Another little setback

stats of the week: zwift run 6 km, walked 26 km, zwift cycled 52 km, gym 1.5 h

Clearly, last week’s mileage was a little too much. I developed some pain in the groin area and was once again forced to cut back on my training just as it was beginning to improve. In the meantime, winter has arrived here, bringing cold fog and freezing temperatures, which have resulted in icy paths. Today we had to abandon our attempt at a jog and resort to the treadmill. C. has now decided not to take part in the New Year’s Eve race, as she is always afraid of falling.

On Boxing Day, our traditional trail run through the local woods took place as usual. We call it the “Christmas Roast Digestion Run”, and it has been held for more than 25 years. I love it because runners from various towns and clubs come together for a sociable, chatty run with no element of competition.

Once again Herman

stats of the week: run 24 km, zwift cycled 46 km, gym 3 h

I am pleasantly surprised by myself for having logged 24 kilometers of slow jogging this week: including 2 kilometres each morning on the treadmill and two 5K runs, which still involved some walking breaks but were at least completed in under 33 minutes. As a result, I signed up for a New Year’s Eve 5K run, where I will be accompanying C. I still sometimes feel unsteady on my right leg and my performance remains limited, but it feels good to be back out on the road.

On Thursday, we attended another concert by the much-admired Dutch artist Herman van Veen. Over the past 50 years, I estimate that I have been to at least 40 of his concerts, some of them in his home country, the Netherlands. He has a rare gift for making people deeply happy; every time I leave one of his concerts, life seems more reasonable and humane.

Herman is 80 now, and this may have been the last time I have seen him perform. He has been one of the greatest inspirations in my life. Thank you, Herman.

Being patient and wise

stats of the week: treadmill jogged 8 km, walked 15 km, gym 3 h

I received the third and final injection at the L3 vertebra, once again without any effect. The neurologist examined my nerves and concluded that only L4 is affected. This means I could have avoided the three L3 injections, which, incidentally, cost €210 each.

The good news is that the doctor’s prognosis is that the nerve will take some time to recover, but it will recover. In the meantime, I have been able to extend my treadmill intervals to a couple of 1 km runs each.

However, it is clear that I am not yet ready to take part in a race. I must admit that I did consider walk-jogging the 5K at the local Christmas run. In the end, I convinced myself that it would be wiser to take photos instead.

Prospects of 6 months and more

stats of the week: walked 22 km, zwift cycled 23 km, gym 3 h

Received injection nr 5, the 2nd at the L3 vertebra, and my first impression was that something positive happened. But the following days stayed without difference, the numb area is still the same. The physiotherapist told me to expect at least 6 months until a significant improvement.

However, I use the treadmill every morning and could extend my slow jog intervals to a distance of 500 meters. At least a bit of progress.

A great experience last Thursday was our visit to nearby Westfalenhalle where the German Handball ladies team played the World Championship and qualified for the Quarter Final. 9,000 spectators were excited and produced a unique atmosphere when the team beat Montenegro clearly.

Photo: The opening scene at Westfalenhalle