Greg Farrell's Road to Recovery
It has been an interesting 6 months for Funky Trunks triathlete Greg Farrell after he was in a road accident in May. It has been a steady road to recovery which saw Greg finish Melbourne's Half Marathon last week in the amazing time of 1:14:09!! We salute his strength and determination (especially because he did it in Funky Trunks) and look forward to what comes next!
On May 2 this year, I was in great spirits having spent the previous day running along Werribee South beach in my Funky Trunks for an article in the local paper. I was feeling in great shape and excited about a string of upcoming races.
Having recently turned pro, I had only managed to squeeze in 3 races before hitting a pothole during a training ride, which can set you back a bit, apparently...
After 45 minutes in that freezing gutter, a night in the Western General Hospital and a week at the Epworth, it was clear I would not be racing for a while.
The damage consisted of a broken and displaced thumb, a broken wrist, a broken elbow bone, and a completely ruptured AC joint in my left shoulder. Not that those sound like a walk in the park but I realised the healing process wasn't going to be a 'quick fix' once I got a visit from the orthopaedics ward physio.
Even the simplest of tasks, 'opening and closing fingers ten times', proved to be a lot easier said than done. It took all of my strength and concentration to get through a set of ten. From then I knew it would be a long road to recovery.
When you have an injury, there is very little you can do, but as an athlete, it gives us something else to focus on and take as seriously as training.
Twice a week I met with my physio to assess my recovery and progress the rehab exercises. I really looked forward to these sessions as it made me feel I was taking two steps forward each week.
Morning, noon or night, I didn't miss a session. I even made sure I stuck to the specific times of day the physio recommended. Slowly, over the next few months, I started to use bands and dumbbells more frequently and my range of motion began to return.
Initially, the surgeons estimated that I would not be doing much training until Christmas. But being extra vigilant with rehab has fast-tracked the recovery and now, after only 4 months, I am getting back into the pool.
One of the races I was supposed to compete in was Fiji, yet with flights and accommodation booked for the whole family, we went anyway! A tropical beach is not a bad place to keep up the rehab.
Another case of bad timing was that the crash happened just before my university exams. Three hour long written exams were going to be an issue with a broken thumb so I had to use a provided laptop and sit them after everyone else, a novel experience!
I am once again building up the miles in training and hope to be back in race shape soon. I will be working hard to get ready for Shepparton 70.3 (Nov) and Canberra 70.3 (Dec), with the intention of returning to the iron distance at Challenge Wanaka in January.
However, I recently had a follow-up appointment with the thumb surgeon and it turns out the healing has not gone to plan. I am hoping to hold off from further surgery until after Challenge Wanaka, but that will largely depend upon pain and the doctor's advice.
Will keep you posted over the coming months....
Gregory Farrell