Luzern Update
Today has been a cautionary day with management and assessment needed. With out dwelling on the medical stuff with Duncan we are taking every day, every session as it comes. This has made me reflect greatly on the experience we had here in 2000. It feels like history repeating it’s self.
Developing an injury around competition time is a challenge as the pressure of being prepared for an up coming event is high. It throws a spanner in the works and requires some creative thinking and certainly makes you question the best-assumed ways of reading your self for racing.
The learning opportunity is that we may find a few things that we try differently that could be of great benefit. Being open and trusting everyone is critical. We are all doing what we can to ensure that our pair can race and race well.
Back in 2000 with James it was physically, mentally and emotionally draining. That was due to the fact that the Luzern regatta then was our selection for the National team. This time we have the luxury of being able to look beyond this event and to keep the big picture in mind.
The challenge with back injuries is that few people understand the nature of the human back and it’s complex structure. I certainly found that it brought me down to the base level of living and the dispar was heart wrenching. From outside you look pretty normal but inside the various forms of pain are intense. It seems to me that with back time really is the best medicine and combined with quality management strategies an athlete can get back to 100%. It is a slow process and one that is just as much psychological as physical. Because every little sense of discomfort could be another roll down the hill breaking down and so each time a pinch of pain sets off a cascade of overwhelming feelings. And this is all magnified when time is a rarity like the final lead up to an event.
The strange thing is this time is that the shoe is on the other foot. As I feel and ready to go and knowing what it is like on the other side and have an empathy for Duncan that means if we need to pull out of Luzern we will. I am not happy that this has happened but to not be the one with the injury or illness this time does make me feel somewhat better. We have learnt from the past and so this time I feel confident we have a better understanding of what’s required and certainly have better strategies for getting back on track.
As for the training in the last week well for me it has been stationary bike and ergo. The funny thing is I feel fit and health and have made some good gains in the last week. It is great to be back to Luzern but it would be nice if it stopped raining. The weather is supposed to clear and warm up over the weekend. How’s this I has resorted to weather updates. So what I should say here is that it will be interesting to see the fire works in many events. The racing this year in the World Cups has been very close. Is it the sign that everyone is showing the urgency that becomes infectious with a pre-Olympic year?
The events that I am interested in seeing are the men’s single, men’s double and the women’s double. Obvious as a rowing geek I enjoy most events but currently these ones have captured my attention.
Developing an injury around competition time is a challenge as the pressure of being prepared for an up coming event is high. It throws a spanner in the works and requires some creative thinking and certainly makes you question the best-assumed ways of reading your self for racing.
The learning opportunity is that we may find a few things that we try differently that could be of great benefit. Being open and trusting everyone is critical. We are all doing what we can to ensure that our pair can race and race well.
Back in 2000 with James it was physically, mentally and emotionally draining. That was due to the fact that the Luzern regatta then was our selection for the National team. This time we have the luxury of being able to look beyond this event and to keep the big picture in mind.
The challenge with back injuries is that few people understand the nature of the human back and it’s complex structure. I certainly found that it brought me down to the base level of living and the dispar was heart wrenching. From outside you look pretty normal but inside the various forms of pain are intense. It seems to me that with back time really is the best medicine and combined with quality management strategies an athlete can get back to 100%. It is a slow process and one that is just as much psychological as physical. Because every little sense of discomfort could be another roll down the hill breaking down and so each time a pinch of pain sets off a cascade of overwhelming feelings. And this is all magnified when time is a rarity like the final lead up to an event.
The strange thing is this time is that the shoe is on the other foot. As I feel and ready to go and knowing what it is like on the other side and have an empathy for Duncan that means if we need to pull out of Luzern we will. I am not happy that this has happened but to not be the one with the injury or illness this time does make me feel somewhat better. We have learnt from the past and so this time I feel confident we have a better understanding of what’s required and certainly have better strategies for getting back on track.
As for the training in the last week well for me it has been stationary bike and ergo. The funny thing is I feel fit and health and have made some good gains in the last week. It is great to be back to Luzern but it would be nice if it stopped raining. The weather is supposed to clear and warm up over the weekend. How’s this I has resorted to weather updates. So what I should say here is that it will be interesting to see the fire works in many events. The racing this year in the World Cups has been very close. Is it the sign that everyone is showing the urgency that becomes infectious with a pre-Olympic year?
The events that I am interested in seeing are the men’s single, men’s double and the women’s double. Obvious as a rowing geek I enjoy most events but currently these ones have captured my attention.
Comments
I'm also keen to see the mens single, it seems of late, that it is the most hotly contended boat in rowing, also the mens eight, because im always a geek for the blue ribbon events!