After my disastrous appointment at the Doctors, I reluctantly agreed to visit my friend's Physiotherapist to try and have my injury properly assessed. I was in a lot of pain and was unable to train, which was making me "bad tempered, mean and downright miserable" - that is a direct quote from my poor husband! Hari, the Physio, diagnosed a rotator cuff injury and advised me that it would take around 2 weeks to heal; provided I had deep tissue massage treatment and NO UPPER BODY TRAINING OR SWIMMING! The lack of training and swimming proved to be far more painful than the massage. My friends all noticed that I was quiet and rather down and Julian had to suffer long silences, occasionally broken by my heart felt sighs. It really brought home to me how uplifting exercise is when you are prone to depression; and how quickly that can change. However my lovely friends were soon coming up with ideas of how I could swim without using my arms and still benefit from a workout.
After 5 massages by the lovely Hari, I was pronounced fit for exercise and immediately phoned Cindy to arrange a training session. I turned up for the session raring to go and was immediately informed that my workouts were changing again! I had just about learned the old routine and was now presented with a new one - no time for boredom with my trainer! "The new routine is based around 3 weights sessions, 2 aerobic sessions and 2 rest days a week" Cindy explains. My brain immediately latches onto "2 rest days a week" and I stare at Cindy, aghast, and she acknowledges that the rest days will be the hardest part of the new regime. I immediately ask for clarification of what constitutes a rest day and start to feel better when I am told I can cycle and walk on those days, along with trying a yoga class. Phew!! So the new routine comprises 3 weights sessions, combining upper and lower body exercises, alternating with 2 aerobic sessions on the elliptical trainer. Endurance swims are done on weights days and sprint swims on aerobic days. "Easy" I think. "Oh yes, and the weights are done excruciatingly slowly until you feel as though your arms/legs are going to collapse and then you hold it for a count of 10." Hmm not so easy after all. However I am promised big results from this new routine and that is all I need to encourage me to get stuck into it. After Cindy has put me through my paces we discuss nutrition. Four weeks previously I had given up butter and fried or fatty foods, now it was to be "white foods" such as pasta, potato and white bread. Hey if it helps make me faster I can do it! My diet has already changed considerably so what was one or two more changes? Cindy also gave me a pep talk about staying motivated and focussed as this was to be our last session together before the race. Once again we are headed to different continents as Cindy goes home and I return to the UK to do some cold water training. As we say goodbye I am left feeling somewhat cast adrift and I wonder how I will fair over the coming weeks without Cindy to "kick my ass"............. TO SPONSOR MY SWM PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW http://blurtitout.org/give/gill-thomas
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