Back in Austin!!!

Once again I have found myself in Austin. I suppose that from the moment I left Austin in late February I was itching to get back. I knew it was where I was supposed to be. Ottawa was good to me as usual – seeing friends, training, getting my taxes done (thanks Gary and Wendy at Logan Katz!!) but really I just wanted to be here.

While in Ottawa I developed what I now know to be iliopsoas tendonitis. What this meant was that I was a bit stressed out as to whether to run or not to run. Aches are normal but pain is something else and sometimes it is hard to know the difference. After going back and forth a few days between resting it then trying to run, I decided to take a week off running. Given my recent history I got a bone scan to make sure that my bones were good. Other than learning that I had not just pulled an intercostal muscle in December but actually cracked a rib (no wonder it hurt so much!) all was good. Like I said before in a previous blog the hardest part of an injury is: a) not knowing what it is; b) understanding why it happened; and, c) believing that you will be ok and that not all is lost. Basically though, I get grumpy (hence the lack of writing on my blog).

So to get at the why an injury happens, how to prevent injury and most importantly achieve optimal performance is what I have been grappling with. Part of this is analysing what it is about Austin that supports my renewed sense of self as a professional triathlete. Although I think that I have a long ways to go to answering these questions I have learned a few things that I think are essential for where I am now.

I have got to where I am now thanks to my absolute dedication, consistency and motivation to build my motor. I have had countless lactate tests which drove my individualized training program with Peak Centre. The consistency of my training has been like clock work balancing intensityand volume within a very regimented schedule. This was done while balancing a demanding job where I was always “on” when I was there. I don’t think that any other approach would have worked and given me such power for the training time spent as my schedule was everything to keep me going. I never stopped. This was my reality up until January of this year when I became a full-time athlete.

There are however other aspects of training that I am only fully appreciating now and have the ability, time and space to really investigate and apply. These are stretching, sport specific economy and finally, strategy. Zane Castro and Steve Sisson’s elite running group at Rogue have had a huge influence on me and have led by example rather than words. Basically what I have learnt is really summed up in what elite triathlete Sarah Groff had to say in her blog http://in-the-arena-sarah.blogspot.com/. To be an elite athlete is not only to do the hard work and push through it but to address every detail of your being. Training consistently is key and when you are training on the edge the only way to continue training consistently without injury is to implement, without excuse, the details. This is where the only consistency I have had is falling short.

I also recently read the book on Hamish Carter (2004 Gold medalist Triathlon) which really opened my eyes to the strategy and planning that has to go into a race season and race. As for race specificity Hamish trained for one race the whole year- the Olympics. There was a killer hill in Athens and it was evident he was prepared physically and mentally for it. Not only did he physically take it on 6 times as though he were dancing on the pedals, he had the confidence that it took to dance up that hill 6 times. Confidence is the difference from 1^st to 2^nd and sometimes the whole top-10. If you don’t know, and I mean really know you can, you won’t.

Finally, my last point as I ramble on is that we all need people to help motivate and push ourselves past what we thought we could. I need people to train with and learn from – I can’t nor do I want to do every training session alone.

So where does this leave me. With homework and lots of it. I am cramming what it took Hamish Carter to learn in 10-14 years of competing at the elite level in triathlon in 5. I always loved a good challenge. Each person on my team plays a role but it is up to me to clarify and ensure that I am putting it together and have the right lead. I have to trust myself to take what I know, what I am learning and apply it. So stay tuned because I just have this feeling lots of good things are happening… starting with this pain in the iliopsoas going away!!!!