Back to Practice . . . A Little

I actually suited up and got back to practice today a bit. I am about 6.5 weeks post surgery. I still have a pinch in my side but it is not getting worse with day-to-day activities. So, I felt comfortable giving fencing a gentle try.

I did a 15 minute warm up with no ill effects. For the warmup, I basically moved up and down the strip, moved my arms to loosen them up, and then lots of footwork.

After the warmup I found a very generous partner to fence with. Finding kind and generous people in Vet fencing is remarkably easy. I fenced for about 10 minutes. At that point, I felt another pinch in my side and just stopped. My partner was extremely understanding.

While I feel along the lines of Brave Sir Robin, I think stopping was the right move. I have a tendency to “work through the pain.” That almost always results in long term injury for me. So, for me to stop is actually quite an accomplishment.

Fencing felt great! My point control was much better than I thought it would be. My distance control was much worse. I definitely think I am ready to start easing back into practice.