I am constantly amused by the number of people who view my lifestyle as healthy. I am teetotal, don't smoke or partake of the array of recreational narcotics enjoyed by many, I drink masses of water and have stable healthy bodyfat, blood pressure and heart rate, so on the surface understandable. The big glowing red herring however is my fitness obsession prompting many to declare me as very fit and healthy.
I am currently in an enforced rest period because once again I pushed myself too far. In fairness this is the first actual injury in 3.5 years, the last being a dislocated shoulder, but I spend so much of my time right on the border of injury that my training cannot be deemed healthy.
This is also the latest in a line of events where I have recovered far quicker than most would think I deserved including me. A good example was around 9 years ago when I crushed my toes in the tail lift of a truck, when at hospital several hours later I declared that it was only flesh damage as it would have hurt more if I had broken something, x-ray showed 3 toes broken one in 2 places, those thinking this is a tough guy boast I didn't know how much a broken toe should hurt and did scream rather well when doing it. The injury is not so much the point as the recovery, day of hospital visit I was issued crutches and given anti-inflammatories and offered painkillers, knowing I am too stupid not to damage myself unless there is pain I refused the latter. Next day the crutches went back, I wasn’t ready just hated the crutches more than the discomfort of walking. A week later I was cycling to work, the next week 2 days were running, the trip was around 6 miles.
Now I am older and should apparently be wiser, so when I hurt my back training that should have seen me partaking of bed rest and being sensible, not driving, working, and playing with my son in the park. Considering the damage was caused less than 2 weeks ago I certainly shouldn’t be partaking of one of the highest impact activities around, running, but I am and wanting to be back to pace soon.
I treat my body as something that must do as it is told regardless of how stupid the demand, and in general it does it. There is a certain amount of my recovery that is due to my fitness level but I think some of it is tolerance. I accept a greater level of pain than most in the pursuit of what I want, to any thinking this is advice to follow, please consider I wake up in pain daily and part of my justification for training at high intensity is that I may as well hurt from the previous day or so as from damage I cause many years ago.
I have no idea what it would take for me to be realistic and start ‘acting my age’ with sensible moderate training on a long term basis, and hopefully I will never find out.
My fast recovery has led to a certain level of arrogance where I know I have recovered quickly in the past and expect it all of the time, mercifully I have been right so far, he says feeling soreness in his back from the lunchtime run.
Don’t know whose quote this is but it is a favourite.
I am immortal until proven otherwise!
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