appt for Mon June 7th in WC. The initial cost is $150 for an hour and $75/30 min after that. She said that I would know w/in the first two visits if it was helping. I had worn paddles for much of this too. During the last week my left shoulder started to get a little twinge in it, so I stopped with the paddles for 4-5 days. Now I'm able to use paddles again. I'm usually very good listening to my body (like with the paddles), I really had no idea how much damage was being done to my legs. Live and learn. And thanks again. :bliss: Ahelee- Working full time, raising 4 kids and a husband, leaves very little time. Fins and paddles were the only way to get it done. I probably swam 100k, pulled 100k, and used fins and paddles for 100k- total was 313,500. Yep, needed some gear.

Thanks everyone. I made an appt for Mon June 7th in WC. The initial cost is $150 for an hour and $75/30 min after that. She said that I would know w/in the first two visits if it was helping. I had worn paddles for much of this too. During the last week my left shoulder started to get a little twinge in it, so I stopped with the paddles for 4-5 days. Now I'm able to use paddles again. I'm usually very good listening to my body (like with the paddles), I really had no idea how much damage was being done to my legs. Live and learn. And thanks again. :bliss: Ahelee- Working full time, raising 4 kids and a husband, leaves very little time. Fins and paddles were the only way to get it done. I probably swam 100k, pulled 100k, and used fins and paddles for 100k- total was 313,500. Yep, needed some gear. HEY!!! 4 kids, you are awesome! Only 3 cuties in your pix! Ages, please! Congrats on all that you do!!