LASSWADE ATHLETIC CLUB

Blog entry #3 (26/10/13)

It’s been another quick month in Albuquerque! Time is going by pretty quickly and it doesn’t feel like a month since writing my last post. Since the last post I have raced twice, had another solid month of training and feeling fit!

My first race in the NCAA was an 8k cross country at Notre Dame University. It was just how I imagined, a flat golf course with no mud and 80f degree heat! The race had over 200 college athletes from around America as well as a few Brits too. I saw Chris O’hare and Kris Gauson, 2 Edinburgh AC athletes who also went to the NCAA. The race set off fast and didn’t slow down. It was very physical at the start with lots of pushing and a few falls. Luckily I stayed on my feet but I found my self in about 120th place after 800 metres. I got into a rhythm and spent most of the race coming through the field. I’m the end I got 88th and 5th counter for New Mexico. At first I was very disappointed but on reflection it wasn’t too bad a result. It was my first race since July, it was 75-80% humidity! I had just had 10 days off from an injury and I managed to place 5th in the team when I was expecting to finish 7th or 8th. It showed I had work to do and I needed to be ready for Wisconsin in 2 weeks time.

My next race was the Adidas Wisconsin Invitational cross country. Again it was held on a golf course however it was a bit hillier this time. It was also freezing cold which was a big change from Notre Dame. I felt fitter and more confident going into this 8km race and was looking forward to having a good run. The course was much wider so it wasn’t as physical and I was looking for a position somewhere between 45-70th. The race started pretty steadily and I got in a good position with 3 other guys on my team. We worked together for the first half but gradually we started breaking up and gaps were appearing. I was 8th counter for New Mexico at half way and over the next 1-2 miles I got up to 5th. I was running well and on target for a good finish until at 4 miles I felt a stitch coming on. I tried to run for 200 metres but it gradually got worse. I started to slow down and before I knew it 50 people had passed, then 100 and before long I was last counter for the team and close to last out of the 300+ runners in the team. I’d gone from roughly 80th to last in the space of 600 metres and dropped out with 1km to go. I was gutted and so disappointed however it was out of my control and something I have only ever experienced in a race once or twice. The team went on to finish 5th however if I’d finished strongly and held my position we could have won a place on the podium.

This month was an introduction to the NCAA. I experienced the depth of the quality in the fields and saw how finishing 10 seconds slower can truly cost you 40+ places. At Wisconsin our 4th runner ran 24:11 (69th) and our 5th ran 24:25 (110th).

Since Wisconsin my training has gone up another level and I’m no longer feeling tired every day or have aches and pains. This is good news for my next race which is on the 1st of November at Colorado Springs. This race is a much smaller race with only 70-80 guys in the race and New Mexico have won the meet for the last 5 years in a row. The race is held at 6200ft so the altitude might make things more difficult.

University is going well too. I have scored 90+% in my last 2 tests and I’m enjoying the classes too.

I hope everyone had good runs at Stirling XC, the East District Relays and the National Relays too! And congratulations on winning Impact Club of the Year at the Scottish Athletics Annual Awards!

Blog entry #2 (24/09/92)

I have been in Albuquerque for 1 month now and I’m settling in really well. The team is getting on great and the standard of the runners is far beyond what I expected. I wanted to train at a university where the runners were good but I’m now wondering if they’re too good! It just shows what a great opportunity I have getting to train with such a good group.

The first 3 weeks were tough but I found myself running as well as ever and adjusting to the altitude really well. I was just getting to a fitness level that saw me keep up with the fastest guys when unfortunately I got a bit of an injury. My peroneal tendon on my right foot became tight and painful and I struggled to walk for the next few days. Luckily however (maybe a present for my 21st) I managed to run pain free today for 1 hour to top off my birthday.
The injury meant I had 10 days off running but I don’t think I’ve lost too much fitness and I have 59 days to get to my peak for the national championships (if I make the team).

The whole injury incident let me see the university’s approach to injuries. I was able to get treatment most days which varied from light massage, ice baths, ultra sound, a massage technique called scraping (where they use basically a scraper that you would use for scraping ice off your car) and used this to scrape the muscles in my calf. I was told to aqua run for the next 10 days to try to maintain fitness level for the upcoming race. The cross training (pool/bike/gym etc) was very intense and quite monotonous. The good news is my foot is feeling better and it has acted as a reminder to know not to go overboard with training and realise my limits.

University is going well too. I got A’s for my first 2 tests and the timetable is great! 7.5 hours of classes per week which means I have plenty of time to relax by the pool at the apartment and play on the xbox, I have to remind myself I’m here to train and it’s not just 1 big holiday!

Overall I am enjoying the experience so far. If I can stay injury free then I really believe I can make big steps over the coming months and get myself a space on the Glasgow 2014 team!

Hopefully my next update brings more good news about training and university!

Blog – entry #1 (23/08/13)

Today I left the Uk to head to albuquerque, New Mexico to train with the NCAA d1 school, the university of New Mexico. I have mixed emotions, I am setting out on the experience of a lifetime but leaving friends and family at home until Christmas. To date, the longest I have been away from home was a 3 week altitude training camp in font Romeu, France. However the squad in albuquerque looks strong and hopefully I can progress as an athlete, student and in other aspects of life too.

Currently I am not in the shape I would like to be in heading to one of the most competitive platforms the sport offers. The year started off great with a pb indoors over 1500m as well as regaining my national u20 cross country title. This was followed by more injury-free months filled with target specific sessions and a drive to make the European u23 team. However tonsillitis struck in early April resulting in 6-7 weeks of zero or little training. This was followed by weeks of feeling lethargic and racing at about 80%. Later in the summer I found the root of the lethargy, the Epstein Barr virus. This was more than likely a post illness virus linked to the tonsillitis and would require a structured diet as well as iron supplements to control and hopefully overcome the illness. The addition of altitude could also prove problematic in recovering from the virus if training isn’t monitored/controlled. The head coach Joe Franklin is aware of the situation and seems to have plans for the coming months so hopefully we can work together in returning to my best form.

The last 2 weeks have been on/off training due to plantar fasciitis, an injury caused most likely as a result of my increase in mileage. The heel pains seem to have subsided so I am hoping to be able to get straight into the training phase when I arrive. I am living with 3 other students (2 of which are also runners) in an apartment owned by the university. The weather very hot (30+ degrees) and classes start 3 days after I arrive, so not much time to get familiar with the campus. My first race is scheduled for the 4th of October, what kind of shape I’ll be in then I have no idea but hopefully I can perform to a good level and move on from there to the bigger races later on in the year. The bigger picture is still the Glasgow 2014 commonwealth games and this year will see me choose between the 1500m or the 5k. In an ideal world I would have had the qualifying time for the 1500 by now and round about 14:00 for 5k however this season has been a bit of a nightmare so the times will have to wait.

I will try to update the blog with posts every month with my progress and any race results.

The course has now been prepared for the big day. Strimmers buzzed continually on this bright autumn morning, ensuring that all paths are suitable for our runners and visitors. Despite some necessary changes, due to the Borders Railway work being undertaken, the course still offers a fine challenge to all age groups.

Newtongrange Gala Committee will once again be providing a range of hot and cold snacks and drinks for purchase on the day.

We are still seeking volunteers to marshall the event so if you have’nt been in touch already please do so now.

john@newbattle.fsnet.co.uk