Sarah Kingdom ACL Rehab Blog – Weeks 10 & 11

As a GB Cable squad member, this morning I got an e-mail about the IWWF Cable World Championships 2010 in Germany this coming July. Ahh! Would I be fit enough? It would be almost nine months to the week that I’d had my operation and that was the sort of benchmark duration for returning to fitness. All my certainly at getting fit was now hanging in doubt, especially when I saw Tom who sucked in air through his teeth with concern over the date! I desperately want to ride at a world level before I hang up my board, so I’ve a new determination to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure I’m fit enough. I’d be absolutely gutted if I missed competing at that event.

Upping the anti!

The July Worlds deadline meant Tom Williams jumped at the opportunity to inflict more pain in my sessions by giving me more specific strength targets, threatening me with the dreaded strength machine that lurks like an evil demon ready to crush your spirit! So despite him being rather impressed with the letter of progress he received from my surgeon Mr. Elliot, he didn’t let opportunity to set goals pass him by. I’ve now got till the end of the month, which will be twelve weeks post op, to get 30% in my hamstring and significant improvement everywhere else… so he can then start breaking me with agility! So, more gym work, more reps, more exercising at work and more focus. I suspected for some time that the grace period was fast coming to an end!

High heels and headaches!

My friend Claire’s Birthday was my first venture out in heels! This sounds like stating the obvious, but staggering around on a heel, slightly drunk, at a Birthday Party wouldn’t normally be recommended. However, my perspectives changed a little! I’ve got to start getting my natural instincts back in place, (not to go and get battered at a party!) but to be confident to make balance adjustments when I need them and heels was another small step in achieving this. Once again, I had Nikki Bradley keeping a watchful eye on me all evening – I don’t suppose anyone had two fully functioning retinas by the end of the night, but other than a sore head the next day, all was well: no sore knee, no back pain or anything unusual. All this was welcome news to Birthday girl Claire who was making the most of her liberation as she’s due to have her ACL reconstructed at the weekend! “It’s all the rage dear!”

Week 11

Collecting Claire from hospital after her ACL operation was quite a reality check. Not even three months after it was my turn, it became very apparent just how well I’d come along watching her awkwardly shuffle into my car, lifting her braced leg gingerly into the foot well, then shuffling along on her crutches. As Nikki had done for me, I stayed with her for the first night having a fully functional pair of legs dart around getting ice, refilling the freezer, and making copious cups of tea! All things that only 11 weeks ago were a total pain for me! My perspective had to take a shift after that. I couldn’t see myself any longer as in rehab, but recovery. There’s nothing evident anymore to suggest that I’m not working normally. I’m just not working well enough to wakeboard yet. It’s always been my focus, but slightly fogged by day to day movement. Now it’s all about the gym and building myself back to full strength.

Sleepy head!

My new found gusto to get fit as well as strong fell flat on its face this morning as I slept through my first spin class with Nikki, my chance to intensify me recovery!! Great! I’m trapped! I’m too tired to not sleep, but I’ll never get fit if I don’t get up and move! I’m really disappointed with myself.

Making amends

What a contrast from the sorry state I was in on Saturday! Today, I really felt alive again. As part of the Cable Squad, I was invited to attend a training session with top wakeboard coaches Mike Ferraro and Ryan Jones over from the States. These guys coach the likes of Nicola Butler, Amber Wing, Dallas Friday and Philip Soven, so to have a day at the Circus Space in London with harnesses, trampolines and dollies with these guys was immense.

This was a great kick start to a more intense work out for me as I was using my wakeboarding muscles again! The harness work was ripping my stomach and the dolly work really got my thighs. I obviously skipped the trampoline work as I’m definitely not strong enough to protect myself from a fall on that. I’m not so deluded that I know my limits there! This was so much fun and makes me all the more thirsty to get back in the gym, get the Promax shakes with soya milk on the go and really wake everything up and get building this muscle back!

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Friday 19 March 2010 | Permalink