Last year was a very topsy turvey year in terms of my training and racing, trained flat out for the Red Centre Enduro after having 2 months of not very good training due to a knee injury and then 2 months off after it due to an arthroscope, moved to three different towns, got a good 6 week training block under my belt then competed in the Worlds 24hour solo in October. A lot of people I know had about 2 months off after that race, they had blown themselves apart both physically and mentally. I on the other hand, was rearing to go due to my time off before the race. Loved every minute of the race and had about 2 weeks recovery before racing again. But it seems it all eventually catches up with you. School holidays started shortly after and we thus began a 6 week block of living like elite athletes. All we had to do was worry about riding, eating and sleeping and we absolutely loved it! Racking up 400-500k’s a week on the bike and feeling fit.
About 5-6 weeks ago on Saturday long road ride, consisting of 150k’s of hills, I developed a pain in my left glute muscle that was there form start to finish. It got worse as the ride went on and by the last 50k I was struggling to lift my left leg up on the pedal stroke, and needed help lifting it over the top tube to get off. I rested the next day, stretched and iced and hoped for the best. The next weekend I raced in the Otway Odyssey and once again it hurt from start to finish, up out of the saddle descending over any bump and climbing were agonising for the entire 7 hours. Perhaps a strength in some circumstances and a weakness in others, I am very stubborn and have never not finished a race and stopping was never an option. A bit of a recovery week and the hip flexor region seemed to be getting a little better, but not 100%.
Got a few massages and this helped but each time I rode it then ached for the next 2 days, all day long even when I wasn’t riding. I still continued training and refused to let it stop me from doing the training I needed to do. Capital Punishment 100k, Tathra 100k, Bright 6hour Enduro and the National 24hour solo were races all booked and paid for. A trip to the physio last night provided a diagnosis of psoas tendinitis (pain around hip flexor region). A rest off the bike completely and ice massage is the only way to get over it. It could be 2 weeks, 4 weeks or 2 months. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I should have had more time off after the Worlds, I should have had a rest 6 weeks ago when it first started hurting instead of continuing to train even when it was sore. Hopefully a lesson learnt for the future.
So, after a few hours of self pity and anger, I am trying my best to focus on what I CAN do, rather than what I CAN’T do. It is hard though, as I have been training hard and super pumped about those upcoming races. I know I’m going to be a pain in the ass to be around as mental health is so intrinsically linked to physical health. I am wondering what an earth I’m going to do to fill the time instead of riding. Perhaps I’ll get all those things done which I never have time to do. E.g the thankyou cards from our engagement party 2 months ago which are still sitting on the table! I daresay dinners over the next month or so will be a bit more exciting than the usual stir-fry as I’ll have more time to explore some new recipes. I need to see this as an opportunity to work on the things I usually ignore due to time restrictions and let my body recover fully. It's really not that big of a deal to be injured in the scheme of things, I mean Ive got 2 legs, 2 arms and a heartbeat, and if abit of tendonitis is all thats bothering me then Ive got nothing to complain about. Getting injured is just part of it, it's part and parcel when you spend 12-20hours a week exercising and I've gotta take it in my stride. I'll be focusing on upper body strength so going to the gym, boxing, kayaking, surfing and lots of stretching!
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