Greetings friends,
Righto, it’s Sunday afternoon, and I’m at Brisbane Airport, about to get on a plane which is bound, in a roundabout way, to London. Via 10 days in my second home (or masion) in Aix Les Bains, France. I’m doing a stats subject at uni, so in that spirit, let’s crunch some numbers.
365 - Days exactly (almost to the hour!) since this time last year I felt all-too-familiar pain in my hip whilst running during an ill-fated training camp in South Korea. I’ve still got the Garmin file, which shows my pace slowing to a walk at around 25 mins, followed by a long stationary phase, followed by a long trudge home. The Garmin even recorded head position (firmly down), and samples of inventive vocabulary hurled at the Korean countryside on the walk home.
3 - It was my third stress fracture since having knee surgery at the start of 2011. Having spent significant time in the radiographers, the doctors, and finally, the metaphorical room of mirrors, I emerged, having asked myself some questions, such as, “Can my body handle running anymore?”, “Am I flogging a dead horse?”, and “That hairdresser has done a terrible job with the back of my head” (it was the room of mirrors after all...).
19 - Various MRI, Ultrasound, CT, X-ray, DEXA and Bone scans done over the last three years. My radiographer now drives a Porsche.
20 + - Various needles, cortisones, anti-inflammatories and anesthetics in the same 3 years. I had to have a lot of needles when I was a youngster, and the deal with Mum was, 1 needle = 1 McDonalds trip. I presume this agreement is still valid, so I’m building up an appetite.
10 - Months after insulting the Korean wilderness, and having posted some decent results, I made my...
7 - Seventh Australian team, 1- junior, 2 - U/23, and 4 Elite. Always an honour.
11 - Months it’s taken to get my body (and mind!) back to a position where I can push my run training. While I’m still not at what I would call ‘full volume’ yet, the last five weeks have been the first time I haven’t had to hold back in my intensity, for fear of re-injuring myself. Obviously, this has had significant compromises to my racing, but better to spend some time being slower on the run leg, than hurling insults to the Korean countryside again.
5000 - (approx) squats I’ve done in the last year, a big part of remaining healthy. Yeah, I’m gettin’ some booty dawg.
∞ - people I need to thank. Briefly, my parents, family and friends, Mossy my coach, support coaches, support staff at the AIS and QAS, TA and the sponsors listed on the righthand panel of this blog. Without their help I would have packed it in a long time ago. Thanks.
While it would naive and ignorant to suggest my life thus far has been anything but blessed, the last few years have had a few hiccups. Which is why it feels good to be about to get on a plane, bound for the World Champs, with a good block of training in my legs.
Take care friends,
Willy
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