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Week 30 - Off on holiday

Back from 2 weeks in South Africa - sun and heat, and relaxing in National Parks, driving around looking at animals. And a little light running, and some swimming. So good news first - not only did I not put on weight, I actually lost a kilo. I also can now swim properly, which is a huge improvement, and I need to find a way to continue with that.

I took my bands and did a lot of pilates, and lower body work. And stretching, and shoulder ROM exercises.

So that was the good news. The bad is that I had a pretty damaging fall while running at Lemoenfontein and crashed down when my left toe caught on rocks. My left knee took the brunt, then my hands, then fell over sideways onto my right side, damaging my right shin and right hip. I was able to get up and keep running, more cautiously, with bleeding hands.

The bruising is quite impressive, and my hands were pretty grazed - had to remove the skin over the top as the grit had got in deep and I had to get the gravel out. They have healed up quite well though. My knee has a very specific pain - the tibial tuberosity where the patellar tendon attaches, and only when it is rubbed towards the outside of my leg. Rubbing over it towards the inside is fine, and up and down is fine, just outside pressure causes a horrible pain. Generally I can walk on it fine so far, and I managed 20 minutes on the treadmill at the City Lodge the day before I came back.

Saw the physio yesterday and he checked it over - he was muttering darkly about x-rays and MRIs, but after moving it about he decided we can keep an eye on it and see how it goes. Google mostly just talks about teenage boys and Osgood-Schlatter disease, nothing much about falls and adults. Hopefully it resolves soon - my poor left knee, always in the wars.

Meanwhile, my shoulder is doing quite well, I haven't lost any ROM while on holiday, and it didn't mind the fall at all, so things are looking hopeful for the visit to Mr Shoulder. I should probably ask him for a recommendation for a good knee person while I'm there.

I have played around with the Indian clubs since I got back and will do some more today. Trying to get my technique right for inside mills, as they seem to really get my shoulder joint working.

General status update:

  • sleep: good, particularly since I'm back from holiday
  • Left shoulder: ROM ok, not gone backwards anyway. Pain is pretty much gone, and strength is coming back. 
  • Left arm: the pain that was moving around my upper arm has mostly gone, with just a touch of it around my tricep. 
  • Upper back: have been doing mobilisations and some Ekhart yoga upper back releases, and my back feels ok. 

Nice to be home, although it was quite a shock being back to -3 after 38 degrees of heat. And I will miss the sunsets.


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