Definitely just a Wannabe. But not for long, I hope

Once upon a time there were three sports: swimming, cycling and running. I used to train all three of them. But,..

You remember the dog from the last post? He wasn’t as friendly as I hoped he would be. He didn’t bite me, but he was neither eager to play. I’m still in pain and I’m still trying to domesticate it!

I have to admit I’m not swimming in this period. Or, better, I don’t remember when was the last time I went to the pool. Bad me. On the other hand, I hope I’ll be swimming in the sea in the next period!

I didn’t achieve my weight goal either. Ice creams obstruct me! I’ve tried to eliminate them, but it seems impossible! They are everywhere!

So, no running, no swimming and no gym (and tutta ciccia e brufoli). I feel like a perfect triathlete!

On the other hand, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn’t as lazy as it may seem. I focused on cycling and I’m proud of 332,4km I made from Monday 11/04 to Sunday 17/04 and 365,4km I made from Monday 23/05 to Sunday 29/05. I also do exercises at home, indoor cycling when it’s raining outside (and it rained a lot, unfortunately) and a lot of other amazing activities (kayak, long walks, trekking,..) with my Better (Stronger, Wiser and More Handsome) Half.

Just a half!

I’ve realized how important running is to me and since I was deterred from my favorite activity, I tried, and almost succeeded in satisfying my needs by cycling. I found a huge joy in it, I was making a habit out of it and it was becoming my new stress release valve. But, hey, don’t jump the gun! There comes a new plot point!

It was a pleasant Saturday morning of May 2016 that I decided to test my strengths on Pedro in a company of a really tough cycling friend of mine. Everything was going incredibly well, when, after 100km of bliss and other 30km more to go, I found myself kissing the asphalt of the Monfalcone’s roundabout. I don’t know if it happened because my friend stopped too swiftly, or it was me that was distracted, but the fact is that I fell off. I got up immediately and checked if we (Pedro, Garmin and I) were still in one piece and I knew I was fine the very moment I realized my only preoccupation was my outfit for the date I should have had later on that day. My knee was bleeding, my left part of the body was all scratched and my right hand was getting bigger and started to change colors-the dress I wanted to put on wouldn’t match those scratches, blood and the violet-yellow-green hand. As the alternative for the romantic dinner, we passed our night out at hospital, where they put my hand in a cast.

 

I had to pause for two weeks. But like really to pause! No sports, literally! I was feeling angry, nervous, frustrated, impotent, weak and could do nothing about it. I also wrote a few lines I have never posted (luckily for you). Sincerely, when my Handsome Half was around me, I had no difficulties because he would open and close the door for me, chop my food, help me with groceries etc. It was really tough though when I had to clean the mess, prepare a meal, or even change clothes with just one (left!) functional hand! What cheered me up was my new tri-suit that finally arrived! I put it on, had a glance at my leg (my knee and my tibialis posterior) and my useless hand and I found a smile on my face. The thought that crossed my mind was: I want to do a half ironman, so a half functional body should be good enough. That thought kept me going during my forced stay at home.

Don’t  you ever stop believing in fairy tales

After two weeks of inactivity, I returned to my beloved Pedro. I started with a new therapy for my tibialis and I hope it’s getting better this time. I bought a new pair of running shoes (I think I’ll write about them) and started to dream again about my race.

It had been  raining a lot in the previous days, so I was really happy that last Saturday was finally a perfect, sunny day for cycling! The plan was to cycle cca 100km in Slovenia and to climb the challenging 12% inclination segment from Brestovica pri Komnu to Sela na Krasu. Everything was great and I was doing fine. Suddenly, a few kilometers from Sezana, Pedro made a strange noise and I had to unclip my shoes because I was losing control of it. I got off and realized I broke something. My bicycle decided to leave me on the road! Thanks God my Super Half was 5,5km away from me, so when I called him to say what happened he rapidly took one Lipizzan horse and rode straight to me to pick us up (well, he didn’t exactly come on a Lipizzan, but, anyway,…)! We dropped Pedro off to the mechanics and we continued living happily ever after. Чича мича и готова прича!

Maybe, on September, there is still a possibility I could survive Pola, who knows! Time will tell!

PS

Fabio, thanks for the feedback, I really appreciated it. Even though I cannot promise I will post more frequently, I promise I will try to be more present online. Shorter posts are still fine, aren’t they? :)

Every dog has its day and mine was March 31st

Do you remember when you were a child and you desperately wanted to cuddle that huge, eerie dog? While nearing, you would stare at his eyes and see how his facial expression was changing. Can you recall that moment of fear and anxiety, that terror you felt when you were putting out your hand so the dog could smell it and decide whether to trust you or not? You were happy and afraid, concentrated on your moves and his reaction, tense and ready to recoil. You couldn’t be sure if you were doing the right thing and if it would have been better if you just hadn’t wished to approach him.

That’s how I felt on March 31^st. I was a terrified little creature approaching that enormous, savage beast called running. Since running hurt me numerous times in the past, my fear was justified. It’s like giving trust to someone who lost it, or, even worse, someone who is prone to loosing it and hurting you. But I did it. Once again, I decided to give it a try.

I know very well I can exaggerate from time to time, so I had to set some limits. I decided to go to the city park (Giardino Pubblico) near my place, so that I could go straight home if something should go wrong. The longest circuit is 600m with a few meters of descent/ascent and I planned to run no longer than 30min, no further than 5K, no faster than 6:00. Eventually, I ran 3km in 20min39’ (pace 6:52) and, hot diggety dog, I felt great! I finished my run with no cramps and no pain! Yesterday (the 2^nd of April), I did my second running session: 3,7km in 23min34’ (pace 6:21). I ran with a friend of mine. We were chatting all the time and my average HR was 126.

A dog’s age, 109 days of abstinence

Although I started going to the gym more regularly, working out at home and increased my swimming and cycling trainings, with no running I felt as I wasn’t working out enough. The abstinence from running was like a long distance relationship: it put my love to the test. Luckily, this test went well. I was jealous of runners. I missed my pre-coffee morning runs (both hills and easy runs), my LSDs by the sea or up the hills, my HIIT trainings and that feeling of being dog tired that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get from any other activity. Three days ago, after my first post-injury run, I felt alive again, like a dog with two tails! Once again I realized what running means to me: it helps me wake up, it charges my batteries, it releases me from the stress and tension, it helps me keep calm during difficult periods, pull myself together and get a hold of myself when I get really nervous or angry. Running has been my escape valve for more than a decade now. It’s precious time I dedicate to myself getting my thoughts together. I’m in love with it and I cannot hide it.

Getting unleashed: going back to track

It’s really tough to take a break from what you love and it’s hard to know when you are really ready to resume your favourite activity. You have to bare in mind that you are not ready when you feel ready, but when your injury heals completely. How much time will you need to recover and what your running plan should be like after you come back depends on the type of the injury and its severity, on how long you took off from regular running and on the consistency and the quality of your treatment approach. As Jason Fitzgerald says, coming back from any injury requires a gradual approach; the first few days of running are simply to establish consistency, evaluate any existing soreness or pain and get your legs used to running again. You shouldn’t be greedy with miles, but grateful for every step.

Mental note to myself: PATIENCE is a key word both for recovery and for comeback programme. Don’t run out of it.

Back to gantts and charts

I plan my next run to be 5K with the pace 6:00 and above. Most probably, I won’t make triathlon training plans before May. April will be the month of gym, swimming, cycling and easy runs for me: I will try to avoid hills, keeping my mileage and pace low (<10km at pace 5:45-6:20). If you want to start running now, I will be glad if you wish to join me :)

My goal for the next period is having fun and enjoying sports in sunny Trieste!