Life shifts!

Life shifts!

I decided to do it properly (and avoid killing myself) - by going to a marathon trainer.
This was actually suggested to me by my knee surgeon, Dr. John Hardy. 

I went for a check up with him, on the 16.10.2015 , and my doctor was more than pleased with the knee and my general condition. I needed an 'OK' from him before signing for the marathon, as I did not want to ruin his fantastic job.

My right knee ACL reconstruction, had taken place only in 2012 and after power walking the Marathon this year, I feel a slight weakness in my right knee. It feels weaker than even a year after the operation. I just wanted to make sure that I am not damaging myself.
Dr. Hardy (best knee doctor in this World) told me that the muscle bulk on my right thigh is still smaller, than on my left thigh and that he will 'OK' my London Marathon 2016 under ONE CONDITION: that I train with a coach appointed by him.
And I got hooked up with Matt Curley.

I trust Dr. Hardy's suggestions. The physio that he send to me, the day after the operation (Rebecca Garrod), had me walking up and down 11 stairs in no time at all!
Rebecca broke through the barrier of my psychological fear. 

When she stood by my bed, while I was still flat on my back, all bandaged up and 'wounded', when she told me to get up and go , I thought that she was HAVING A GOOD LAUGH!
But she was serious. Very serious.
And also very, very good in what she was doing.
With her guidance I started walking, pain free, very quickly. Rebecca showed me how much of the stumbling block was in my FEAR , ITSELF.

She was guiding me forward, with her eyes. I was following her on pure trust, staring into her confident gaze. Dr. Hardy pulled the same number on me. They must come from the same family of thought.

When he walked into my hospital room, in the afternoon after the operation and ordered me to swing my operated leg - off the bed and bend it! - I FREAKED OUT.
I was looking at my husband, searching for HELP, but he kind of gave me a nod with his own gaze: "Do as the doctor says!".
So I did it, very slowly, all the time looking into Dr. Hardy's eyes, like a pilot directed by the Control Tower and my leg did not fall off, nothing snapped inside the knee and there was no blood showing on the dressing.
Amazing stuff.

If someone had told me that this is even possible, I would have not believed it!
You need to have confidence in your doctor.
But that is what I got from Dr. Hardy from the moment I met him. Confidence in what he was doing. His whole operating team is amazing.
His anaesthetist is just another Maestro.
I went to sleep, talking to him about 'dolphins in Madeira', because I travel there and he had also been there, deep sea fishing. 

We were chating about that when the 'sleeping milk' hit my veins..... and I dozed off.
I slept during the operation, dreaming of swimming with the dolphins, and when I woke up and was asked: "How do you feel?", my response was: "Like in Heaven!"
Brilliant experience altogether.

So now I am looking forward to meeting my Dr. Hardy appointed marathon coach.
We were supposed to meet with Matt, this Thursday, at 08:00AM but he got a stomach bug and I am not feeling too well myself. So we moved our first meeting to Friday afternoon. My friends were laughing today that I did some voodoo stuff, to push away my training session-:))

I already had a talk on the phone with Matt and also a jaw dropping moment when he ANNOUNCED that I will be running the marathon without any knee support, because all I will need , will be my strenght of mind and - wait !!! - my muscle strenght!!!
HOW is this man going to turn me into a Marathon Runner in six months?
I will be watching this process myself, with great interest.

Jaki told me yesterday, that her brother, a marathon runner, said that in the beginning you HATE IT and that after a month you LOVE IT and cannot live without it.
 .... the running.....
Great!

This means that if I start my training now, I might stop crying somewhere around Christmas?
Since speaking to Matt, I had to start writing a Food Diary, which means recording everything that passes my lips and falls into my stomach. In an honest manner!
Thank goodness that I know how to be thoroughly honest with myself.

And for those who know me, I love my food!
So it is bye-bye to my 'normal' eating.

I had some sense of what is coming, a week or two ago, because I went for my 'good-bye pizza eating outings.' Kind of knew what's looming around the corner...
They opened a new sourdough pizza restaurant in our High Street and I immediately became their friend.

I am attaching the official fund raising website of The Virgin Marathon 2016!

Please give generously or if you cannot - share it with those who can support me.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MagdaD