The killer instinct can sneak away bit by bit

Last year I was injured in a bike fall. It took months before I was able to run properly. I could swim and bike but the pain in my hip and groin prevented any run training for twenty-two weeks. This meant I missed both Australian Ironman qualifying races. I had entered both. I now have two very expensive t-shirts. What made this most annoying was the fact that I entered a new age group in June and was looking forward to racing in Hawaii in the first year of my new category 60-64.

It was an exercise in patience. I refused to limp when running, so until I could run pain free, I just didn’t run. Around June this year I was able to resume training cautiously. I never have trained well over winter, as soon as my training hours go over ten hours per week, I often get sick. I am a warm weather animal.

After a cautious winter training block, driven by the fact that I had entered the Capricorn Half Ironman race in August. I raced last weekend. The Capricorn race in Yeppoon is one of the great races on the Australian calendar, really the first race of the season.

I was suprised  how well I raced. My “killer instinct” had returned. I didn’t even know it’d sneaked away.

Each race I had done over the last couple of years was tough, mentally. I still produced acceptable results, but it was hard work to drive myself. It was as if my “mojo” had slipped away. I was thinking that maybe I had reached “my use by date” and could be ready for retirement. I’ve been competing for twenty five years and done thirty ironman races.

They say everything happens for a reason. When I hit the mountain road at 50kph, I though “the reason” was to tell me to be more cautious descending??? Doh!

Now that I’ve been through the long recovery process, I believe what I have gained most, is my “killer instinct” is back. I needed a mental break from pushing myself through races.

I was mentally tired and I didn’t realise it. It kind of sneaks up on you, you always find another reason.

I was given a forced break so I could learn a valuable lesson. The way I raced last Sunday was “the old me”.

I am now looking forward to a sixteen week build up to Ironman Western Australia in December.