You never realise how much you do until you stop. This seems to be particularly true of training.
Skills swims, endurance swims, long runs, 800m track intervals, ME swims, easy bikes, cruise intervals, hilly bikes, long bikes, tempo runs, sea swims, maximum strength sessions, massage and foam rollers. When you stop all that a huge amount of time appears in your week. Not that you fill it with much. You kind of sit around a bit wondering what you should be doing. Is it only 9pm? What do I do now?
With a broken bone I guess I spend a fair bit more time sleeping (good for recovery and repair, lie-ins and early nights). I spend more time looking for things to read. I spent the first 3 weeks seriously levelling World of Warcraft characters (funnily, I want to spend more time in dungeons with a couple of them but those need 2-3 hour dedicated time slots and I’m now struggling to find any of those). I’ve been getting a bit of writing done, and I have more time to get work done in, but without the break part way through the day for training I find I’m a bit worn out by the mid-afternoon. So my productivity hasn’t changed.
I’ve spent more time at home because I can’t get myself about by bike or by car (would I be able to if I had an automatic?) So I rely on the generosity of others to get me to work and back. It has been great to spend a lot of time with Annabel (who has now climbed onto my chair and is hanging over my computer) and to see Jack when he gets home from school. Morning’s haven’t changed much. I’m not up at 6 and out the door as they wake any more, but everyone’s in such a rush it’s not much different.
I’ve got just under 2 weeks until my next fracture clinic appointment, at which I hope to be declared fairly fit and to have the plaster removed. The foot feels strong this week and there’s no pain on walking or weighting it. I wouldn’t like to go trampolining just yet though. I’ll entertain myself for a bit by re-planning my training for 2010 in TrainingPeaks.com.