Over the last week and a half I have had the great pleasure of going on my own mini ‘training camp’ down in Geelong. I was staying with none other than Kim Howard and her family at her beautiful home on the outskirts of Geelong – home of the 2010 UCI Road World Cycling Championships. I used this opportunity to get one last decent block of training in before heading overseas – ooooo and i certainly did. Over the course of the week, I did more training than I have done in a very long time!! And the best bit about it all?? Apart from actually making it through alive, I also feel a million times stronger than I did before! Bonus :) I saw numbers on my SRM that I’ve never seen before in my life!! I’m just hoping I don’t wake up and this is all a dream...
Every day I went out with either Kim or some of the girls she coaches on the roads of Geelong just to get some Ks in the legs and be able to relax and not think of anything except riding my bike! I was spoilt – meals cooked, clothes washed...Kim also provided me with some great advice about my career and gave me another perspective on things...I mean she knows her stuff! As a former pro and mother of HTC rider Leigh Howard himself, I jumped at the opportunity to pick her brains! I am very thankful for her kindness and even though she enjoyed bagging me out for my excessive sleeping, i'm sure she's just jealous of my ability to pass out on demand ;)
The weather in Geelong was beautiful; clear skies and warm temperatures (well for us Canberrans anyway!!) it was a nice change to growing frost on the morning bunch rides! I even went with Kim to watch some of her girls race a circuit race at Albert Park in Melbourne. I was feeling good and keen to race so I check to see if I could get a late entry the day before... but no luck :( Oh well, it was good to watch anyway! I like to consider myself a pro at telling people what they should do in races... your own personal sideline critic. I’m sure people can’t wait for me to start racing just so I shut up!! Ha ha. I am so keen to race its ridiculous! I’m going to do my first race this weekend... a good old Canberra club race out at Stromlo! Now time to practice what I preach!
It wasn’t all training when in Geelong...Whilst I was down there I also had the delight of meeting Sam Leslie, a much respected physio from Werribee who has helped many cyclists go on to win numerous world championships and world cup medals. A real legend in this own right. Sam contacted me after reading my blog (so it’s true – someone other than you is reading this mum!!!) and said that he recognised some of my symptoms and thought he could give me a hand, and that he did. The first day I met Sam was a real eye opener, when he explained to me what his theory was I have to admit I was asking myself what I’d gotten myself into...But when he finished explaining it, I was amazed. It made total sense. So we started treatment and testing and the results he found were incredible, how the slightest manipulation can cause a drastic difference. I have been to see many physios/sports doctors who have all told me the same thing... and it hasn’t worked...Although I am grateful for all the advice and help they have given me, it looks like it took someone who thinks outside the box, who throws away the text books and makes decisions based on what they find, on not what they should find to help people with unusual symptoms like mine. Sam has done a great deal to help me, and has left me with all the tools necessary to help with my recovery. I am now confident that with his help I can hopefully nip whatever the hell this is in the butt!! I would highly recommend Sam to anyone who is having any niggling issues; I think that he may just have the answer you’re looking for...
So now I’m back in Canberra and the weather has been wonderful....not. Been on the ergo for the last two days but fingers crossed I’ll be able to hit the roads tomorrow :) I’m just tying up loose ends here before I leave next week... wow, it sounds so close saying it out loud!! This is another chapter of my cycling career that I’m definitely looking forward to :)
Ciao for now
xx
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