Getting Ready 2013-2014

Well as everyone else seems to be winding down for season, I am just getting ready for mine, July 13th Cervinia. Given a few people have picked up injuries this year I thought I would share my current training plan to get back to fitness. Am now 10 ½ months post surgery and back to skiing. Strength is back to 75% of original. Only real issue now remains joint quality, is still a little lazy straightening and for sure ski position does not help this. So this is what am working on at moment. Given I had very little access to physio and swimming pool (spend significant time in Iraq), think am probably 1-2 months behind where I would like to be.

1) Daily:-Flexibility, calf and hamstring (behind knee) muscle is still extremely stiff. I am therefore using rolling mat and a rolling peanut (2 x tennis balls taped together/better for achilles) every day. In addition am doing plenty of stretching, mainly just plain bend over hamstring stretch (holding for 5min) and also calf stretch against stairs (ankle/knee/hip should be close to stacking up).
2) 30min of plyometrics every other morning (am just following P90X video) and following this with 100 x reps of skiers squat and skiers lunge. Using tea towel under one leg. Squat and slide leg out to side (20 reps), lunge and slide leg back (20 reps). Both sides and 5 x sets.
3) Cardio every other morning (20min on spinning bike and 10min run and 10min row).
4) Every 5 days:-Strength session once every 5 days. Squats (am still using something under heel due to above), full range. Reps of 6 in order to keep technique correct and adding weight accordingly (currently 105KG). Leg press full range (ensuring heel does not lift at bottom, see above) 220KG. Walking lunges 30KG each hand. Calf raises with super set of 100 skips with rope. Deadlifts focusing on technique and super set of kettle bell swings.
5) Every 5 days:- am lucky enough to have access to 9 story building. For my big cardio day am stair running. Starting on 9th, down to 8th and back up to 9th. Down to 7th back up to 9th and repeat until whole building covered. Although this does not take very long, the 144 x 10 steps is a real killer and gives a very nasty leg wobble afterwards.

Above is starting to work pretty well for me. For the first 8 months was finding it very difficult to build leg muscle again. Basically could never feel muscles ache. Now can definitely feel the ache particularly in booty which is the key to stabilizing knee. All things equal I would hope by December will be close to 100%. Not sure what everyone else is doing to recover from injury but that is my plan. Interestingly I saw someone in gym other day recovering from 2nd ACL operation and was where I was at approximately 6months after only 3. I.e. definitely you learn from first injury. My top tip stand whenever possible and if you have a desk job always have leg stretched out (I made a stand for mine).

I'll be interested to see how you get on as it looks likely I'll have surgery now.

Good luck and enjoy the snow!