Happy Birthday....
..... to me!
Well, it's happened, and I've entered my 50th year! Not quite sure where the last half-century has gone, and let's face it, there have been times where I seriously doubted whether I'd ever actually get to this birthday. I certainly never thought that I'd be marking the occasion by planning my running, hiking and cycling for the year and concentrating on the training needed to make sure I'm fit enough for the events I'm booked in for.
When I think back to the time I was laying in hospital back in 2016, unable to walk, sleep or eat, and being told that I had heart failure it seems inconceivable that that person and me are one and the same. The journey I've been on in the past 3 and a half years has been huge; not just taking up exercise, but the mental change that has accompanied and contributed to it.
It's easy to forget how having a serious long term condition such as heart failure can affect people apart from the physical aspect. Of course, the physical side of things is foremost in people's mind; both for the patient and for those around them as it does limit and change what people can do. However, I think the mental impact can have a much more wide-ranging effect of people and does fundamentally change how you are as a person. I've been extremely lucky, both with the physical and mental sides of living with heart failure. I try to be as positive a person as I can, which I'm absolutely convinced has helped me cope physically as well. Some people might think I'm just a stubborn sod, and they would be right. Once I've committed to something I will do whatever I can to see it out. That applies equally to whether I'm climbing a mountain, riding 100 miles (yeah, I know, that's pretty extreme even for me!), running a half-marathon or the biggest challenge of all, living well with heart failure.
So, today I'm going to sit back a bit; start laying plans for the next 50 years, but most importantly enjoy having reached this milestone. Later this evening I'll be in the company of friends and family, who have supported me so much over the past few years, eat some good food, enjoy a beer (yes a real one as it's my birthday - all allowed) and look to the future.
Oh, and no, that's not a younger me in the header photo, but this is!
Cheers all!
