Having Wings

Saturday was pretty awesome, it was good to be out training with the guys again and great that Luke and Scott made their respective treks to be there. I feel pretty good doing parkour at the moment, my mental outlook is the best it's been for a long time which is letting me do a lot of new things (just don't mention stuff with the possibility of hitting your undercarriage as it were!). I actually feel pretty strong moving which is surprising considering. Also, for whatever reason, I now land far quieter than I used to which is nice because I used to do some sloppy, noisy landings. Symmetric muscle ups have gone but I'm not too surprised about that, they'll be back with some hard conditioning I'd expect. Quick special mention to Jamie who seems to be discovering the mental strength to unlock his frankly huge potential, it's great to watch.

Speaking of mental state, I've recently taken up meditation which is proving excellent for my mindset and the strength of my focus. And on a spiritual note, I've been reading a lot of Buddhist ideas, I'm not about to go converting but they're interesting food for thought. Healthy mind makes for healthy body.

Tonight was waterpolo fitness, I stayed back to do Hungarian Reps after everyone else had gone. I got to 5 widths and back without any problems in a decent time, didn't have time for any more. The good thing about starting from such a low-point of fitness is the initial gains are massive. 6 or 7 and back next-time! Considering one of our coaches Jack once tried to make us do to 10 lengths and back (2.5km)... !

Lots of interesting stuff going on in Leeds at the moment on the parkour front, I'm involved in two different projects to establish training areas in the city, it's fantastic to see people who see parkour for what it is, a great way to engage young people in positive and healthy activity. I'd certainly hope this means we can expand and formalise our teaching efforts and spread true parkour across our region. Good stuff!

With My Own Two Hands

Sunday was fun. Went for a walk on the moors with Hollie, watched some climbers in the quarry and did a bit of bouldering at the back quarry. Fell off the crux of the same problem a very large number of times, I've climbed it once before but I can't remember my sequence. I think I have it worked out now, just need to be fresh. Thanks to Hollie for putting up with that anyway, patience is a virtue! Monday I was discharged by my consultant, still have to proceed with a little caution but he's basically happy to let me go and doesn't think there's any long-lasting problems. Tuesday was waterpolo fitness and we were doing Hungarian Reps as our main exercise. I pretty much collapsed before I could finish the full program (to 5 widths sprinting and back down, I went out in the middle of the two on the way down) but I'm just gritting my teeth and getting stuck in, no pain no gain when it comes to fitness. My swimming pace is actually pretty quick still, just I have no speed-endurance so now I have to put myself through hell for a few weeks to get it back! As a result of speaking to my consultant, I've started conditioning again, not with full intensity of course though. Mind you, just now I picked my weights up and did a bicep curl 1RM of 25kg, better than I've ever done before. 8 weeks without exercise makes you lift better, you heard it here first.

Also, there's been some stunning sunsets and sunrises this week, in particular one over Earl Crag. Good for the soul. Lately I feel more of a spiritual connection with nature, I don't claim to understand it but it's a positive thing. I'm a spiritual atheist, I can't explain it but it seems to fit for me.

Something for everyone out there for all of you who are fighting your own personal battles:

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
but eveything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

--- Unknown Confederate soldier

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

Please read and try to find meaning in these, nothing is forever, that much I have learnt. To get anywhere you must learn not only to take the rough with the smooth but to be strong when all seems lost and to gain as much from your setbacks as from your progress.

Ask for nothing, give all you can, help without prompting, suffer without cause, achieve without acknowledgement, fight for what you believe is right. Be a good person.

Quixotic Elixir

A week of ups and downs. Fact is, I'm still not a healthy man and I'm still not healed. I went running on tuesday, managed a very good time for my circuit (around 20% off my first run after the injury), unfortunately I encountered some discomfort and my urine was periodically red-tinged. Stuff like this just scares the hell out of you when you've been through what I have. But all seems fine again now, I'm just going to leave the running for a bit longer. I played my first waterpolo match of the season against Lymm on thursday, BGS scored an 11-8 victory, good for a largely inexperienced team against fairly good opposition. I managed to get a goal for myself even, which when you play fullback is easier said than done. My fitness was predictably poor but I played until I could literally swim no more before being subbed, I played around 3 quarters worth of the match in two blocks. It was a very good way to start of my captaincy. We had a great session of waterpolo training on friday night too with us playing a 4v5 full pool match which was a brutal test of fitness. With tuesday evenings being fitness night at waterpolo I'm hoping it won't be too long before I get a reasonable level back again.

Today I had to get up at 5am (replacement bus services SUCK) and go to Leeds early for my driving theory test. I passed that and then crossed the road and hit the Art Gallery. For an hour, I trained on my own and had a good time, initially everything was alien and terrifying but everything came back pretty fast and I even managed to get some new movements going. I'm not trying anything "big" or too dependant on strength at the moment but it's encouraging that I haven't lost as much as I could have done in terms of ability. We had some fantastic and enthusiastic younger kids along with us today and I enjoyed teaching them and passing on some advice. Whilst I'm not physically 100% I'm trying to put more effort into helping others to compensate, I did have a few successes today with getting others to try new things or fulfil their potential so I was very pleased to see that. I tire very easily and towards the end of the day I had a bit of discomfort from the injury but it's truly just fantastic to be back, even if I did get a little miserable towards the end (sorry guys!). Oh and I bought a new Nike Pro Vent Long Sleeve to keep warm now it's getting cold.

Tomorrow if I get time and the weather goes my way I'll be out on the moors again like last weekend. Then I'm going to spend some time with my 3 week-old Nephew Elliot in the evening. I'm getting there.

Don't Stop Me Now!

Wow, what a weekend. I passed on training on saturday since all the guys were in Liverpool and so I could get work done and go to Sam's 18th party in the evening. I got back at 2:30am to find a text from Hollie asking if I was up for coming to Ilkley on sunday. So of course, I did the natural thing, spent two hours finishing my work and after 6 hours sleep I was out of bed and getting ready to go to Ilkley. We went on the moors and after a tentative start, I began to find some of my old form. I think my confidence and technique hasn't suffered too badly from my 7 week absence. In myself, I felt fantastic, it was a beautiful day and the moors is the place to be on a day like today. Gina joined us later on and we tried to teach her a little parkour and had a good laugh about it. Then it was back to Ilkley for coffee and muffins and then the bus back to Keighley. I feel alive, days like this are what happiness is made of.

First steps

Today was a big day in the overall scheme of my recovery. It marked 3 weeks since I was discharged from hospital for the last time and so it meant I was allowed to run again. I did a favourite local circuit of mine, it's about 1.7 miles and has 144m of height gain (bigger than nearley any single climb on the Dalesway) which is near-continuous in the first half of the run! I was very pleased to manage it in around 15 minutes, several minutes off my normal pace but I burnt out badly near the top of the hill and was going easy on the descents. Encouraging stuff but still far below what I was doing before the accident, now the real hard work begins. It was lovely just to be out in the fields on a crisp autumn day, people who are convinced of their hatred of running are missing out, big-time.

Oh and for anyone who runs: www.mapmyrun.com, I use it to find out elevation data and distances for my runs and to come up with new routes. Very, very useful.

Tomorrow I go back to my first waterpolo training session since my injury, it's going to be tough but now is the time to get stuck into training once more. I'm so happy just to have finally reached this day, a good run, a good stretch and a big plate of pasta, chicken and home-made tomato sauce. The simple things in life can be so great.