This is not going to plan...

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Last year was not my best sport performance year. I had a meniscus injury that severely hindered my running training, I had Covid and I had the flu. Altogether, there were too many breaks in training, and it showed in the results. I still placed in nationals, even won nationals in winter triathlon, but all my times were slower by about 10%.

This year was going to be different, at least that was the plan... Well, I plan and reality rules. The meniscus injury is much better but not completely gone. Now I have added a brand-new injury in the other leg, seems like a strained hamstring. In August the problem was not there at all, but I started to feel it a little bit in September. I rested, I stretched, I warmed up every time, but it has got worse and worse.

Last week, on dog agility training I felt it burn. That was it, now I cannot run at all. In between my leg injuries, I have also dealt with a big cold and a UTI. I forgot to mention a tooth infection and a root canal. 

In fact, this is starting to increasingly look like 2013, when I had a total collapse and was hospitalized for "an unidentified auto immune disorder". We are talking about not being able to walk.

Great. My training times are even worse than last year.

I doubt I will go to worlds in winter triathlon. I am not in good shape, and my goal now is to be healthy. To get rid of all injuries and to stop getting infections. I will have to lower my ambitions and recover more. The only thing that has improved is my upper body strength; there have been more sessions in the gym.

I have done two races this fall. Back in September, while I was still ok, I did a really enjoyable race in South Padre Island. It is located at the very southernmost part of Texas, near the Mexican border. The island is tropical, and the swim was in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The competition served as South Texas Championship, and I did win the sprint distance.

I liked South Padre Island; it is small and friendly and has clean and uncrowded beaches. I also raced in New Braunfels in October, it was also fun, but my hamstring was starting to protest. I could not attend my last planned race in Canyon Lake due to a cold. I am taking a break from competitions now. 



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