Sunday, 6 December 2015

A good day to not be an Ironman

Here we are, home again. The family unit has had a great mini break weekend up at Guilderton yesterday and today, mucking around in mud, playing in boats etc. Was great to get away from it all. The weather this weekend has been far from ideal Summer weather, with a lot of wind and rain, but we have had a lot of fun all the same.

Today has also brought a bit improvement with my shoulder, with signficantly lower pain levels, marginally freer movement etc. It shouldn't be all that surprising, the shoulder is healing after all, but on Friday and Saturday the pain was persistent enough that I wasn't expecting much today. The pain has reduced enough that I don't feel so reliant on the pain medication. I will keep it up for a few more days to keep on top of it, and the anti-inflammatories obviously, but I will probably start cutting them back later in the week.

Nursing this shoulder, I can't believe that a week ago I had just finished a 70.3 feeling great. It seems an age ago. This injury has been so all consuming for this previous week that I kind of forget that up until very recently I was a highly trained athlete. Funny how the mind plays games on you. Now that the pain isn't quite so dominant I am hoping that I can start to think like me again. Still not going to be doing any training for the next week (doctor's orders) but at least I can start to think like an athlete in terms of diet, some strength work etc. Start planning for the day in the hopefully not too distant future when I am back into full training again.

Whilst we were off having a nice little family holiday, a lot of the Tri WA community has been busy either racing or watching the Busselton Ironman. As usual it looks like today offered up another epic day of racing. A bit nasty on the weather side apparently with a fair bit of wind and rain and everything that goes with that, choppy swim, wet roads etc. We had been planning on heading down to Busselton for a camping holiday/spectating trip, however, my surgery sort of put that plan to bed. Having seen the weather that they had for the race, I am not all that upset that we didn't make it. Not a lot of fun for racing or standing around.

Amazingly, despite the conditions, there was some really quick times today, including a new course record. People have been waiting for years for somebody to complete the Busselton Ironman course in under 8 hours. The 8 hour barrier was proving so stubborn that there has been a lot of talk in the last few years that the course just wasn't quick enough for it to be possible. Given this, it is amazing that the 8 hour barrier has finally been broken. The feat is even more impressive when the conditions are taken into account. 

Watching from a far it looks like a lot of friends had some good days out there today, with a number earning Kona slots if they want them. I will be interested to know what was going on in the Pro men field though, with about half of them ending up as DNFs. It may have just been that Luke McKenzie's insane bike pace burnt too many matches. Very hard to know what happened there without having been out there yourself so I am hardly going to pass judgement. Some very, very solid athletes pulling the pin in that field so there is no doubt that it must have been tough. Very impressive performances by those that toughed it out though.

I have said this before, and I will say it again. I think I am nearly ready to have another crack at this Ironman thing. A bit more healing to do first.




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