SLEEPING, lying around, flopping on a couch. Three disciplines ironwoman Lizzie Welborn has been forced to incorporate into her daily routine for the last six weeks.
A bout of glandular fever prior to Christmas left the star ironwoman flat and fatigued, unable to get out of bed for a number of weeks as she fought off the virus.
But the Sydney-based environmental studies student is now back on the sand and heading to Queensland for this weekend’s fourth round of the six-leg Nutri-Grain ironwoman series.
And while she started the season as one of the favourites, Welborn says she is now unsure how she will fair in the professional ironwoman series ran in conjunction with the Ocean6 series.
“I can’t afford to let myself have a lot of expectations,’’ said Welborn, in 15th place overall after missing the third round.
“To be honest I am just happy to be back racing again.’’
“With the glandular fever I was the most tired I have ever felt in my life but I just put all the effort I normally put into training into getting better.
“Who knows, maybe the rest has done me good.’’
With athletes able to drop their worst performance of the season from the scorecard, Welborn is still an outside chance of making the series podium after a 10th and 3rd in the opening rounds.
Welborn is just one of three top women struck down by injury or illness this season.
But unlike Harriet Brown and Jordy Mercer, the North Bondi surf lifesaver is at least still able to compete.
Both Brown and Mercer suffered season-ending foot injuries and will be watching the racing at Currumbin on Saturday from the sand.
Northern Beaches ironwoman Georgie Miller, who relocated to the Gold Coast to train mid last year, leads the series overall.
Queenslander Maddy Dunn is second overall with Lana Rogers, who won the last round in Wollongong, in third.
Coolangatta Gold champion Ali Day leads the ironman from Kendrick Louis and Matt Poole.