Time to push hard
161 days since surgery
I am now back in Spain after a short visit to England, to see my surgeon and catch up with my physio.
It’s now getting close to 6 months since surgery and, if I am being honest, I feel like the progress has been slow.
During my previous ACL reconstructions, I had already started running by this stage and was planning my return to sports. That feels a long way off this time.
José, my fitness trainer in Spain, gave me a wise perspective on this. He explained how professional athletes aim for 9 months or less to return to sport, but this is a risk because the knee and ligament are not yet at their strongest.
The professional teams will usually take a gamble here, especially if they need the player for crucial matches.
What is the point in me taking that risk? I can wait another couple of months and there is no medal for returning early.
That being said, now is the time to start pushing hard.
I have the green light from my surgeon to say that everything is healing nicely. I have no real pain or swelling, but I have a lot of strength to build.
We haven’t set a target date yet, but my next goal is running, and that should be in about four weeks.
Time to step it up.
