Finally Back

Back in action at last. I got back into Perth yesterday afternoon after spending a few days travelling around for that thing I do between training and racing (ie work). It was very good to be home. This trip has been hanging over my head for the last few weeks so it has been good to get it done and out of the way. I now have an uninterrupted run of training heading into Melbourne.

Training wise the last few days have been a bit of a non-event, with work (the 'real job' kind of work, rather than the preferred 'training and racing' type of work) having to take priority. My last proper day of training was Sunday, which was a bit of a surreal experience. On Sunday I had a very long run on the program, but I also unfortunately had a plane to catch at 8:30am. I couldn't really think of anyway to get them both done without getting up very very early. So that is what I did, starting my run at 2:30am.

The world is a strange place at 2:30am, still very much the domain of people who are finishing off their yesterday, rather than starting their tomorrow. It is amazing to see just where some people will sleep. Still I managed to not get mugged or anything. I was looking forward to seeing just how the morning evolved and when the change over between 'last night' and 'this morning' really occurred. However, unfortunately that wasn't to be. About 10km into the run my left hamstring had a bit of an episode, pulling my run up short. I was very proud of myself for finally doing the right thing and stopping though (unlike previous times when I have strained my hamstring). I have twinged my hamstring enough times to know that running through brings you nothing but pain and a couple of weeks of substandard training. As it is, my hamstring was feeling amazingly okay by Sunday night. By now it is still feeling a bit tender, but still pretty good. I ran this morning without it causing me much discomfort. So hooray for lessons learned. Perhaps a little slowly, but learned in the end.

My hamstring had a been a little tender after a very tough run on Thursday last week, and so I wasn't entirely surprised when it gave me a bit of trouble on Sunday. It had been a bit tender leading in, but not bad enough to make me not start. On my walk home (unfortunately my hamstring started hurting 4km from home) I was starting to second guess whether it perhaps wasn't that bad and perhaps I should try running again. However, about halfway home I hit a particularly steep hill, the pain in my hamstring was bad enough that the only way I was able to get up the hill was by walking sideways. Probably the right decision then.

With the trip done and dusted, it was back into training today, with a bit of a gentle run on the agenda. The gentle run was originally planned as a bit of recovery after my long run on Sunday, but instead it served well as a gentle test for my hamstring. Which I think went okay. As I said, it isn't completely pain free, so I am off the to the phyiso tomorrow. I would normally have headed there a bit earlier, but my work travel prevented it. I know from last time though, that once I started getting it treated it pulls up very quickly. So I am not too concerned about that. My back is a bit tender as well, after many hours of sitting in planes and helicopters, so a physio visit is probably a good idea. Try and clear all the niggles before getting back into proper training this weekend.

This afternoon I have a nice easy spin, so nothing to demanding either back or hamstring wise.

It would have been nice to not lose half a week of training in the middle of Ironman lead up. But there wasn't much I could do about it, so I am trying to not let it get to me. In the end it was only three days and I know, deep down, that it isn't going to make a huge difference, especially with a touch over three weeks still to go until race day. Training last week went really well, so instead of thinking about the lost three days, I am instead focusing on last week and planning to get back into that groove.

Keen to get on with it.