So here we are, nearly a week on from that top doctor advice that now I can ‘go and live my life’.. I thought I’d give a little update on how life is going.
The Downs
- I’m fully back in the swing of my work schedule now. I work 9.30-5.30 in one job and then work as a private tutor in the evenings which means..
- I am SO pushed for riding time. The evenings are rapidly getting darker and although I’m still only riding for short periods of time, when I ride after work on non tutoring days I feel so rushed!
- Rushing is not good for my still recovering body. After feeling so knackered from walking and mucking out ONE stable I have been doing some reading on how much muscle you lose from inactivity. I am very much still getting my strength back, if I rest between activities I am ok but when I’m rushing I end up in pain or with cramp! It upsets me that this time last year at my old job there were 20 stables to muck out between two of us and this year I can barely do one!
The Ups
- Although my brain is still stressed about work, money and time, I feel so much more relaxed about my leg. I’ve been moving and sitting however I want and so far haven’t had any dodge moments since my restrictions have been lifted.
- I’ve adjusted my mindset when it comes to my riding and it has made me feel much better. My first ride made me feel like I had gone so far backwards and then as I did more to try to rectify that I was worried I was overdoing it. I had some great advice that if I thought I was overdoing it.. I probably was and that aching is ok but not pain. So I’ve stripped back my expectations and I stop when I get to the pain stage. I’m treating my riding as though I’m starting from scratch again but am pleasantly progressing at a slightly accelerated rate than I did this time five years ago (when I first started riding!) I did something this week which was very exciting but I’m going to have to wait until next weekend to write about it.. watch this space!
- I’m getting the hang of our new camera and so is my boyfriend. We both love photography so it is nice to be able to take better quality pictures for my blog and social media. We have a Canon with a 18-55 lense but are pondering what longer lense or waterproofing equipment we may need in the future (British Dressage Championships in the rain was tricky) – if anyone has any top tips please let me know!
- I’m generally feeling more positive about the future with my scrummy pony, snazzy camera and bionic hip!