10 ways to become bulletproof!

Becoming bulletproof may be a little hopeful, but after this latest injury set back I realised I need to pay a lot more to all the little details and all the different and often neglected parts of my body that keep me running, cycling and swimming.

So here's what I'm planning...

1. Stretching. Daily. Focusing on hamstrings and hips. I had a phase of doing this before and my coach noticed an increase in my stride length after a month or so. For some reason I've let this slip!

2. Hip exercises. After my latest physio visit I've got a whole host of exercises to strengthen my hip muscles. And having struggled to do them at the physio, I'll definitely be putting a lot of effort into these.

3. Core exercises. Following my tendonitis last year I was prescribed core exercises to strengthen up the adductors/abductors and everything else in between. I was doing these daily but may have slacked off to only 2 or 3 times a week. All the rest of the tranining was just too tiring! Enough excuses - back to every day on these. As soon as my dodgy knee allows anyway!

4. Conditioning Circit. Set by my coach and incorporating foot conditioning, sit ups, planks and a few other delightful exercises that I can conduct in front of the TV! Going to stick to coach's plan on these and do once a week.

5. Foot flexibility. If I'm not running I lose mobility in my feet and ankles really quickly. So I've got the foam football and wobble board out of hibernation and will be doing these daily in front of the TV again. I don't really watch that much TV honest. Just all the sport. Including the Tour de France! So that's a lot of time to be spent doing exercises in front of the TV over the next few weeks. Allez!

6. Yoga. Sometimes I feel as if my body contracts into cycling/running position permanently and if I don't take evasive action I will get stuck like this. Unfortunately work is currently getting in the way of my favourite yoga class, so I've got an interesting looking DVD to try out at home. I did try this they day it arrived from Amazon, but I couldn't actually bend my knee enough to sit on the yoga mat to start with. If it's any good I'll report back as it's taken me ages to pick a yoga dvd from the hundreds of thousands that seem to be available.

7. Pilates. At one stage I was going to pilates once a week and feeling generally stronger and more toned as a result - it was also surprisingly tiring, so I let this slip to focus on running/cycling/swimming/sleeping. Somehow I will make time for this again! Though I may have to make this a winter thing as I was finding it very hard to race at the weekend after a Friday lunchtime Pilates class. Will give it a go at least!

8. Foam Roller. I just bought one today. Another way to feel like I'm really part of the Tour de France, in agony watching some lovely scenery go by (albeit on the TV)

9. Swiss Ball. In an effort to strengthen up my hips I'm going to start sitting on the swiss ball when I'm working on the computer at home. I read an article about how bad sitting on an office chair is for your hips and it made me realise I'm unnecessarily continuing this at home. Enough! Sitting on the swiss ball will be way more fun!

10. Regular Physio. If this was a proper chart-show-style countdown then this would probably be my number 1. The physios at Athlete Matters in Manchester do an amazing job of sorting out my various weaknesses and tight hamstrings. However I think it would make their jobs a lot easier if I would make some more regular visits, plus it's excellent injury prevention. Better to spot the problem and fix it before it stops me running than have to not run for more than a day, ever. I would recommend physios by name, but it's hard enough getting an appointment to see them as it is!


I think I'm going to print this off and stick it up on the wall at home to remind me not to just flop on the sofa after training! At least with not being able to train properly at the moment I do have the time and energy to get into good habits.
If anybody has any injury prevention, body strengthening suggestions, please let me know. I'll try anything to avoid becoming the awful grump that I am when I can't run!
Thanks :)

Frustrations of an Injured Athlete

Ok, this is getting really boring now.

2013 was going to be the year I made triathlon my serious focus. I was going to do all the nice local races, I was going to do a few qualifiers for the World and European Triathlon Champs, and I was aiming to be competitive. I was hoping to do a little better than that as well, but it feels daft to even contemplate those aspirations now.

It didn’t sound like an unreasonable plan when I made it. I’ve swum for as long as I can remember, competing till my mid-teens. After that I ran competitively and I’ve been getting better recently, taking almost 3 minutes off my 10km time over the winter.

And my cycling isn’t atrocious, and I put a serious number of hours in on the bike over the winter.

I’d been paying attention to the little things as well, making sure I was stretching and doing strength and conditioning work. Going to yoga and pilates classes each week.

I’d been making a good crack at nutrition as well – ensuring I refuel properly and get enough protein for the amount of training I’m doing.

I was really excited about the triathlon season.

It’s now 2 days before a race I was really looking forward to – the Bristol Harbourside Sprint Tri.

Having been to Uni in Bristol, I was excited about going back to the city and I was geared up to give this race my best shot. With closed roads and a flat fast course I thought I could have a good bike here. And having spent years running along the paths and roads that make up the course I just couldn’t wait to be back on familiar turf. I also felt it was my best chance of qualifying for the World Triathlon Champs which take place in London in September.

So, 2 days before the race, and I’m hobbling round with an injured knee, and following last night’s physio, a very bruised right leg! (In a good way, I think)

For once I’m being sensible and not racing this weekend. I’m absolutely gutted.

My last 4 triathlons have not happened for a couple of reasons. First up was the sinusitis and ear infection and now it’s my first ever knee injury.

The good news is, the injury isn’t serious and I’ve got some exercises I can do to strengthen up and hopefully avoid a recurrence.

I’ve also got the World Duathlon Champs in 7 weeks, so all is not lost! But I do feel like my triathlon season is a bit of a wash-out now. And after all those 6am swim sessions as well!!

The bad news is, I’m so frustrated! I feel like I’ve let myself down and let down everyone who’s supported me while I put so much energy in to doing something which has, so far brought me very little success. I’ve missed two opportunities to qualify for the World Tri Champs, and one to qualify for the European Tri Champs, plus assorted other races I’d been looking forward to. It feels awful right now!

I know this is just the injured athlete speaking, and this time next week I hope to be back training. I could just do with slightly better timing of injuries.

One day I’ll be writing a race report from a triathlon I actually managed to race.

And in 50 days I have the World Duathlon Champs and between now and then I shall be doing all I can to keep illness and injury at bay so I can make it my best race ever.