I'm Still About

Its been along time and have let the posts here laps but its been a very busy time!

After the British Paratriathlon Championships last year I was feeling confident of my progression after many injuries through the winter with stump and shoulder problems I was starting to feel a little more race fit. Thinking my season may have been coming to a close I was looking back on the season and my performances in the new moderate limb impairment category and it was hard to swallow that even though I had improved I was now coming in at the back of the pack! All you can do though is analyse and change what you know is not working.

It wasn't that long after the Brits that I picked up knee bursitis again on my knee on the amputated side, as always rest is the only way this will go. Unfortunately at the time I was doing a biodiversity study at the Wye Downs for my BSc in Plant Sciences Dissertation, which didn't make resting up that easy. Through more luck than judgment it did subside within a couple of weeks with lots of ice and sleeping in a stump compression sock which seemed to work well.

Late on in the season I got a bit of a last minute place in ITU Madrid Paratriathlon, which was very exciting and another chance to represent GB and hopefully move up the places a bit. The lead up was pretty stressful trying to get my study done, get assignments in at uni, work, race build prep and trying to find the money to pay for some horrendously expensive plan tickets as it was booked quit late. Leading into the race I was feeling good though and for the first time in a long time my running was getting quicker, my mind felt in a good place to push into and past that mental barrier you hit sometimes. There was positive and negatives to take from Madrid though, I went out as always with very little nerves and feeling very confident in myself and my race plan. When the horn went off I hit it hard and got out in front of the field and drafted the faster swimmers as much as possible to get a good toe as they came past. I came out of the swim in my fastest time to date in ITU races, by quit a bit. The transition 1 and my bike was a long one so I put my run leg on for this and ran along the pontoon, through the walkways and back to transition, all going smoothly. The bike section went very smooth and was taking back places and feeling so strong, the course with so small sharp hills and sharp turns was made for me. To this point it was by fare my best performance but after the bike and transitioning into the run leg the vacuum problems started very early on with the leg just not staying on properly! The leg was pistoning back and forth onto the end of my stump and was agony, I kept stopping to take it off and reposition it but it just wasn't happening and people in all categories were all just fly past, it was just so soul destroying! I now thought I was in last place and was in so much pain with my stump that I was going to pull out with about a mile to go. I saw there was a below knee amputee not that fare ahead though so as I was starting to catch him even with keep stopping I carried on and passed him heading into the finish. Only to find out after the race he was in the category below, it destroyed me, that's racing though. I had performed to the best of my ability at that time and things had just gone badly in the run, which is something Blatchfords have been working on to help solve this problem.

After a very short break to let the battered stump heal the winter training block started well, putting down a good base to build on as with the season starting so early and the need to score points early in the year I would need to be race fit earlier 2015. My shoulder injury that had held me back for 2 years now was getting stronger and swimming was going well, I had suffered bursitis again but caught it early and although I couldn't cycle I could still run without any issues or pain. It's just different sockets for different things and the cadence and movement of cycling on the knee is just something that is very different to running where it is a smaller movement. I spent Christmas at my parents in Scotland with my brother, we ran every other day, I carried on with my core work and swim training at a local pool in Dunoon.

At the start of January 2015 I did a GB training camp, it was brilliant to catch up with team mates, review previous goals, set new goals and get some first class quality training in, it was just a brilliant weekend. I had been suffering just general foot pain for about a year that came and went and I just put down to wear and tear and training stresses but the following week I struggled to walk some mornings. After seeing my consultant and a couple months of different scans they showed lots of old ailments, two toes that have fused from previous breaks and a possible recent fracture that was healing. None of it was helping the running though and I stopped run training to try and let it heal in January, it continued for months though with no real improvement. I had by now missed another GB training weekend and by march there was signs on another scan that I might have osteochondritis but after further investigation was ruled out. Frustration was building the triathlon season had started and I had missed by now with exception of one light technique track session with Hayley Ginn to see how the foot was and as normal I could run but suffered problems after. All further scans I had at the end of May ( I think it was may) showed no new damage and any fractures had healed. I started back running but the season is pretty much over and am just looking for a race or two to aim for. Running stiffness and stump pain wasn't great to start off, even taking it very easy, you just cant underestimate how much of a toll take 7 months off running has on the body! Speed has just started to come back now after about 3 weeks of building and the inclusion of some track and running on grass rather than just pounding the tarmac seams to have helped the foot. Also trying to run a little further back on the forefoot, it all seems to be coming together though and am feeling positive.

British Paratriathlon Championships Liverpool 2014

British Paratriathlon Championships, Liverpool 10 August 2014

 

At the race briefing the night before the race there was the warning of possible 40-50mph gusts from the impending storm and the possibility of the race having to be altered to aquathon or duathlon. It was expected though and we had enough warning of weather problems all through the week so wasn’t a surprise. The transitions and water exit was a surprise though, just ridiculous for my category there being both leg and arm impairments it changed the race completely! It was the way it was though and myself and Phil who was helping me in transition had a look over everything after the briefing and completely changed the planed transitions we had practiced. The morning of the race as with most of my races no nerves, just very calm and calculating.

 

Swim 12:53 Including getting up stairs after water exit

After getting in the water and making my way over to the swim start I made sure to position myself by two of the fastest swimmers so I could get a drag off them on the start. I didn’t stay with them for more than 20m and dropped back into a smaller pack that I just sat on the heal of the front guy till the last 200m or so when I put a big effort in to get myself a good position coming into the water exit  handlers. On the exit the two water handlers got either side of me and I hoped up the steps to pre transition where I had decided as it was such a long way into T1 to put my running blade on rather than the cycle leg as normal, it was just to fare to run on cycle leg. It wasn’t the smoothest of wet suit removals but was okay and got my running blade on okay.

 

T1 3:55

Phil ran in with me to T1, it was such a long way though through corridors down steps and seemed to go on forever, it was under the building and think it was the car park normally. When I reached my bike I put my helmet on grabbed my bike and rather than putting the cycle leg on ran to the mount line which was up and down more slopes and outside on the road. I crossed the mount line, my brother had run up with me holding the cycle leg and cycle shoe, I put them on and was off.

 

Bike 33:23 Included taking off run leg and putting on cycle leg and shoe after mount line so happy with time

Out and back two lap course so really good to try and chase down people and felt so strong on the bike and have only been riding this one for about two weeks. I was making up time on the guys in front but not as much as I had wanted. Although wet surface the weather had held off just enough and just had some light shows and was just really loving being on the bike!!!

 

T2 3:04

My brother, Phil again was a star and had stayed at the mount/dismount line ready with my run leg and extra sock I use for that leg socket. I was worried coming to the end of the bike that I hadn’t told him to stay there and would have to run down the ramp in the cycle leg. I swopped my legs over in pre transition, gave my brother the cycle leg and we headed down into transition, Phil allot faster than me! I took it a little steady running down the slope with my bike into T2 but still managed to pass a couple of age groupers. Dumped my bike with Phil to rack, run shoe on while Phil took helmet off and I was off back up and down through the car park and out onto the run.

 

Run 20:59

The run was okay but still need to be allot quicker, the technique felt allot better and more relaxed than it has done in previous races though. I didn’t appreciate the cobbles on the course and just wasn’t running blade friendly, it was just a case of dancing across them rather than running and was glad we only crossed them twice for a couple hundred meters. A bit of cat and mouse with another BK amputee, Steve was fun though and definitely getting stronger every week, I just kept injecting pace out of corners.

 

Well done to all the other competitors across all the categories, it was a tough oneJ A massive thanks to my brother Phil, for driving up there and for being my handler in transition, just make a brilliant team. I was aiming to medal but more improvements still needed, 6^th out of not sure how many with the new category but okay and I gave it all I had on the day, I will get there!!! A big thanks also to Ashford Tri Club, my coach Paula George VO2 Coaching, sponsors Blatchfords, ALT, Lankelma, Podplus, CAF and British Triathlon.

 

adrianheathfieldparatriathlete.webs.com

 

 

Its Been A While

Like I say its been a while, I think the last post in March.

Since then I came second at the British Paraduathlon championships and just before then found out that I had been selected for the World Class GB Paratriathlon team and with it Lottery funding!

At the start of the year with all the problems I had over the winter with swelling of my leg/stump and the fall on my shoulder the plan was just to target the British Paratriathlon Championships as my target race for the year. Now though with the funding was looking to compete in more of the ITU races to get the points I needed in order to qualify for the Europeans and Worlds.

Right from the off I got two race starts on an invite on both cases, the first France and the second six days later in Hyde Park. Both races went okay but after an unsettled winter with nothing but problems the race fitness just wasn't there yet and I finished along way down the field! Importantly I also didn't score any points and then didn't make the start list for anymore internationals, this meant no selection for the Europeans and also didn't get to go to the worlds at the end of August. I just have to accept that in the new category system I just haven't performed when I needed to. Its a positive being in a tough category though as it is one that they will be using in the Rio 2016 Paralympics, so just need to get quicker which I will and have massively over the last couple of months since London.

It was a mixture of a bad winter and just not performing as I should have but either way a bit of a kick up the ass but training has gone brilliant on the build up to the British Championships that are on the 10 August. Shoulder still isn't right so swimming has been pretty rubbish but the bike has been prenominal, I have put in some massive PB's and completely changed the way I race the sprint triathlon/paratriathlon and it works. The run is really coming along just due to no equipment problems and no problems with swelling in the stump so just shows that if I can get regular training in I naturally make big improvements. It has also helped working with my coach Paula and changing my run technique, it had been to long without improvements in this discipline!

I realised the other week that I haven't had a holiday for nearly 10 years so think it might be a good idea after the seasons finished to take some winter sun somewhere and just relax
!!!

Improving

Following on from my last post, things did get better and very quickly!:)

Swelling went down in my thigh, the bursa on my knee started to go down and didn't need any intervention from my surgeon and training started to settle down into a good rhythm.

I needed to change my socket system that I use on a day to day basis to take the pressure off my bursa which has worked well, we was also using the same pin system socket to test for use on a cycle leg but that just didn't work for me as a cycle leg socket. So we are opting for the suspension system for the cycle leg, I think with a short stump it just allows me more stability to put power through the residual limb but the other system was worth a try.

The winter has had its problems but feeling very positive going into the 2014 season, I have been doing lots of testing with Blatchford on Prosthetics, mainly the Blade XT but on other legs to and things are progressing nicely. I have put good strength work in at the gym over the winter and it has shown good progression. Swim is still a little tentative with my shoulder but have made massive improvements in my kicking technique and endurance. The bike I have been able to keep up with very few interruptions over the winter and am showing good signs of improved power and endurance over the winter. I have also managed to loose a little weight while still increasing power which is always a good thing and am trying to make sure I get plenty of sleep, which are areas allot of people don't take enough care of!

In all feeling fab:)

Don't Panic

Things started well after my recovery from the cracked femur, placing 3rd in a local triathlon and running 20:30 in a 5K, which was good considering I had done no real running in anger for 3 months.

Things can change very quickly though and they certainly have. I fell over in my kitchen the end of November, landing on my elbow and this caused an AC injury in the shoulder. I've rested it up for the last 6 weeks, no swimming or weights and doing physio but is still not right. It is just a case of being patient but it wasn't the start to my winter training I needed.

I've had a lump on my knee on the amputated side for about a year that myself and the people looking after me have been keeping an eye on. We decided to leave it alone while it was causing no discomfort or problems but it began to get painful at the end of last year, it was just when my knee was bent sitting down because of pressure from the outer sleeve of the prosthetic. I still had no pain from running or cycling and flexibility, strength and movement was still pain free. I have an appointment on Monday with my consultant which has happened at just the right time as I haven't even been able to get my leg on as my hole leg ballooned after I went food shopping the other day. I've managed to get the swelling down by ice, elevation and ibuprofen on the thigh but the knee is still swollen.

Swollen Leg and knee!

 

I was hoping to getting really good quality winter training in as I lost so much time last year but it just hasn't happened and the knee needing intervention has put an end to that thought. I have made massive improvements on power output on the bike and my running technique is improving which is a positive to take with me. Typical though get new running kit and upgrade bike components and everything goes to pot!

 

The thing is though not to panic, initial thoughts were great that's the season over before I even start. It wasn't that I thought these problems would last into the season but just that I have lost allot of the winter improvement time. I will just see what the consultant says tomorrow and will just probably look at starting the triathlon season a little later and get some good strong training in before hand.

 

Most importantly get healthy first!

 

 

Endolite bladeXT

Promotional video for the Endolite BladeXT that I was in and it was based around a triathlon theme:)

Onward and Upward

To say its been a tough summer is understating it, its probably been the toughest time period in my life. When I first broke my ill fated leg in February 2003 although it was unexpected I was positive about the outcome and stayed positive and if not positive very accepting of what I new would happen. When after finding out that after 9 years the leg was still not uniting and more infections I made the decision to have the leg amputated but saw it as a positive decision and the only one that made sense to me anymore.

Three weeks after coming back from the European paratriathlon championships though and my hip was still very painful which was thought to be bad bruising but turned out to be a cracked femur. The greater trochanter, a small knuckle of bone at the top outer part of the femur had been dislodge by the crash on the bike. Bearing weight through it was possible because of where it was but because there are allot of muscle attachments there I could only move on level surfaces to start with.

I was able to swim with no pain from about 3 weeks after the crash with no pain atall and also use the turbo in a very low gear, it was more a case of muscle memory. The main thing I concentrated on though was the physiopherapy, small and regular sessions every day and quickly started getting movement back in the hip area.

Financially its been hell, although at uni I work when I can and would have worked all through the summer break. I worked for two weeks before the Europeans and then because of the femur then just bad luck didn't get any more work till the end of September, 16 weeks with no money coming in! I had applied for the paratriathlon worlds and was back training in time but didn't get selected which was really gutting but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Having missed the British paratriathlon championships 4 weeks after the Europeans because of the femur would have not helped my application but was only just about walking normally by this stage let alone running. It was just one stress after the other and with allot of time on my hands to think about it, being off uni and with no work.

I can't thank Ashford Tri Club enough during this time, both the committee for their financial help with physiopherapy and the members for listening to my moaning:)! Also a big thanks to Debbie the limb reconstruction nurse at Kings and Mr Groom orthopaedic consultant for seeing me when I told them about my injury, always so supportive!

Silver lining though, the femur crack has united very well looking at the x-rays and I have no pain from the site. I raced in a mainstream sprint triathlon the other week coming in 3rd place with no specific training, just base fitness. This bodes well for the future and with a good winters training will be in the mix next year, cant wait!!

My ever supportive dad and mum!!!

 

 

I also did some work for Blatchfords who supply my prosthesis, the Endolite brand and they have been so supportive. A while ago I got to test their Blade XT running blade and really liked it and have been using it and giving feedback since the beginning of the year. Two too three weeks ago I featured in their promotional video and photos for the Blade XT and they based the video around paratriathlon.

My new Endolite Blade XT the finished article:)

 

 They are such great people to work for and looked after me so well and the video looks great, never keen on close ups on the face but still great video, great idea and very well put together. I saw the semi finished cut and it looks very cool but am looking forward to seeing the finished article!!

 

Im back at uni now too and although very hard work some of the stuff we are now doing is very interesting but just wished it sunk in a little better, its pretty full on.