July training

I wrote July training on my kitchen cabinet 4 weeks ago. And then write nothing else. Still yo-yoing about my training 

August tomorrow 

1. Make a plan for training 

2. Try and swim, bike, run plus gym / S&C

3. Do the STC merit table 

4. 31 days till the club champs sprint tri 🤗

Exactly one year since Outlaw 2023

Which I did not do 😥

I was going to go for a run today - too hot

I was going to do some strength and conditioning  - I didn't 

My training mojo is up and down like a yo-yo 

I guess it doesn't help that I'm still feeling sore when I really haven't done much of anything. Today my left glute really sore but I hadn't done anything. 

Basically I need to get myself a coach to help me through all of this over the next  2 years as I am determined to do the Outlaw in 2026

In fact let's make an announcement 

Lizzie will go long in 2026 🥳

And I'll be doing it for Sibs xx

Classic line from Suzanne today one year ago

You should be running a marathon on Sunday

 Instead you'll be doing chair exercises 

Indeed…

Hopefully July 2026 that's exactly what I'll be doing 💪

My sheet related injury SRI

Ooh that's right 

Last year I managed to get my right foot caught in my bedsheet when I was getting out of bed to go to the loo

OMG the pain

Like I'd badly stubbed my pelvis 

My right leg, which up till then was my good leg, was in so much pain. It did calm down but wow, set me back as it made me realise just how vulnerable I was. 

Pic of me the next day still feeling the effects of my SRI 😥

This evening though, popped into the Slug after work to wish Angie a wonderful retirement. Seven years ago we all ended up in the Slug on my leaving No Limits do. So lovely to see so many wonderfully familiar faces xx

Did stairs this time last year

Funny to think that today last year I was going up and down a 4 step flight of stairs four times 

1st time clinging onto the bannister like my life depending on it

2nd time took ages to figure out how to actually manage going up and down with crutches

Last x2 times a lot more confident 

And that was it for my physio

Absolutely shattered

32 steps and that was it 

I really have come so far!!!

Now I need to start really integrating my fitness into my everyday life

Should be doing some Strength, Mobility and Conditioning every day. Let's see how I do in the next week or so 

Last year crutches, today 18,358 steps

What a difference!!

Learning how to use crutches and today over 18,000 steps. 

In fact today last year I managed 6 minutes of walking with a little sit down on the wheelchair which was handily placed half way along the corridor. 

It's being able to see how far I've come since my accident that is helping me to move on from being so sad and frustrated about how little I can now do compared to where I was before the accident and being so close to doing an Ironman to now.

The recognising that my mantra of #SlowlyCarefullyGently has / is still working and to be excited about exploring just how much stronger and fitter I can become 

An epic day of cycling, swimming, S&C

Look at me this time last year 

And now look at what I've done today!!

I am feeling so happy 

Yes I'll be tired tomorrow but how wonderful to be able to do so much 

Was chatting to Marie (S&C) and how positive I've been feeling about how I'm doing. I think Facebook memories has a lot to do with it

Up until 15/7/24 all my memories were look at me 100mile cycle, 3k swim, out for another run etc…

Now they're look I can walk 200 steps a day,  look no walker I'm now on crutches - so whatever I'm now doing will seem amazing compared to what I was doing 🤗

I now need to investigate getting a coach so we can journey from now to the IM together xx

Still bit sore

Today has not been active

My left side is still abit sore 

I drove home - small of back bit sore and left leg bit sore 

Still no idea what's going on 

However, tomorrow I'm doing the 5:30-7am tri club swim session

Breakfast at Jenny's then we're meeting Sue 8:30am for a bike ride in the forest

Then 3pm got strength, mobility and conditioning over at Marie's 

I'm hoping that my left leg / hip will manage okay and then i'll feel even more like I'm getting back to normal xxx

#OneYearOn 

#LizzieGoesLong2026 🤞

Lovely walk, weird left hip pain

So weird

I'm now wondering if I sat awkwardly while watching the fab documentary on malaria that was on earlier? Although I did notice a soreness on my left side even during the walk.

I've had an ice pack stuffed down my trouser leg for most of the night 🤣

Will need to keep an eye on it 

So weird 

So painful 😥 

Starting year 2 of PMA (post my accident)

Year one was all about recovering from my accident that happened 2 weeks from the Outlaw IM

I'm hoping to get half IM fit for Summer 25 to enable me to assess if I'm capable of getting full IM fit for Summer 26

It doesn't look that much but compared to this time last year when I'd got up to maybe 350 steps with my walker around my now RSH rehab hospital bed I'd say this week has been fabulous 🤗

I need to figure out what I need to do for the club champs sprint tri 1/9 - not much re: swimming and running as it's just 400m in lake Ellingham and then 5k run. However the bike ride is 33k which is currently further than I've cycled in one go so that is the challenge.

Then two weeks later it's the Ashtead 10k which is def further than I've ever run / walked since PMA (post my accident) 

Ideally I'll post every day to ensure accountability 

Today met A at 5pm in the Jubilee Sports Centre for a swim then gym

Approx 650m swimming, slow lane, mixture of crawl, breast stroke, kick, sculling, backstroke and catching up with Desponina who used to work at UoS as well.

Then up to the gym for some fun on the machines then strength session with stretches at the end - 40mins 

Drove to mum's had a magnum and played with my new headphones 

Now bedtime 

UoS Graduation 2024

I cried yesterday morning when watching the first lot of graduates all stream out of the O2 Guildhall because 12 months ago I missed the 2023 UoS Graduation as I was in hospital

What a year

It's now time to get on with getting back in shape 💪

Marking the year anniversary

Lovely meal out this evening with some of the gang who did so much for me exactly a year ago this week 🥰

Love these women xx

This time last year…

I think I'd just arrived at A&E

Was on a gurney in a corridor between the ambulance bay and A&E proper 

Because Southampton General Hospital is part of the University of Southampton I had access to the staff wifi and although Annabel had taken my work bag I had my phone and portable charger with me so I had plenty of stuff to do

Once admitted to a bay, Annabel could join me and 5 hours later I was admitted to the holding ward for Orthopaedics before being admitted onto an actual ward afternoon of the 16/7/23

What a year!!!!!

A year of learning to walk again

Being in a lot of pain 

Being overwhelmed with the love of my friends and family - I really am totally and utterly blessed 🥰

3 months off work

3 months phased return 

Going from being able to walk 6 steps with a walker to crutches to one crutch to no crutches by early January 2024 to posting my first sub 40minute parkrun this weekend 

From clambering onto the stationary bike via launching myself off the bed to finally cycling outside once the clocks did their thing in April 24 as the days were lighter and the weather warm and dry. 

From being terrified of walking on the slick poolside to finally being brave in November 23 and getting back in the pool to my first open water swim at Ellingham last month June 24

My accident and recovery has been a huge part of this last year for me. 

Whereas this next year will be rebuilding my strength, my conditioning, my mobility as I start training for a sprint tri and a couple of 10ks while I plan how 2025 will look like

I'm hoping it'll include at least one half IM / middle distance race. I still don't know if I'll get back my full ironman fitness but I'm certainly looking forward to finding this out over the next couple of years 

#Outlaw26FingersCrossed

#LizzieRestartsGoingLongVerySlowly 

One year ago this weekend - bike accident. Now - 1st sub 40min Parkrun

What a difference a year makes!!

This time last year I was training for the Outlaw full IM and 2 weeks away from the event. 

Then I decided I wanted a big tub of cottage cheese so went the long way home to get a bit of extra bike training before my taper and go to Asda 

Driver neglected to look right again and pulled out onto me on Commercial road

Ambulance

A&E

CT scan

Fractured in 3 places pelvis 

Admitted to hospital

Next day managed 6 steps before needing to lie back down

Didn't need surgery 

Lots of pain

Long road to recovery 

And now?

This weekend I did my first sub 40minute parkrun since my accident.

39:52

I am obviously feeling rather epic!!!  

Mobility first thing again!!!

Yes it's only two sessions but that two days running I've done a 15minutes mobility session first thing. I'm obviously feeling pretty darn epic xx

Alarm set again for 6:02am

I'm giving myself an extra 25minutes each day to be spent doing something around strength and mobility. I'm hoping to focus on strength tomorrow 🤞

Fabulous evening spent with Caryl, Alison and Vik 

Mobility session at home

Didn't go to the gym but thought I could easily do the mobility session in my pjs before having a shower

It's very early days but so far so good re: following my training plan 

And to think this time last year I was getting excited / nervous for the Outlaw full Ironman in 20 days time 🤗

Treadmill fun with Shaz

Major DOMs due to strength and mobility session yesterday with Marie so def needed to do something to help loosen all my muscles 

However - so much rain

No walking outside but yay for Shaz's treadmill

5mins walk on the treadmill then 5mins sat on the camping chair while shaz then walked on the treadmill 

X5 walks each

50mins total

3.6km

25mins of walking and 25mins of sitting 

Smashed it 🥳

Next plan to get back my training habit

Okay

I'm struggling to get back my training mojo

I havnt figured out my routine yet 

So I'm trying this :

Let's see if it works 🤞

Trying to get back to training

I'm trying!!!

I just haven't quite got back into the groove of it all. Need to get those set days back of swimming, running, cycling, strength and conditioning and then the odd fitness class / going to the gym. 

This time last year I was swimming in Shepperton lake and running 18k around Southampton panicking / getting super excited about the Outlaw at the end of the month. 

This year I'm laying down foundations

Next year swashbuckler half IM then training for the Outlaw in 2026

I have a plan

I just need to replant some training habits