Health hasn't been great in the last 8-10 weeks. My atrial flutter has been back since mid December and I have torn my left inner meniscus at the begging of January. Training, or lack thereof, has been everything but ideal, to say the least.
My flutter was bad for about 2 weeks. I guess it was a combination of stress (heavy work load and moving house twice within 8 weeks), poor nutrition and squeezing in the foundation training for Ironman Germany. I have since increased my potassium and magnesium intake, which have improved things a lot. However, the ticker is not as good as it was and it is likely that another ablation will be required. Hopefully this can wait until the end of the season (and getting the house built). I am also looking into alternative approaches, mainly around nutrition, mineral intake and relaxation.
The knee went pop, when I kneeled down on the carpet to play with Aileen. It was really painful for 2 days and then started to improve. I went to see an orthopediatrician 2 weeks later. An MRI scan revealed the diagnosis. We agreed to treat the injury with a bandage and intake of ortho-molecular substances (high doses of glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid). There was a 20% chance that the tear would heal, but this has not materialised. The keyhole surgery is now scheduled for March 19th. After that, I will be on crutches for a fortnight and will not be allowed to train for another 2-3 weeks. This period will be accompanied with physio - good time to start adding some core and stability training to mix again.
Will I be able to race in Abu Dhabi? Yes! I decided to give it a go. The swim will be no problem as long as the ticker doesn't play up; the bike should be ok as I have spent quite a few miles on the turbo; and the run will be the interesting part - worst case it will be a walk / jog.
Will I be able to race Ironman Germany? I Hopefully! I know it doesn't look to good at the moment, but if I can start training as planned, there is a chance that I will get enough miles in to get me round somehow. Let's wait and see...
