So some rapid fire updates before I have to get on a plane again!
Injury Update!
So I've been spending huge amounts of time in doctors offices and physical therapy and elsewhere trying to get my right leg issues dealt with. After a series of nerve tests and an MRI the official diagnosis is that I have a "stress reaction" in my right hip. Which is somewhere between healthy and a stress fracture. It means I've damaged the bone, but I haven't fractured it. My ortho actually cleared me to carefully start running on it, however my PT suggested 4 more weeks off to really give it time to heal. So thats been my current plan. I haven't seen my PT since the MRI so we haven't had a chance to put my full recovery plan together except via email, but with any luck starting on tuesday when I see him again we will have an official plan to get me back and running again and ready to start tri training in earnest! I'm still worried however that we don't know the whole picture yet, and my leg still doesn't feel great, but I'm optimistic we can get something going.
Training Updates:
Swim: continues to improve, intervals are going better and better and I've managed to get through some 10x50 @ 1:00, and 10x100 @ 2:00 which is saying something for me. I know thats not fast, but it is definitely leading to improvement. Its amazing how much better a "feel" for the water you get when you are trying to do intervals and I'm starting to connect the dots and figure out how to tweak my stroke to get faster. I'm also averaging about 27 strokes per length currently which isn't fabulous, but its a great number to know as I can tell when I'm tiring and my SPL goes up and my form is falling apart by counting strokes. On the laps where it goes up and so does my time I know I'm not holding my form together properly. So good things continue to happen in the water.
Bike: No big gains here and nothing but sketchy training. I really need to get cracking on regular interval and long ride sessions and more time in aero in my new position. Its just been hard with all the travel and moving. But no more excuses. Starting tuesday of next week I have a big 2.5 week training block planned. Hopefully good things happen!
Run:.. still awaiting clearance to run....
Travel: I'm currently in Salt Lake City waiting to fly on to Florida from a very intense 7 day show. The hours here were long and the work was very challenging. I only made it to the gym once. I was just too tired otherwise. That combined with the spin bike in the gym being a piece of junk made it hard to feel like there was any benefit to getting on it. So I took this as a "recovery week" to rest up and get ready to start training when I get back. Not ideal... but a reality of what I do sometimes. Its hard to be on your feet all day long running around a huge venue and still have the energy to workout afterwards. Working out before is just not an option when I'm already getting up at 5am just to stretch and then make it to work on time. Add working out to that and I'm just not getting enough sleep to do my job properly. So something had to give. I'm not thrilled with that reality, but I can accept it.
Races:
So the hope right now is to aim for the Providence 70.3 as my first race of the season. I've given up on the Patriot being a reality. I could potentially rush to get up to that fitness level in time but I think thats a bad idea so the Providence half it is.
Worries... I'm going to say it out loud. I feel like my fitness level is not what it was last year, that my health is not as good, and that my legs are not as strong as last year. I'm very worried that I won't be able to do the full iron this year and part of me thinks I should consider doing just the half. But that will be a decision made much later this summer. My plan is to aim for the full. But I don't want to just complete it, I want to race it. So we'll see how my legs feel as the training kicks up. I just want to acknowledge that I really beat myself up this offseason, I failed to recover, I injured myself, and I may need to accept that I can't hit all my goals for 2011 this year at this rate. So we'll see. Time will tell.
Vacation!!!
So after a week here in Salt Lake City I'm not headed to meet the girl in Florida where we are headed to visit some friends, relax, enjoy the sun, and watch some friends compete in a local olympic triathlon down there. Should be great fun! I'm looking forward to a few days off after getting through the move and the brutal stretch of work to begin the year. And then starting tuesday its time to get very very serious about my training and put in a huge 2.5 week block before I head off away again. Here's hoping it goes well!
Here's the view from my hotel room window of Salt Lake City as I type this...
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