How long can I hold a plank? What is a dead bug and do I need a hoist for tomorrow?

The new groups are not concerned

With what there is to be learned
They got burton suits, huh, you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money

All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway

The Clash. White Man in Hammersmith Palais.

Had to be up early today as my car was due to be inspected before being returned to the lease company. Congestion on the motorway meant the inspectors arrived two hours late, which meant delaying my scheduled training session. Felt my mood immediately drop, everything seems to be complicated and never goes smoothly. Once the car had been signed off and it was driven away I did feel some sense of relief as it’s taken over a month to arrange. It’s an odd feeling not having a replacement, but a car at this time is a luxury and until life returns to some semblance of normality, I'll live without it.

It did at least mean I had time to have some food before training. I’ve started having porridge on a morning and am really enjoying it. A couple of shots of coffee and I was ready for the first session of using weights, having spent the previous session learning five of the movements we'll be using. 

Today’s session was definitely the toughest yet physically. There’s so much to learn, but so far, there hasn’t been anything I’ve felt unable to attempt. It included:

Warm up exercises and an intro to using a resistance band.

Deadlifts, overhead lifts, split squats with weights and bicep curls. In between these there were more balance exercises, a hideous one called dead bug and a particular highlight was the look of incredulity on my PT’s face when I looked totally blank when he asked me how long I could hold a plank for. Why anyone would just naturally attempt a plank for fun is beyond me......

After the session I went straight on to the bike and pushed myself over 10kms. I was chuffed to hit over 200watts for the whole ride and beat my personal best for the distance. It’s hardly going to get Geraint Thomas glancing over his shoulder, but a week ago I struggled to hold 140watts, so I can see some fitness progress from the data.

But as all involved in making this case study happen agree, the primary focus is for the intervention to improve my mental health.

I’ve felt an improvement. My mood diary helps me see that I have made progress and it’s a way of reminding my brain it can feel better when I have a wobble or doubts creep in. I’ve now gone six days without taking paracetamol. I can’t remember how many months it is since I didn’t have a nagging headache. It was like clockwork, always coming on around 3pm. But that’s stopped. Hoorah!

I’ve also been able to deal with a few things that would previously have led to needing to take diazepam. Again, none for the past six days. 

I’m not getting over hopeful. It’s almost twelve months now and we’ve experienced moments before where my mood lifted, only to drop like a stone. The difference this time is, that whilst there is still lots of medication involved, the initiating factor is exercise. And so far, I am really loving it. We’ll see if I am still saying that tomorrow when I try to get out of bed after today’s exertions......

Finally, if you think or know that a mate is struggling, send them a message. Don’t push them for an answer, but don’t be afraid to contact them. You might not get an answer, or you may get one eventually. It’s highly likely though that it will be read and appreciated. 

One way of signing off is this.

“Please don’t feel any obligation to reply to this. I know how difficult it can be to deal with things when your mind isn’t right and I wouldn’t want you to feel any pressure.“

Love and tier 2 hugs

Blot