Basketballing

Ahhh... so, back to training for basketball this weekend. I was apalling! Frustrating cannot begin to describe how I played, and what was going on around my head. Every single shot hit the front of the ring, every pass was about 1/2 a second too late, I could still at the very least dribble and rebound. Thats a bonus. Still, that said, I have really enjoyed the break, and to have that amount of time off has done me the world of good. My body is feeling better than ever, thanks to a friendly combo of time in the gym and on the treadmills at work. The one thing which I have been SO grateful for have been my new LineBreak calf guards. Weak ankles mean I end up with really tired, stressed calves and these are a saviour. They help my recovery like you wouldn't believe.

With games starting back soon, I will be playing until my ankle gets its reconstruction done, so I was back to training this weekend. Its a bit odd knowing I will be playing until some completely indescript time. I see the surgeon Friday so Im hoping the doc (do surgeons get referred to as the doc?) will be able to get things moving fast.

So I might get in a few shooting sessions during lunchbreaks this week. I tell you, I frustrate myself more than any coach or player on my team could ever frustrate me.... Im not always sure carrying high expectations is a good thing. Its good for me, but when I don't do as well as I know I can, should or am.......

Its tough sometimes

Some days are just like a whole lotta hard work aren't they? Seriously, at present we are packing up our unit ready to sell it and then we're buying a 'big persons house'. As exciting as this is, my days are filled with work, and my nights are filled with house stuff, then some of my days are filled with that too!
So for me at the moment, my spare time, all I want to do is collapse down on the couch, and to be quite honest, that ain't gonna get me anywhere. So... after playing Lacrosse on Saturday (I think it was the last game for the season...) going for a little run on Sunday, I had Monday off. No crime in that. To be fair if I was to run again Monday I don't think my ankle would have forgiven me any time soon either.
Tuesday this week was right back on the horse again... that might have been somewhat driven by te fact that I had to stand on the scales Monday, and I didn't like what they told me!!!
I made a deal with Wendy, who I work with when we both noticed our dress pants didn't fit us quite like they should. You know all those bits that make your pants stretch a bit in places you dont want them to stretch, or maybe challenge your buttoning up system a bit?? Those bits.
Stay tuned for this one, I will come back to it next post.
Working at a gym certainly does have its perks, no Im not one of those perky little instructors, or a PT person... none of that I look after University Sports Clubs, Uni Games, Social Sport & Marketing. So working at the gym is a perk. It allows me to get in a quick workout before work (which this morning's certainly was) and means I have NO EXCUSES for getting there regularly.
In the meantime, its back to work for me.

My ankles

So, to cut a long story short. Basketball has busted up my ankles good and proper! After many many years of playing, despite that it should be considered an elite level, the clumsiness that is the combination of basketball and ankles has come back to bite me on the bum.

After bone scans, ultrasounds, xrays, an MRI, multiple visits to the doctors, visits to the sports doctor, I now have an appointment with the surgeon to finally get to the bottom of this whole situation.

For those who understand... below, in order is the MRI, Ultrasound (of a ganglion), Bone Scan (black parts show inflammation & pressure) & X-Ray







Although both ankles aren't good, my left in particular has given up the ghost well and truly. It has been diagnosed as having a complete tear of the ATFL (the one that runs down the outside of the ankle in front of the ankle bone) and a 3/4 tear of the deltoid ligament (the one that runs down the inside of the same ankle, just behind the ankle bone). In the words of my favourite final year podiatry student... how the hell did you tear that one - thats virtually impossible to do
I still don't know

So now, I lay myself at the feet of the public health system in Australia. All these years of having private health cover is fine, but I only ever had extras... so now for hospital I sit and I wait. So far - touch wood - I have had to wait no more than 2.5 weeks for anything so far, and that included seeing Dr Potter, the orthapedic specialist who is the Adelaide Crows doc... however that doesn't mean squat right now. My appointment with the surgeon is on the 4th September.

Im excited, Im keen to get this bloody thing fixed, as it sometimes just aches and aches. It also gets tired SO much faster than my other ankle... the muscles around it have to do so much more work to keep it in place and functioning, as the ligaments don't exist any more. However the prospect of having 6 months of rehab, and recovery doesn't excite me at all.

Sitting on the sideline excites me even less. At least my swimming might improve??

Time will tell.

It begins..

This was all bourne out of my application to become a sponsored LineBreak athlete. For some people who hear this they ask me "Whats LineBreak?" for others... the simple answer comes back "Cool!" the first is always followed by the second after they find out!
Follow?

So... my plan is this. I have never blogged anything. Im good with sending people emails, but thought I would venture out into the big bad world of blogging. All the cool kids are doing it - right??

My aim is for this blog to be my headspace, but also for you all to be able to take a peek inside and see whats going on there. Its also to allow all my friends from LineBreak to keep up with what Im doing, and as a sponsored athlete, to keep some kind of a record as to whats going on, how training is, when I find things tough, when I find things rewarding, and when I am feeling flat, tired, un-motivated, lazy, pumped, keen or whatever.

Stay tuned my peeps!