I once read somewhere that the longer the time since an athlete's most recent blog update, the higher the probability that he/she are injured... It's been over six weeks since I last blogged and I can vouch that, unfortunately, in my case the adage happens to be nearly correct.
Following my bout of stomach issues I managed to link together about 10 days of really solid training but some minor dental work teamed with a lot of travel, sleeping on couches and a cocktail of pain killers (possible made worse by racing the Marsh Man middle distance) meant that the last three weeks have been pretty much a write off thanks to fatigue and some kind of background virus. Each week I've started with the "can do" attitude and hoped that after a couple of days of bed rest I'll be ready to go, alas this has not been the case and after three or four days of training I have woken up and been back at square one looking down the barrel end of 48 more hours in bed with only cups of herbal tea and old Have I Got News for You episodes on YouTube.
This has been mentally very, very tough. Not only has my ability to train vanished but with it I have lost my desire and motivation. I have been waking in the morning to glorious sunshine and wanting nothing more than to roll over in bed and sleep for another four hours. The rational part of my brain tells me there is a reason for this. I am not a lazy person, I enjoy activity and I enjoy being outside, if I don't want to leave the house, something ain't right... but even though I know this I still feel guilty and am very aware that I am not acting like myself.
Ultimately, on the advice of my coach (amazing as always) I have rested for the last week or so. My only exercise has been some long walks in the hills and I went away with a friend camping to Wales for a change of scenery. I woke this morning and for the first time in a long time, wanted to train. This morning's 75 minute run represents the first proper training session I have done in a while, and it feels good!
Obviously three weeks of nowt has its implications and unfortunately Roth will not be the race I wanted it to be. I will now train through Roth with the goal of qualifying at IMKY becoming the next objective. I'll be leaving for France and the triathlon perfection of Tri-Topia in a little over a week and hopefully upon arrival I'll be back at the grindstone putting in some big sessions worthy of my surroundings.
It's been a rough few weeks and thanks to everyone who has had to put up with me being a grumpy tosser... sorry.
Autumn Race Highlights 2.0 - 12 December
3 years ago
3 comments:
You'll get your mojo back, chap, give it a little time. Then, if that doesn't work, do the usual birch-flagellation thing.
If you ever need to get out of town, give me a bell and come up here for a bit. An afternoon in the pub could do wonders, even if it's just a motivation to get out and undo those beer calories.
Good to have you back in the blogosphere.
Thanks Rick.
To quote Master Wayne's timeless advice to the future Dark Knight: "Why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up again."
And look at all the great stuff he went on to achieve - like getting his only true love killed, wrecking Gotham's transport system....
In short, you'll be back on track soon enough and hungrier than ever.
Take care buddy
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