My preparation was going well, just coming off the back of a 45km race, 6 weeks ago.

The week before another 24km race, I decided to order top soil and spread 3 trailer loads over my yard. What happened next was let's say; the ageing body telling me to slow down. I didn't listen. What end up being a project resulted in missing training sessions from a pulled back muscle.

We are a week from the 24km race and I'm fearing I wouldn't have enough training on the water with my crew. I knew I was fit, but I needed to ensure I blended with the crew and get the most training sessions in as I could.

Fear started to set in. What if my back doesn't release enough to race? What if I let my crew down with only being able to give 70%? What if my back starts to hurt badly during the race? These thoughts started to creep in more and more over a few days as I rested up to prepare for the last training session.

I had to go back to my own basics. I can only influence what is in the present and how I respond. Frustrated by a back that I felt was mending slowly, it took a lot of self practice and alignment back into my present through meditation, writing in my journal and heck of a lot of self positive talk to get me through to race day.

I have to admit, I was like my own student, back to the basics of my own self development journey.

On race day, except for the heat, everything flowed. My mind did wander every now and then when I felt my back getting tight, and with years of self experience now, my thoughts got straight back to what I was there to do and how blessed and grateful I am to be able to achieve such amazing things such as paddling and racing around the beautiful Dunk Island in far north Queensland.

Much Love, Strength and don't forget to always

'dream out loud'

Coach ~ Fiona 🖤