There are two things I know:
1. I should be studying right now for my upcoming exams
2. persistence and patience pay off
You know what, I have changed a lot since I moved to Adelaide. I have matured in so many ways.
In my teenage years, I buried myself in my triathlon training and in my school work and I loved it. But I was sick and injured very commonly. I think the longest amount of time I strung together consistently running without injury would've been about four months throughout those years. I had bicep/tricep tendonitis in both shoulders, achilles tendinitis at insertion and above in both feet, plantar fasciitis in both feet, shin splints..oh boy you name it, I probably had it.
But I never gave up, I would take the time off to heal then slowly get back into it, build build build just to get injured again.
I hope you never experience that, but let me assure you, that gets pretty frustrating and upsetting as I wasn't one to look at the bigger picture too much.
It took me until September 2011, the final few months of Year 12 for me to come to the conclusion I needed to give myself a break from running after once again re -aggravating my plantar fasciitis (the recurring injury I had for 2012). I cried when I came to this realisation. It hurt me a lot, as I was in the best form of my life just about to enter the tri season of 2011/12 and I was seriously pumped.
Throughout that tri season, I didn't even attempt to run even on the days it felt ok, I was serious about having a proper break. I was still swimming and riding in the races but would either pull out in T2 and have my brother or step-dad run for me (thanks guys). I didn't expect to have 2.5 years off running though.
On February 18, 2012 Dad, Luke and I arrived in Adelaide. A few weeks later, I was offered a spot in the cycling team now known as Specialized Securitor. 2.5 years later and a lot of experience and lessons learned, I rekindled my passion for triathlon when I spotted the Bike Society Moana Tri Series poster. Before I saw this poster, I had no intentions of going back to triathlon any time soon..it's funny how the location of a race can capture your imagination..
Now a much smarter person about listening to my body and not training the house down, four weeks after beginning training I raced in the first tri of the season and achieved my goal of having a blast! I also finished 4th and had one of the fastest runs I've ever had off the bike (also had one of the slowest rides ever which may have helped this haha). Now completely hooked I've entered a few other tris for the season with my goal race being the Asics Victor Harbor Olympic Distance Triathlon in March. I would love to win this.
Coming up I have the Alex Roberts 100 Mile Classic 23/11/13, the state kermesse champs on 24/11/13, the Victor Harbor SA Sprint Tri champs 01/12/13, the SA crit champs 07/12, the Bike Society Tri 15/12 and the Bridport Olympic Tri on the 29/12.
Today I had my first hit out at Torrens Park Run, a free 5 km timed run and I ran 21 mins flat, which is only 15 seconds off my PB. This is crazy considering it was only my 15th run in 2.5 years, having run 70 km in the 7 weeks I'd been back training. My first run was on the treadmill and I only managed 2 km and had to walk a couple of times..that was only 7 weeks ago..
Getting back into tri training has not been easy, it has been hard. I have never been so slow in the water. Why did I wait 18 months and let my upper body change so much before I decided to get back in?? It has been hard physically and also mentally but watching my progress each day is so exciting which makes it a lot easier and fun. I now appreciate things that I used to take for granted ! my progress has been a bit slow the last few weeks as the session times are increasing, despite dropping a ride, doing 4 bike, 2 run and 3 swim is a massive increase in frequency which was ok at first due to such short session times. Now the swims/runs are getting longer, and being in training for a 160 km handicap bike race is not easy to mix in either!
I have struggled with fatigue and some weight gain in the last couple of weeks but here's where I am now a different person..I LISTEN TO MY BODY. A couple of weeks there I only swam once. A couple of weeks there I dropped a ride. A couple of weeks there I only ran once. I have ONE COMPLETE DAY OF REST each week. This was completely unthinkable back in the day.. and you know what, despite the fact my swimming has a long way to go, my running is almost back where it left off and my riding is going really well and I train LESS.
I have a friend who has just been diagnosed with a stress fracture who is finding it difficult to think of the positives. There are positives, you have to find them. If I hadn't had so much trouble with injury, I would have remained a triathlete and never taken up cycling. I don't know if I would've been ballsy enough to move to Adelaide. I don't know that I would've got a spot on the Specialized team which means I may not have met my boyfriend Andrew Roe, along with many other amazing people.
There is a light to every issue, it may take years to eventuate but I am so grateful that I was an injury wreck as a junior. Because here I am today as a much more mature person who gets frustrated watching others train themselves through the ground and feel negative when things don't go right. Sometimes they don't go right for a REASON. Better things are on the way if you just let them.
I am such a happy and healthy person these days and I owe that to so many things. But it didn't just happen, I had to learn. Some of these things took me years to learn, some of these things were painful. I can cope now that my family split to pieces..because I learnt so much. Because I had the strength to get through, I had the strength to move to Adelaide where endless opportunities have arisen.
I now learn pain science and believe in concepts such as the secret. If you don't think positively and confidently, you won't get it. Or it will take so much longer to eventuate. Life can be as hard as you make it for yourself. I had all those injuries when I was younger and didn't really enjoy running, because I expected it to hurt. I expected to get injured because that was what I was used to. So injuries are what I got. Now, after my extended break, I expect to feel good and strong. I don't even consider getting injured.
Just had to get that out.
Cheers, and hope I've helped you to think about things.
Hannah :)
No comments:
Post a Comment