No Spring Chicken in Bulgaria

It was a case of fully intending to keep fit, maintain a healthy diet and live beyond the date of receipt of my UK state pension at the age of 66 when returning to Bulgaria.  However, this year has been a catalogue of pain and discomfort and I think I know why.

Typical Healthy Food on the Dinner Table 

With all good intentions, the regime created of being very active on the fitness front would seem a good idea and touches on all the good buttons to a healthy and life of longevity. On top of this, a wonderfully healthy diet of many vegetarian and fish dishes with the occasional treat of meat with very little fat content would weigh up compliment fitness to a tee.

Well, the results haven't gone to plan and it has taken nearly 18 months to find out why. Let's start from the beginning....

Whilst in the UK I remained pretty fit, despite getting knocked off my bicycle and lying dormant for six months during that time. Once in Bulgaria in April 2017 it was a Summer of bike riding and jogging throughout the long summer, all was fine up until that point. Then late Autumn and cold and wet weather saw bike riding taking a rest and Galia and I signed up for a month with a gymnasium. That's was the start of most of the problems that followed.

Galia was fine, she took up as a trainer and went with the advice given. Of course, this was the sensible thing to do, but you guessed it, not for me. Straight in with 2 hours sessions on the treadmill machine and cycle turbo trainer, then more with weights work on the upper body. This was done on a daily basis five times a week. No pain, no gain was the thought throughout the duration of the sessions. To be quite honest I was completed knackered and found it a real struggle to walk the kilometre back home.

Home weight-lifting

When will I realise I am no spring chicken; mentally I am, physically obviously not. Even now the repercussions of those 'kill yourself' gymnasium session still affect me. Will this stop me thinking I am invincible? Probably not as I not have planned a 2-mile swim event in September in London and have a strict daily weight lifting and fitness regime set up in our apartment. Funny how I put up with pain from endurance but cannot stand the pain from injuries.

And Galia? She just thinks I'm crazy hurting myself and wasting energy with this strange compassion. She says it certainly isn't the Bulgarian way of things. I agree, but I can't help myself.