The Change Up

A little 2018 update.

Christmas and New Year were spent with family in the hills of Gran Canaria. Highly recommended for a training holiday.

Each day consisted of a morning swim in the conveniently located pool (right outside my room) or in the 24hr gym! Followed by a big buffet breakfast with everything you could ever want. My go to was porridge (when it looked ok!) with all the exciting toppings, eggs, salmon and fruit. Normally sneaking out a couple of eggs or rolls for later in the day.

Sunbathing was high on the list, determined to come back with a winter tan. Most days were spent by the pool. the days were varied, couple of days on a hire bike tackling the coast road. A couple of days orienteering in the mountains for my Mum’s 70th birthday. Yup she is as crazy as me, that’s where I get it from.

The obligatory Christmas Day run, this year featured short shorts, sunshine but still a rather warm santa hat!

I absolutely loved exploring the trails with my Dad walking whilst I ran up and down the hills 🙂

Evenings were spent at ‘happy hour’ playing cards with Dad and my Aunt until dinnertime.

Returning home from GC was hard. The cold weather back in the UK was NOT appealing. And my first run back featured a knee niggle, stomach problems and feeling sick. Welcome home Sophie.

Buzz word coming up. ANXIETY.

Maybe I do have it. Maybe I don’t. But don’t label me. Tiredness normally ups my anxious feelings. But so does not knowing when my next meal is…;)

So does not having clear guidance on injuries. Not knowing how to go about getting on the road to recovery is the WORST. Not everything is a simple ‘fix’. We all know that. But that doesn’t stop your mind going into overdrive. But when the people you trust can’t give you a clue. Or worse you can’t seem to sync calendars, so you go on waiting. Slowly slipping down and down in to the mental ‘black hole’: The irrational fear.

What if it never goes away, what if I can’t run for months.

REALITY CHECK. How bad is it really. Pain 1/10. Is it getting worse? No. Are you gonna die? No.

Communication is key. Between you and your partner/coach/physio/friend. Otherwise we would never get anywhere in the world of elite sport (or life). No chance you are going to get to the top of the podium on your own. But too many opinions can be difficult to navigate. Who & what do you trust? And how do you get that trust? Communication, proof, results, confidence.

So a few things have changed. Out with the old, in with the new. Streamline that team. Good or Bad. Not everything always goes to plan, but its probably not as bad as you make out. Mental toughness? Improved. Emotional stress? Better. Knee? Better almost instantly.

Note to self: Have fun. Life is more than just triathlon.