Well it’s been a while since my last blog and it’s safe to say these last few months have been one hell of a roller coaster, physically, mentally and emotionally. They always say you need the lows to enjoy the highs but it might be more bearable if the lows weren’t so extreme. In reality, my battle couldn’t be more different from a roller coaster, where you’re tense with anticipation on the ascent but enjoy the thrill of the drop as you come back down. Turn the tracks upside down and you’ve got my vicious roller coaster. Am I enjoying the ride? Well, that’s debatable.
Last time I left you I had been to Lanzarote on what was a ‘recovery camp’ for me. Some serious fatigue meant I needed to rest and refuel, so whilst others were training hard making their winter gains I was...well...sunbathing. When I returned to Loughborough I was still heavily restricted on my training intensity and duration. I had a maximum heart rate cap, which I often didn’t quite abide by (my coach would probably say never abided by), and I had to have a rest day every 4th day. My hamster heart could reach 150bpm purely from the excitement of training, let alone a steady session. This was one of the hardest times, hearing all the other athletes get new PBs in their lab tests whilst I was gradually making my way back to square one. Naturally I was happy for them, I mean none of these guys were my competitors, but that didn’t make it any easier. Perhaps it’s because we all have the same dream and we’re all in the same training environment for the same purpose. It’s difficult not to compare, but I’m only human.
That said, things were going well and I was making good (but slow!) progress. Despite my HR cap I still got to ride the tandem at the velodrome, and luckily I have a little engine on the back; I’ve named her Alison Patrick. I was able to pedal at my intensity whilst singing to Alison whilst she did her hard efforts. A 20 minute effort around a track can feel long, so I tried to keep her entertained, and give her encouragement obviously!
Last time I left you I had been to Lanzarote on what was a ‘recovery camp’ for me. Some serious fatigue meant I needed to rest and refuel, so whilst others were training hard making their winter gains I was...well...sunbathing. When I returned to Loughborough I was still heavily restricted on my training intensity and duration. I had a maximum heart rate cap, which I often didn’t quite abide by (my coach would probably say never abided by), and I had to have a rest day every 4th day. My hamster heart could reach 150bpm purely from the excitement of training, let alone a steady session. This was one of the hardest times, hearing all the other athletes get new PBs in their lab tests whilst I was gradually making my way back to square one. Naturally I was happy for them, I mean none of these guys were my competitors, but that didn’t make it any easier. Perhaps it’s because we all have the same dream and we’re all in the same training environment for the same purpose. It’s difficult not to compare, but I’m only human.
That said, things were going well and I was making good (but slow!) progress. Despite my HR cap I still got to ride the tandem at the velodrome, and luckily I have a little engine on the back; I’ve named her Alison Patrick. I was able to pedal at my intensity whilst singing to Alison whilst she did her hard efforts. A 20 minute effort around a track can feel long, so I tried to keep her entertained, and give her encouragement obviously!
After making further improvement I was beginning to get frustrated by the HR cap. I started to throw my toys out the pram by way of throwing my HR monitor and Garmin on the floor and jumping on it. So I didn’t quite have a tantrum like that, instead I just chose to make some adjustments to my training. One Saturday morning I woke up feeling great, looked at my planned bike session...max HR of 140bpm?? ‘Sod this crap, I’m going on a proper ride!’ I think my coach and the doctor got the message after that.
The HR cap was lifted, I was able to do max intensity sessions and the number of sessions picked up. After a few weeks of building, I was feeling good on the bike, especially on the hills, and my swim speed started to return. Then.....illness struck. Three words spring to mind. First one begins with F, second one F, and the last one S. FFS!!!! I’ve had enough illnesses to know that this one was not good, and would have me bed ridden for at least 4 days before even thinking about training. This led to one week off completely, in the second week I still wasn’t feeling good, and it was still lingering in the 3rd week. Thankfully my new housemate kept me entertained with Face Swap and other apps during this grumpy phase.
The HR cap was lifted, I was able to do max intensity sessions and the number of sessions picked up. After a few weeks of building, I was feeling good on the bike, especially on the hills, and my swim speed started to return. Then.....illness struck. Three words spring to mind. First one begins with F, second one F, and the last one S. FFS!!!! I’ve had enough illnesses to know that this one was not good, and would have me bed ridden for at least 4 days before even thinking about training. This led to one week off completely, in the second week I still wasn’t feeling good, and it was still lingering in the 3rd week. Thankfully my new housemate kept me entertained with Face Swap and other apps during this grumpy phase.
A good friend of mine said to me, ‘Life is like a bow and arrow. You have to be pulled back in order to accelerate forward and enjoy the ride.’ Well it seems this arrow is constantly being pulled back, so surely I’m on the limit before the string breaks. It’s certainly testing me. Time was against me with the guide selection in June, so this better be some serious acceleration! We had to do the best we could in this short time limit so my coach gave me 2 training plan options (well actually 3, but I instantly disregarded the low risk option). Ultimately one was going to improve my performance more than the other but at the risk of causing fatigue again. Normally this would be a simple decision, but could I mentally handle going back to that situation? No is the answer to that, but I’m a determined athlete with a dream. All or nothing ey?!
Eventually, after what had felt like an eternal off-season, I got over the illness and indeed I started to accelerate. It became obvious when I was in good health and was clear of the virus as my training performance improved. Just like that, my swim times improved and my bike power increased as well. Although it was only the beginning of the upwards curve I put in a good effort at our last velodrome session. Someone thought it would be fun to give us some time trials – a 3 Km (12 lap) TT, a 2 lap sprint and a rolling 200m sprint. My god they hurt! Unfortunately, this time I didn’t have my engine and was going solo. Dave smashed it and took all the victories, but a new record on the track (on the hired bikes) and a metronomic 3 Km time trial left me feeling happy!
Eventually, after what had felt like an eternal off-season, I got over the illness and indeed I started to accelerate. It became obvious when I was in good health and was clear of the virus as my training performance improved. Just like that, my swim times improved and my bike power increased as well. Although it was only the beginning of the upwards curve I put in a good effort at our last velodrome session. Someone thought it would be fun to give us some time trials – a 3 Km (12 lap) TT, a 2 lap sprint and a rolling 200m sprint. My god they hurt! Unfortunately, this time I didn’t have my engine and was going solo. Dave smashed it and took all the victories, but a new record on the track (on the hired bikes) and a metronomic 3 Km time trial left me feeling happy!
Unbelievably, my race shoes came out from the back of the cupboard too. This was a special moment. Once again, all the members of the squad had started their race season and I hadn’t even competed in a local race. I had missed all the Derby 5K road races and Windsor Duathlon. Now it was time to finally step into my lightweight flats and guide Alison around the Derby 5K race. This was going to be a challenge to direct Alison in the bright sunshine amongst many other runners and completely unaware of my current run ability. Alison ran well and I was reassured as we came through the chute in 19.06. This pleasing result was followed up with 2 new records on my Garmin. Woohoo! It had been too long since the last one. So simple but always satisfying!
A week later it was time to head to Mallorca for a training camp. This was arranged by only a few of us rather than a full squad camp, just 3 athletes and a coach. I was very excited given Lanzarote had not gone to plan! We did have the occasional rain shower but it was much warmer than the winter climate in the UK. Training was going really well for the first few days, exploring the amazing views the island has to offer. This is where I fell in love with cycling when I visited here 2 years ago, it really is stunning. Dave and I took on the mountains for our long aerobic ride and after over 4 hours of pedalling and 3 long, tough climbs, we had a great sense of achievement. Once again, 2 new Garmin records on that ride.
Then, half way into camp.....boom.....I became ill again. With lots of illnesses floating around the hotel (including one of the other athletes), despite my best attempt to avoid infection, my weak immune system picked up another virus. I’m quite vulnerable to upper respiratory tract infections and unfortunately my sinuses respond badly when I do get ill. So Faye missed the first half of the camp due to illness and I missed the second half. I was gutted, and for the second time I missed out on the famous ‘Sa Calobra’ climb. I guess I’ll just have to go back another time.
A week later it was time to head to Mallorca for a training camp. This was arranged by only a few of us rather than a full squad camp, just 3 athletes and a coach. I was very excited given Lanzarote had not gone to plan! We did have the occasional rain shower but it was much warmer than the winter climate in the UK. Training was going really well for the first few days, exploring the amazing views the island has to offer. This is where I fell in love with cycling when I visited here 2 years ago, it really is stunning. Dave and I took on the mountains for our long aerobic ride and after over 4 hours of pedalling and 3 long, tough climbs, we had a great sense of achievement. Once again, 2 new Garmin records on that ride.
Then, half way into camp.....boom.....I became ill again. With lots of illnesses floating around the hotel (including one of the other athletes), despite my best attempt to avoid infection, my weak immune system picked up another virus. I’m quite vulnerable to upper respiratory tract infections and unfortunately my sinuses respond badly when I do get ill. So Faye missed the first half of the camp due to illness and I missed the second half. I was gutted, and for the second time I missed out on the famous ‘Sa Calobra’ climb. I guess I’ll just have to go back another time.
So here I am again, another week off and impatiently waiting for this illness to disappear. I am seriously fed up of being ill and unable to train, and I’ve reached a low point again. Most people might say that there are more important things in life than triathlon. True, but in theory this is my job, my passion, and perhaps an obsession (a healthy one at least). This is funny as I’ve only been doing the sport for two and a half years and it’s difficult to remember a time when it wasn’t in my life. Previously, when science was going badly (i.e. MOST of the time!) or I had relationship issues, I always had training to turn to. Whenever experiments failed I had triathlon as anger management and if I had an injury then science was my distraction. Now I just have triathlon, so when you’ve devoted your life to something and get so much enjoyment from it, it’s very hard when it’s then taken away. But, if I’ve learnt anything over the past few months it’s how to bounce back from these hard times.
Life is not a bow and arrow, it’s a quiver of arrows, and it looks like another arrow has been drawn as I’m currently being pulled back once again. The target was missed with the previous arrow but I’ll take as many shots as I can in the time limit until I hit the bullseye. Although my battle for selection continues, I have to say HUGE congratulations to 2 of my favourite people on their qualification. Alison performed well in South Africa to secure her slot in Rio, and my cousin, Matt Gotrel, has made the GB rowing squad for the Olympics.
Race season is now well under way for the Paratriathletes, so you can follow our progress via twitter or our facebook page. Follow us and give us a like by clicking the icons below!
Life is not a bow and arrow, it’s a quiver of arrows, and it looks like another arrow has been drawn as I’m currently being pulled back once again. The target was missed with the previous arrow but I’ll take as many shots as I can in the time limit until I hit the bullseye. Although my battle for selection continues, I have to say HUGE congratulations to 2 of my favourite people on their qualification. Alison performed well in South Africa to secure her slot in Rio, and my cousin, Matt Gotrel, has made the GB rowing squad for the Olympics.
Race season is now well under way for the Paratriathletes, so you can follow our progress via twitter or our facebook page. Follow us and give us a like by clicking the icons below!