With winter settling in nicely in Adelaide, the team and I are already counting down the days before we head over to America to begin our final prep for the Commonwealth Games. Last Monday we were out on the road nice and early in Adelaide's coldest morning in over two years, and let me tell you - its not that fun! The track also is holding the cold weather in and I don't even feel warmed up after our warm up. We have heaters set up in our pits to sit under when we are not riding around.
FINALLY I am on the right track with my injury and I have the AIS and my wonderful support team to thank for this. Without them I have no doubt that I would still be riding around in pain and not getting the best out of myself on the bike like I feel like I am at the moment. Its a bizarre feeling to finish a tough session and go home and feel good - I mean I am smashed sure and tired BUT for the first time in over 6months I am not hobbling around with an ice pack on my knee or hip and almost dreading doing a session because I know that I will get pain. Its really encouraging. To top it off I am training really well and I am by far in the best shape I have ever been in - which is saying something seeing as I was in good shape prior to the World Championships only 4months ago.
The injury for me has almost been a blessing in disguise almost because it has definitely made me a tougher and more resilient athlete (although I not out of the woods yet, I wont be happy until I have gone a month with no pain). Sure I had some really bad days, days in which my coach and support team would cop my foul mood, tears and frustrations but in all of this there was not one day where I didn't do my rehab, miss any appointments or try everything to get better - no matter how much sometimes I just wanted kick and scream and tell everyone to leave me alone. Going through this experience has made me appreciate my health also and also recognise that I really do have the best team around me heading into London and that I can count on the fact that they really do want the best for me.
So there are 106days now until the Commonwealth Games begin. Its been pretty full on for me lately. I filmed a TV ad for Channel 10/One HD as well as a promo shoot for Foxtel along with Anna Meares. I have also been to a few functions to help promote the Games and I am getting a lot of really great coverage and feel like I am starting to make a bit of a name for myself! It kinda makes the Games seem a little more real, I have been told that multi sport games are massive and have a real different feeling to them so I am really excited to get into the village and soak up the atmosphere - of course first I need to get the all important base work done, but as I said before I am well on the way, I think, to doing some special things out on the new track in New Delhi.
I am going to try and not be so lazy and blog every week now so please keep in touch with the site and I shall endeavour to get some photos up of me going about my day to day business as an athlete!
:) Karls
I leave with a quote I found the other day which I really love - its quite appropriate to me at the moment because whilst I have achieved a lot in such a short time, I think as an individual athlete its time to 'wake my dreams'...
..."We all dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." T. E. Lawrence
