Tonight at 6pm I’ll be starting my 6-month journey to Ironman 70.3 again.   You may remember how my previous attempt ended with me going for a little sleep in the ambulance and waking up in the medical tent at the finish line – followed by an ugly cry.

So I’m excited to seeing some old faces and meeting new people, but I thought I should take stock of where I’m at so I can  start my 2013/2014 Embark programme with a clear mind, focused on revenge.

Surgery & Rehab

After my peroneal tendon surgery on 29 April, I was in a cast for six weeks and was forced to work from home as I had to keep all weight off my foot.  I can’t say it was the funnest of times.  But I did learn a few things about myself, like a) I’m capable of watching an entire season of Glee over two days and b) YouTube can teach you anything… even how to knit.

I spent most of my time with my leg in the air, doodling on my cast, working, watching Glee… and I even learned to knit!

My cast finally came off and rehab started in the beginning of June.  My physio, the amazing Chris Allan, got me off my crutches within three sessions and I started running on the AlterG (anti-gravity) treadmill – starting off at 50% of my body weight and now running at 62%.

A few rehab highlights. FUN.

Feeling what it would be like to run, weighing half of what I do now.

Everything was going according to plan.  Until I slipped on the stairs at home while walking down to the kitchen to get pain killers for my back (!!).  It felt just like a rubber band slipping off the bone, followed by immediate pain.  A few hours later I was on Chris’s table with needles in my ankle, listening to him ordering me to stay off my foot until next week.

Jackie Chan: Medicine Kittie (looking after my injured ankle since April)

G.R.E.A.T. – what a start to my training programme.

We’re looking at two possibilities:  that the scar tissue may have torn away (good) or that the little accident may have caused another tear in my tendon (bad).  Either way, I’m not taking any chances and I’ll know what to do next week.

Swim

Well, the good news is that I can actually swim this time!  YEAY! I’ve already been for a squad session and a few private swims and I’m happy to report that I haven’t lost my mojo.

But then I heard that Sofie and Meg were both bumped up to intermediate open water swimming, while I’m still stuck in the slow lane of the pool programme.

Which meant I was Just. Pissed. Off.  And the worst thing?  I’ll probably be the slowest AGAIN… in my second year.  I should know… because my Fake-Husband-Gavin, who I roped into doing the 70.3 training programme with me this year, swims faster than me too.

Life is just so unfair!  It took three giant slabs of chocolate to help me get over this.

it’s my training programme and I’ll cry if I want to

Bike

Life on the bike has pretty much been a non-event since my surgery.  I definitely have the base fitness though and I ride on my indoor bike (although not nearly as much as I should).  I guess I’ll know what to work on when I get on my bike again next week…

Thanks to the unfortunate carpet-slipping incident, Chris has booked me off until next week, so I won’t make this Saturday’s session.  *boohoooooo*

Run

Last year I was worried about the swim.  This year I’m worried about the run.   Not worried that I won’t make 21km within the cut-off (I can power walk that), but more that my ankle will give me problems and possibly ruin my chances of doing 70.3.

I was hoping for a few running PBs, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be possible this year.  Dr Narramore (orthopedic-surgeon-slash-ankle-rock-god)’s parting words to me were to remember that the human foot is the product of millions of years’ worth of evolution and that I shouldn’t be stupid and look for instant fixes.  I really hope I don’t have to go and see him about my ankle next week…  that will be a real bummer…

I’m going to have to do a great deal of positive thinking here.

MY MOTIVATION FOR 2014

What will motivate me for the next six months?  I have a feeling it will be:

• Anger (at myself) that I’m in the slow lane and on the pool programme.
• Frustration because my progress is way behind that of my friends.  Jealousy
• Fear of failure
• Doubt that I’m ready to start this programme again
• REVENGE…  taking the anger, frustration, fear and doubt, and using it as my motivating source to kick triathlon’s butt between now and the end of January.

Welcome to my Ironman Journey.