The Day after the Gym

I'm glued to the Strictly Come Dancing final but wanted to write a last post for this year.

After the gym yesterday, I didn't need to take any painkillers before bed to be able to sleep, which is great. Various stiff muscles today (shoulders/pecs/upper arms), plus a few sore/mildly strained/aggravated areas (LHS lower back, both butts/hips). I had a good night's sleep (for a change) and woke up at 10am. It's been raining most of the day - grey, wet and miserable - but it eased up this afternoon and I got out for a nice walk. Basically, I decided to see what I could manage. In the end, I did 4.5 miles in 1 hr 15 mins. The LHS lower back irritation was painful all the way through and, by the end, various hip connectors/structures were sore and my shoulders (esp LHS) ached from carrying my arms. However, I was pleased. I didn't feel drained or wiped out. I just felt like I'd had a good walk. Overall, I do feel really pleased with my increasing ability to tolerate exercise. I think being able to swim during the week now is helping to accelerate the rehabilitation process. Here's to next year's efforts and, hopefully, further improvements.

...now, it's a week of stuffing my face with all sorts of yummy things and enjoying a bit of a break from the isolation and rehab.