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Australian Professional Cyclist

Day 36 – It’s Getting Real

Day Thirty Six: 15/03/23

Resting Heart Rate: 75bpm

Blood Saturation: 92

Long, slow and hard. Excruciating pain in my heels. New boots. I have a heel condition called; Hagland’s Syndrome. It’s a very mysterious but common condition also know a Hagland’s deformity and/or Pump Bump. It’s an abnormality of the bone and soft tissue around the heel of the foot – both feet. I struggled with this back in 2019 when I was walking up steep mountains preparing for Everest Base Camp. Probable causes can include a tight achillies tendon, a high arch of the foot and hereditary however the most common cause is when the large bony lump (bilateral) rubs against rigid shoes, like my high altitude boots.

Middle age women are most commonly affected, in the heel of the foot and, the pain is greater at rest rather than during exercise. I’ve had my doctors closely monitoring this and we have tried several solutions, the most effective being the Smith and Nephew Allevyn Non- Bordered Dressings; a thick hydrocellular foam or silicone pad stuck strategically around the heel, inside my socks and boots to alleviate pressure in the affected area.

I’m also starting to see a little inflammation around my right ankle, from my original accident late last year when I completely crushed my entire foot. I jumped off a cliff backwards, an attempt to rappel or abseil went wrong and I was unable to wipe off speed, hitting the bottom VERY hard, taking the impact on my right foot.

Otherwise, I’m happy to have managed to get through another big day. Rest the feet tomorrow then I have 2-3 more days of training before departing Livigno. It’s getting real.

 

powerade frozen

 

 

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