Alternative exercise...

Saturday 02/12/06:
Gee thanks guys and girls for all of the comments... Its great to have support in both good times and bad and I know so many of you can relate from first hand experience. I'm trying to be patient and not get too frustrated about the current situation, but its not easy... Just when I think the leg is improving slightly, I get up the next day and it is worse again. One step forward, two steps back and all that...

Anyway, after resting the leg Thursday and Friday and having another physio session on it on Friday afternoon, I was in dire need of some exercise come Saturday morning. It was a lovely sunny day and I found myself with some unexpected time to myself mid morning, so decided to go for a walk. Put on the usual running gear, so that I would feel like I was doing some serious exercise rather than just out strolling! Sad I know, but was having withdrawls from lycra!

Headed out on country roads initially, leg felt a little stiff to start with and continued to remind me why I wasn't running. Otherwise it just felt great to be out in the warm sunshine and doing some exercise. Have to say at times I was very tempted to break into a run - especially when Sheryl Crow started begging - "Run Baby Run, Baby Run, Baby Run" thru my iPod!! But I resisted her pleas and busied myself with taking in the scenery - birds, flowers, even a white horse. Soon I was back in the residential area and then passing the giant Fo Guang Shan Temple, that is just a couple of kms from my house and I pass on almost every run that I do.

These are just a couple of shots of it that I took later on, it actually consists of about 8 similar buildings over a couple of acres. Very picturesque when you see the whole thing from the roadside and when I have run past it in the mist, fog, rain, etc, and especially at sunrise.

All up I walked a grand total of 5.5kms in 50mins (woopee! - couldn't help but think that I could have easily covered 10kms in that time if I'd been running...) but at least I was doing something...

Sunday 03/12/06:

Had planned a bike ride for today as Courtney was out with her Dad. As I hadn't riden it for a while I had to muck around putting air in the tyres, etc before I could actually get out there. It was a fine but very windy day, but I was determined to get out. Its a road bike that I bought about 4yrs ago, when I wanted to do some cross-training and I did a few ameteur triathlons with it. Headed off on a bit of a loop round the local streets, but was having a bit of trouble with some of the gears, which got a bit annoying. Also one of the brakes was sticking a bit and I realised its only been serviced once in the time I've had it. It obviously hadn't taken too kindly to sitting on its hook on the garage wall for so long - the only riding I've done this year is to accompany Courtney on her bike, at her pace, down to the park and back a few times! The speedo had also packed a sad and run out of battery, so I couldn't even tell distance, pace or time, but was out for about half an hour before I decided it was best to call it a day till I get it into the shop for a pampering session! The wind was a right pain as well, spoiling an otherwise nice day and making it hard going in parts, when I was trying to keep it easy.

Thursday and Friday I had really noticed some improvement in my leg. Yesterday it was still pretty good - no better or worse than the day before. But today it has been worse again and also I have a very stiff, sore back. That was before the bike expedition too, so can't blame it on that! Think I will be resting again tomorrow, then perhaps walking on Tuesday morning, prior to seeing the physio again.