Running past this monumental feels like a daily privilege. Must admit running anywhere these days is a privilege.

The last two years brought injury after injury. Clearly doing the same thing over and over again was not working. Finally the penny dropped. But it did take the doctor warning me that actually I might have to PERMANENTLY STOP running and working out for common sense to finally take hold. Change was needed. A new exercise approach was put in place. Alternate Home CrossFit days with a day of running or cycling. No same exercise on two consecutive days. Sunday is a gentle exercise bike session and yoga. No pre exercise stretching warmup. If an exercise is causing the body pain stop it for a few days. If the exercise hurts again stop for a few weeks. If it hurts again then ditch the exercise. THATS IT. So far it’s working (touch wood). Four months of uninterrupted, mostly pain free exercise.

Change worked.

Our sons Aspergers journey continues. It’s a journey without a map. Who knows where it may lead. But I do have a gut feeling. The health professionals have talked about the possibility of our son becoming increasingly ill at ease with social interactions. Although from the age of 5 he has always struggled with this 2019 certainly has seen this intensify. Increasingly he just wants to spend his time in the safety of his home realm.

Although he seeks isolation from the outside world he struggles to be on his own. In our one parent, one child, mad pets kinda world that in practice means he struggles to be without me. With the advice from his health experts we have tried to gradually change things up to help with this. But it hasn’t worked. We tried things like him staying on his own at the house while I took the dog for a quick walk. Even though I would tell him the route. Stay in the village. Talk to him on the phone while I walked. The brief periods of solitude would throw him into a nervous meltdown. Any longer than 10 minutes and he would have to come looking for me. The only thing it achieved was to spike his anxiety levels. We decided to abandon the changes.

Whether this is Aspergers or whether it’s to do with losing his mum or both – who knows. But currently as a single parent I have to make the necessary adjustments to work around these constraints. One of which is that when he’s not at school my exercise programme is tied to the house or garden. Hence that rather puzzled look I got on Saturday. A group of walkers giving this rather odd looking chap a puzzled look. Even standing to watch for a few seconds. In the pouring cold rain why is a man in his garden dressed in shirts and a T-shirt jumping on and off an exercise bike to throw a 20lb kettlebell about.

It’s because I’m a single parent who can’t leave the house who has found a way to keep himself fit while not breaking his body. At least allow me that.

44 thoughts on “Breaking his body”

  1. awesome. I think improvising with what ever the circumstance and situation warrants shows an amazing amount of commitment and a strong mental attitude..kudos on that. About your son- separation anxiety is so tough on parents( of any child) but i understand some of it with the autism due to the kids i care for.You are correct though some may be from the loss of his mom. Hugs and prayers to you for all your struggles..

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  6. Maybe the walkers were foreign and thought this was a Yorkshire thing. 😁 I tried running when I was younger and I got shin splints. It was one of the most painful conditions I’ve ever experienced!

    As I was reading your post, I began to wonder if suddenly losing his mum was making him feel anxious when you’re not there. Would counselling help him? I know there are long waiting lists, that’s the problem. Maybe, with time, this might ease up. It sounds like he’s just a person who would rather enjoy his own company as face the stress of crowds and uncomfortable situations. It doesn’t sound like there are grandparents nearby to help support you?

    You’ve got lots of support here, Gary, and though there’s not much we can personally do to help, we are always here to ‘listen and talk’. I’m not a great socialiser and I know how much the companionship of online bloggers helps me.

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  8. I don’t know how people can run every day without other activity/days off. I follow a few on instagram. I have to cross train as well, or I am always injured. Perhaps the ladies were just enjoying the view 🙂

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  10. A lot on your shoulders it seems but your doing just fine. One day at a time. I know easy to say this but that’s all any of us can hope for. Life has a way of working itself out and when it doesn’t than that’s when we have to find that strength and keep moving along . Hugs to you always thinking of you.🙂

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  12. Hey, you’re adapting, and you’re keeping your son happy–that’s important!

    Hope you’re doing well. I have another potential switch-up on the job scene, but I’m hoping this will be the last switch-up for a while. Bash is still struggling with his anxiety in school, but then he went off and literally tried to jump off Biff’s bunk into a pile of stuffed animals. so now I’m struggling with my temper over that kiddo’s near-miss with the f’ing ambulance. I hope 2020 brings some positive news on the medical end. I know it’s a fanciful hope, but I’ll hope, nonetheless. And you take care of yourself. xxxxxxx

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    1. It must be so tough for you with work. If only that was it. But your juggling several balls. Are school trying to help with his anxiety? The last thing you need is a budding Evil Kenevil in the house. Let’s hope we are both smiling in a few months. You look after yourself as well. Remember your only human so don’t over do it. Take care my friend. xxxxxxxxx

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      3. I hope so, too. While I still think his school’s new counselor is a doofus, the principal is a genuinely nice guy who’s been there since the boys first came to the school. They are, at least, trying, and Bash is, too. So we keep on, keepin’ on!

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      5. Precisely so. Like Bash’s check list for goals during the school day used to be a horror. Now he seems really motivated by it. What caused the switch I’ve no idea, but I pray it sticks!

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