BLOG: With two weeks of strength and conditioning training left before I head overseas, I’m giving it everything I have. It’s Saturday night at 8.30pm and I’m sitting in bed, drinking tea like a nanna. The rockstar life of an extreme athlete it is not.
Following on from her last entry where recovery from a torn meniscus was the focus, ski slopestyle athlete Anna Segal continues to take us on her road to Sochi 2014.
BLOG: With two weeks of strength and conditioning training left before I head overseas, I’m giving it everything I have. It’s Saturday night at 8.30pm and I’m sitting in bed, drinking tea like a nanna. The rockstar life of an extreme athlete it is not. My body is exhausted and my knee is a little swollen- which is not good. Swelling inhibits healing of the cartilage and also hinders the building of muscle. Therefore if I do too much, I’m slowing the healing process, but if I do too little I won’t be ready to pass my ‘back to snow’ test in 10 days. It’s a fine and frustrating line.
That being said, the last week of training up in Sydney has been quite fun. A bunch of other Australian winter athletes have made their way back to the Northern Beaches to train with John The Guru Marsden. These include; Belle Brockhoff (boarder-X), Nate Johnstone (snowboard pipe), Chumpy Pullin (boarder-X), Cam Bolton (boarder-X) and Kent Callister (snowboard pipe). These guys (and girl) are a fun crew to train with and everyone is constantly pushing each other.
Each of us have a different weights programs, but often we join up to do afternoon cardio sessions.
Today was especially gruelling. I was prepared to do my usual Saturday morning weights session but was caught off guard when John told me I’d be joining the others for a cross-fit style circuit. For some reason, I thought that my rehab status would exempt me from this group torture. Apparently I was no longer sufficiently injured to warrant a get out of jail free card.
I went home, had lunch and a rest and then it was time for the Palm Beach sand dunes.
Before even starting I knew I was going to struggle. My knee was already swollen and I was exhausted. I tried to keep a straight face but frustration almost got the better of me. I was annoyed that my knee was stopping me from keeping up and that I wasn’t able to push my body the way my mind wanted. There were points where I had to clench my teeth to stop myself from crying- not from pain but from moments of fleeting feelings of defeat.
I know that this is going to be something I will have to constantly deal with over the next few months, especially when I get back on snow. For me, being pushed to the point of exhaustion has been a good mental exercise as it intensifies emotions which under normal circumstances I would aptly deal with. The next 9 months may prove to throw a mixed bag of circumstances my way. I need to be ready to take charge of them.
Anna Segal
Web: http://annasegal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Segal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnaSegal
