Apparently “trying something new” is good for you… keeping you young at heart, pushing back the boundaries of boredom, interested and interesting.

I don’t think the “Live a little… have a heart attack!” T-Shirts will fly off the shelves, but there’s certainly been quite a lot new in my life over the past few weeks.  You wouldn’t expect to find many of the things I’ve been introduced to on anyone’s “101 things to do before you die” list, but they’ve certainly set things in an unexpected and different direction,

Today was somewhat of an exception as there was an element of planning involved… I collected a Turbo Trainer and introduced a bike into my exercise regime.

I continue to exercise regularly.  Having returned to work, and working my way back towards full days, I have cut back to one exercise session a day.  My staple exercise is still walking, but I’m slowly expanding my repertoire.  Cardiac Rehabilitation has introduced me to a range of exercises.  As I get stronger, I can (very slowly!) expand my horizons.

The whole exercise thing is strange for me though…

I was fit in my youth.  I did a lot of sport.  I  trained 5 days a week for athletics, travelling miles to train, compete and get fixed (at the physio).  I reached quite a high standard.  We trained properly.  It was fun but serious (to us at least).

Before I left University I got lazy as far as physical exercise was concerned.  There’s been the occasional burst of activity since (a tennis season in Bahrain, 5-a-side Football, a Squash ladder), but nothing sustained… few and far between.

Coming back to it now is bizarre.  Mentally I’m still where I was when I was a fit 18 year old.  Physically I’m a complete mess… weak and unfit… and that was before the Heart Attack!

I’m going to have to very slowly build my fitness back up.  Balancing the desire to do more, with the need to look after my heart.  One step at a time.

I’m still looking for a long term challenge… cycling is a tempting option: a weekend in the Alps with the boys, part of the peloton for a couple of days.

At the moment however I wouldn’t even be able to make it home if I headed out on a bike (our house is at the top of a hill).  So today I started putting in the hours (well half an hour at least).  Stationary.  In the garage.  Plodding (if it’s possible to plod on a bike!)

I would estimate I need to do a couple of thousand miles of conditioning before I’m ready to hit the open road… only 1,998 to go!!!  🙂