Thursday 13 November 2014

TURNING THE TIDE

A week is a long time in sport and it certainly was for me between the day I crashed and the day I arrived home. I had gained 7kg’s since the accident and I was far from a shadow of my former self. It turns out the medication I was given was conducive to water retention and general puffiness, hence the Michelin Mitch. I had hardly been over eating and therefore was extremely worried what life after sport was going to look like for me. All I could think about was Geoff Huegill!

Without being able to train, I was rather lost for what to do. I had already exhausted my patience with Hollywood movies and there’s only so much live sport one can watch (just kidding). Then I read a Facebook post from my friend Lloyd Henriksson who was in need of a driver after snapping his Achilles at his local dojo. Through this twist of fate, I was right for the job and I spent the next couple of weeks as his assistant. Lloyd is a passionate cyclist and since meeting him at a Falls Creek training camp, we have continued to get along well. Lloyd has showed particular interest in my athletic development and we soon began to talk business whilst navigating the streets of Melbourne.

We came up with a unique sponsorship program that would create a massive opportunity for myself and other athletes in similar situations. Over the next few weeks the details of this program came to life and it’s now a reality. It is called the Becoz Better Athlete Program and for anyone interested to know more about what we offer, I would be more than happy to hear from you! For me, this is more than a sponsorship opportunity, it is a chance to create a secure future and I have loved dealing with the motivated and positive people involved.

They say good things come in two’s and in line with the Becoz program, another fantastic opportunity presented. Clayton Fettel and Ryan Bourke offered me a position as a coach with the new CF Racing Triathlon Team. In the past two years, I have worked as a coach and thoroughly enjoyed helping my athletes kick some multisport goals. I never tell them this, but what I tell them to do is often exactly what I need to do myself, so it’s a friendly reminder that the simplistic approach is forever valuable. Anyway, the CF Racing team was launched in October and we are now taking applications for those wishing to join the squad.

I have had a few people ask me what my athletic future holds after my latest ordeal. I was left to question my pathway when I was laid up in hospital, particularly given that the anticipated breakthroughs were yet to arrive. I tried not to think too hard about making major decisions while the chips were down, so I just got on with the business of rehabbing my shoulder and integrating back into my Melbourne life.

Before long I was back coaching, then I could even do a little bit myself. I started on the trainer and soon enough transitioned back to the road. I swam one arm drill for a few weeks and scissor kicked on the elliptical trainer at the gym. Slowly the swelling started to go away and I could return to the local Woolworths without fear of being seen.  I started to enjoy some time out on the bike and teamed up with Annabel Luxford for a few long loops around the Dandenongs on a Monday and the Peninsula on a Thursday. Without giving much thought to racing, I was happily training away and enjoying my sport as always.

I had mixed emotions about the 2015 season with the D-Squad and after much reflection, I felt that another year away with the squad was not going to be the best option. Coach Daz agreed that we had given it a good shot and a handshake farewell was in order. I will miss training with this family as it became and I wish each of them all the best for the future.

Darren has been a massive influence on not only my thoughts as an athlete, but as a person too. The last two years have shaped many of the principals I hold and will no doubt influence the way I live the rest of my life. He taught me not to think too much and proved that my way was not always the only way. Just traveling with the squad to places like Morzine and Snow Farm made the experience special. I said from the beginning, training with Daz and the squad was like a University degree in triathlon. He has given me the tools to tackle the workforce and now it’s up to me to work hard and make it happen!

I am looking forward to the summer ahead and will be hoping to establish some consistency with my training and racing. I will be looking to grow the Becoz Better Athlete Program and settle into my role with CF Racing. The days have been busy and I’m getting things done which is nice. I’ve even decided to make my long course debut at Challenge Shepparton this weekend, so save a cheer for me! I will let you all know how I get on and why I did what I did someday soon!

Thank you once again to those people who give me their time and support. It is always appreciated and I hope it can be returned in spades. Be sure to surround yourself with positive people and take some time to treat yourself. Even if its just like me, eating all meals with a spoon!

Until next time…

Mitch’s Next Race:
Challenge Shepparton, 15th November.


Mitch’s Pictures:


There are long and lonely miles ahead...

But the sunshine is coming!

Finals Footy at the 'G' with Lewy :)

Rebuilding the Engine!

Always a joy with Annabel :)

Becoz Better Athlete!

CF Racing!


BREAKING BAD

This chapter covers events that took place on and after Sunday August 24th.

The day was cold and bleak! I woke up just before my alarm and took the three short steps required to reach the kitchen/dining hall and began to prepare my pan-fried toast and hand crafted fruit for breakfast. Let me take this time to note that my methods in the kitchen are not always conventional, but are always supremely efficient and necessary for great taste! Again on this occasion the result was no exception.

After breakfast I gathered my pre-packed lunchbox and gear bag and scurried over to meet the Tri4Alps team at the lodge. We headed down the valley to the famous Mont Blanc for the 2014 event. As we left Morzine the rain dissipated and by the time we arrived at Lac du Passy we were greeted by warm sunshine and picture post card views. It was great to see so many passionate athletes and volunteers out there having fun.

Little did I know at the time, but that morning was to be the last ray of sunshine for my 2014 campaign! I spent the afternoon hooked up to oxygen and having my wounds tended to in the Mont Blanc Hospital after a nasty accident. The hospital staff were very kind and not the least upset that I struggled with the lingo. I eventually understood that I had broken my right scapula and three ribs. From this point on there was no hesitation in nodding my head to more tablets and a bigger spoon for the yoghurt! The TV didn’t work, I had no internet connection and I had no capacity to be independent. Great!

Joe and Amelia Pearson from Tri4Alps were the best of help for me when I was in hospital. Joe spent the next couple of days driving back and fourth from Morzine to bring me clothes and company, whilst juggling his ever busy schedule catering for the guests at the luxurious T4A lodge in Morzine. Through Joe, I was able to report home and let them know why I had dropped off the radar.  From there we began to organize my journey home. The insurance companies I dealt with were fantastic and a big thanks to Triathlon Australia who take out great Travel Insurance for us athletes. Without that, I’d be working in a sweatshop for the next twenty years (which is arguably what I do anyway)…

I inevitably withdraw from the final event of the season with my STP teammates in Cognac. They did a brilliant job nonetheless and we will return to the premier division in 2015, which means mission accomplished. After returning to my apartment in Morzine, I spent the week curled up in a ball crawling back and fourth between the bed and the kitchen. As previously mentioned, this was not a long way but it was far enough given the state I was in. I passed the time by watching the entire collection of “Suits”, which practically gave me a law degree.


I only managed to sleep every second night for the week and I soon reviewed the rules on snacking after hours. Given the fact that my left side had been peeled off and my right side was broken, I didn’t have too many options but to sit there and deal with it! My prognosis was three weeks in a sling, and three months before I would be recovered. I was ready to go home…

Mitch's Pictures: 

Pretty clear what was involved...

Two nights accommodation in Mont Blanc!

Morzine from the balcony!

Morzine from the bedroom!

Assessing the damage!

Another great year in the mountains :)

Flying home with Qatar Airways over the Alps!

DATING BACK TO EUROPE

Mitch’s Races:
ITU Holten European Cup, Netherlands (5th July)
ITU Geneva European Cup, Switzerland (20th July)
ITU Istanbul European Cup, Turkey (4th August)
ITU Riga European Cup, Latvia (10th August)

Before focusing on more pressing current matters, I felt it necessary to revisit my latest European adventure to keep the timeline up to date. My training buddies and I returned to the picturesque alpine village of Morzine for the second year running. It felt like it was home as soon as I arrived and it was great to see the same friendly faces at the local shops and swimming pool. The town was looking rather neat and had clearly benefited from a prosperous winter season with new construction and facilities all around. Despite the run of weather we had, the town remains one of my favourite places in the world.

Unlike the season before when I rarely left the village, I travelled to race a lot this year and had a real taste for life on the road. I’m not always the most flexible of people and do like a routine, so handling my training, health and budget was a real learning curve. World travel continues to amaze me! It’s much the same everywhere you go! Waiting at airports, eating unsatisfying snacks and loading the shuttle bus with bike bags and back packs. At the time you hardly feel like your absorbing lifes' gifts, however when you reflect, the experience is priceless. Especially when you have good quality people to share it with!

I spent three months attached at the hip with Sean Jefferson (USA). We shared a one-bedroom apartment (with separate beds) in Morzine and followed the same race schedule for most of the year. We trained together, we ate together and we travelled together without ever sharing bad words between us. There are few people you can do that with so I’m sure he will be a mate for life. Along with the others in my squad, my French team and other buddies like James Chronis who I met at several races throughout the summer, all combined to make the season so much more memorable.

In terms of the racing, the season provided experience more so than breakthroughs. All of which is valuable, but requires much of my patience to see the long-term reward, as opposed to the short term frustration. I have been saying this for a few years now, but the deeper I dive into the sport, the more I’m sure it will work out. The highlights included a podium in the La Rochelle French GP, a Top 10 finish in the Istanbul ITU event and a few handy run splits in Geneva and Latvia. Unfortunately more often than not I found myself chasing from the second pack on the bike and I failed to give myself enough opportunities to run with the leaders. I have always felt it is important to step outside your comfort zone and race against better athletes, and this was the reality this year. I trained hard and tried my best, but I wasn’t at the level I needed to be to compete with the best in Europe. Hopefully my next campaign will be more structured and I’ll arrive at the start line with a clearer mind and a fresher body!

Back home the rest of my family and friends have been kicking goals. My sister Stephanie has this year graduated as an Air Traffic Controller and has been working out of Brisbane Airport for the past year. She’s proof that the journey is not always easy but its always worthwhile and I’m very proud of her. My mum Leanne (Louie) has been busy working away at Mossgreen, an auction house in Melbourne, which sells all things artistic, memorable and down right expensive! Mum loves her work and it is nice to know that some people out there have $20k to spend on a stamp. And Dad continues to look younger everyday and remains the smartest person I know. He has had his fair share of world travel over the past year on route to various seminars and training courses to teach other Chemists (Scientists not Pharmacists) how to use the Agilent equipment. I’ve always had a picture in my mind about what it is that he does, but I can’t help thinking he walks around a lab all day in his long white coat nursing a test tube full of florescent green potion...

As this update has come well after the fact, tune in for my next post to get the next chapter in my evolving journey…

Thanks for reading!

Mitch's Pictures: 

Morzine Aquatic Centre

Admiring the view!

Jeffo in the 2014 "Triathlon Budget" range!

Cam Good (AUS) acting tough :/

James Chronis (GRE) clocking up the travel time...

Cheering Jodie Stimpson (ENG) to GOLD in Glasgow!

Bakala Academy in Leuven, Belgium!

Holten, Netherlands 

Shopping in Riga, Latvia

Evening ride in Istanbul, Turkey (Beautiful Place)