My VO2 has gone from average to 'high' according to my Apple Health

When it comes to my fitness levels, it’s been a bit of a journey in the last 12 months. I was at my absolute fittest I’d ever been in April 2024 and felt amazing for it.

Just when I was feeling utterly invincible for the first time in my life, I fell two metres from a rock climbing wall onto a locked out, fully extended leg.

Yup – it hurt just as much as you think.

One fully snapped ACL, MCL and shattered meniscus later, exercise was off the cards until I could have full reconstructive surgery on my knee in September 2024. I was devastated – following surgery I was non weight bearing for six weeks and then a gruelling physio plan came after that, where I slowly rebuilt all the strength I’d lost.

Now, a year on, my VO2 max is higher than what it was pre-op. Yesterday I ran my first non-stop 5k in over a year and achieved a PB, despite everything that’s happened.

I’ve committed to my physio plan as hard as I can (and had the physio of dreams taking care of me) and sure enough, the improvements in my strength keep on coming.

But the key to this sudden uptick in my VO2 levels........

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