As you will be aware I have been having issues with my shoulder. This week I was sent back for an X-Ray. It was decided there is no structural damage which was a relief. It is purely soft tissue damage. They did say there is some Osteoarthritis in my shoulder and some similar wear and tear in my AC Joint which is probably consistent with normal aging. The Ultrasound indicated symptomatic bursal bunching with abduction. So I guess the doctor reviewing my X-Ray is telling me I’m an old git lol, and the Ultrasound is telling me I did a good job falling out of bed and landing with my arm outstretched to break the fall. I just can’t believe how long this is taking to come right, but as Coach Ray said “we’ll simply work on a plan to get you through the Quarter Ironman, even if you swim with one arm”. I guess Coach Ray knows I’m crazy enough to slug it out!
This week has seen me return to Coach Ray’s training after being overseas over Labour Weekend for a third family wedding in as many months. I have enjoyed being able to get back into what Coach Ray has had in store for me. To add to my training I had a work activity which had a group of us heading out from the Wellington suburbs towards Pencarrow Heads. A few were on mountain bikes, but since there wasn’t enough mountain bikes a few of us donned running shoes. It was about 7.5kms running out to the lighthouse area, followed by a walk up a hill to the lighthouse itself. Then depending on which way you went back it was another 6.5kms of running back.
The run back had a horrendous head wind which slowed us all down. The look on the mountain bikers face said it all and a few were glad to refuel at a local bar and spin their stories about their venture.
To me it felt like I had been running forever, as that was all I did in Australia when Coach Ray had me hitting the roads, and now work did as well. But I was enjoying getting out and clocking up the kilometres. (Photos enclosed of the lighthouse which had great views of the Cook Strait ferries coming in and out. Shame about the wind. (UltraHumps is seated second from left, wearing the fluorescent jacket he pinched from a support vehicle before heading up the hill to the lighthouse to avoid windburn).
I headed back into Physio this week. She gave me some different exercises to try and sort my life out or my shoulder out. The story had my Physio trying to mask laughter when I explained how I injured my arm. If I drank alcohol I could probably have a more exciting story to add to the mix.
Stay tuned team as I head to the second event of the Cameron Brown Award and IronMaori / Port of Tauranga Legend Series.
Regards John Humphries (Aka UltraHumps)!
Humps will be writing weekly as he continues his journey raising funds for the Fallen Hero’s Trust
Read Humps’ article from last week here:
And all his previous articles are stored here:
https://www.coachray.nz/category/client-stories/ultra-humps/