Slowly but surely, I'm getting back to "that place" where multiple daily training sessions are once again becoming the norm. A couple of months ago, I felt like my days as a competitive triathlete were pretty much over. Funny how your perspective can change so dramatically in such a short period of time; I was flying high after Muskoka 70.3, down in the dumps and hopeless 6 weeks later (feeling like this knee would NEVER heal!) and back at it and looking forward to all that '09 holds in store shortly after New Years.
Knee felt good on today's intensive 9 mile run (executed over hilly terrain) and I'm excited to hit the bike and weight room this afternoon.
Seems like the knee issue was petellofemoral syndrome all along as it's responded VERY positively to the 2 simple exercises I've utilized to get the patella tracking correctly again: nothing more than squeezing a blow up med. ball between my knees (until the adductors are screaming!) and locking the leg out/contracting the quad to help develop the VMO. I wish that the doctors would have recommended this to me back in September, but oh well.
My competitive schedule might have to be pushed back by a month or 2 so that I can prepare correctly and bring the fitness up to par, but surprisingly, I'm pushing watts and paces on my easy days that are either on par or faster than what I was hitting in season. A lot of this has to do with the fact that all of my work is sub threshold right now though, so I credit fresh legs with what I'm seeing. I won't hide the fact that I'm also deriving a lot of "inspiration" from the daily reports, or should I say, taunting, that soon to be short course/TT specialist turned long course triathlete Dean "the machine" Phillips keeps sending my way. I wake up to email based updates that let me know "how easy it was to pump out 2 hours @ 300+ watts" or "how much faster I'm running than last year." I can't just sit there and take that kind of abuse of course, so I have no other option than to prepare to the best of my abilities. I'll have my hands full with this 185 lb.+ monster this season, as I expect to see him lay down some of the fastest bike splits on the 70.3 scene (i.e. I expect a sub 2:10 bike split out of him at Timberman) but... There's nothing better than a good fight, so onward I shall roll!
IM might have to wait until the end of '09 given another BIG personal development that has recently come about for Michelle and I; one that will require a lot of the time and energy I'd need to pump into the IM prep. This being said, it's looking like RI 70.3, Timberman 70.3, Muskoka 70.3 or Pumpkinman, Austin 70.3 and, perhaps, IMAZ to end the year. Throw the new Commonwealth tri series into the mix and Rev3 if I'm ready to roll by early June, and I've got myself a full season.
It's good to be back!
1 comment:
I am so psyched you are back in the groove, it will be fun to see you and Dean go head to head, especially on the bike. I'm bummed you won't be doing IMLP anymore, it would of been fun to have a familiar face around the race. Good luck with your training and keep up with those stretches, I'm forseeing a very good race season for you. See you soon, maybe at some of craigs swim classes.
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