My next blog post was meant to be about reinventing myself - about trying something new and challenging myself in a whole new way. You see, since my last post, I've enlisted a personal trainer to build strength, particularly core strength. I've had three sessions with Jojo at Northside Boxing Gym.
Right now I should be writing about how hard the first session was. I could have called it "Burpees are not my friend". It's true. They're not.
I could also have told you about how surprised Jojo is about my lack of core strength, me being an Ironman and all. I could be quoting him right now. "You've been neglecting your core." It's true. I have.
I rolled my ankle during the week, though, and have some ligament damage. So I've had to rethink this blog post... and it looks like I need to rethink some of this reinventing stuff.
I've been for my first round of physio and acupuncture with Sandra at Holistic Physio. There is a fair bit of swelling still, so first things first - recovery. I need to get the swelling down, let the ligament heal, and then get back into the business of rebuilding strength around the ankle.
This could take some time.
Intuitively, I feel that I can't afford to take risks this time. I've strained this ankle a couple of times before, and never really had it treated properly. It's always healed up OK, but it's always been there in the back of my mind. I've had a fear that it would come back to bite me. Sandra's diagnosis confirmed my sixth sense - a moderate tear.
As I lay in the treatment room I asked what my options were for training. I'd finally been starting to get some momentum and motivation after a lazy winter. The last thing I wanted to do now was go back to sitting on the couch.
"I guess riding is out of the question?"
"Yes, definitely."
"Can I swim?"
"No, you won't be able to kick. The water will put too much pressure on it."
"What about water running?"
She thought about this one for a while, and then answered, "no, I wouldn't do that just yet either."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Ummm"...
Even after close to ten years as a triathlete, I still find it somewhat surreal that I bargain with medical professionals like this. It's almost like an out of body experience. I can hear the words but still can't quite believe that it's me saying them, frantically looking for something I can do to keep me mobile when I'm sick or injured.
This time there wasn't much joy.
All I can feasibly do for the next couple of weeks is swim with a pull buoy. I'm also going to inflate the fit ball and do some work on that. There must be plenty I can do that isn't weight bearing. Right?
Sandra will work with me to get me active as soon as I can. Hopefully, I'll be able to water run in a couple of weeks, and soon after that start with short bike sessions on the home trainer. I'll have to rethink my weekly sessions with Jojo, at least until I can go back to weight bearing exercise. Obviously, once this happens I'll have specific exercises for my ankle as well.
While it's not what I expected to be doing, in a way it's a different kind of reinventing. I'm hopeful that if I attack the situation positively and with a plan, I can still come out the other side stronger than I went in.
And importantly, get this sorted out with enough time to rebuild for Roth next July.
Wish me luck. And better still, leave me your tips for recovering and rebuilding!
I remember when I broke my pelvis and all I could do was swim up and down the black line with a pull bouy, being careful not to kick, for months on end. People said I was lucky to be alive after the accident. I didn't feel lucky. But the thing about injury is that is makes you hungry. Hungry for recovery. Hungry to train the house down again. I hope your ankle has recovered and you have the hunger for 2012. You have always been an athletic powerhouse in my eyes. xx E
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