Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all. I hope your celebrations went well last night. Fairly tame hear in Centre Parks with a meal and then impressive fireworks with my wife and kids but all good fun.

I can't quite believe its 2010. It seems only yesterday I was sipping champagne and saying how shocked I was that it had changed century but that was a decade again and a lot has changed.

Looking back I achieved a long in 2009. I took up cycling again, covered nearly 4000 miles and completed the Etape. I still managed 570 miles of running and finished a very tough marathon. But that is all in the past and like a shark, I need to keep moving, focus on new goals and make plans (does a shark make plans). And that of course, is the marathon and the ironman.

With this in mind, I really want to start training. Its been over two weeks since the operation and its all going well. I had my stitches out on Tuesday and all my wounds are closed. I still have a bit of pain where I am bruised but nothing too bad.

After leaving my Mum's in Devon, we went to Longleat for four days in Centre Parks. I went swimming with the girls and just had a mess about and a little swim to see how I felt. I had been told by different doctors to wait between 3 and 6 weeks before exercising but I felt completely fine after the swim. No pain, no discomfort, no issues as far as I could see and feel. Foolishly or not, I declared myself fit.

So yesterday I went for my first proper swim in about 8 years. There is no dedicated swimming pool in Centre Parks but given the number of wave pools, slides, rapids and outdoor heated pools, the main pool area is not that busy. I'm guessing its about 20 meters across and I started doing laps. My aim was between 30 and 45 minutes. I think I did about 40 mins with a small wait for the wave machine half way through. I tried to concentrate on some of the technique I had seen in a swim DVD that came with a Tri220 mag. I also listened to things my daughter had told me about pointing your elbow (she is an excellent swimmer). I was fine at times but struggled to breathe when turning to my left. Got a few mouthfuls of water and had a few panics. I did 28 widths and was pleased but know I have a long way to go.

I have also done a bit of cycling with my daughter on a tag-along. She is getting big and there are a lot of hills so its hard cycling. I might have overdone it a little yesterday so I'm taking it easy today. Then back in the pool tomorrow as I want to get as confident as possible before my lessons start on the 16th.

I wish you all well with whatever plans you have for 2010. Special thoughts to Ed who is still struggling with his chest. Get well soon.

Bruise

As requested by my mawkish friend, my bruised leg.

Post op and training plan

So its been 5 days since the op and recovery is going well. I've gone from immobility to walking OK. My right thigh is one big bruise in a range a beautiful colours and I have stitches in a place that needed a particularly steady hand from the surgeon (I'm glad I didn't think too much about that before hand).

I have to walk a little everyday before my stitches are removed on the 27th and then I might go for an easy swim and cycle at Centre Parks over New Year. I will return to gentle training on the 9th if everything goes to plan but I am aware that the docs did say 4 to 6 weeks. I'm not sure why. If my stitches are out and the wound has healed, what harm can running do. Especially as they are encouraging me to walk everyday to improve circulation.

Anyway, I am having to concentrate really hard on my eating. Its so hard. There is a giant tin of Quality Street on the side, loads of cheese in the fridge and Panettone in the cupboard. I must be strong.

I'm staying focused by doing my ironman training plan. I have a book called "Be Iron Fit" by Don Fink which seems really good. There is three training programs, Competitive, Intermediate and Just Finish. I've gone for the middle one, Intermediate, as it seems reasonable for me.

The first 10 weeks (Base) averages out as 8.5 hours a week, the 2nd 10 weeks (Build) averages as 11.5 and the final 10 weeks (Peak) is 13 hours. It looks doable on paper, probably different in reality.

Operation

Well, that's that. All done in a day. The ugly varicose vein has been stripped out and I'm all bandaged up and full of opiates.

I have to say, Chelsea and Westminster hospital is excellent. Exactly how you want a hospital to be; well organised, clean, new, uncluttered and very friendly staff.

I now have 2 weeks in compression tights, then stitches removed followed by 2 more weeks in the tights. Then it should all be better. I did get a variety of answers to my "when can I run" question. 3 weeks was the best answer and 6 the worst. I guess I just play it by ear.