It turns out that there is an upside to being injured. You have the opportunity to discover a whole new world of cross training. In the summer, I opted for cycling, but now that it’s dark in the evenings, the appeal of my bike has faded slightly. So I’ve turned my attention to the swimming pool, where I have fallen in love with aqua jogging.
I’ll be honest. To begin with, it bored me rigid. It was the salad of the exercise world. I’d run and run and run and run and run only to look at the clock to find that a mere 30 seconds had gone by. But after a while, it started to grow on me, so I ditched the Heath-Robinson-style, use-whatever-floats-are-lying-around-the-local-pool approach and I bought a floatation belt. The cheapest, nastiest belt that I could lay my hands on.
And it has turned out to be the best buy ever. It’s comfortable, it keeps my head above water beautifully and it has opened up a whole new world.
With the belt clipped tightly around my waist, I can find a rhythm which allows me to stop thinking about time passing. I can watch families, wiry pensioners, swimming coaches and serious swimmers. But best of all, I can go hard, clinging to what little of my fitness remains, safe in the knowledge that the water will keep my foot cocooned and protected from any further damage.
abradypus 
When I had a pretty bad case of runners knee last spring I fell in love with cycling again!
It’s nice to (re)discover things that have fallen by the wayside.
Ooooo…. Who’d have thunk it?!
Mind you, people often say they find running boring at first, don’t they?
Sorry to hear it’s taking so long for your foot to feel better.
It’s nearly there (though I’ve been saying that for months
) – and it’s in no way as unsettling as your shoulder!
Aqua jogging is ace, I do find it a little dull sometimes but then I added a waterproof MP3 player and I find it a really nice experience, I find it also helps me if I am wearing weights around my ankles to keep me roughly in the right position
I want one! sounds perfect for those cold wet winter days when running outside is not too appealing
Lol – avoid the wet rain by getting in a great big puddle of water 😉
Am amazed by your dedication to keep fit I think I would be tempted to stay firmly laid on the couch
It definitely helps that my coach is suggesting that I don’t just slob on the sofa! Added 3rd party willpower.
I’ve joined a gym and I’m enjoying doing all sorts of different things while I’m injured. I might have to give aqua running a go!
Yay a fellow aqua jogger – not sure I should be doing it mind! I need to stop with the Heath Robinson flotation devices but I don’t intend to aqua jog quite so much post injury. I’ve pinched hubby’s turbo trainer which is now set up in the shed so I can get some cycling in over the next few months. He’s also bought me some amazing lights for the bike, but until he gets out there to remove the bike from the turbo I won’t need them 😉