It's Spring

A series of shots today, taken this week, of a nesting pair of Great Tits. They've chosen a stack of old tyres in my neighbour's garden, on the other side of the fence, near my kitchen window, as their nest site. Nest building started on Monday and has been fairly non-stop all week. Above is a lucky shot of the pair (male at the front, female behind). They landed momentarily on the rose bush outside the kitchen window.

A composite image showing the male on the left, carrying a small caterpillar which he fed to the female. His belly stripe is much thicker and he's bulkier than the female. He's been very attentive in keeping her well fed whilst she carries on the nest building. On the right, the female carrying a beakful of moss. This has been her main building material.

Above, the female again. I thought she looked rather charming in this shot, she has a twinkle in her eye, lol.

And finally, a shot showing her full plumage. She's just about to dip down to the nest site on the other side of the fence.

In terms of rehab, physically, I think things are still moving in the right direction. I recovered pretty well from the gym on Friday and coped 'ok' with a morning of housework on Tuesday (before a guest arrived). It did aggravate the left glute, lower back and shoulder pains but they were fine again by the following day. However, I did kinda overdo it mentally this week. By Wednesday, I was feeling very disorientated, my head felt completely frazzled (like I'd just sat a 10 hour exam or something) and I was tearful and drained through my therapy session on Thursday. I realised that on Tuesday, my stress levels had been through the roof - I really don't have the capacity to regulate them when I'm busy or have to get things done. My brain just goes to full throttle and that's that.

Yesterday morning, I headed to the gym again, hoping that the exercise would somehow provide some stress relief, and it did. I repeated the same routine as last Friday. I left out the plank exercise at the end, though, because I've got a slight abdominal strain deep on the right hand side. My left shoulder was quite sore after yesterday and I took painkillers again last night to be able to sleep. Today will be a rest and recovery day (and icing the shoulder).

Promising Gym Session

Two images today. I had a great morning's birding in the sunshine on Wednesday. I went looking for a Ring Ouzel that had been in the area. Unfortunately, I never found it but I did get see my first Meadow Pipit. I'm not sure how common they are in the area - according to the RSPB website they are resident through most of the UK (Link). Anyway, I watched this bird disappear into the scrub by the fence line. I carefully approached and crouched by the fence waiting for it to reappear. It eventually came out and proceeded to sing from this post. This was the best photo I could get (not great but I was pleased with it, lol).

A beautiful male Bullfinch, photographed at a small, local reserve. These are rare around here so I was extremely surprised to find it and chuffed to bits to get a record shot.

Although it took a few days to recover from the swim last week, I was pleased. I had worried that I'd overdone it completely and that it would take the full week to stop feeling absolutely drained. But, by Wednesday, I was able to get out for the morning's birding and was very pleased with how I coped physically. The left glute/hip soreness/pain subsided and actually seemed to improve when I wasn't sitting around so much.

The other very noticeable improvement this week was the absence of right upper thigh/groin tightness/pain. Normally, after the pool/gym, I have to take painkillers to be able to sleep with that pain. But, this week, it's totally gone! Whilst at the pool, the buoyancy and warmth of the water made it much easier to stretch out my adductors so perhaps that's what's made the difference. I have no doubt it'll recur but it's been very encouraging to experience its absence.

My left shoulder is also improving nicely. Over the past 2 weeks, its range of movement has subtly increased and pain has reduced. Abduction is all but painless, for the first time in 2.5 years! I think the strengthening exercises at the gym have provided some much needed joint stability and reinnveration of muscle fibres. The seated rows seem to have made a huge difference and I think the push-up-plus exercise has helped too. The shoulder is still relatively weak but it's beginning to function in a much more healthy way. Again, another very encouraging sign.

My gym session yesterday was great. I immediately noticed how the week at the pool had given my muscles/joints a chance to heal up and strengthen. I felt stronger and more comfortable. As the session progressed, I kept thinking I must have missed out a chunk of exercises because I still felt fine. When I finished the hour's workout, I still felt 'fine', 'normal' and kept racking my brains trying to figure out what I'd forgotten to put in (which was nothing!). I came home feeling great. Of course, the tiredness kicked in later, as did the muscle aches/pains (particularly the left shoulder and glute/hip), but overall, I was very pleased. I was also really glad to discover how much my body had benefited from the week at the pool.

Yesterday's gym set:

• 5 mins exercise bike
• Hip/lower back stretches
• Glute bridges (10 secs hold) 10 reps
• Press ups (plus) (at 45 deg angle) 2 x 8 reps
• Hip extension, abduction, adduction with blue theraband 2 x 8 reps
• Leg press 34kg 5 reps, 41kg 2 x 10 reps
• Seated rows 2kg 10 reps (kept arms extended so just worked scapular muscles), 4kg 10 reps, 6kg 2 x 10 reps
• Wobble board 4 mins
• Leg extension 5kg 10 reps, 10kg 2 x 10 reps
• Trunk twist using cable weights 2kg 10 reps
• Step ups (with 3kg dumbells) 2 x 10 reps
• Bicep curls 3kg 5 reps, 4kg 2 x 5 reps
• Combo lateral/front shoulder raises whilst sitting on exercise ball 2kg 2 x 5 reps
• Plank 3 x 30 sec hold
• Both shoulders, front raise, lying on my back 1lb 10 reps
• Stretching: hips/lower back, hamstrings
• Up & Over 15 reps - holding a wooden bar with both hands, keeping arms straight raising it up to vertical. Do this most weeks but forget to note it.

Today, I do have quite a few aches/pains - hopefully it's just healthy stiffness. I'll ice my left shoulder later (it's very achy - took painkillers for it last night to be able to sleep).

32 Lengths (0.5 Miles)

Very distant shots of a Redshank at a local nature reserve this week. Unfortunately, the light was rubbish, the birds were miiiiles away and these were the best photos I could get.

This week carried on from the previous week - feeling absolutely drained, not having the energy to do anything. I tried going for a short walk and doing a gentle job in the garden in an effort to kick start my biochemistry(!) but, in both cases, I felt even more depleted and leaden. Thankfully by the end of Thursday something had shifted and I felt a bit more human again. It meant I felt a little more confident about going to the pool yesterday (I was glad that I'd moved my gym/pool day to Friday this week!).

So, the pool. Well, I went with the feeling that if I could only manage 10 lengths and 15-20 mins in the pool then that was fine. I wasn't going to push myself. I started off warming up in the junior pool and then began the lengths in the cooler, adult pool. I always find the first 10 lengths the hardest. My shoulders are still pretty weak and, if I'm brutally honest, I don't really have the muscle to do all this swimming but I reckon that if I stretch myself then it'll stimulate some kind of muscle growth/response (I hope!). Anyway, I took it slowly (as usual). One length, then rest for 30sec-1.5 mins, then another length and rest etc etc. I alternated breaststroke/backstroke.

I was pleased to find that my left shoulder only had intermittent pain through the front rather than developing constant pain when in use. I tended to stretch out the shoulder at the end of each length. I did get foot cramp 4-5 times but managed to stretch it out ok. I eventually reached the previous maximum of 26 lengths and at that point decided that I wanted to go for the target of swimming 0.5 miles (32 lengths)! Surprisingly, the last 6 lengths were the easiest. I guess it was the finishing strait and I was taking it very gently. I kinda knew I'd gone past where I should have stopped but I really wanted to reach that goal. It took me 45 minutes (i.e. sloooow!)

Yesterday afternoon was spent moving as little as possible and as slowly as possible so as not to tweak any sore muscles, lol.

The problem area at the moment is my left glute/hip (not sure of the exact structure - it's a muscle deep in the hip). It's very sore (causing constant pain) and sore to touch/palpate. I'm regularly having to take painkillers at night to be able to sleep. I iced it yesterday afternoon and will do the same today. Perhaps there's a knot in there somewhere? It's not a knew problem, it just seems to be worse. I think it's connected to the LHS lower back tightness/pain.

Today, well, I am worn out but don't regret yesterday's efforts (yet!).