These things are sent to try us
“Affliction is a good man's shining time.”
-
Put a fork in me, I'm done with 2019.
For the last month, I've been struggling with intermittent achilles pain, mostly in my right leg. Some time with Bevie at Sustainable Motion had us, what we thought, finally isolating the issue to a specific quad, and she developed a program to strengthen and improve motion through the left leg and reduce load on the right. Weakness here leads to problems there. Makes sense right?
While out on a short hilly run during the week gone, I felt something "pop" in my right soleus muscle at roughly the point of issue we'd been dealing with. I tried stretching it out and finished the run, but throughout the day and in to the next it was incredibly painful. I tried icing and resting as much as I could, but for a nurse who walks approximately 8-10k per shift it's not especially easy task. Stretching and rolling eased it off briefly, only for it to be biting me again if I tried anything other than walking on flat ground. On Sunday, I went with Glenda on her first trail event (PTS Run Albany One Peak 5.5k). Watching everyone else scoot off up the first climb was perhaps one of the more frustrating things I've experienced. Glenda could sense it too, saying at one point that if I wanted to go fast that I can. I tried for 200m before realising that it wouldn't end well. That hurt almost as much as the leg itself.
Last night I made the call to roll over my entry for 6 Inch this year to 2021. Occasionally, I can be sensible. There's nothing to be gained in going gangbusters at 85% fitness, breaking myself more and jeopardising my goal event for next year - the Light Horse 12hr in April. It's also allowed me to take stock of what I've achieved this year. I've run further than before (over 1800km at this time and going over marathon distance 4 times), I've achieved three top 10 places in races (5th at Light Horse 3hr; 6th at the Denmark Half Marathon; 10th at Albany Park to Point 10k), PB'd for 10k (going well under 45 minutes), run top 20 at Truth or Consequences, distance PB'd at Birdy's Backyard... all of this from a point where I was pretty much done with running at the start of the year due to injury and depression.
I will credit Shaun Kaesler from USWA with rekindling my love for the sport - there's no denying that the Delirious WEST 200miler in February was a life changing experience in many ways. The post event mental crash and hypomanic episode, despite the issues it created at the time, sowed the seeds for much of the mental strength I've been able to develop this year. My wife Glenda, long suffering as she is, has been a constant source of inspiration and support and I don't think a lot of what I've achieved this year could have been done without her. Bevie and Dree at Sustainable Motion will put me back together physically I'm certain. I'll be back stronger and better. Next year has too many adventures to be cast aside. But you'll still see me at 6"! I'll be at Aid 2, at the top of the Escalator, dishing out sweaty hugs and as much banter as I can. Giving back to the sport is as important to me now as racing/running. This won't keep me down.
Put a fork in me, I'm done with 2019.
For the last month, I've been struggling with intermittent achilles pain, mostly in my right leg. Some time with Bevie at Sustainable Motion had us, what we thought, finally isolating the issue to a specific quad, and she developed a program to strengthen and improve motion through the left leg and reduce load on the right. Weakness here leads to problems there. Makes sense right?
While out on a short hilly run during the week gone, I felt something "pop" in my right soleus muscle at roughly the point of issue we'd been dealing with. I tried stretching it out and finished the run, but throughout the day and in to the next it was incredibly painful. I tried icing and resting as much as I could, but for a nurse who walks approximately 8-10k per shift it's not especially easy task. Stretching and rolling eased it off briefly, only for it to be biting me again if I tried anything other than walking on flat ground. On Sunday, I went with Glenda on her first trail event (PTS Run Albany One Peak 5.5k). Watching everyone else scoot off up the first climb was perhaps one of the more frustrating things I've experienced. Glenda could sense it too, saying at one point that if I wanted to go fast that I can. I tried for 200m before realising that it wouldn't end well. That hurt almost as much as the leg itself.
 |
| Physician, heal thyself... |
Last night I made the call to roll over my entry for 6 Inch this year to 2021. Occasionally, I can be sensible. There's nothing to be gained in going gangbusters at 85% fitness, breaking myself more and jeopardising my goal event for next year - the Light Horse 12hr in April. It's also allowed me to take stock of what I've achieved this year. I've run further than before (over 1800km at this time and going over marathon distance 4 times), I've achieved three top 10 places in races (5th at Light Horse 3hr; 6th at the Denmark Half Marathon; 10th at Albany Park to Point 10k), PB'd for 10k (going well under 45 minutes), run top 20 at Truth or Consequences, distance PB'd at Birdy's Backyard... all of this from a point where I was pretty much done with running at the start of the year due to injury and depression.
I will credit Shaun Kaesler from USWA with rekindling my love for the sport - there's no denying that the Delirious WEST 200miler in February was a life changing experience in many ways. The post event mental crash and hypomanic episode, despite the issues it created at the time, sowed the seeds for much of the mental strength I've been able to develop this year. My wife Glenda, long suffering as she is, has been a constant source of inspiration and support and I don't think a lot of what I've achieved this year could have been done without her. Bevie and Dree at Sustainable Motion will put me back together physically I'm certain. I'll be back stronger and better. Next year has too many adventures to be cast aside. But you'll still see me at 6"! I'll be at Aid 2, at the top of the Escalator, dishing out sweaty hugs and as much banter as I can. Giving back to the sport is as important to me now as racing/running. This won't keep me down.
 |
| She's a runner now. All the colours of my rainbow |
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