Swim Club

The end of August is almost upon us and I still can't run. However...

• I can give blood and just about not faint
• I can swim loads and become the fastest in the medium speed lane
• I can unleash a proper smile with 50% less metal involved

I've said for years that giving blood is something I'd like to do, so with some gentle coercion I booked an appointment and spent the day eating chocolate to 'up my blood sugar'. I've got no problem with needles and actually found it interesting to watch the process. It didn't take too long and I felt fine. Then the nurse brought my chair back upright and things started to get a bit ropey! 

 

The nurse gave me that knowing look and asked me two or three times if I felt ok. I feel fineeeee I said. Each time I answered I felt less sure of my answer. By the fourth I'm fineeeee I was not fine ha, and my eyes started doing that mad thing when your vision starts to close in, combined with my body melting down and feeling like I'd had five too many beers the night before and finished it with a spin on the dodgems. 

The nurses flapped around, icing my neck and fanning me until I didn't 'look grey'. Fortunately within ten minutes or so I was a-ok and well on to my third pack of Biscoff biscuits. All a big ado about nothing really. Since then the blood guys have sent me more texts than anyone else, said my blood is good and ready to go and sent me a lovely keyring. All worthy of my ten minutes of feeling a wee bit tricky, and an amazing thing to do. Go do it!

I've been swimming at least twice a week which, now that I've found a pool that isn't full of ignorant knobheads doing backstroke in a packed pool and a half decent changing room, I don't mind as much. 

I think it also helps that I'm getting better at it. No longer am I the floundering seal in the middle lane, now I'm the undisputed champion of the middle lane. I wasn't even overtaken for 162 lengths until some dolphin went passed me yesterday. But don't you worry sports fans, I got him back later on. 

It's still staggeringly dull, but it's keeping some sort of fitness together for me.

BIG things are happening with my teeth though (which reminds me, watch STRANGER THINGS, it's mega). On Thursday just gone, I had my top braces removed. 

YES.

This is a huge thing for me. The photo below shows what they were like before and the comprehensive whacking the teeth took from the cricket ball. To go from that to the current reality in six months is bloody amazing.

The bottom teeth still need some work, but no one can see them bad boys so it's fine. My dentist is my hero.

In other news, I had a scan on my knee and saw the specialist a few times. Thankfully the scan showed no stress fracture or damage to the bone (hallelujah) but I do have a sprain to the medial ligament. So it most certainly could have been worse but it reaffirms the decision to pull out of Berlin. That was dead in the water as soon as I felt it.  I'm targeting a return to the roads at the end of September and already eyeing up what runs to do next year. I will do a marathon. So fix up knee.

In the mean time, if anyone has any recommendations for Berlin let me know. There is now considerably more emphasis on eating and drinking, so it's not all bad.

So remember; go give blood, go swimming and always, always brush your teeth.