Triathlete Findlay aims to rebuild slowly

The 2013 season is a career crossroads for Edmonton triathlete Paula Findlay, who is focused on rebuilding her running fitness and speed, even if it means competing little or not at all on the World Triathlon Series circuit.

As the 24-year-old works to recapture the running prowess that propelled her to five World Triathlon Series victories in 2010 and 2011, the objective remains qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The qualifying period for Rio doesn’t begin until June 2014, still a year away.

“The crossroads of my career is right at this moment and I need to really manage myself properly now,” Findlay said Saturday. “Because if this whole situation trickles into 2014, that’s kind of the worst-case scenario.”

So if the game plan this season calls for Findlay to withdraw from a WTS race in San Diego, as she did on April 19, or to complete only the swim and bike sections and drop out before the 10-kilometre run leg, as happened June 1 in Madrid, she is learning to accept that.

“It’s definitely not ideal or natural,” said Findlay, who is back in Edmonton for a week of training, to recharge and help promote the Edmonton World Cup sprint triathlon June 23. “But I was over in Europe anyway and my (training) group was in Madrid preparing for that race, so I took it as an opportunity to have a good workout and to get back into the race scene without the stress and pressure of running because I wasn’t ready to do a 10-K.

“I could have done like San Diego and just pulled out altogether ... but it was a good opportunity to grow in the other two areas (swimming and cycling), because I haven’t really been in that kind of a race for over two years now.”

Findlay has raced infrequently since injuring her right hip in training in June 2011. She is healthy now, but two years of setbacks have taken a toll on her running speed. Re-establishing that is a slow, careful process and everyone from Findlay to her coach, Joel Filliol, to Triathlon Canada’s director of high performance, Libby Burrell, are erring on the side of caution.

“Of course, I want to finish the race,” Findlay said. “I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m having to do that.

“But recognizing and being realistic, it’s a long-term rebuild, I guess, as we’re calling it, I’d love to be up running with the lead girls, but in my current fitness state, that (not running in Madrid) was OK. I was all right with it.”

Burrell believes Findlay will be among the leaders again. But she is determined not to repeat the series of ill-advised attempts to get Findlay back to elite competition that preceded her appearance in the women’s triathlon at the London Olympics, where she finished last.

For Findlay this season is about recalibrating her running mechanics, in much the same way that a golfer re-tools his or her swing. It takes time, patience and the application of high-tech science, along with medical and training expertise.

To that end, Findlay recently spent time in Ireland working with Gerard Hartmann, renowned physical therapist to athletes like British distance runner Paula Radcliffe and Irish runner Sonia O’Sullivan, who won silver in the 5,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Findlay last week underwent gait analysis on a high-tech treadmill at the Runners Service Lab in Brussels, Belgium, to identify mechanical imbalances and correct them.

Under Burrell’s guidance, Triathlon Canada’s integrated support team has done a thorough assessment of Findlay’s situation and assembled a return-to-run program that is gradual and gentle.

“I want to make sure that she’s absolutely ready,” Burrell said. “I do not believe that she can have laid off proper running training for two years, then train three to four weeks in a return-to-running (program) and then go competitive with (U.S. triathlete) Gwen Jorgensen, Jodie Stimpson (British) and (Welsh triathlete) Non Stanford that are running 32 minutes (for 10-kilometres).

“I don’t think that’s fair on her.”

Burrell, who was hired as Triathlon Canada’s high performance director following the London Olympics, is a no-nonsense leader, unafraid to make tough decisions. It was Burrell, for example, who pulled Findlay from the San Diego race rather than take any chances with a minor pre-race injury issue.

“I’m positive she’s going to return,” Burrell said. “I do not believe that it’s a career-ending imbalance or problem.”

Burrell also believes the rebuild phase can’t be rushed.

“She’s got 12 months to June 2014 to rebuild properly,” Burrell said. She needs “a soft return to racing, gently accelerating the level of racing, just to test it, to not do any mad, stupid things to get ready for races that are too fast for her right now.”

This is precisely the kind of oversight that was absent in the nearly two-year run-up to London.

“I care enough about Paula to actually throw the hammer down on her and say I’m not going to enter you in those races,” Burrell said. “We’re going to make a careful return to racing. I care enough to bring her back properly.”

Amen to that.