This is now the longest running lay off I have had since I began competing, so around 3 years! Its literally the most frustrating time I think I have had to endeavor. I am finally coming round to the fact that this is not going to be a quick fix and its something that is going to take time to heal, although I still have no idea what exactly is wrong. I have now finally been referred by the GP to get a can, although even this has now taken a week with no respond from anyone regarding a scan. I was a little lost, just constantly waiting for my knee to be fixed but time after time I ran and tried it and then pain, for 2 weeks I managed the pain and then that was it, it became too unbearable.
With this in mind I am now looking into the future, this may actually mean that I have to come to terms with the fact that I might not be able to race multi sport this year. After having a terrible and traumatic start the race season during Feb and March, then getting a new coach (Matt Bottrill http://www.mattbottrillperformancecoaching.com/) things were looking much better. I was actually getting back to normal, running and riding was moving forward...but then BANG another set back! ACE! So now im only cycling and back in the pool.
The pool is going well and I am enjoying swimming again, certainly with the view to racing some triathlons again, times are coming down week by week and its nice to be back and I believe its helping me with the cycling.
I am now concentrating on cycling and watts are moving the right way, times are coming down and I feel stronger than ever. I have been advised to concentrate on the bike and not think about running until my leg is ready and sorted. I would only be chasing run fitness, which would be a bad idea. I am now only going to race when I am ready to really compete!
Stourbridge road race
This race was a cat 2,3,4 and wow it was fast from the off set! Trying to raod race and TT and at the moment I really cannot get the balance right. I hung on for a while but bottled the decent in the rain, and basically fell off the pack....lesson learnt and on-wards to the crit racing circuit for more practice, racing and making sure I can nail this road racing lark!
Welsh velethon http://www.velothon-wales.co.uk/en/
Riding the timble just went on and on and on, it was a great climb but man alive it was tough! I enjoyed hte pain and it was good for my legs, it was a strava segment and out of around 1500 competitive cyclist I was around 300th, so that was cool. The ride itself was fun and the closed roads made things fast. The venue was good and the route was ok, although there were alot of dual tracks and not much else for alot of the route. support was ok from the locals, apart from the drawing pins that forced people to get off and walk. The only thing that saved the poorly sponsored feedzones were the welsh cakes. I would give the event about a 6/10 nothing more, it needed more pazaz. Im sure they will get it right next year.
Weight management
One problem without running and more cycling has come the onset of muscle and weight, less tone and more storage. Not weight I need, just weight I dont need. Staying lean is defo tougher without running and I have had some tough days and weeks getting rather down about my weight gain. But after a bit of good nutritional advice at the weekend I have finally solved the issue, I have been trying too hard to fill my face and feel full all the time. But I haven't needed the calories. So portions are a little smaller and I am storing less, its already evident and I am becoming more toned again. Im sure I will have the same issue when I start running but in reverse and need more calories, but at the moment I need to be clever. I do however still have a huge problem with my sweet tooth and need to get rid of this. They claim that a habit take 21 days to get rid of and if I dont have sugar for 21 days then this may actually cure it, so as of the 1st July I am going to have a go at this.....
Here is a fantastic little bit of advice from triathlete Europe.....
How satiety works
The feeling of satiety involves a number of natural physiological actions that start in the stomach and ultimately affect the appetite centre in the brain. The presence of food in the stomach stimulates the release of special proteins in the digestive tract. “Scientists call them appetite regulatory peptides, but you can think of them as feel-full proteins,” Bowden said. The most important feel-full protein is cholecystokinin (CCK), which Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, authors of You: On a Diet, have nicknamed “the Crucial Craving Killer” due to its powerful hunger-squashing effect.
The feeling of satiety involves a number of natural physiological actions that start in the stomach and ultimately affect the appetite centre in the brain. The presence of food in the stomach stimulates the release of special proteins in the digestive tract. “Scientists call them appetite regulatory peptides, but you can think of them as feel-full proteins,” Bowden said. The most important feel-full protein is cholecystokinin (CCK), which Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, authors of You: On a Diet, have nicknamed “the Crucial Craving Killer” due to its powerful hunger-squashing effect.
The release of CCK and other feel-full proteins initiates a number of actions. First they close the valve leading from the stomach into the intestine. This slows the digestion of food, giving us a feeling of fullness and extinguishing the drive to eat. The second action initiated by the feel-full proteins is to send a signal to the appetite centre in the brain. This also tells us to stop eating, but, more importantly, it is responsible for the extended feeling of fullness that occurs between meals.
Normally, the feel-full proteins work very well to control appetite in a way that ensures we don’t overeat. However, they have one weakness: the feel-full proteins take about 20 minutes to become fully active.
Throughout most of human history, this time lag was not a problem, because the diet consisted mainly of low-calorie plant foods. But today, our diet is full of calorie-dense processed foods and our hectic lifestyles cause us to eat meals very quickly. It’s easy to consume more than 1,000 calories in five minutes in a meal purchased from a fast-food restaurant drive-thru window. By the time the fell-full proteins kick in, only the greasy wrappers are left.
Read more at http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2015/06/25/how-to-eat-healthy-without-going-hungry#fGRHphWKIB0FfMLd.99
Oh I do love a Pulsin delivery! http://www.pulsin.co.uk/
I have also now built up an establishment with a cycle shop in Pershore called Echelon-cycles, follow @echeloncycles on twitter and there website is http://www.echeloncycles.co.uk/ have a look. I will be triathlon and duathlon for them! This will begin later in the year when I start competing again.
