Pushing Hard

Not the best image quality but this pretty juvenile Song Thrush turned up in the garden this week and I couldn't resist grabbing a photo when it landed on the bench outside the (filthy!) patio doors.

I think because of the lack of expert support in all this muscle rebuilding, I tend to find it quite hard to get the balance right. I never really know if I'm pushing too hard or holding back too much. The same applies with the calorie intake. I don't really know if I'm eating too much, too little, the right balance of protein/carbs/fat and so on. Sometimes, it really does drive me nuts! I tie myself in knots trying to figure out how to make the optimum progress with the least amount of injuries. Just when I think I've got the balance right, I read something else on the net which suggest otherwise or I acquire yet another injury. I've found myself getting really angry with the NHS again. Angry that I'm given no nutritional advice, no training advice and no injury management advice. Do they not realise that the longer this rehab goes on, the longer my life remains restricted, isolated and 'on hold'?! If I was obese and trying to lose weight would they give me support then?

*sigh*

Anyway....I pushed hard last Sunday on the bike. I pushed hard at table tennis on Tuesday and came away with niggling groin, hamstring and hip stabiliser strains. Then on Wednesday, I really wanted to add another length (12 x 25m) to the swim at the end of the hydrotherapy work out, so I pushed hard again. And yes, I've been nursing various hip/groin/thigh strains since. The left glutes/hip problem is still pretty bad, causing sharp pain in the hip on footstrike and an ache deep in the hip when sitting. The LHS lower back tightness/pain has been bad too. I've made an appointment with my GP about the left hip/back problems because I reckon that 22 months of rehab should have 'strengthened it' enough! I think there's a tendon/nerve/ligament which gets irritated somehow and needs some intervention. Having said that, I don't hold out much hope of the NHS being able (or willing!) to help.

I'm wondering if it's time I saw someone else privately. Perhaps get a physio on board who I could see once a month to check on progress, injuries etc.

I keep up with Andy Murray's progress on the Tour and can't help feeling completely jealous of the nutritional, training and physio support he gets. If I could just borrow his team for a month, I reckon I'd be up and running in no time, lol. Actually, simply to borrow his massage therapist would be good a start! There isn't a muscle/tendon in my body that couldn't do with some treatment. Part of this recovery is wondering when I'll be free from constant pain. It's rarely disabling but it is fairly constant. My shoulder girdle is permanently 'sore', as are the structures around my pelvis.

Oh well....one day.

RE: calories. I found this article on the web which suggests that 0.5lbs of lean muscle per month is very good going. That kinda leaves me with having added 2.5lbs of unwanted fat over the past month then....just flipping great...Grrrrr. I'm cutting back on calories a bit to try to limit the amount of fat I put on. I know I still have to eat excess calories to even think about building muscles but getting the balance is really tricky!