The road back - Plan A - Mandurah 70.3

The road back to fitness (and wellness) 

 

First, a little update on what I have been up to since my last blog.

 

Following Hawaii in 2011 (Hawaii blog here http://jocoombe12weekstohawaii.blogspot.com.au/), I had a really good season, bagging first place in my Age Group in the Geelong and Portarlington long course races, and then a 6th overall and a massive PB of 3.09 for the Great Ocean Rd Marathon in May 2012.

 

What followed was a month of overseas travel with my PhD, getting sick (we now think possibly glandular fever), and I came back slowly into winter training, but just couldn't seem to do it. Furthermore, I had none of my usual energy or vitality, and despite backing off my training, just couldn't recover from any hard sessions.

 

What ensued was one of the hardest 4 to 5 months of my life. Every test under the sun, and many hours spent at the doctors, basically resulted in the rather non-descript diagnosis of "adrenal fatigue" otherwise known as "hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis suppression", or "burnout", and sometimes called the dreaded "overtraining syndrome". But essentially, it meant I had pushed myself to the point that I needed a BIG break, to allow my body to reset, and had to come back very, very slowly.

 

When 15-20 hours of your week are suddenly not filled with doing what you love, you have a lot of thinking time! And I did a lot of soul - searching. Had this wonderful sport  hurt me terribly? Or was it my personality, and the way I drive myself in everything I do, that meant I was just too stressed all the time? Should I give it up all together? I thought long and hard, and was so frightened that I wouldn't WANT to come back, or that if I had to do it all more conservatively, it wouldn't be the same.

 

But come back I did, and I won't go into all the details of the past 12 months, but briefly  -

• I managed to finish Ironman Los Cabos (March 2013) in a respectable 11.36, off only a 15-week preparation. Race report here http://jocoomberacereports.blogspot.com.au/#!/2013/04/ironman-los-cabos-2013-race-report.html
• I had a good break after that, struggled through Cairns 70.3, but off a very limited prep.
• I have since done a really solid winter of training, as part of Sean Foster's 70.3/ Worlds development (high performance) squad. There have been many times I have questioned the validity of being included in this group of superb athletes, but thanks to Sean, he has kept reminding me that I am still the athlete I was before the fatigue, and to "hang my hat" on some of my best performances (e.g. my 3.28 run off the bike in Ironman France) , race report here http://jocoomberacereports.blogspot.com.au/#!/2012/09/ironman-france-2011.html

 

I never lost the hunger to come back, and to really excel again. I came to terms with my personality having played a part in my demise, but also accepted that I would not have achieved half of what I have in life if I wasn't like that!! And this sport IS wonderful, I just needed to employ some moderation at times, and take my time to come back to my best form. 

 

John Wragg and Elizabeth Model

 I set some targets, and one of them was to qualify again for Hawaii. Ideally this will be in 2014, but

having visited in October this year, to watch the race and support friends, it reminded me WHY I want to go back. I'm never going to hit the podium in Kona (unless I keep going until I'm 80!!). No, for me, it has and always will epitomise why I signed up for Ironman in the first place. To go there, and see my friend Dave Orlowski, one of the original Ironman competitors, and his will to race, despite illness setbacks, plus John Wragg and his wife Elizabeth Model, who between them have racked up over 200 Ironman finishes. This is a way of life, and seeing the athletes overcoming obstacles, and getting over that finish line, can't help but inspire.

 

So on to my road back. Plan A was Mandurah 70.3, which had 30 slots for Hawaii. For those who don't get this, it's a slightly controversial policy, whereby some of the Hawaii (full Ironman) slots are allocated to select 70.3 (half Ironman) races. Often this is to promote a specific race. There are certain purists who don't think you should be able to qualify at a half. I hate to be cynical, but I think they are often either people who are excellent athletes, and expect to qualify relatively easily themselves, or they are athletes who are not likely to qualify, and have a bit of sour grapes. Either way, my opinion is that rules are rules, and I will take a slot, wherever I am good enough to earn one!!!

 

And in Mandurah, I sure would have to earn it!! The main competition in my Age Group, and the actual winner on Sunday by 16 minutes (!) was Janine Willis, a proven competitor in Ironman, and in Hawaii. Going into the race, I knew on my best day, I would be highly unlikely to beat her, but "you've got to be in it to win it" as they say, and at a rolldown ceremony (where the Hawaii slots are allocated) you never know who will fail to turn up, or what will happen.

 

So my actual goal on Sunday was to race my own race, and give it everything, but specifically I wanted a half Ironman run PB. My first half in Busselton (2007), I ran a smoking 1.35 off the bike, and although that day I rode conservatively, I still felt that if I could ride strong, but pace myself well in Mandurah, I should be capable of that run target. At the least, I felt that an overall PB (4.49) was on the cards, and this would put me in contention for the podium.

 

Alas it was not to be.

 

A sensational 4 min swim PB (current-assisted, but still 11th is very good for me) and a good bike split, in windy conditions, had me out of T2 in 3hrs 15, feeling good, and confident of the run PB AND overall PB.

 

But my legs didn't come to the party.

 



Pain

Within the first km (4.58) I knew that I didn't feel like I normally do. (To put it in context, my first km in France was 4.25!!!). But I thought I might settle into it, and be able to pick up the pace. Not so. I was clocking around 5.15-5.20 per km, and my quads were just dead. Every time I felt like they may be feeling better, I tried to pick up the pace, but it didn't work. In the final 3 km, Sean's words of "give the last 3km EVERYTHING") came to me, and I was determined that I didn't want to leave anything out there. I was also chasing the 5.05 that I clocked in that first half Ironman I did, just to salvage SOME sort of pride in the result!! I was absolutely beyond my limit in that final few km, and yet my times only came down to 4.58-5.02 per km (something I could cruise through on a Sunday long run!!) But a vomit over the line and 30 min in medical, plus how my legs are feeling today, tells me there wasn't any more than I was giving. It just wasn't enough.

 

I was really, really disappointed that I failed to achieve my goal of that run PB. But I am proud of the swim and bike, and I'm really pleased that I raced throughout, and never gave up.

 

I attended the Hawaii rolldown ceremony. There is nothing more motivating than seeing those wonderful athletes accept their slots, and to remember that it was only 2 years ago when I was in that position.

 

I believe I will be again.

 

Plan B was Auckland 70.3, but I feel my real chance is at South Africa Ironman in April 2014. I will be racing in 40-44 there, and I have time to continue to come back to the form I once knew. I will decide whether to race Auckland or not in the next few weeks, and I will post the next blog after that, or intermittently though my prep for SA.

 

I posted on Facebook the day before the race that GRATITUDE would be my key word. And it was. This time one year ago, I was only just coming back from the fatigue, and could barely run 5km!! On Sunday, despite the result, and feeling lousy on the run, I RACED. I love racing, and I am grateful that I am healthy enough to train and race properly again.

 

Thanks to HAMMER nutrition, who sponsored me when I qualified for Hawaii, and have continued to support me since. 

 

Thanks to Lyndsey Travis, Ryan Parry and Peter Elliott who all raced with me and were great travelling companions. These kind of trips are so special because of the friends you make and the bonds you form. Thanks also to all the people who wished me well and followed me on race day - it means so much when you are away from home.

 

Together we are better!

Thanks so much to Sean Foster, my coach and friend. I so wanted to be your first athlete in the Hawaii 2014 team. I'm not, but together we will work out a plan to get me there, and if not for 2014, then another year.

 

And most of  all. Peter. My husband. He is there, a constant force of support and love. He never questions me, my personality or my ability. And we get to travel on this wonderful journey together. the ultimate goal is to be running down Alii Drive together, just like John Wragg and Elizabeth Model did this year. And we will. One day.

 

Until next time - thanks for reading - Mahalo!