So you think you have strong corre?????

Once a upon time I thought this was me - training 12-14hrs a week which included going to the gym 4 days a week I thought I had pretty good core strength but it turned out that wasn't the case. While playing touch football one day at lunch I twisted wrong and strained my back (which to most of us wouldn't have battered an eyelid and I wasn't the same) I then continued to train and race with it. Just like any other injury you manage it and adjust your training to suit your pain/discomfort level... After a race in WA and then flying/travelling back to NSW - which took 13hrs - I woke up with lower back pain which continued down through my ITB, calf and ankle. After trying to run to the gym my foot was going numb with pins and needles, that was a fair indication that something was wrong. After seeing the doctors and physio it turned out the pain wasn't supposed to be there (who knew)

After a MRI it turned out that it wasn't just a strain, I actually had a bulged disc and it was pressing on my nerves which was causing numbness in my left foot as well as weakness in my left leg - which was causing a few problems with balance. Two weeks after seeing the docs I was in surgery and getting the bulged section removed which relieved the pressure on my nerves and helped the strength to return.

The first 2 weeks after surgery were the worst, struggling to walk further than 100m without feeling tired and tight, not being able to shower properly even getting out in and out of bed was not the most easiest of things. Eventually the pain subsided and I could begin the road to recovery.

3 weeks after the surgery the swelling has gone heaps and I'm more mobile than ever. I'm back in the pool (tumble turns are still a bit tricky) trying to regain some fitness. I have got a physio plan to work to and have just purchased a TRX suspension and RIP trainer (www.trxtraining.com) which will definitely get me and core back on the right track. I'm allowed to be back on the bike in January but only on the ergo for short sessions at a time while by core/back gets strong but the big problem is that I'm not allowed to run for a further 9 weeks - I'm running in the water now but not too hard so as I don't over strain - I can walk which I'm doing 4 times a weeks but to be honest it is really starting to shit me but hey that's whats you get I supposed.

Hopefully with the help of the TRX trainers I can come back stronger next season injury free and start kicking some arse. At this stage my first race back will be Shep 70.3 which is 18 November 2012. It does however mean that I won't be qualifying for the 2012 Worlds in NZ which is very disappointing because I was looking good to place well.

For now my days consist of swimming, TRX dry land workouts and walking.