SmarterFitter

I'm getting back into my strength training again, spurred on by another niggle with my ankle. It was 2004 when I first injured my ankle and I've been feeling rather bummed that I've let it go this long without getting serious about rehabilitation. I made a bit of a start last year by seeing a physiotherapist through the NHS. Unfortunately, I don't think my once-a-month-or-two appointments were enough. And having the pain return after seeing this physio for a year is kind of a bummer.

So, I think I'm prepared to shell out some cash on a private physio who is more specialized and can provide more regular advice. I'd really like to run again and, more importantly, I'd really like to not have this ankle be a constant hindrance to my progress as a wannabe athlete. I'd like to find a physio who is also a runner and can sympathize with my case.

A physiotherapist in London gave me some free advice - mainly, do some proprioception work to improve my joints, muscles and ligaments and get some hardcore sports massage.

I've started up my strength training again and am going to look into a physio in my area for the massage and more specific advice on this proprioception stuff. I feel optimistic. And soon, I will likely feel a little poorer, but hopefully pain free.

So in the spirit of getting serious about getting fit, I'm going to restart my food and exercise tracking, including photos if I've happened to upload them in time. Here's what my weekend looked like:

Friday

In London. Was treated to a simple but delicious breakfast from my host - homemade bread and homemade damson jam (damsons picked from the hedgerows!).

Food:

• Breakfast: White toast with butter and damson jam, plus a cup of black tea with milk


• Snack: Apple


• Lunch: Spinach salad from Pizza Express


• Snack: 4 sweet potato falafel balls


• Dinner: 500ml English beer (Wychwood's Hobgoblin and Thwait's Wainwright); pizza on homemade white crust with Story Deli inspired toppings: roasted fennel, caramelized leeks, mushrooms, rosemary, sundried tomatoes, raisins, ground toasted walnuts, and olives; raw spinach

Exercise:

4mi bike ride from Kennington office to Planet Organic, then to London Paddington train station

Saturday

Food:

• Breakfast: Toast with nut butter, apple, pear and banana


• Lunch: Lentil shephard's pie with salad and sweetcorn


• Dinner: Sweetcorn fritters with tempeh and sauteed chard


• Dessert: vegan mango ice cream

Exercise:

• Monkeybar gym strength workout: 50 total reps of each exercise, in as few sets as possible, alternating between:
  
  
  
  
  1. Push ups
  
  
  2. Body rows
  
  
  3. Foot up lunges
  
  
  4. Power Wheel Pike Ups
  
  
  
  
  This took me 4 sets, and just under 30 minutes.
  



• Walk: a 30-min stroll around Lower Moor Farm

Sunday

Food

• Breakfast: Toast with hazelnut butter, cashew butter, banana and apple


• Lunch: Leftover tempeh, sweetcorn and zucchini fritters and sauteed carrots, celery and chard


• Dinner: Yummy vegan pizza with broccoli, caramelized red onion, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes, black olives, toasted walnuts and pine nuts. With a rocket, tomato and cucumber salad on the side.

Exercise

Stroll around the farm. Roughly 45 minutes.