IT was the sting in the tail that provided the final punctuation mark on Port Macquarie triathlete Harry Jones' unimpressive 2019 season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And one he will be the first to admit was severely disappointing.
The location was Japan back in June when Jones found himself lapped by the leaders in the Gamagori NTT ASTC Triathlon Asian Cup.
If he wasn't feeling bad enough about not finishing, the 27-year-old would then be diagnosed a week later with achilles tendinopathy which saw him sidelined for three months.
"It was one of the darkest three months of my life," Jones said.
"It was the longest time I'd ever had off the sport and I was struggling physically and mentally to be able to cope with not training.
"I don't think I could have a worse season than I did in 2019; I almost hit rock bottom."
It was the first time other than suffering twice from a flat tyre previously that he had registered a DNF.
Trying to complete a full-time university degree added another pressure point to an already busy calendar.
And while there is never a good time for a sportsman to suffer an injury, it allowed Jones the opportunity to re-evaluate.
Re-evaluate how to train better. How to improve.
"I was so busy with uni that I wasn't doing those little things that you should do when you prioritise your training," he said.
"If I wanted to learn anything from the whole thing it would be to listen to my body a little bit more even though I am pretty vigilant with that anyway.
"I wouldn't say it was good to have the injury, but I was too eager to get back into it after my poor performance in the first part of the year.
"My ego kicked in too much."
Jones hopes he can start 2020 off on a better note when he heads to Tasmania at the end of February for the Devonport OTU Sprint Triathlon Oceania Cup.
"It's part of being a professional athlete; you've got to learn how to deal with setbacks," he said.
"I'm the fittest I've ever been and I've changed a few things with my strength program; I've tried a couple of different things which is working really well.
"I'm motivated, back on track now and looking forward to my first race in February."
What else is happening in sport?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.
If you value local journalism, continue to support us and consider taking out a subscription. CLICK HERE for a 30-day free trial.
