Frustrating times trying to be an elite athlete...

Hi there,

Been a while since I have written an update so I thought I should share with you where things are currently up to. Since the selection trials one month ago I haven't actually been able to hit the water and get stuck into training the way i had envisaged after being named the reserve for the M4X. For the last month I have only been completing lots of hours each week on my road bike and in the gym on the wattbike. Check out the strava link on the right of the blog to see what riding I have been doing if you are interested.

Unfortunately for me what was suspected to be a rib injury which first arose 8 weeks ago has now been diagnosed as a shoulder injury which was referring pain into my pectoral muscle and across my ribs. The good news is it can be easily resolved after an MRI scan assessed the shoulder and found it to be simply heavily inflamed. This is suspected to be as a result of a combination of factors including previous surgery and injury, lack of adequate recovery over the first few months of this year but mostly as a result of the ongoing leg injuries over the last few years and lack of time in the boat, which meant that when i went to put my foot down this year and attempt to achieve a high training load on the back of a very limited rehabilitation period a weak spot in my body developed and over time my shoulder became more and more problematic. What is interesting with this is that I never suspected my shoulder was problematic, however analysis of the scans showing an inflamed and irritated joint. I was injected with cortisone last Thursday and tomorrow morning I will row for 30-40 minutes in the single scull in what will hopefully be a gradual return to rowing over the next 14 days before I complete two 'moderate' weeks of training before heading to europe on the 24th June to race.

Cortisone Injection in to the left shoulder joint under imaging 

It has been frustrating for me over the last few weeks to have come to understand what has transpired recently. Particularly for me in the last 9 months to have spent so much time effort and energy rehabilitating my legs to the point where they were in reasonably good condition, only to be struck down with a shoulder injury which I last had surgery on in 2009 and had been 100% since. On reflection I became so 'obsessed' with the health of my legs that I potentially neglected the rest of my body in some way. Every physiotherapy and massage was targeted at improving my calf muscles. However it was the rest of my body that needed the attention also. To have worked so hard to get my legs in good condition only to have something else fail in some ways sums up my luck a little bit, and really does refer back to the aptly chosen title "Unsinkable- The race to recovery" which following this latest episode really does highlight to me just how much of a race against time it really was for me. For me this has served as a gentle reminder that when you are pursuing excellence in any field be it sporting, academic, professional or even personal there is no room for short cuts and no escaping hard work. Not implying I took short cuts by any means, however I was only rowing full time for 4 months prior to the selection trials and what ultimately occurred is that the training load was to much for my body to cope with at that particular point in time. I guess what I am saying in short is that perfect preperation prevents piss poor performance, and if you have not built solid foundations underneath you in whatever area it is you desire excellence, eventually the foundations may begin to crumble beneath you. You may be strong for a period of time, such as I was earlier in the season where i gained a seat in the M4X for the sydney world cup, however basically from that moment on the wheels came off and the results I achieved post this when reflecting are by no means surprising to me and it is evident where things went wrong and how the preparation can be improved (building stronger foundations).

Touch wood the shoulder will be fine from here and I can progress back in the boat over the next month and head overseas ready to support the M4X should they need me.

Cheers John

Unsinkable: Episode Twelve (The Finish Line)

The final episode to the Unsinkable Series.

Unfortunately this episode does not have the ending I so desperately desired.

However, as I mentioned in my previous post things did not go as planned over the last few weeks.

Leading into a selection trials when you are on the cusp of being selected/missing selection you need things to be perfect and unfortunately for me as you will hear in this episode things did not run smoothly which is largely a result of my disrupted last 3 years and the effect that has had on my body. I am already back into training with my rib/back injury finally starting to settle and I am excited to race at the 3rd world cup in Lucerne.



Please feel free to comment or ask questions, as always this is an honest insight....



Cheers, John

National selection trials wash up. Speaking honestly..

Hi all,

This is not the post I envisaged I would be writing post trials...

No beating around the bush, unfortunately last week things did not pan out as I had hoped and I was not selected onto the Australian Rowing Team. Instead, I was nominated as the reserve for the men's quadruple scull. I understand that this is a good accomplishment, and just prior to sitting down to write this post I watched  Unsinkable: Episode Three and reflected on where I was during the middle of last year: being unable to walk, let alone contemplate rowing. However, I have always set high standards for myself and will continue to do so which means currently I am coming to terms with the fact I will not be racing at the 2014 World Championships later this year. I need to reset my goals going forward; which are now to get back into training and find some improved form prior to traveling to Europe to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta in the UK, and then World Rowing Cup 3 in Switzerland where I will race in the single scull. Following this I will return back to Australia for another training stint prior to heading over to Amsterdam to support the team in any way they need me. Essentially my role is to support the Australian men's quadruple scull and make sure they are always able to hit the water in training if one guy is sick or sore for a session or two. 

**Please do not  misunderstand the following - what is written may be interpreted as excuses but I call it reality and I understand why things occurred**

So, things are not all bad and it is important I focus on all the positives in my rowing. However I cannot help but touch on the last 6 weeks and talk on how things panned out for me. Following the NSW state championships and selection into the World Rowing Cup 1 team where I was able to perform well and win the men's quad (as shown in Unsinkable: Episode Eleven), unfortunately the wheels came off. During Nationals in late March I became unwell and as a result was withdrawn from the Australian men's double scull. Upon returning back to Melbourne for training and getting over the illness I was struck down with a chest injury, initially suspected to be a bone stress fracture. It turned out to be muscular/joint problems in my back referring pain to my chest and making it very uncomfortable to even simply take a deep breath. I missed 10 days out of the boat and unfortunately it was at a crucial time just prior to the national selection trials regatta. As a result of the injury I 'lightened' my rig in the boat and essentially geared it lighter to prevent any more injury. This changed the feel significantly in the single scull and unfortunately with just 6 rows with this new set up prior to racing I struggled in the race and didn't meet my performance standards. Then moving forward into the double scull rotation I struggled to find the rhythm and feel I was so desperately searching for that I had found just two months prior. Due to the illness and injury I had not spent any time in the double in the previous two months, so I was slightly off my game and as a result finished last in the rotation and subsequently find myself where I am today. In this sport at the highest level it's a small margin between success and failure.

Since 2011 I estimate I have rowed for less than 33% of the time until earlier this year. In 2012-13 I didn't row for more than 3 months of each year. Therefore my body simply was not able to cope with the training load that was placed on it upon my return to training. I felt earlier in the season I was able to perform at a reasonable level and feel good physically, but as the season progressed the lack of conditioning over the last few years caught up with me and bit me in the bum. This was especially the case when I went to put my foot down and train hard for trials, where my body just said no and essentially packed it in! In the end, the result is far from a disaster, and as I mentioned above I will continue to set high standards and perform to the best of my ability and give it all another go next year. 

Stay posted for the 12th and final Unsinkable: The Race To Recovery web series episode this Monday, giving you a first-hand account of the most recent period of my life. 

Thanks for all the support over the last 10 months as I have opened up and blogged about my journey so far. Every like on social media or comment of encouragement I have received really makes a difference and I appreciate your support.

Cheers, John