I wondered for a while about what to write and couldn't decide. So I thought I would start by recapping on the last 12 months and what's next...
After the summer I was happy that moving to Mick was the right move and that the hard work was starting to pay off as I had achieved most of what I wanted in the summer - although I still had lots of areas that needed serious work (5k...) - I had run PB's in both 1500, 3000m and got a bronze medal at the U23 AAA's. However I feel that I really under performed over 5000m as my training had indicated that I would run quite a bit faster than my 16.11 PB.
Tearing my Piriformus muscle towards the end of June wasn't part of the plan but I have the St Mary's University physiology team to thank for getting me back in time for the end of the season and to salvage it with a new 1500m PB as they allowed me to use their Hypoxic Chamber to help bring my fitness back.
Finally it was my end of season break where I enjoyed a few 'well earned' nights out with friends and a girlie holiday in Gibraltar with my mum - Best daughter ;). I sat down with Mick to discuss the upcoming cross country season, what we would like to achieve and what my training plan would look like leading up to the European Cross Country. We decided that instead of starting a strength and conditioning programme we would continue with Pilates until Christmas and then review it as I felt it was keeping my previous back problems at bay and enabling me to do core without straining it further.
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| Summer Break 2013 (Bring back the tan!!) |
Leading up the Europeans training and racing was going really well and I believed I was in with a chance of getting a medal. What I didn't account for was having a woman in the race who had run 8.30 over 3000m (I found this out less than 24 hours before the start of the race! Brilliant!) However I am a big believer that given the opportunity anything can happen. The race went to plan and I have no complaints as I executed the race plan perfectly and felt really really strong, there just happened to be 4 stronger girls on the day (2 on my own team!!).
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| European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade (Tom Smeeth Photos) |
I had a few days off after the Europeans just to recuperate and refocus. When I got back into training I was really struggling and had a few things on my mind however the fact that I had the BUPA Edinburgh Cross coming up made me change a few things and refocus. Training started to improve so I decided to have a run out at the county champs to try and put my body under pressure to see how it would respond... 8k around a drenched Denby Vineyards certainly tested whether I was ready to race so I was confident of a good performance in Edinburgh where I finished 7th against a good quality senior womens field. It was also great to win another County Champs title.
It was awesome to win the bronze medal at the National Cross Country Championships as it had been my aim alongside the Europeans all winter. I love this race and because of my parents I know and love the history of the event which makes it even more special to me. I know my mum has won the race twice. This is huge motivation for me...I can't have my mum beating me! My last race of the winter was the UK Inter Counties, this is a race I had won as a junior but since running the senior race I had had mixed fortunes. The first year I ran I finish 23rd and couldn't work out what had happened as I thought I was in really good shape. Then last year I had painfully finished 6th which meant that British Athletics left me out of the team for the World Cross Country Champs. Although this year wasn't a trial race it gave me huge incentive to want to run well and prove that if it was a trial race I would have to be selected so it was great to win the race after nearly dying round the last bend when I went to follow the motorbike down the wrong exit and then thinking I may have to hurdle the lady with the tape at the line!
I'm really excited to announce that I am currently in the process of becoming an ambassador for an awesome company called Fit Brands who have very kindly offered to help support me, it's still very early stages but i'm really excited and hope its go be something we can build on for years to come. Although I am still going to work full time it is great to have their support and it eases the burden a little as running is not a cheap sport when trying to compete with the best. After a lovely meeting with the guys at head office they very kindly gave me the opportunity to try some of the products from the brands that they work with and I have been trying out Newline Sport , Balega Socks and Soleus Watches this week which are all absolutely AMAZING and I highly recommend trying them as they are all products you can get in the UK!!
Finally looking ahead to the summer I have my 10,000m debut this weekend that i'm excited about (bit scared too- 25 laps is loooooong...)! I'm not quite sure how its going to go, but I have a time in mind and its a good quality field with the likes of 2010 European Champion Jessica Augusto toeing the line among some other strong Portuguese and Spanish athletes so will just try and get involved and see how the race plays out. I have Jesus Olivan and the Portuguese Athletics Federation to thank for getting me into the field and allowing me to run so fingers crossed I can run as well as I feel I can. Then its off to Sierra Nevada in the Spanish mountains for some Altitude training alongside my fellow Aldershot girls, so we are all super excited for that and I will try and post some photos and a blog whilst i'm there.
I'm really excited to announce that I am currently in the process of becoming an ambassador for an awesome company called Fit Brands who have very kindly offered to help support me, it's still very early stages but i'm really excited and hope its go be something we can build on for years to come. Although I am still going to work full time it is great to have their support and it eases the burden a little as running is not a cheap sport when trying to compete with the best. After a lovely meeting with the guys at head office they very kindly gave me the opportunity to try some of the products from the brands that they work with and I have been trying out Newline Sport , Balega Socks and Soleus Watches this week which are all absolutely AMAZING and I highly recommend trying them as they are all products you can get in the UK!!
Finally looking ahead to the summer I have my 10,000m debut this weekend that i'm excited about (bit scared too- 25 laps is loooooong...)! I'm not quite sure how its going to go, but I have a time in mind and its a good quality field with the likes of 2010 European Champion Jessica Augusto toeing the line among some other strong Portuguese and Spanish athletes so will just try and get involved and see how the race plays out. I have Jesus Olivan and the Portuguese Athletics Federation to thank for getting me into the field and allowing me to run so fingers crossed I can run as well as I feel I can. Then its off to Sierra Nevada in the Spanish mountains for some Altitude training alongside my fellow Aldershot girls, so we are all super excited for that and I will try and post some photos and a blog whilst i'm there.
Sorry for the essay, I will try and make them shorter in future.
Gracias xx
