Work has been crazy busy with things happening on several
fronts (internally and externally) resulting in some unexpected long
days/nights and early mornings.
Life, let me put it this way…I am SO very eternally
grateful that my amazing wife is as supportive and loving as she is. I do not
know anyone else who would get away with half of the crap I pull! Thank-you my
most amazing wife (whose birthday it is today!!). The other “great” way that
life has thrown the proverbial spanner in the works is that as I type this I
seem to have come down with a fantastic (summer) head cold and have a constant
drip coming from my nose to the point that I am starting to worry about
becoming dehydrated! LOW POINT.
Training has been great. I have (as I have mentioned
before) really enjoyed this training course and I eagerly await the start of
the next course in mid Jan with the focus of that course being the 70.3 in May.
We have completed 11 out of 12 weeks of the training course and I can feel it
in myself and see it in others that fatigue has started to creep in. I can feel
it in myself in the fact that at the BRICK session last weekend I had to pull
up with a sharp pain in my hamstring.
The morning session was with the main club squad and was
to entail a beach start, transition to a 10km ride followed by a 2.5km run.
This was then to be repeated after a 10 min rest. I set out on the ride and
actually felt pretty good in the saddle (given the previous weekend race I was
happy about this!). After a solid 10km ride (sorry – still sulking and have not
downloaded my Garmin stats) I transitioned to the run. I was running along
happily, feeling good and even thinking about taking it up a notch after the
turnaround to power back up the incline when BAM……! Well that “dramatic” BAM
was a sharp pain that I felt in my hamstring. I pulled up and tried a couple of
stretches but things were tight and sore so I limped my way back to the
transition. Grateful for the words of support from my training buddies but
feeling very sorry for myself as I trudged back the way I came…*sigh*. LOW POINT
A chat with the head coach and his recommendation of some
stretches and no running for the week made me feel much better. MID POINT. I
went off for a soak and sulk in the ocean while the team set off on their
second session. I felt much better after my soak and was coincidentally booked
in for a massage in the afternoon so resolved to get them to concentrate on my
back, glutes and legs! Which they did, which they comment were very tight,
which I am now stretching with more diligence! Still MID POINT.
Due to the pain in my hamstring I decided that my physio
had better take a look for me and I booked in a session on Monday. I honestly
think my physio team are the best and value their opinion and they have helped
me through a fair bit last year with the running and this year with the
shoulder. After being put through my paces and manipulated and needled for an
hour I was given the prognosis that it was a low grade strain and after a
couple of days off some light bike and running should mean that I am good to go
for Sunday. HIGH POINT.
Posted the good news to the training group Facebook page
and got several messages of support (HIGH
POINT) and several words of caution and sage advice from the coaches (LOW POINT). The coaches are great, and
have valid advice and it is frustrating/conflicting as over the short time we
have trained together I have already built a high regard for their guidance.
HOWEVER, their current advice is not the advice I want to hear………..DAMMIT….I
want to race! This is the graduation race, this is the reason for the course
and what we have been aiming for. I know that they are guiding me down the path
of skipping this race but just like a petulant child throwing a tantrum in the
chocolate aisle “I WANT TO RACE!” I have resolved to have a face to face
conversation with them on Saturday at our final meeting before race day Sunday.
So for now things are still up in the air and we will have to wait and see.
Feeling wise, I am feeling pretty good. Frustrated with
the cold and lack of movement this week but am totally pain free! I am planning
on the swim training tomorrow night and then a gentle last ride on Saturday
morning followed by maybe a 1 – 2 km jog off the bike (we will see!). Then
begins the pleading and negotiations with my coaches!
Thanks for letting me vent/rant/tantrum. Here’s to
carrying onward and upward!
Have a good one and thanks for reading…
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