Road to recovery

Five weeks ago today I injured my foot in a training camp in Poland. Although healing, I am still tending to my foot. At the time, I told myself that is was nothing, and I was adamant that I was going to fence in a World Cup in Turin less than two weeks after my injury. It’s funny how your brain can convince yourself of anything if you want it badly enough.

Since then I have had to withdraw from another World Cup competition in Budapest and that was tough. I have been very lucky with injuries in my career. I’ve only had niggles and certainly nothing that would ever force me to have to withdraw from a competition.

What have I learnt from this experience?

Fencing for Great Britain can be stressful at times and tough to deal with but I know now that it isn’t half as painful as not fencing for your country. Sitting at home and watching the results online was not fun. I wanted so badly to be a part of the action and consolidate on my previous performances.

These are just some of the frustrations, but believe it or not, there are some definite upsides to injury.

First, you discover who your real support team are. I have had so much support from my physio’s, doctor, coaches, friends and family. Second, it allows you the chance to fine-tune and train certain aspects of your technique that you might not have had the chance to address in the past. Third, and I believe this to be the most crucial point, you miss it. Being out with an injury gives you that extra bite and motivation to come back stronger. You want to make the most of every competition and opportunity that comes your way.

So while I’ve been out of competitive fencing for the past month or so, I am yet to take my foot off the accelerator. My non-injured foot that is.

I have been having standing (static) fencing lessons most days and have consistently been hitting a fencing target. Hit, hit, hit. Slow and then fast. Fast and then slow. You get the idea. I have been improving my parries in my lessons and getting my hits on at close quarters which has been fun!

Thanks to my recent sponsorship from Balance Physio, I have been doing a great deal of cross training and strength and conditioning as well as finding new and fun ways to minimise muscle loss during my rehab period. One of those being the ‘War Machine’ - also less scarily known as the ‘CrossCore.’ ‘War machine’ sounds harder though so I’ll continue to use that.

It is in fact a suspended pulley training system which was initially created for the military, elite athletes and trainers but is now open big time to the public. Check out a couple of photos of me doing various exercises on it in this blog. I cannot recommend it enough. The constant rotational movement of the pulley system means that I have to engage my muscles, particularly my core, twice as hard to keep it steady and stable. Resistance for most exercises can be increased or decreased according to your level and I had fun suspending my feet in different ways, taking the weight off my foot when I wanted to do exercises that would involve using my feet. It is hard work but so rewarding. My muscles feel strong and conditioned after a session on the War Machine and it definitely gets my heart rate going.

The other very exciting piece of machinery that I have been using is called the Alter-G or G-trainer. There are few available in the country and I am lucky to have one right on my doorstep at Balance Physio in Clapham.

It is an anti-gravity treadmill often used for patients recovering from injury or surgery. It is a revolutionary piece of equipment. I am told that marathon runners also use it to help with their training as it takes the weight of their joints and can help them run for longer periods of time.

The first time I took to one, I was told to put on the rather fetching pair of lycra shorts that come with the machine. These zip you into an air-tight chamber surrounding the treadmill and once the machine registers your weight it blows up to whatever amount of weight you require off your feet. I opted to train at just 30% of my body weight. 20% apparently equates to the same feeling you get from walking on the moon. It was fun. I jumped (or should I say floated) from one leg to the other (in my air cast boot) and it felt great to give my quads and calves a work out. Yesterday I actually zipped myself into the machine backwards and managed to do some fencing footwork and lunges. Next time I’m going to bring in my foil and simulate visualising a proper fight whilst I do my footwork on the machine. I’m going to look crazy.

My boxing trainer has also been strapping weights on to my ankles and we have been doing leg strengthening exercises from sitting down as well as plenty of upper body circuits. He always has new and exciting ideas up his sleeve and it has made my rehab period more fun and bearable.

Apart from that, I have been reading lots, keeping my spirits up and feeding myself positive thoughts.

I intend to be back to fitness in time for the Asian tour in Shanghai which kicks off at the beginning of May.

I know there will be challenges to overcome over the next few months but who said it was going to be easy? Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.