This week I've had to do an enormous amount of maths and physics in preparation for Oxfords entrance exams. However in my down-time I've been trying to get myself ready to roll again as soon as I can. I've been doing mobility and flexibility work and some gentle grip work and things like that that I can do safely. In myself, I had about 4 very bad days where I was back on tramadol because the pain came back, thankfully it's gone again for the past two days. But, mostly, I feel good, just really getting rather frustrated. Last night I put on my running kit and my rucksack for the first time in ages, I wanted nothing more than to run out the front door and head for open country. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
EDIT: Also, please support my good friend Luke in his own charity challenge here.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Rebuilding from the ground up... (and my triple marathon fundraising challenge!)
The Recovery...
Well, further to the last post, obviously my injury saga has run on for quite some time now. I've been catheter-free for 6 days but they actually had to take it out early because the catheter got blocked and couldn't be cleared. So, now the dust (or should that be blood) is settling, it's time to take a damage report and work out how I'm going to get myself fit again. The biggest problem is that I have to be very careful to avoid reopening the wound (apparently a 50% tear) because that will undo everything. At the current stage, I'm too tired and weak to do much anyway. Having spoken to my consultant before I left hospital (for the last time I hope) on thursday, I'm allowed to start swimming again in two weeks (good news when you're waterpolo captain) and then start running again the week after that. The killer blow however is that I won't safely be able to do any sort of hard strength training (be it bodyweight or external resistance) until after I've had a cystoscopy at the end of November. This also means I'm going to have to avoid pushing anywhere near my limits in movements until that point as well. But, it will be an interesting exercise in adapting my movements to my body. Also, I talked about tiredness and weakness, I lost 1/3 of my haemoglobin and this is the reason why. Some days I nearly black out when I stand up, I become incredibly dizzy and my vision blurs and darkens and then develops black patches. To combat this, I'm going to be taking iron tablets 3 times a day for the next two months. Apparently from my running years I had a very high normal haemoglobin level, it's only that that's saved me from needing a transfusion.
So anyway, it's going to be an interesting 6 weeks until my cystoscopy, that much is for sure. The plan is as soon as I can swim and run again I'm going to focus on rebuilding my cardio and circulatory systems. Until my haemoglobin recovers I'll effectively be doing altitude training anyway, all the rage these days (*rolls eyes*). The thing that has to be avoided is increasing my blood pressure, that is what could burst the whole thing open again. So, imagine how much you strain when you do your 1RM squat in the gym or when you do one armed chin up work. You can guess those are off the menu! There is a positive to be taken from this though, even though my biceps have shrunk and I've put on a bit of fat over my abs, I'd been plagued by bicep tendonitis for the past two months or so, the period of enforced rest should nicely banish that for good. It's tough because as I get stronger and healthier again, I feel more frustrated at the lack of things I can do. But hopefully, as soon as I can start swimming and running, I will have something to focus on and that will get me going again.
The Challenge...
Oh and one last thing, I've already mentioned it to some local people but there's a challenge I decided I wanted to do over the summer. I know it will take a huge amount of preparation (particularly now because my injury has damaged my cardio so badly, the one area that is key for this). My goal is to run the entire length of the Dalesway path from Ilkley to Lake Windermere in under 24 hours. Sources for the exact distance of the path vary but it is around 75-80 miles. This means I would be attempting to run around 3 marathons worth of hilly and rough terrain. This is my motivation for my running training (in fact, I'd started doing some long runs to explore the idea but unfortunately my accident prevented me from continuing). My aim is to run it completely solo, I will be running with a small rucksack containing all my water, clothing and food (probably going to be entirely energy gels because I have to keep on moving). I will be experimenting on running with poles to try and take some of the strain off my legs on the big climbs. The aim is to do it sometime before the end of the summer of 2008, I'm well aware it's better conditions for running when it's cold but even though I intend to run with a headtorch if necessary to finish the route in the dark, I hope this will not be necessary. My aim is nearer the time to have run as far as Kendal, which is around 18 miles from the finishing point. This should give me some idea of whether I'm capable of the full thing or not and will include most of the hills (though there are a few nice ones in the final leg to finish me off). Why do I want to do this? It's an enormous personal challenge and provides a huge incentive to develop my endurance to a point far beyond even when I raced for West Yorkshire. But most of all, I want to give something back to the world, I want to use the sheer insanity of this idea to persuade as many people as possible to sponsor me in order to raise money for the charity Whizz Kidz. What is the one thing we traceurs take for granted more than anything else? Our ability to move. Having spent the last four weeks with nearley no movement of my own in hospital (indeed, I've been in a wheelchair a fair few times), I realise that it's an incredible blow to your quality of life. Whizz Kidz provides specialist mobility equipment that gives disabled children and young adults their lives back by giving them the gift we enjoy every time we practice our discipline, the gift of movement. Nearer the time I will be setting up a Just Giving page and I really hope that the parkour community and my friends and family and their friends and family etc. will understand my cause here and give generously so that we can help a few more children enjoy the gift of movement. I think that this is a cause we can all relate to.
Anyways, that is in the future but as soon as I can run again, the training begins. Considering I've never run more than about half-marathon distance before, I have a lot of work to do, particularly starting from such a low point. I'll be sure to keep people updated on my progress through this blog.
Well, further to the last post, obviously my injury saga has run on for quite some time now. I've been catheter-free for 6 days but they actually had to take it out early because the catheter got blocked and couldn't be cleared. So, now the dust (or should that be blood) is settling, it's time to take a damage report and work out how I'm going to get myself fit again. The biggest problem is that I have to be very careful to avoid reopening the wound (apparently a 50% tear) because that will undo everything. At the current stage, I'm too tired and weak to do much anyway. Having spoken to my consultant before I left hospital (for the last time I hope) on thursday, I'm allowed to start swimming again in two weeks (good news when you're waterpolo captain) and then start running again the week after that. The killer blow however is that I won't safely be able to do any sort of hard strength training (be it bodyweight or external resistance) until after I've had a cystoscopy at the end of November. This also means I'm going to have to avoid pushing anywhere near my limits in movements until that point as well. But, it will be an interesting exercise in adapting my movements to my body. Also, I talked about tiredness and weakness, I lost 1/3 of my haemoglobin and this is the reason why. Some days I nearly black out when I stand up, I become incredibly dizzy and my vision blurs and darkens and then develops black patches. To combat this, I'm going to be taking iron tablets 3 times a day for the next two months. Apparently from my running years I had a very high normal haemoglobin level, it's only that that's saved me from needing a transfusion.
So anyway, it's going to be an interesting 6 weeks until my cystoscopy, that much is for sure. The plan is as soon as I can swim and run again I'm going to focus on rebuilding my cardio and circulatory systems. Until my haemoglobin recovers I'll effectively be doing altitude training anyway, all the rage these days (*rolls eyes*). The thing that has to be avoided is increasing my blood pressure, that is what could burst the whole thing open again. So, imagine how much you strain when you do your 1RM squat in the gym or when you do one armed chin up work. You can guess those are off the menu! There is a positive to be taken from this though, even though my biceps have shrunk and I've put on a bit of fat over my abs, I'd been plagued by bicep tendonitis for the past two months or so, the period of enforced rest should nicely banish that for good. It's tough because as I get stronger and healthier again, I feel more frustrated at the lack of things I can do. But hopefully, as soon as I can start swimming and running, I will have something to focus on and that will get me going again.
The Challenge...
Oh and one last thing, I've already mentioned it to some local people but there's a challenge I decided I wanted to do over the summer. I know it will take a huge amount of preparation (particularly now because my injury has damaged my cardio so badly, the one area that is key for this). My goal is to run the entire length of the Dalesway path from Ilkley to Lake Windermere in under 24 hours. Sources for the exact distance of the path vary but it is around 75-80 miles. This means I would be attempting to run around 3 marathons worth of hilly and rough terrain. This is my motivation for my running training (in fact, I'd started doing some long runs to explore the idea but unfortunately my accident prevented me from continuing). My aim is to run it completely solo, I will be running with a small rucksack containing all my water, clothing and food (probably going to be entirely energy gels because I have to keep on moving). I will be experimenting on running with poles to try and take some of the strain off my legs on the big climbs. The aim is to do it sometime before the end of the summer of 2008, I'm well aware it's better conditions for running when it's cold but even though I intend to run with a headtorch if necessary to finish the route in the dark, I hope this will not be necessary. My aim is nearer the time to have run as far as Kendal, which is around 18 miles from the finishing point. This should give me some idea of whether I'm capable of the full thing or not and will include most of the hills (though there are a few nice ones in the final leg to finish me off). Why do I want to do this? It's an enormous personal challenge and provides a huge incentive to develop my endurance to a point far beyond even when I raced for West Yorkshire. But most of all, I want to give something back to the world, I want to use the sheer insanity of this idea to persuade as many people as possible to sponsor me in order to raise money for the charity Whizz Kidz. What is the one thing we traceurs take for granted more than anything else? Our ability to move. Having spent the last four weeks with nearley no movement of my own in hospital (indeed, I've been in a wheelchair a fair few times), I realise that it's an incredible blow to your quality of life. Whizz Kidz provides specialist mobility equipment that gives disabled children and young adults their lives back by giving them the gift we enjoy every time we practice our discipline, the gift of movement. Nearer the time I will be setting up a Just Giving page and I really hope that the parkour community and my friends and family and their friends and family etc. will understand my cause here and give generously so that we can help a few more children enjoy the gift of movement. I think that this is a cause we can all relate to.
Anyways, that is in the future but as soon as I can run again, the training begins. Considering I've never run more than about half-marathon distance before, I have a lot of work to do, particularly starting from such a low point. I'll be sure to keep people updated on my progress through this blog.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
