On July 11th, I raced in the Belwood Triathlon. A mini-tri if you will. 750m swim, 30k bike and a 7.5km run. Up until this point, my season had exceeded my expectations. Other than one disappointing swim (in Welland) I was so pleased with how things were progressing. I was finally starting to feel like a runner again. I was enjoying some sub 5 minute km's on my easy runs, and the stiffness I used to feel regularly after hard bikes and hard runs was non-existent.
Belwood went fairly well. My only real disappointment was that with 200m to go, I was passed by a 17 year old who ran like the wind. In my younger years, I could always rely on my "finishing kick" (and some guts) to sprint with the best of them. But at Belwood I really had no answer and watched her sail away to the finish line. That put me out of the Top 5 podium spots with the dreaded 6th, but I managed to at least snag 1st in my age group. Oh to be 21 years old again .....
Crossing the Line in Belwood:
Enjoying the moment with friends:
Although I was all smiles on the podium, I was deeply concerned about the ache in my right foot that I felt shortly after I finished the race. The pain was all too familiar. We are very fortunate in London to have the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic at the University. I called at 7:00am Monday morning for an appointment and was with a doctor by 9:30am. Pretty awesome. The bad news was that I have another stress injury to my right foot. In the words of my BFF, Mandy Dymock, this really "Chaps my Ass." I have done everything right this year. I have followed my program. I have rested when I needed rest. I am 20lbs lighter than I was last year. I cycle through different pairs of shoes and never run on worn out shoes. So WTF????? I find this entire situation completely unfair. But life isn't fair. That's the way it goes. I have a bone scan scheduled for July 28th which will be very telling. I am trying to be optimistic. It is not as bad as it was last year and I have the green light to swim, bike and to pool run. Weight bearing is the issue.
I am glad to report that I did not cry in the doctor's office. Last year I cried like a baby. So humiliating. So embarrassing. This time I knew what was coming. That makes a difference I think.
Onward. I had a major training block planned with my friend/training partner, Ann Frost. We were to head to the Georgian Bay area the following day. Although I was a bit depressed, I knew that this "holiday" would benefit me in the long run. We had a superb week up there. We swam once in sub 60 degree water for 40 minutes. After that, we hit the Owen Sound YMCA. Total swim for the 5 days was about 9.5kms. Total bike was 514kms. Other than one minor problem:
The trip was a huge success.
So now we are home. Ann is off to Whistler for her Ironman which will take place this Sunday. I will be glued to the Athlete Tracker all day, so don't try to find me. To make my day even better, Brian Keast will also be there. Brian is a friend, a mentor, a source of endless information, and a true inspiration to me. I will be pulling for you both.
So the water running belt is back in the bag and my work continues. I will have a fabulous time in Austria with my mother at the end of August. I am confident the swim and bike will go well. The run may not be what I had hoped for, but I am not going to jeopardize KONA for Austria. I will follow the doctor's orders and do things right. I have done it before and I will do it again.
Finally, I was feeling a little frustrated today with everything. I posted my thoughts on Facebook, and I have to tell you, I was choked up with all of the support and kind words that I received. Facebook is a funny thing. I don't know why we post what we do. Maybe sometimes we just want people to know that life isn't a cake walk as it may appear from the outside. Maybe sometimes we just need a little support from our friends. I told Ryder about my foot, but he didn't seem to grasp the magnitude of the situation:
It's ok buddy. I love you just the same.
So thanks everyone for your kind words and support. I think all that is left to keep me going is a phone call from George Hincapie. Yes, that would likely do it.
My ride today ... post melt down. DON"T QUIT!!! NO EXCUSES!!!
- 105.8kmDistance
- 3:20:57Moving Time
- 421m
- 152WWeighted Avg Power
- 1,735kJTotal Work
| Avg | Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 31.6km/h | 54.0km/h |
| Cadence | 79 | 103 |
| Power | 144W | 489W |
| Calories | 1,934 | |
| Temperature | 28℃ | |
| Elapsed Time | 3:23:56 | |
Plenty of time to rest that foot and still have a great race at kona. 6 weeks of no running still gives you 6 weeks of training left. Be patient.
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