I am Spartan, Hear Me Whimper?

It’s been a while since I wrote anything so I thought it was about time for an update. One year and 8 months after my TIA, I have regained all functions and I am back to my usual workouts: biking, boxing, running, and strength workout (although I could probably do more of the latter). The fine motor skills of my right hand are functioning sufficiently well for me to do what I need to (although my handwriting won’t be winning any calligraphy awards).

There is still numbness from my right shoulder down to my mid-forearm which doesn’t seem to go away. The best description I can give it is that it feels like a fat arm. It’s like when you go to the dentist and they give you an anaesthetic which makes your lip feel fat. The numbness feels worse after I do any workouts involving my right arm, like weights or boxing, but it usually goes back to normal after a while. By “normal”, I mean that feeling of light numbness.

I got off blood thinners after the scans showed that the occluded blood vessel was open again. Unfortunately, there was still scarring at the part of my brain causing seizures so I’m on anti-epileptics for life. All things considered, I think I got off quite well.

While I am back to working out, I have gotten pretty slack in the strength department. My core strength is down the drain and I struggle to do knee push-ups. I want to get strong again but I am daunted by the long road ahead. With nothing to push me forward, I have allowed myself to wallow here.

And then Spartan announced that they would let us reclaim our lost tickets from pre-Covid. If I ever needed that kick up the behind, this has it be it. I think I wouldn’t be so afraid if it was just one race. The category I signed up for was the Trifecta weekend – that means completing the Beast on Saturday, followed by the Super then Sprint on Sunday. My biggest concern is whether we can finish the Super in time to flag off for the Sprint. If we don’t make it back in time, we forfeit the last race. There are less than six months to race day and I am a long way from where I need to be.

So this is the plan: I’ll study to the test. That means getting in walking/running on all kinds of terrain, carrying, climbing, hanging, pulling, swinging and throwing. That is essentially what most of the obstacles will require me to do: hoist – pull, rope – climb, spear – throw, bucket – carry, atlas – carry, sled – pull, monkey bars – hang and swing, walls – climb, rinse and repeat. It’s a shortcut, but I reckon if I just train for those skills, I should be halfway there.