After an injury, the first day back is slower than you want. That’s not failure. That’s the entry point.

The first session after time away is a measurement, not a verdict. It feels like proof that everything is gone, because you are comparing it with your best, and your best is the wrong benchmark on a first day. What that session really gives you is a starting number to improve on.

Write down what you managed on day one, even if it is embarrassing. Compare the second week with that number rather than with last season. Expect the early gains to come fast once the first day is behind you, because they usually do.