Saturday 4 December 2010

Positive steps forward...

I started my last blog with 'its been a long time since I last blogged!' and now I'm doing the same! About time for an update!...

Thankfully I'm now able to say I've come a long way in the last couple of months. I managed to get my head around having to put a line through this past season by focussing on the here and now and completely going back to basics with everything. Since returning home to the UK late September I hooked up with a remedial therapist who I've been working with ever since. He quickly reassured me that I didn't have a degenerative problem with my back and that my issues had all been related to having a leg length discrepancy. Its fairly common but when you are running/biking the kind of miles long distance athletes put in over a number of years, things can start adding up and causing problems! So the focus has been to loosen a lot of muscle tightness particularly on my longer leg side, strengthen the weaker muscles and finetune core work and (possibly temporarily) add a lift to the side that is shorter! So... no wonder I felt wonkey!!!

Training wise, I can happily say I have been careful and it seems to have been paying off. I've hit the pool hard and have been getting in way more swimming than normal, biking regularly although still going fairly easy on the mileage and I'm back running regularly too :-) I was a bit worried I'd have lost a lot from not running for atleast 8weeks in the end but I've surprised myself and haven't suffered too badly getting back into it. Maybe when I start more specific tempo type work I'll think again! but maybe the consistency over the last few years really is paying off.

Aside from training, its nice being back at home around family and friends. I've definately been kept busy and proved to have come in very handy with painting, decorating, tiling and even learning to plaster! I think the Ironman athlete's determination or maybe just my stubborness has helped with that. Plastering is not an easy one! Still plenty to keep me going until I head back out to the south of Spain in February to work with Andy and Tracy at Idlebreaks (www.idlebreaks.com). I know I'll be kept busy there too working with Andy to support the biking and working as the guests on site Sports Massage Therapist. Great job for me though and hopefully will set me up nicely for a succesful season of racing next year... Fancy some warm weather training in the south of Spain and living the life of luxury - not having to think about anything other than training, resting and enjoying the Spanish countryside and culture?... Check out Idlebreaks and see what you think...I can definately recommend it! Maybe see you there in a few months...

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