One special privilege you don't often get to enjoy is not only racing a world champs...but racing a world champs at home!
This year Adelaide Australia, would be host to the 2015 World Duathlon Champs, and I was super excited to go down and race and try and defend my World Title which I won back in 2012.
Training had been going just as planned, and I was feeling good. I was just coming into start the finishing touches from my base in France, to get me ready to race and take the long trip home!...
It was the day before I was due to fly back home, and my left leg pulled up terribly sore during a running session. The nasty little words of doubt and concern crept into my mind, but with not much time to do anything about it I jumped on a plane and headed for home, pi**ed off and and annoyed my leg was causing me some pain, and I was unable to complete the session, knowing I had no other opportunities to get it back as I was travelling and would need to get over jet lag when I got home. None the less, you learn as an athlete so often, not everything goes perfect, and I let it go, and arrived back home in sunny Perth, still sore, but put it down to travel, and set about doing all the right things to recover quickly for the coming race.
However more concern crept in when I tried to run, and was unable to run at all! A little hobble, and I knew I had more than just your normal muscle soreness. This did not feel good, and I knew I had a tight time frame to fix me up before Worlds...one week.
Straight to physio, if anyone can fix me he can! and dumped him with the tedious task of trying to do the impossible. Get me race ready in one week. Unfortunately the end result was I had just done a small tear in my hamstring, and less than a week to race day...ominous task. I was not one happy camper.
I did my very best to get me to that start line, and maximise the healing I could do in a few very short days, and with no idea if I would even been able to do a jog warm up, it was mentally challenging few days leading into the race, trying to stay positive. I had so desperately wanted a repeat performance of my last Duathlon race, but the cards dealt had now changed dramatically.
Long story short, I made the start line. Big achievement when I could not even jog 4 days prior. I raced the first ten km, and hung on to the 3 leaders just trying my best to do as little as I possibly could on my leg, but from the get go, I was in quite some discomfort, and in the last lap, that only increased. Out on the bike and my leg was not wanting to play ball anymore, and I dropped off the 3 leaders. A huge disappointment for me, but I was struggling. Combining that I then got a flat tire! :( the day was only going backwards. I had to make the hard call to pull the pin on the race.
I do not like to DNF, especially when I had gone in with big expectations, and at a home race, and I hate to disappoint myself and a home crowd, but I had to make a call. To make the start line was an achievement, but to make the finish line was just asking too much, no matter how desperately I had hoped it could happen. But the reality was, I just didn't have the time on my side to fix my leg.
These are the highs and lows of racing though, everyone has them, and I am sure every athlete can identify with them. It sucks...so much, and I cant hide I am bitterly disappointed with the outcome, and changes to my end of season plans, but once in the past it becomes unchangeable I guess, and you have to look forward instead, and move on.
I have also with disappointment, had to pull out of the World Cup in Tongyeong, I had planned for the following week, and so that probably almost wraps up the 2015 season, now I will be eager for more redemption in 2016!
Special thanks to Sloces, Jimmy and Liz who went out of their way and hours!, to help me try and make the race, we did our best! Much appreciated.
This year Adelaide Australia, would be host to the 2015 World Duathlon Champs, and I was super excited to go down and race and try and defend my World Title which I won back in 2012.
Training had been going just as planned, and I was feeling good. I was just coming into start the finishing touches from my base in France, to get me ready to race and take the long trip home!...
It was the day before I was due to fly back home, and my left leg pulled up terribly sore during a running session. The nasty little words of doubt and concern crept into my mind, but with not much time to do anything about it I jumped on a plane and headed for home, pi**ed off and and annoyed my leg was causing me some pain, and I was unable to complete the session, knowing I had no other opportunities to get it back as I was travelling and would need to get over jet lag when I got home. None the less, you learn as an athlete so often, not everything goes perfect, and I let it go, and arrived back home in sunny Perth, still sore, but put it down to travel, and set about doing all the right things to recover quickly for the coming race.
However more concern crept in when I tried to run, and was unable to run at all! A little hobble, and I knew I had more than just your normal muscle soreness. This did not feel good, and I knew I had a tight time frame to fix me up before Worlds...one week.
Straight to physio, if anyone can fix me he can! and dumped him with the tedious task of trying to do the impossible. Get me race ready in one week. Unfortunately the end result was I had just done a small tear in my hamstring, and less than a week to race day...ominous task. I was not one happy camper.
I did my very best to get me to that start line, and maximise the healing I could do in a few very short days, and with no idea if I would even been able to do a jog warm up, it was mentally challenging few days leading into the race, trying to stay positive. I had so desperately wanted a repeat performance of my last Duathlon race, but the cards dealt had now changed dramatically.
Long story short, I made the start line. Big achievement when I could not even jog 4 days prior. I raced the first ten km, and hung on to the 3 leaders just trying my best to do as little as I possibly could on my leg, but from the get go, I was in quite some discomfort, and in the last lap, that only increased. Out on the bike and my leg was not wanting to play ball anymore, and I dropped off the 3 leaders. A huge disappointment for me, but I was struggling. Combining that I then got a flat tire! :( the day was only going backwards. I had to make the hard call to pull the pin on the race.
I do not like to DNF, especially when I had gone in with big expectations, and at a home race, and I hate to disappoint myself and a home crowd, but I had to make a call. To make the start line was an achievement, but to make the finish line was just asking too much, no matter how desperately I had hoped it could happen. But the reality was, I just didn't have the time on my side to fix my leg.
These are the highs and lows of racing though, everyone has them, and I am sure every athlete can identify with them. It sucks...so much, and I cant hide I am bitterly disappointed with the outcome, and changes to my end of season plans, but once in the past it becomes unchangeable I guess, and you have to look forward instead, and move on.
I have also with disappointment, had to pull out of the World Cup in Tongyeong, I had planned for the following week, and so that probably almost wraps up the 2015 season, now I will be eager for more redemption in 2016!
Special thanks to Sloces, Jimmy and Liz who went out of their way and hours!, to help me try and make the race, we did our best! Much appreciated.
RSS Feed
