So I have been quiet on the blog of late, I have been taking a
mini break of sorts over May, June and
July. Post TNF50 has been tough as far
as running goes for me. This has been hard to digest as running has always been
a big part of my day in the last 2 to 3 years. Not getting the satisfaction
from my training has lead to less commitment to follow the plan and as a result
the plan has been changed to accommodate these alien feelings. Lately the
feelings I so regularly experience before, during and after a run are returning
and so is the motivation to get back to work, challenging myself with each
block of training.
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| Looking down on my Parkrun from our balcony at Mantra Salt Beach |
So what has lead to this position? Why am I reflecting I such a
manner?
There has been a lot thrown about of late in the ultra running
world relating to Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), Hormone Deficiency and so on and
this along with my wife Kellie's health issues (she has an adrenal fatigue
issue which has hit her very hard and is a long process in terms of recovery)
has lead me to think I was probably in the early stages of OTS or Over
Commitment Syndrome as I feel it should be more realistically labelled. I am
aware of the various symptoms and signs associated with OTS and looking at my
life I believe there was cause for concern.
So why was I worried?
Sickness
I got so sick just before TNF50 and this lead to my DNF there and
my withdrawal from the Australian Mountain Running Championships in Brisbane (a
race that I had been targeting to attempt to gain selection in the Australian
Squad). Just 10 days before the race I completed a key run in record time so I
was fit but the infection I caught hammered me for 4 weeks. It destroyed my
immune system, I got a cold sore, required a week off work and 10 days of
antibiotics to rid myself of the infection. This course of medication destroyed
my gut and lead to 4 weeks of stomach issues that resulted in major gut
problems on most days from around midday. This only just passed around 3 - 4
weeks ago after plenty of trial and error with diet and supplements. With this
behind me I can now begin to train normally again, i.e. double days and high
intensity sessions more often.
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| One of the few runs I enjoyed late last term. |
Work
I work full time as a teacher and I love my job and will never
complain about my conditions. This said, it is very stressful at times and Term
2 is always busy with sport, reports, etc. I had plenty of time away with
school sport, my illness added to this time off class and some unfortunate work
issues led to days feeling as though I'd never get home or to the end of my
work load. On these days it was always my run that got dropped, changed, moved
or destroyed and towards the end of term I felt quite negative towards certain
aspects of work and how they were affecting me. I was under stress and felt the
best way to manage it was to lower my running expectations and put a bit extra
into work hopefully getting things positive again. My only concern is that the
majority of my stressors at work aren't within my control so I can only really
look after my end.
Family
I was working more, feeling ill often and generally being a
cranky shit because I couldn't run as much. Lucky for me holidays were around
the corner and I was able to take the time to move away from the problems
affecting me personally and try to make the most of some good family time. This
meant less running and trying to do as much together as we could. I am blessed
to have been able to spend many hours with my family doing things like walks,
bike riding, swimming, etc. and will continue to use this as a way to hopefully
assist in my de-stressing.
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| Running on the beach @ Nambucca Heads |
These signs were concerning both myself and Kel, having done a
bit of reading (Kel more so than I), we felt as though I was on the rack so to
speak. Rarely did I verbalise it, but Kel did, knowing all the warning signs
that she had dismissed early on and so she asked the tough questions that
needed to be asked at times. We have chatted about it and feel that it's
definitely too much commitment, too much emphasis on backing up days of
training, racing too hard too much and adding to that the pressure of a busy
life.
OTS simply talks about the training, and I wasn't training above
65% load from May, I was averaging 65 - 80km a week with 7/8hrs of training so
it can't just be training. It's the total commitment we have, work, family,
etc. that cause the various issues that go along with training heavily. A bit
like an alcoholic I was forced to cut down on my addiction (running) to steer
the ship to avoid a more chronic problem.
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| Another great area to run - Central Coast NSW |
I chose to run the Half at GWTM and only made the final decision
to run at W2G at the 11th hour. Both of these performances were well below my
capability, I ran 9min quicker in 2013 at Glow Worm and at the heli-pad in W2G
I was outside of the top 10. But the results were reflective of what training I
had done and even though performance wise I didn't achieve my goals I was happy
with my runs, especially W2G and being able to finish strongly. They were both
good long runs and up until the last 2 weeks were my toughest runs since TNF50
taper.
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| Glow Worm Half - my brief time at the front. |
I have been able to complete regular short long runs and in the
last few weeks have completed some good faster sessions including a 17:33
Kingscliff Parkrun. If I get into routine I can get back to where I want to be
with some time. I'm having a week off and then I will start my build for the
Hounslow 21km Sky-race in October. There are going to be several test runs in
the lead up including the Glenbrook 34km, the Edgell Jog, STS Kurnell and
Parkrun but my focus is going to be squarely on my training. It'll be simple
but specific and I am again motivated, hungry for the desire to challenge and
push myself. I want to get fast, strong and fit again running PB efforts and
racing well. I run for enjoyment, fun and social reasons but I also am
competitive and am driven by the challenge.
I have been a bit off my game of late but feel it's close to
returning and with the right attitude I can reconnect with some form and the
reasons why I run. So it's time to suck up the rest of the frosty Winter and
push into Spring with purpose, meeting each challenge with the knowledge I have
done everything I can to succeed.
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| The start, he sat in and got away in the last 1500m. |
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| Finishing off @ Kingscliff Parkrun. My 1st Parkrun and a surprising 17:33. |
