RUNNING!!!

This week has been by far the most exciting in the recovery of my foot. I am finally back running again after 10 weeks out of action. I am taking it extremely slowing though, and am doing a run/walk routine on a hockey field to help develop the connections I need to run fast when I can get back into full run training. The Astroturf on the hockey field is soft and even, ensuring I don't put any extra stress on the foot. I get some very strange looks from the hockey players though, running along beside them. Check out the video of my very first run back. Almost forgot how to do it! 

I am now back into complete bike training as well and have been climbing to new heights, literally. In the past 4 weeks I have now completed over 20 Mount Gravatt hill climbs, Mt Coot-tha climbs and even scaled Mt Mee. I have also done a number of speed work sessions and am riding faster than ever before!

I am really looking forward to the Australian Junior Fitness and Medical Examination Camp this weekend. It will be the final selection opportunity for the Australian junior team and will be the perfect chance for me to show off the hard work I have put into my swim and bike. 

That's it for now, stay tuned for updates on my running progress. 

Ellie xx

Exciting is an Understatement

These past couple of weeks have been both exciting and hectic. The rehabilitation for my foot is going better than I ever could have imagined and is running ahead of schedule. More on that in a bit.

Firstly, everybody is returning home to Australia. You may be asking ‘what is that supposed to mean, Ellie?’ but over the past month, a lot of important people in my life have been gallivanting to overseas locations. Firstly, my dad and brother returned from a holiday in Hawaii. And Drew Viles returned from a family holiday in Bali. It was great to hear their stories, see their photos and have them back home. I have also got my training partner back from Isreal. Ron Darmon returned from visiting his family to commence his rehabilitation routine after injuring his knee in a bike accident. It is great to have Ron back to train with and keep me company on our long rides.

I have also had an exciting couple of weeks of meeting new people and opening up new opportunities for myself. I met with the lovely Hannah Cross from Hannmaid earlier this month and am now an ambassador of Hannmaid. I couldn’t be more excited to have this opportunity and cannot wait to work with Hannah. Please check out her beautiful and unique pieces at www.hannmaid.com. I was also lucky enough to meet with Wade from the Carina Leagues Club and listen to his suggestions on marketing myself. Wade’s advice was invaluable and I look forward to working with him and the Club.

Back to my foot rehabilitation… Everything is going really well and I am back to full swim and bike training now. I have started a walking program as well, and speed walk the streets of Carina on a daily basis. I am proud to say that my walking pace was too fast for my coach, Warwick, who struggled to keep up. Don’t mention it though; it’s still a very sensitive subject ;) I am also swimming faster than ever before, breaking my personal best times with very limited speed sessions. I couldn’t be happier with how it is coming along. I am also in the gym with Ron and Warwick building strength and co-ordination three times a week. Co-ordination is not my strong point and Ron and Warwick like to make sure I know it. I enjoy the gym work though and can feel that it makes a huge difference in the water and on the bike.  I should be running again very shortly and cannot wait to get back into it.

I also received a very exciting parcel in the mail this morning, my new race kits, courtesy of Vorgee and Cannibal! I love them so much and can’t wait to get back racing to show them off.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned on my rehabilitation, and don’t forget to ‘like’ my Facebook fan page and follow me on Twitter for more updates.  

Ellie xx

A Swimming Recovery

On the 28^th May I finally replaced my plaster cast for a moon boot. Any athlete would know just how attractive these boots are, equipped with little air pockets for comfort and style. I was so excited to have a proper shower without a plastic bag over my leg or chair in the base of the shower. As you can imagine, not washing your leg for two weeks was not the most pleasant experience. I still needed to use my crutches and had to stay off the foot for another two weeks before weight-bearing could begin. 

After the removal of the plaster, I was given the all-clear by the surgeon to start swimming again. I was told that I must use a pull buoy at all times however and could not push off from the wall, but I was able to get back in the water none the less. After three weeks off any form of physical activity, I was ecstatic. I was also able to get back into the gym to rebuild some upper-body strength too which would help my swimming fitness return quickly.

Admittedly, the first couple of swim sessions were a struggle and my heart rate was through the roof after just a few laps. But my fitness returned very quickly and I had not lost a lot of technical components that Warwick and I had worked extremely hard on before the injury. I have been back just over two weeks now and my fitness has completely returned and, in another week or so my swimming will be back to where it was before. I’ve built my weekly mileage from 10km in the first week up to 50km this week, and up again towards 60km next week. I am working very closely on all of the finer details so I can move my swim forward whilst I still cannot run.

I am also doing a number of water running sessions to build my run fitness and allow me to work on technique, without loading the foot. I am currently doing four 30 minute sessions each week. Anyone who has done water running before will know how frustrating it can be. You can run as fast as you can for 30 seconds whilst only moving about ten metres. It works a charm though so I know it is worth sticking at until I am able to run again.

I will be back on the bike next week, can’t wait to get some rollers sessions under my belt!

Ellie xx

Carina Leagues Triathlon Club Junior Camps

Are you or someone you know 8-14 years old and interested in triathlons?

If so, Carina Leagues Triathlon Club is running three camps in the school holidays, each focussing on a specific aspect of triathlons. The camps will be run by expert coaches in an ideal environment, ensuring each child gains valuable knowledge and skills required for the sport. They will be run in a group environment, having a strong emphasis on enjoyment. Details of the camps are as follows:

Cross Country Camp - June 28-29th 2012 (9am-3pm)
Bike Skills Camp - Sept 27-28th 2012 (9am-3pm)
Transition Camp - Jan 10-11th 2013 (9am-3pm)

For more information on the junior camps, contact Jaimie on 0421 557 743 or email her at coachjaimie@carinaleaguestriathlonclub.com.au.

Hope to see a huge turn-out at the camps. I know they will be heaps of fun!

Ellie xo

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

This past week has been incredibly challenging and frustrating, but a huge learning kerb all at the same time. Unfortunately, I have had to end my overseas journey and return to Australia with a broken right foot. Definitely was not part of the plan!

After my first French grand prix in Les Sables D’Olonne, I was struggling to stand on my foot, let alone walk or run. The pain decreased across the following week and everything was looking up. However, we decided to get some scans done to make sure everything was looking as positive as we thought, but some terrible news resulted from the scans; an acute broken navicular. In the surgeons words, jumping off a 3 storey building and landing on your feet would be another way to break the same bone. As you can imagine, I was devastated.

I returned home last week and underwent surgery last Tuesday to have a pin put through the bone. I am now sporting an attractive plaster cast and crutches for a couple of weeks, waiting to be replaced by a boot. 

Apart from not training, the crutches have been by far to most difficult thing to adapt to. Currently, I have fallen up two flights of stairs, fallen down one and just generally stacked it three times. There is definitely an art to using them, one I clearly don’t possess.

Fortunately, I am able to swim again as soon as the plaster comes off next week and then cycle soon after that. I have a very specific rehabilitation plan in place to get me back to full fitness as soon as possible, whilst still giving the injury ample time to heal. Even though I am extremely frustrated with not being able to train, it has given me a great opportunity to get on top of other aspects of my life that will help me move forward as an athlete.

I am very positive at the moment and know that I will be a better athlete from this adversity. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on my progress, rehab and the many more stacks off my crutches that are bound to come.

Ellie xx

Facebook Fan Page

Hi guys

I am very excited about creating a Facebook fan page. I will be updating it regularly so that you can easily follow my results and adventures!

Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellie-Salthouse/387421924634161 :)

Ellie xo

A Spanish Adventure

I am stoked to finally be back in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain as it is the perfect training base for us during the Australian winter. Although the weather has been much like the current weather back home, we are making the most of the long days and impeccable training facilities that are on offer here. It has been a little over a week since arriving in Spain and already we have packed so many adventures into our trip.

Ron and I love our morning swim sessions. For a start, the pool doesn’t open until 8am which means we get a sleep in, always a positive for an athlete. And with the pool at Mendizorrotza being of Olympic standard, we are always keen to swim hard in every session. It will even be the venue for the USA swimming team before World’s in Barcelona later this year.

The rides around the lake are always a highlight of the trip and really make us look forward to our aerobic rides. The lake is 60km around, with minimal traffic and beautiful surroundings. I even had my very first snow sighting!!

On Sunday afternoon, we were lucky enough to win some tickets to a local basketball match between Vitoria and Bilbao. Vitoria has just finished building a brand new stadium, with a 15,000 person capacity, and the game was set to be a sell-out. I have never seen so many people in one place, all such avid basketball fans. All I can say is that I am glad we were cheering for Vitoria otherwise I am not sure we would have come out alive. The atmosphere was incredible and, although I am not a huge basketball fan, the game was awesome to watch.

I also received some very exciting news this week, that I have been selected as a member of the Australian junior sqaud. From the squad of 6 girls, 3 will be chosen to compete at the World Junior Champs in October in Auckland.

After a recovery week, I cannot wait to get back into some solid training here in Vitoria in the next couple of weeks.

Ellie xx