Injury Forms Another Chapter in the Ever Expanding Story

After preaching for years in articles about health and well being, I am finding out that there are apparently some side effects to leading a healthy life style. Especially if that lifestyle comprises a decade of 200+ kilometers per week and hundreds of weight sessions.  What seems a picture of health on the outside is only half the story.  

I already know about the degenerative discs that I have in my back – indeed, the consultant told me few years ago that I have the back of a 55 year old.  “Great” I thought to myself, “what are the discs going to be like when I am actually 55?!”  However the reality in illness and injury, as ever, was that I needed to get back into a boat as quickly as possible.  So when the surgeon explained to me that he could fix me up quickly with an epidural injection in my back, such that I could get back in a boat ASAP, I took it.

A few weeks ago another surgeon was sat at my bedside, just before I went in for an arthroscopy operation on my knee, and gave me two choices - one of a longer rehab, but longer life of the cartilage and one of a quick recovery by removing the cartilage, but with a high risk of future problems around the age of 40.  This makes my 55 year old back seem quite good, I thought to myself!  He compared the situation to the story of the tortoise and the hare. I have won many races from coming through at the end - but I didn’t see a tortoise winning the Olympics…would you? next page >