Decision Made

There is hope!! 1st things first - Spire Hospital in Cardiff is fantastic! Consultation / MRI / another consultation; all in just over an hour!!

As we thought the cartilage has a degenerative tear! So the options:

A) Operate today! recovery period 4-6 weeks! Therefore IM Germany is off the cards!

B) Delay the operation, hope the knee gets less painful so I can hammer the swim, hammer the bike and limp home on the marathon!

Either way a time is off the cards.

Decision - Option B. Op booked August 1st!

So why? Ironman training takes a lot of time and sacrifice. Not just diet etc, but family time. Time I should have been reading to the children or just playing in the garden is spent on the road or Turbo for the past 3 months.

To simply say I am not going and always wonder what if...simply is not in my psyche! I am not afraid of not finishing, especially now I am carrying the injury. Also a good friend of mine is also racing. Steve has supported me all over the country and again not to go and support him would be wrong. And if I went to support, I would have to race! lol!!

Accom is booked, Eurostar is booked and now just wondering where I am going to hang that Ironman medal when i get back!! Game on!

Learn, adapt, apply, learn again!!

Sport has taught me so many things in life, but Triathlon probably the most. Long course or Ironman distance more so again.

In sport, as in life we always set ourselves goals; but in life rarely do we reassess as we go.

In 4 weeks I will be, please note the phrase there, I will be going to Germany to race in Ironman Germany.

Yesterday was our final middle distance race as part of the preparations. We went to the Cotswolds with a target of 5 hrs and 45 minutes. If we achieved that then sub 13 in Germany was certainly on the cards.

The race went well, an average swim followed by a great bike, set up what was a comfortable run. The run was a 3 lap course. On the second lap, it became clear that 5 hrs 15 was on the cards, 30 minutes faster than my target time. It also got me thinking…time to reassess Germany and chase 12 hours 30. Decision made. I was ready for Germany.

I crossed the finish line comfortably in 5hrs 8 minutes. I did not push on the run, just kept it at marathon pace; the only tweak in my left knee.

Roll on 24 hours and I am sitting on the sofa in my lounge, strangely smiling at how sport has trumped me again! I woke this morning in agony, visited the doctor, referred to a specialist and tomorrow morning may well be having key hole surgery on a torn cartilage.

Re asses! –I will now take just being able to be part of Ironman, to turn up and finish what I set out to achieve a few months back. If needs be, in 14 hrs 59 mins (15hr cut off!) How often do we sit back and just be grateful we are fit and able enough to simply do what we do on a daily basis. Triathlon has taught me to always have 3 plans at least, to adapt and move on., in life and in sport.

So at 6.11pm on Monday evening I have a knee packed in Ice and a car packed with overnight clothes for hospital. Only time will tell if in 4 weeks this knee is driving me home over my 5^th Ironman finish in Frankfurt or resting and rebuilding to fight another day.