It's a bit quiet in here.
I'll be honest, because generally I am. I've started Physiotherapy for my legs. Official verdict? Climbing and mountain biking, because they're all exercise which involves pushing through the toes, have caused contraction. My upper back calf muscles contracted pulling on the lower ones. The lower ones got narked with this and as a result eventually contracted. This meant twice as much pull on my achilles tendon. It didn't like it much either, so guess what it did? Contracted. The muscles across the bottom of my feet are now moaning at me. Eventually it will reach my toes, I expect.
I've not been climbing for 2 years and I did explain I'd only been seriously pedalling since Feb and before that hadn't been since September last year, and that the pain has been getting progressively worse for 2 years, but it just fell on deaf ears. I'm all out of argueing. So walking uphill was hideous for a reason which is surprisingly reassuring to know. Llandegla riders will no doubt understand why the double steep hill or whatever amusing name it's been called nearly had me nailing my other half to the path for telling me it was half the length it actually transpired to be. It was a great incentive to not get off my bike and ride the first bit without dabbing though. Amazing, the motivation you can find. In fact, the second part of double steep hill is the only, and I seriously mean the absolutely only time I have got off my bike and walked up a hill since February. I am proud of this in the same way that I suspect others are proud of their not stopping til they've got to the top of the hill rule. Or in some loons cases, not stopping until the absolute end of the ride rule.
Result, of course, is having my legs hammered by the physio on a weekly basis. I've got knots in my leg muscles, same way others have knots in their back from sitting at desks all day. Some of them are rock solid, literally, according to Miss physio. I can't feel a thing, they're numb, but apparently it's bad. So I've been given stretches. Lots of stretches. They hurt. Mrs Physio knows this, I know this, we both know this but still they must be done. Eventually the hurt turns to numbness, but for a while, because the muscles have been allowed to contract for so long, they fight back and whine and moan at me and desperately try to contract every second I try and convince them they want to stretch.
I'm trying to carry on riding my bike. In fact, as ever, the only time nothing hurts is when I'm riding my bike, because my legs are warm, and my shin pads get worn all the time, earning me snarky looks form other bikers on towpaths who assume everyones bodies behave just as theirs do and have no clue about the wonderful stupidity bodies can inflict on you with no warning. My shin pads are my little heaters and they get me home and no snarky comment or snidey glare is making me take them off. Difficult and challenging and stupidly the most fun things of all, the off roading, is being parked a little, mostly because I am nervous as all hell the second someone says 'lets just go up here and see what it's like' and the embarassment of having to admit to something people can't see is wrong is just cross making. And cross isn't what mountain biking is supposed to make me, happy is what mountain biking is supposed to be making me.
What I am not managing is to remain positive. Well, I am positive, positive that it's fixable and eventually my muscles will get the message but I'm not quite as happy bouncy full of the joys of spring as I usually am. So just bear that in mind.
Now. If the weather could just warm up because cold makes muscles, yes you've guessed it, contract, I'd be a much happier bunny. So if someone somewhere could just do a nice little sundance for me, I'd be so grateful.
I've turned comments off, and I shant be tweeting about this post either. The simple act of writing this post has made me determined to ride my bike tomorrow, because worse things happen at sea, and this is where I stop moaning, WTFU and just get the hell on with it. Northern grit. I lost mine for a bit, but I think it might be back.
