My maiden post (well, unless you count the guest spots I've had on Kate's blog...)

What should this post be dedicated to? Drills? HR data? GPS Data (now that is cool - but I think I'll save that for my next post. Which will be super mega geeky)?

Nope. Only one thing for it. Injuries.

I am often injured. And it doesn't even matter what type of sport I'm playing. If I play team sports, I get the sort of injuries that people playing team sports get. Endurance sport; yes, the types of injuries endurance sport type folk get.

Now, this is by no means exhaustive list (only ACC will know that - for those from overseas, NZ's no fault accident compensation scheme which provides cover for injuries caused by accident, but which means we can't sue anyone ever); but I've suffered from the following in the last 2 years:

• Jumper's knee (while training for 'round Taupo);
• Patellofemoral syndrome (mostly right knee, had to sort it out before I started training with Gene, my then coach, for the Rotorua Half IM last year);
• Chondromalacia in the left knee, which led to me going and visiting John Sloane, a kick ass podiatrist/biomechanist in Wellington, which resolved that issue, but then caused;
• ITBS, because it turns out I'm proprioceptive, rather than mechanical, and the usual treatment for supination (which caused the injury above) did not work (this one forced me to pull out of my only attempt at a half marathon);
• Calf pull;
• Strange big toe injury (still around since November last year - apparently only ballerinas get this injury...); and
• Mystery tendon injury in both knees.
  

The most recent injury is the most frustrating, because unlike all of the others, it doesn't appear to have been caused by anything in particular. My right knee started hurting at the intersection point between the patella tendon and the tibia the day after my stag do. I figured (given we played ball rush) that it must have been caused by something silly. Or perhaps a bad fit on the new bike. Once I moved to Hamilton, I saw a physio (former NZ Olympic cycling team physio), said probably some sort of patella pathology, and that I should be able to ride. I went for a relatively easy 40 minute ride, and the next day, my left knee was sore in exactly the same place (from a 40 minute ride!!!). So, took more time off (I have run once this year, and ridden only a handful of times), got some acupuncture, and while they are getting better (right a lot better), the left is still quite sore.

I'm riding regularly (but easily and for a short period at a time) at the moment, and they seem to be getting better, but the right knee was hurt late January, and the left late February, and it is very frustrating. I got my bike fit looked at by Cyclenutnz (for those who visit Sportzhub, you'll know who I mean) and it seems to have made a significant improvement.

My biggest annoyance is that I'm still not sure what's wrong. It seems wholly unlikely that they are some form of tendinitis, given the limited riding involved; however, no one ever wants to tell me what might actually be the problem. A little web doctoring suggests maybe I've bruised the tibia at the intersection points, and that I just have to wait.

In the meantime, I'm swimming a reasonable amount, riding a bit now, and (touch wood) will be running shortly. I'm really looking forward to training again; I miss it, and I think that if I can get injury free, I can get reasonably quick. So I'm doing a lot of structural work - which is supposed to address the tendon injury - but even if it isn't, should help prevent future injuries. Then I'll ease myself into it. I have nothing planned until the Rotorua Half IM in mid December (when I'll be going sub 5), then the national Olympic distance champs in March 2010 (while it might be a stretch next year, a goal is to eventually qualify for the NZ age group team), so I have a lot of time.

That's it. Touch wood I have no need to mention injuries again (other than the obvious niggles that go with high volumes of training). Having said that, there's a number of sports doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths, physios, massage therapists, acupuncturists and the like whose bank balances might not be so rosy without me.

Until next time (when I reveal my inner geek).