Weekly News Number 23
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Slowly Climbing Back Up
After last week felt like a bit of a downer or at least a pretty tough one things are finally starting to move in the right direction again. And that’s a trend I’m happy to take with me.
Slowly but surely, I’m starting to feel like the time is getting closer when I can add some intensity back into my training. Of course, that depends on things continuing to improve the way they currently are. Right now, that seems to be the case.
I still don’t know whether I had COVID or not. What has surprised me the most is how long it takes for my lungs to fully recover. Because of that, almost all of my training has remained easy and low intensity. Still, I’ve been able to return to my normal training rhythm, and honestly, that already feels like progress.
Together with my mum, I also ordered a few products that will hopefully help support recovery. Another interesting option would be something Emma has been doing: spending time in a hyperbaric chamber.
Don’t hold me to the exact science behind it, but the basic idea is that you sit inside a small chamber while breathing oxygen under increased pressure. The goal is to improve oxygen delivery throughout the body and support recovery. The person who owns the chamber often uses it whenever they feel like they might be getting sick or when dealing with injuries.
Whether I’ll try it myself, I’m not sure yet. But I definitely find it interesting.
New Parts and Salt Water
On Monday morning, I finally got out on my gravel bike again after having the new chainrings and chain installed.
It’s always amazing how much difference new components make. Everything feels smooth, the shifting works perfectly and suddenly you realise just how worn out the old parts really were.
At the moment, I’m riding almost exclusively on the gravel bike. Since my last race, I’ve barely touched my time trial bike. At some point, I should probably pump up the tyres and take it out for a ride. Once the more race-specific sessions start again, I’ll definitely be spending much more time on it.
Another session that really stood out this week was an ocean swim on Sunday afternoon.
A small group of people regularly meet up here for open-water swims, and for me it’s always a welcome change from swimming laps in a pool. Doing it with a group makes it even more enjoyable.
The surf was pumping that afternoon, which meant we first had to battle our way through the waves. But once we got beyond them, the ocean became surprisingly calm and the swimming was beautiful.
While we were out there, I kept watching the surfers catching waves nearby. Every time I see that, I get tempted to give surfing a try myself.
The good thing is that the beach is right on my doorstep and the ocean isn’t going anywhere.
Football, Pizza and Getting Older
Even though I’m not really following the Football World Cup closely, it’s almost impossible to avoid it here.
On Sunday, I was getting ready for my swim when suddenly people everywhere started cheering. At first, I had no idea what was happening. Then I remembered that Australia was playing.
Right next to the beach is the local surf club, where the game was being shown on a giant screen. When Australia scored, the whole place erupted.
It reminded me a lot of public viewing events back home. The difference is that Australians seem to celebrate almost every match, while we usually save that kind of excitement for major football tournaments or Olympic medals.
Another highlight of the week was Saturday evening. A good friend here in Noosa was celebrating her birthday, so a group of us from the old JR Squad got together at her place.
We made pizza on the barbecue and spent the entire afternoon and evening catching up.
At one point I found myself carrying a plate full of pizza, walking from group to group handing slices out to everyone. Honestly, that was probably my favourite part of the evening. It gave me a chance to talk to everyone while making sure nobody went hungry.
At the same time, it reminded me that I’m not in my early twenties anymore.
You suddenly realise there are TikTok jokes you simply don’t understand. Things I thought were incredibly cool a few years ago don’t seem quite as important anymore. Interests change. Perspectives shift. You get older and start seeing the world a little differently.
I’ve always felt connected to the world outside of sport and to people working normal jobs. But as a professional athlete, you still live in a slightly different reality from most people who spend their days in traditional careers.
When I got home that night, I found myself genuinely excited about training the next morning.
Maybe that’s because I’ve started to realise that a triathlon career doesn’t last forever.
Since being sick, I’ve appreciated every training session much more. One day, there will come a time when I’m no longer lining up against the best athletes in the sport.
But one thing I already know for sure: I’ll be incredibly proud of how far this journey has taken me.
Until Next Week
With those thoughts, I’ll leave you for another week.
Enjoy movement. Or whatever it is that brings you joy.
Because everything we get to do is temporary. And maybe that’s exactly what makes these moments so valuable.
See you next week.
Cyrill
