Recent Training data and pics

Hello all.
Just a short post updating you on the last two weeks. Things are progressing very well physically.
My data from the Wattbike shows things are tracking in the right direction, and more importantly my legs are not struggling with any ill vascular symptoms which is a very promising for me!! (YAY) Yesterday's training session prior to attending the AFL grand final was the 66th 30minute effort i have done on the wattbike since my last surgery.

On the wattbike at the VIS with Fergus Pragnell 

100,007 people at the AFL grand final. 

My average power for all these sessions combined is 309W with an average heart rate of 159.  This month i have done 54 hours and 45 minutes of training which is a combination of Wattbike, road bike, MTB riding, MTB commuting and also swimming. Not trying to bore you all with figures which may make little sense, but simply trying to give an insight into the type and volume of training that I have been doing. This graph below shows the wattbike sessions for those interested.

At the moment each day and each week is a challenging balancing act. I aim to do as much training as possible each day, while ensuring that I do not push too far and end up having to miss the next two days of training. The limiting factor for me is my calf muscular endurance. They will be fine, right up to the point at which they fatigue, when it is then crucial i let them rest and recover before training again, repeating this cycle each time gaining more strength and endurance. I feel that having been through these rehabilitation periods a few times now, I am better able to step back and make sure I am doing enough without pushing too far. I know that my 19 year old self would not be managing the training load as wisely as I currently am.

What has been very enjoyable over the last two weeks is that my leg strength has progressed to the point where I have been able to get out and do some longer rides on both my MTB and my road bike. Although i have been spending lots of time in the gym on the Wattbike, it doesn't mean I love it. More just something that needed to be done. Hopefully now I will continue progressing and will be able to spend less time inside and more time out on the bike, perfect timing really as the weather starts to warm. 

On monday last week, Tom Swann and I drove to Anglesea on the Victorian coast and spent the day riding our mountain bikes through the forrest. You can view where we ventured by clicking on this link ' MTB ANGLESEA ' We had a fun and challenging day riding, for the cycling enthusiasts we gained 1400m of elevation and my average heart rate for 4 hours was 140bpm. I feel it is important to mention that to ensure you are not reading and imagining Tom and I peacefully riding around at snails pace taking in the scenery. This was a very good 'escape' for both of us from Melbourne and we will be back there before too long. Here are some pics from the day. 

Somewhere behind Anglesea

Me posing for a photo. Felt like a better photo at the time.

Tom thoroughly enjoying his lunch in town mid ride.

 I spent 4 hours trying to catch up to Tom.

 'Hardcore'

For now, every training session that i complete without feeling any vascular restrictions in my legs gives me more confidence that things are going to be ok, and the dreaded condition is behind me once and for all. This helping put my mind more and more at ease, thus helping improve day to day living.

Any questions please fire away, and as always thanks for following and reading.
Cheers, John

One year on and back to square one. (Plus slight rant)

Over the weekend. The Amy's Gran Fondo was held in Lorne Victoria. It is a cycling race aimed at raising money and awareness for the importance of bike safety to better protect cyclists.

Last year I was lucky enough to be able to participate. And training for this ride provided good motivation for me in my comeback from surgery in April last year. I came 7th overall in the race. With a normalised power output of 377Watts for just under 3 hours of riding, Within the ride for one hour i averaged 414Watts. For those unfamiliar with riding data these numbers are pretty high. And if I wasn't so heavy I would have been flying. Check out some more data here on strava if interested.
http://app.strava.com/activities/22132706

Anyways, the purpose of this post is to share with you how frustrating it is for me one year on from this ride. At that point in time last year I was extremely fit, and it held me in great stead for the 2013 rowing season, which I was able to notch a win in the long distance time in december, which was definitely a result of all the hard work I put in cycling to get my body physically prepared. As you are now aware, I wasn't able to carry on with my comeback and in january this year was struck down with my medical condition, And at the moment i would struggle to simply ride the 110km course in Lorne, let alone race it.

Now, there is not a single thing i could have done to avoid this. It is the nature of the condition, and all i can do now is progress with my training and hope that as I become fitter and stronger the problem does not start happening again. I am sick of having people say to me that because i trained 'too hard' i caused my problem to occur again. For these people, either don't comment to me at all, or do some reading and come to me with an explanation as to how I could have prevented it from happening again, because i sure would love to know how to prevent it from happening again. I know that is a bit of a rant. But I just need to clear it up that i am completely powerless and all i can do is stay positive and trust the surgeons finally have hit the nail on the head and i will be problem free going forwards.

Got slightly sidetracked there, but the purpose of this post is to share with you what it feels like to work your ass off for something and dedicate a huge amount of time, return to a level you desired only to have the floor taken out from underneath you. Only to have to start the progress all over again one year later. I know from my rehabilitation last year that where i am now I am still a long way off what I would consider as elite standard. Yes i can do one or two 30minute efforts on the wattbike with semi decent outputs, But I am a world away from completing 4x30minutes at 360+ as i could last year. I dream one day of having an injury free period for a few years as i wonder just what my capacity might be if i can train without getting hampered and without sitting on the couch for a few months each year. Oh and as to what it feels like to bust your ass, make it back, only to have it fall apart. Well, that sucks big time and is the cause of a lot of my frustration presently.

I am sure some of you have similar experiences where you have worked very hard for something only too loose it all. I would love for you to share some below. Maybe leave out the times you wrote an essay only to have the computer wipe it all.. haha

Pre-Ride photo June 2012. 

As always, Thanks for reading.
Cheers, John

2013 World Rowing Champs Reflection

Hi all.

To begin with, obviously I was not a part of the 2013 world-rowing champs in the way that I was planning to be in January of this year. Also, for those of you wondering why this reflection is being posted now over one week post the event, I decided to let things sit for a while to make sure my post was a logical and unemotional account of where I am upto and what I felt like watching from afar.

For me, the week was a normal week and life went on, I went to University a few times, coached the school boys, did some of my own training and carried on as per normal really. I basically tried to keep as busy as possible and train as much as my body would allow to ensure I was as tired as possible and therefore not lying awake thinking all night.

As an insight into how I felt I will use the example of sitting in class at university watching the heats on my phone. I obviously wasn’t super interested in what was going on in class, I remember sitting there watching the splits come up on my phone and thinking this is not how I imagined this day would feel. I was sitting in a room with students I barely knew learning about sports psychology. Last year was frustrating to have been on the sidelines. However I got on with the job, and my major motivation every single day was to remind myself how bloody good it would feel to get on the plane this year and fly to Korea as a part of the national team. I reminded myself before and during every session I didn’t want to do or found tough that it would all be worth it. And that when I got on the plane it would be the most amazing feeling and all the frustration would have been worth it. So to have been sitting in a uni class letting my mind wander through these thoughts wasn’t the greatest experience.

I know it isn’t good to think about ‘what if’, but I kept and keep thinking to myself that this is not how I imagined this year to go. I had imagined being back doing what I loved doing, and I imagined spending time overseas competing, and even travelling post worlds with my girlfriend. Again, obviously none of these things occurred, and that’s what cuts me deep now. Its all manageable, but it just pisses me off, and now I have another 51 weeks of convincing myself that it all still is worth it and it will be worth it when I get on the plane to fly to Amsterdam with the team. This becomes even more challenging the second year in a row.  The 2011 world champs are starting to seem like a distant dream. Rowing to me now represents rehabilitation, and lots of training trying to get fit again post surgery..

Don’t take this the wrong way, I am actually just as motivated as I was last year. It would be a lie to say I am more motivated than I was during the second half of 2012 as I don’t believe that would be possible. Maybe somebody reading this post would be willing to comment below and confirm these thoughts of mine and give an insight into how I conducted myself last year as that would be more valuable than me giving what you may perceive as a biased opinion.

Anyways to finish up, the sessions I did in the gym during the week of the 2013 world champs will be a good memory if I do manage to pull this whole thing off in a April 2014 and manage to somehow get myself selected back onto the team.

I know for some of you reading you may see this as ambitious and some you may even be thinking you will beat me and take a seat before I do. However let me remind you as readers that I am not on a search for compassion or sympathy, I am simply sharing my story and giving an honest insight into the journey i am on, sharing with you how I think and feel during what is at the moment a challenge for me, but will hopefully develop into something very exciting. Here is hoping! 

Cheers, John

Photo: Final Sunday of world champs relaxing at 

Como park in melbourne.