After missing most of last week from swim training and all of the weekend, I decided to man up and join the BBC group for a swim this morning.  I was flat on my back most of the weekend and there’s only so much of that you can do.The sharp pain in my shoulder blades and neck had subsided to a dull ache in my neck. It was Monday morning, the start of the working week and such a beautiful day I couldn’t resist. The sun was well up as I walked to Manly. We are in that beautiful period before daylight saving starts and I am not getting up in the dark. The ocean was as flat as flat could be, in the southern corner although the surf was up at Queenscliff. Only a small group of us headed to Shelly – Bob Johnson, Denise Elder, Marg Carney and myself. I was very ginger and I couldn’t swim very quickly as I couldn’t turn my head far and couldn’t breathe properly. Consequently I ended up swallowing a lot of water as usual. This process of managing pain seems to be an inevitable part of being a human being, especially if you are a reasonably active one. I suspect that everybody, as they get older, has to work out how they are going to cope with pain. Luckily all of my pain seems to come and go and it doesn’t hang around too long. It must be very difficult for people who suffer ongoing chronic pain.

Took myself off to the gym today at lunchtime as my neck prevented me from training on the weekend. Quite pleased with how it went and practiced a good rotation:

X Trainer – Warm up 30 mins. Level 8. 94 steps per minute. Power 84 watts. 285 kcl. distance 1.35km

Leg Curl ……………..20 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Extension….. 10 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Press………….20 reps x 50kg   both legs

Leg Curl ……………..20 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Extension….. 10 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Press………….30 reps x 50kg   both legs

Leg Curl ……………..20 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Extension…… 20 reps x 15kg    broken-leg-only

Leg Press………….20 reps x 60kg   both legs

Sprint start…………20 reps both legs

In total this exercise routine took me about an hour. I wasn’t that fatigued at the end of it and could have done more. I also wasn’t in any pain. This is a good thing and it’s also in some respects a bad thing as a little bit of pain is probably inevitable in the process of rehabilitation from tibial plateau fracture and surgery. I did this exercise routine on a rotational basis, not using too much weight and while I increased the repetitions in some instances and increased the weight on the leg press, I never increased the repetitions and the weight at the same time. I think this is the key to not injuring yourself in post-surgical recovery.

In the press today it was announced that the National Rugby League will not be sanctioning Aaron Woods and Dylan Walker as the prescription drugs they took were not performance enhancing drugs nor were they prescribed substances. What is going on with the Rugby League can somebody please tell me? It’s okay apparently, if you are a fit young man with no pain issues to take synthetic morphine as it is not performance enhancing! I just can’t believe how stupid these people really are and how narrowly they see the public interest in relation to high-profile sportsmen. God help us.

Finished watching The Wire tonight. That is the third time I’ve watched the whole five seasons. I still think it’s the best series that’s ever been on TV, almost Shakespearean. To work as a writer on a program like that must be amazing. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. It left me feeling a bit confused about how morally ambiguous the show is with Marlo Stansfield at the end wandering around in a suit and Proposition Joe and Omar in the ground. At least Bunk and Bubbles came out on top so there must be a God.