...winter training

I have gotten into a great routine with my winter training. This week my mileage was just over 80, that's 80miles not Kilometers! 
Today i have a rest day. I usually take one day of every 2 weeks. 


During my break and build up to normal training volume i was able to get out into the local running community. 
I visited a few schools around Atlanta to hand out running shoes for the "Girls on the Run" program. GOTR is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running.  
I am thrilled to have been asked to be the official starter of the GOTR 5k Atlanta race on Nov.13th. 

I also visited a couple of local colleges to talk about my experiences as college and professional runner. 

Most mornings my husband and I meet with my massage therapist, Robin Rogers and run at the Chattahoochee river trail close to our house. 

The trail is a runners dream. Soft dirt with quarter mile markers all the way, but i have my Garmin of course! We also have the option to run up in the wooded trails. I usually meet some local guys for a trail run on Friday mornings. 

Currently twice a week I have weights and 4-5 afternoons a week I have a 2nd run. 

I had my first workout last week, and pleasantly surprised myself with my tempo pace. Tempos are my weakness, so I was really happy with my workout. 

This week I had my first session with Chiropractor Dr.Josh.Glass at Georgia Sports Chiropractic. Dr Glass has served as the USA Track & Field World Championship Team Chiropractor at the last two world Championships and has been the event Chiropractor at the USA National Champs since 2004. 

I get a stitch/cramp quite often, and it really held me back in the Final at the World Champs this year, so i am looking to fix this issue with the help of Dr.Glass. 

My massage therapist works closely with Dr.Glass which is great as they can communicate my needs easily. 

I also have the use of the fantastic technology which includes the Alter G Treadmill and Pneumatic Compression sleeves. The NormaTec MVP provides pulsating compression to your legs to reduce swelling, muscle fatigue and stiffness.

We are extremely lucky to have such a good quality altitude tent. My sleep is not disturbed at all. Those of you who have experienced sleeping in an altitude tent know it can get very hot. We are currently sleeping at 12,000ft. 12hours a day at 12,000ft is said to be equivalent to 25hrs a day at 6,000ft.
I am planning to get in some altitude training between January and April next year in either Kenya or Font Romeu. 

This week Sean is working with New Balance at the New York Marathon, so it is just me and Duke (my dog). He enjoyed a nice bowl of Delia Smith's Yorkshire pudding recipe and gravy tonight! For those American readers Yorkshire Puddings are amazing and Delia Smith is an English Cook and the UK's best selling cookery Author. 

Look out for the launch of my website this week!

World Champs...making the final!

It's been a while...sorry! I am currently working on my website and should have it up and running by the end of the week.

Following on from my last blog in Daegu...

My pre-meet went really well at the track in the village the day before my race. It always helps to feel good the day before, and it got me really excited about the race.

I felt really good going into the heats, my warm-up went well and I knew what I need to do to make the final. I was 100% focused on making the final and really believed I would. 

I ran with confidence and stayed wide to keep myself at the front. 5 of us broke away but only 4 would qualify. Apart from getting a stitch with 600m to go, I felt great. I knew at the bell lap that my time would be good enough for a spot in the final, and I ended up less than a second off an automatic top 4 spot in my race. 

Going into the final I really believed I could be top 8, which would have gained me automatic selection for London 2012. However things just didn't go well on the day. 

The final is still a mystery to me! 50m into the race one of the Ethiopian's fell and I had to jump over her, which caused a gap from me and the rest of the field. From that point onwards I was never in the race and simply ran. Finishing 14th was not my goal, nor was running my slowest time of the season. 

I still had a week left in the village before retuning to England. Which meant another week of terrible food in the dining hall! I have never eaten so much pineapple in the space of 2-weeks in my life! Luckily I had fabulous room mates.

Since I was the first one to arrive in our apartment I managed to shotgun the ensuite! Hannah was pretty happy when she arrived. Our bathroom was the official ice-bath room! Holly Bleasdale wasn't having any of it though!

I took a day off following the race and then continued my training as normal. My coach and I were undecided on wether we would run anymore races following Daegu. 

Thankfully my roomie Hannah England won the silver medal in the 1500m 2 days later which lifted the mood! Being so close to someone who has just won a medal and seeing how exciting it all is, really made me want that success too. I couldn't resist a track invasion!!!

During the training camp in Ulsan my brother and his wife had a little boy, Jacob. He is the first baby amongst my brother, sister and I and was supposed to be born before I left. So I stayed home for a couple of days to see him before returning to the US of A. 

I was away for 3-months from husband and dog Duke, so it was great to back together again. 

My last race of the season was the 5th Avenue mile in New York City. It is the second time I have ran this event, my last outing being back in 2009. The event is organized by NYRR and is one of the most enjoyable events of the summer racing season. 

The entry list was one of the strongest ever, including eight olympians and four 2011 world championship finalists. Headlining the women's race, Gold and Silver medalists in the 1500m Jenny Simpson and Hannah England, 4:00 flat runner Morgan Uceny and the versatile 5000m Silver medalist Sally Kipyego. 

The race went out pretty steady and I was in the middle of the pack until about 600m in. The race goes uphill from 400m-800m and I didn't quite push hard enough which caused me to loose contact and the field began to string out. At around 1km I found myself reeling people in and I managed to gain a top 10 finish in a time of 4:31.7, only 1 second off my track PR (or PB, depending if you are British or American!)

Last week I had my first session with Sports Psychologist Stan Beecham. I first met Stan at Zap Fitness in Boone, North Carolina whilst I was attending a pre season camp with Florida State University. 

My coach and I decided my psychology during races is an aspect of training we needed to address. Both physical and psychological capabilities contribute to good performance and it is important to understand that on race day 50% of performance comes from both mental and preparatory decisions.

Training this year has gone very well and we  both feel I should be running a lot faster. So we are excited to see how this can help us with getting my times down going into London. 

Today was my first day back from a short break. I felt really fresh and I'm really looking to getting back into some hard winter training. 

Thanks to a local elite runner I have use of an altitude tent. I was really happy with my response from training in Font Romeu this year, so being able to sleep at altitude every night is something I hope to really benefit from. Thankfully we have Air Conditioning so it doesn't get hot in the tent at all.
I intend to attend camps in Kenya and Font Romeu this year in preparation for the track season, so this will help a great deal in my transition to sleeping and training at altitude. 

Until next time...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/14668033.stm

...Daegu

Once again Aviva provided the GB team with an amazing holding camp. Our base was in Ulsan,1.5hrs South East of Daegu. 

Training for mid-distance/endurance athletes in Ulsan was great. We were just a few minutes jog away from the river where we had a choice of dirt, tarmac or track surfaces. The Korean's seem to like laying track everywhere, which is great for us joggers!   

The 2nd best thing about Ulsan was fact that there were two Starbucks within 200m from the hotel, closely followed by sushi everyday at lunch and dinner! 

It pretty much rained the whole time in Ulsan, however the humidity was still quite high.

I arrived in the village on Wednesday. We didn't leave until 2pm, so I had plenty of time to get my last pre race session in at the track in the morning. My heats are at 10:35am, so I have been doing the majority of my sessions in the morning. 

The accreditation process was very fast, and I was in my apartment by 4:15pm. It was nice to have a short bus transfer rather than a flight.

View from Team GB block

Start lists for day 1 came out today and I am in heat 3 which I am happy with. Qualification is Top 3 and 3 fastest times. Usually 15 advance into the final, so I need to be on my A game to ensure a place in the final.  

This morning i will do some extended strides at the track with a short warm-up/cool-down. The track is only about 200m from our apartment block which is great.  

Go TEAM GB!

...two on the podium for "Team Font Romeu"

Running the 1500 this weekend at the UK Champs this weekend was a nice change, it was also a good workout. The heat on Friday night went out steady, 2:23 through 800m. With Lisa Dobrisky, Stacey Smith and Celia Tayor in my heat, I knew I couldn't leave it down to the last 200m. I started to move through at around 600m to go and put myself right behind Lisa at the bell. It felt good to stride out, and safely make it into the final. I was surprised at my splits over the last 800m, 66 over the penultimate lap and 48 secs over the last 300m. 

You never know how the final is going to go. Last year it went out very slow, however Stacey Smith had the World Championship A standard in mind. After a swift first lap of 63 seconds, I was sitting in about 6th place. I should have tucked in behind Lisa Dobriskey and Hannah England who ran a nice evenly paced first 800m, however i let them go to much over the second lap. 

I have been finishing very strongly in all of my races this year, and I was able to steal a bronze medal on the home straight. Sadly, I could not catch my Font Romeu housemate Hannah England!

I am hoping to run a couple more 1500's this year and get my PB down.

After the race it was important to start the recovery process asap. I warmed down with Stacey Smith and got in my recovery shake, Endurox r4. Since I was in my spikes 2 days in a row on the track I needed to make sure I went into this week without any tightness. Thanks to my lottery funding I was able to see Neil Black to ensure i got a good flush and eliminate any tight spots that may have occurred. 

On sunday I enjoyed a nice semi-long run around the Royal Sandringham estate. It is a short running distance from my house and very pictures. Sorry to say i didn't see Will & Kate or the Queen! 

I am very to run the steeplechase at the London Diamond League on Saturday. It is a very nice feeling to go into a race thinking that you have done all the right training. My number one goal this weekend will be to go with the pace in the first 1km. If I can do that I will put myself in great contention for the win. I trust in my strength and kick over the last 800m 100% and will be looking for a big PB!

You can watch the London Diamond League on Saturday on BBC one from 13:30-16:30. (Women's Steeplechase @ 15:05pm) For timetable and Entry lists click here:
http://www.diamondleague-london.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/

...time to step it up!

My first steeplechase of the season, at the Birmingham diamond league was a little disappointing, however, I did manage to get 4th and most importantly run under the A standard for the World Championship. It was drizzling rain and wasn't great for steepling, but with my current fitness level, I thought I could still set a PB.

The race went out perfectly in 3:10, however I didn't! I found myself lagging in the first 1km. It could have possibly been the transition from altitude or maybe just nerves from my first steeple of the season. Once I got into my running I really felt great. I managed to run a fast last 1km which was an encouraging sign that I have a lot of strength.

The next day I returned to Font Romeu. The warm weather we had for the 3 weeks prior to Birmingham disappeared, however, Hannah England joined me in my apartment which was something I was looking forward to. We lived together when we attended Florida State University. Even though our training this time of year is very different, we always like to be at each others sessions and do our core/strength/pre-hab exercises together.

The track in Font Romeu sits quite high and is a little exposed, so it can get quite blustery. As if 6000ft isn’t hard enough! They don’t mind bikes on the track, so I had Barry Fudge block the wind for me on my sessions.

Last Tuesday I left Font Romeu to run in the Spitzen Leichtathletik Meeting in luzern. Our main goal (my coach and I) for the race was to "compete" and place as high as possible.

The race was paced to 3:06 for the first 1km. I sat in at around 4th position for most of the race until I moved up in the last 1km. Just like Birmingham, my finish was very strong. However the leader managed to gap me which was something I need to focus on preventing. Especially if I want to make the final in Daegu.

My time of 9:35.46 was again under the World & Olympic A standard and I was awarded with a nice 1/2 Carat diamond for winning!
The next morning US steepler Delilah DeCrescenzo and I decided to go and explore the mountains of Luzren. Note to self; don't take to many turns without leaving a paper trail! Our 80minute run included a nice 40 minute brisk walk back to the hotel! However we did get to see Luzern and its beautiful trails : )
I returned to Norfolk on Friday night and have been enjoying some good ole countryside running. My coach and I decided to get some quality sessions over the next few weeks at sea-level before heading out to the training camp in Ulsan on August 14^th.

On Tuesday, Tim & Pauline Ash with City of Norwich Athletics Club, drove over to help time and support me while I ran a hard track workout. Lynnsport is renowned for being extremely windy. Even on a still day, Lynnsport will be windy! Thankfully Ruth Senior and Iona Lake came to help with wind blocking duties!

 I will be running the 1500m at AAA's this weekend, and then hope to run a fast time in the steeple at the London Diamond league the following Saturday. I am hoping for a performance that will attract some sponsors. I have been unable to pick up a kit sponsor for the past 2 seasons...time to step it up!

Font Romeu: Week 2

This is my second week in Font Romeu and my training has been going great. The weather has been fantastic, although we did get a random shower of pea size hail on Wednesday afternoon! 

After easing into training last week, I knew this week would be pretty tough, especially when you run with Paula Radcliffe on your recovery run! Tuesday, I hit the track for a standard 10 x 400 session. I did this session when I was here in April, so it was great be able to compare the two workouts. Previously, I had 1500m runner Stacey Smith pulling me round, but it was just me this time! The session went well and I was even up on my previous times!

Yesterday morning was my "big track session" of the week, and with the help of John Nuttall on the bike, it went great. The track is quite high in altitude here and also a little exposed to the wind, so it was good to have John in front of me to keep the pace even. Usually Sean, my husband (and coach) paces my workouts. The hardest task at running longer track workouts at altitude is consistency. Each lap gets tougher, so it really helps having someone there keeping you on pace. 

This mornings’ long run was just that, A LONG RUN! It seems twice as long when at the end of a big week;  3 workout and 85 miles! Rest day tomorrow! I really look forward to my recovery days. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, my coach planned that well! So it looks like tomorrow will be a movie day : )

Our resident physio here in Font Romeu is Duncan Mason, client director at Athlete Matters in Manchester (athletematters.com). Duncan has been working with Jemma Simpson and I each day on our core, we are known as "The Core Club"! We have discovered muscles we never knew we had and weaknesses we have now conquered. We will miss Duncan when he leaves to go back to the UK on Wednesday. He has done a great job of keeping me healthy. Thanks Duncan!

Recently, people have been trickling into camp as each day passes. Lee Merrien, Chris Thompson and Ryan Mcleod have joined us. Jackie Areson and Galen Rupp of the Oregon Project arrived a few days later and few athletes from the Oregon Track Club are due to arrive anytime, so I should have plenty of people to train and explore the trails with. I am also looking forward to Hannah England and Helen Clitheroe coming out on July 11th.

Next week, I will be getting ready for my first steeplechase of the season at the Birmingham diamond league! I’m excited and ready to race!

Core

Since arriving in Font Romeu, I've been trying do all of the little things right, core has been a focus along with my daily power naps!

Font Romeu so far...

I arrived in Font Romeu on Tuesday evening, it has been 7 weeks since i was here last. Font Romeu is in the South of France and is situated at 6000ft.

My trip to Font Romeu in April was my first time at altitude so i didn't know what to expect or how i would find training. When i returned to sea level, it was clear that it was certainly beneficial. Early season personal bests in the mile (4:30.51) and 5000m (15:27.03) indicates a good season ahead. 

On Friday morning I ran at the Plateau with Mo (Farah) and his training partner. I say "with", but they dropped me after 10 minutes! The Plateau is at 7000ft and has the most beautiful 360 degree views. It is amazing how different I felt on my 3rd day compared to last time. I'm not sure if it is because I knew what to expect or if i am still running off the physiological benefits of my last trip. 

On our drive back down we came across Paula Radcliffe looking very strong running hill repeats.  

Yesterday morning I did my first session. The dam across the lake is perfect for repeats, it is almost 1000m across. There were a team of Australian Triathletes out there too, so I hopped in with one of the guys for my first rep. Shame he was on his last one, as I still had 5 more reps! It was a solid workout and i look forward to getting on the track on Tuesday.

My next race with be the Steeple at the Birmingham Diamond league. Our main goal will be the World Championship A standard. The World Championship trial is on July 31st, so in between time I will be looking to improve my times over the flat. 

Bilbao, Spain 5000m Pictures

Last lap

Lap #9

New 5k PB

As part of being a professional runner, you get to travel the world chasing your dreams. Today, I am back from Spain where I competed in the 5000m. I finished 2nd and nearly won! I set a new PB of 15:27.03! in gusty winds. Training has been going great and I was able to capitalize!

Next up..Font Romeau with UKA for a 2.5 week training block to prepare for the rest of the season.