So, after the initial lock down and 5 months of no 6-a-side football, I finally got the chance to play our normal Monday game again. As usual, I assumed I could just begin where I left off which was my first mistake! Within 35 minutes I had ‘pulled’ my calf and was hobbling around trying to ignore it. I finished the hour but I knew I had damaged my calf and probably wouldn’t make football on the Thursday.
The gym sessions have also started which is great, but, the problem is I can’t lift what I could 5 months ago. My strength seems to have gone completely and I am struggling to lift 60% of the usual weight I’d lift. It’s sole destroying, but it’s something to work on and, after 2 weeks back in the gym, I am starting to feel better.
Last week I did a leg session on the Tuesday and by Thursday, I could hardly walk! I made strange noises every time I went to sit down or stand up and my kids made statements like “It’s your age Dad” and “You are just getting old”. This was compounded by a pain in my lower abdomen which also made me groan every time I moved.
So, my second mistake was to turn up for Football on the Thursday evening. It was cold and windy and I could hardly move. I thought that I might be able to ‘run it off’ and this would shift whatever was causing the pain in my stomach, I was wrong. I was a liability to the team and I nearly cost us the game and, my calf went again. When I got home I was shattered, felt poorly and ashamed for letting the team down and, I felt old.
My wife gave me a reassuring hug and tried to make me feel better with a classic statement “You are doing really well, for your age!”
The thing is, I am getting older, as we all are and I should know better than to try and rush back into things when I have had so much time doing other things, not playing football or lifting weights.
So, here is my plan for lockdown 2 (4 – 6 weeks):
- Gradually build up my strength using my home weights
- Rehab my calf – properly
- Do yoga (on-line) 2 times a week
- Do some Fartlek training to prepare for football when we get back to it again
I am sure I will feel better, younger and fitter that I did last week. Time to look after my body again and let it repair. The reality is that we are all getting older (that’s life!) and we all need to adjust what stress and strains we put ourselves under, physically, mentally and emotionally.
I know that I have had a really tough time mentally and emotionally recently and, I think, the pain in the stomach was a warning sign. So it’s time to take control and be mindful of the connection between those three areas, re-balance things and move on.
Which area do you need to focus on? Have you let any of them slip a bit?
Take care of your self, it’s your responsibility to look after you!