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!
