National champs

Wellington: end of Feb

Well this was it for me. The final test.

I had a pretty grim 2009, and despite training harder, I was getting slower and slower, and my legs were 'blowing' more severely and not recovering. My legs would typically blow about 2mins in and all I could do was watch the field ride away from me... it was soul destroying. I just couldn't quite work out what was happening and why it was happening.

I worked really hard trying to find out what was going on with my legs all year, and tried everything possible to rectify what had now become a major problem. I had changed coaches and radically changed my training, rested as I thought I was overtrained, looked at nutrition, spent alot of time with the sports psych, trialed many different warmups, got tested for exercise induced asthma (and found out I had 'vocal cord disfunction' - very funny for most! - actually brought on by anxiety), saw a physio, chiropractor, trialed lymphatic drainage, massage therapy, talked to doctors about feeling sick after training (I threw up several times and even fell off my road bike after doing intervals),.... you name it, I tried it. Nothing helped.

Then after the Tour de Femme hill TT when I was 3mins slower than the previous year, I had finally had enough. I had been thinking in the back of my mind that there was a chance that this problem could be iliac endofibrosis, but this was not the diagnosis I wanted. After the Hill TT I actually took my dorsalis pedis pulse (in my foot) and could not find one. Then I told myself I was a hyperchondriac and just needed to find enjoyment on the bike again and build up my strength....

So I rang Deb Robinson and discussed it all with her. She said she would test me in the hills for iliac endofibrosis when I returned to work... When I got back Deb was away with the Silver Ferns for a short period, so I decided I would try to build fitness and strength first (as I knew these things were lacking).... I spent 8 weeks in the gym, and got myself stronger than I had ever been. I also spent alot of time riding in the hills - 4,5,6 hr rides. My legs were toast on every ride, and my recovery was slow but I told myself it was just the weights. I only did 2 speed work sessions before Nationals, but my legs were dead. Then I had a week recovery before my final test....

End of Feb: National champs....
I was the most relaxed I had ever been before a race. I felt ready, fit, and strong. Then the race started... I felt great. I started conservatively but made sure I was at the front... then bang 2mins in my legs started to go.... then the first climb.... the legs were dead, and the entire field (including the U23s and U19s) past me. I was fully unable to ride some of the hills and had to get off. I kept trying to tell myself that my legs would come right... but no. At the end of the first lap I was so far behind and I was gutted. I knew that I had iliac endofibrosis... there was no other explanation...

Back to Chch for testing....