2009 for me was a year of getting my body fit, healthy and strong. After years of battling injuries I decided to take my focus away from running and I began cycling. I cycled throughout 2008 using it as cross training for my running. My body wasn’t able to handle running the km's that my competitors were doing so I substituted a lot of it for cycling. I still raced – the world XC I competed almost only off cycling training because of multiple fibula stress fractures. During 2009 I competed in the road cycling season. This was a great change, I went well and really enjoyed the competition. I ran a little during this time and won the state duathlon championships in August 2009. In September I joined a triathlon squad. The cycling season had just finished and the running season was yet to begin. I did my first mini triathlon in October. My bike and run went well but my swim was a little slow. I then decided to train for the longer distances, the half Iron Man (70.3) which is a 1.9km swim, 91km bike and 21km run. The thought behind this was that the time I lost in the swim I could gain in the bike and run legs. 

 

Last November, the first race on the calendar was the Noosa 5km Bolt which is part of the Noosa Triathlon festival. I competed in this and was happy with my result knowing most of my training was on the bike. I also did the bike leg of the triathlon the following day in which my team placed 2nd. My next goal was the Canberra half Iron man in December. Training was going well. My swimming was improving, my cycling was the best it’s been and I increased my running. However, a couple of weeks out from the race I got a stress fracture in my femur. I had to have 7 weeks off running. I continued to cycle and swim until I was given the all clear to begin running again. No Canberra half Iron man, I was really hoping to do this race. I’d been cycling and swimming heaps and wanted to see what I could do putting it all together. My plans after the Canberra half Iron man were to then stop riding and swimming and turn my focus back to running so I could be running fit in time for nationals in April. The next half Iron man is on the 7th Feb. in Geelong. I decided to give it one last shot... and then get back to running. After all this swimming and cycling I just wanted to see what I could do and if I’d enjoy it.

 

I slowly recovered from the stress fracture and I began jogging on Boxing Day. I ran every other day, getting 3 runs in before having yet another setback. I was out doing a training ride with my training partner when a car hit us and I came crashing down. I broke a couple of ribs and that put me out of running and swimming for 3 weeks. I could still cycle with minimal pain so I spent hours on the bike increasing my strength and fitness even more on which I would already say was my strongest leg. I now have 4 weeks until the Geelong Half Iron man. I slowly built up my swimming and running, being careful to not do too much as I didn’t want to injure myself, but to try and do just enough to get me through the race. It's now just one day until my half Iron man debut. I plan to just 'get through it' to give myself a taste of it, maybe in years to come I will concentrate on this event. But straight after the half Iron man on the 7th February in Geelong I am calling myself a 'runner' again. I will go to Falls Creek with my coach and training partners for 2 1/2 weeks, minus my bike. I will get my mind back on running, strip off some of the muscle I built up from cycling and get running fit. Then I’ll return to Brisbane and continue my running program from my coach Nic Bideau.

The cycling and swimming has been great. I feel really fit and strong. Running is a different kind of fitness but I'm sure that will come back as soon as I cut out the bike. I'm looking forward to some sleeping in as well. No more 5am starts, 6hr + training days, brick sessions (cycling then running off the bike)... but I will miss the bike, my cycling training partners and my tri coach. Maybe once I've achieved my goals in running I will go back to triathlon training and compete in some more half Iron man events.