Cool Runnings

So this weekend I was back at Bath University for some practise on the Bobsliegh. I joined the athletes on there tests as part of the Talent I.D programme.

I joined some of the guys on the 30mtr sprint test, although I had already done this I thought I would use it as some training and see where abouts I am in training after not being able to do as much in the last four weeks due to illness. I did ok didn't run as fast as I did when I went through my trials but still a 3.96 aint bad going for someone who hasn't been training!! So I was happy with that and in a few weeks time after being back in full training and full fitness I will be smashing it.

Following this the guys and myself went up to the push track for some timed runs and seeing how quick we could push the make shift Bob. I really enjoyed this part of the session. For me I couldn't do the proper push technique as I still have a damaged wrist which is still under investigation so I had to do the Talent I.D push however I still found this painful. This was the first time for me pushing for time and with the help of Paula Walker and the coaching team I managed to clock 4.066 which is good going for me first time. But the target has now been set for me and I need to push 3.999 or under so I shall be returning back to Bath soon for some more coaching followed by some timed runs and I will nail it!! Hopefully by then my wrist will be better too.

I'm enjoying this new chapter of my life and can't wait to go forward with this. I am now finally getting back into full training and looking forward to the summer track season and then starting my first ever Winter season with GB Bobsiegh!! SWEET ;o)

Hit and Miss

My body has not been my best friend lately and training has been a bit of hit and miss where I have spent most of my time feeling dead and ready to vomit!! This isn't after a monster session this is after like two runs, I've spent most of my time sleeping and even having a hyper 3year old in the house this still hasn't stopped me! This has been going on for about four weeks now so I have missed a massive part of my preparation for the outdoor season. The good news is that following a blood test there is no major underlying cause to this apart from high blood sugars and thankfully this week I finally feel like my body is back on side and ready to get back to work. So I'm taking small steps into returning back to full training and the plus side for me is it doesn't take me long to get back to full fitness.

The good thing about all this is that I've been able to spend some more time with Mia, having afternoons in the park (yes I do play on the slide haha). Me and Mia have a Pizza Hut Friday where we go for lunch, this is my rest day anyway and my day off work so I plan to continue this as we have so much fun. We've been doing some painting, however that stopped when I left the room for two minutes and Mia decided to paint my carpet and write her name on my front room door!! I brought Mia some face paint and now she won't let me take it off!! Me on the otherhand having so much free time on my hands have been doing designs on my own nails, and even if I do say so myself I think I have a hidden talent ;o)

Normally by now I would have opened up my outdoor season but this season I'm not in any rush to get out and race. The important thing for me right now is to lay down the training. 2012 is just around the corner and I want to be in the best possible shape for next year so this year I am going to be selective on my races and see how things go. I am going to test myself and see where abouts I am at when I line up for a very rare 150m at the Manchester Street Race next month! I've not done a 150 since I was about 15 so I'm sure it's going to be an experience.

Academy National Award

As you know I work as a Teaching Assistant at All Saints Academy Plymouth and this week I was pleased to help the school celebrate a top national award presented from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The values of friendship, respect and excellence has helped our Academy to be the first school in the country to achieve a top national GET SET Award.

The scheme gives children and young people the opportunity to promote the core values of the Games, which also include courage, determination and equality.

The Olympic message was shown by the school through a special sports day which was created when we launched the academy last summer. The activity day includes a variety of sports and is aimed at boosting team building skills throughout the student population. I received the plaque on behalf of the school from Plymouth Leander coach Jon Rudd.

Principal of the Academy Pete Grainger and the whole school are honoured to be chosen for this award and the All Saint Academy Programme is an excellent example of how London 2012 is helping to spark young people's imagination and inspiring them to get involved and make a difference.........

WELL DONE ALL SAINTS ACADEMY

It's Bobsleigh Time

So a while back I said that I may have some more news to share with you and now I can.

A while ago I travelled to Bath University to try out for the GB Bobsleigh Team and as a result of this I passed all the physical attributes that they where looking for to become a breakswoman and use my speed and strength to help push the Bob and I can now reveal that I am now part of the GB Bobsleigh Team and will be travelling to the USA on the 19th of March to train with the GB Team and you never know maybe compete in their last race of the season.

I am very excited and grateful to be given this chance and start a new chapter in my life and hopefully make it to the 2014 Winter Olympics. The good thing for me is that I can still carry on with my athletics during the Summer, but I will not be competing again in the indoors as I will be busy doing my thing with Bobsleigh and I can't wait. Who knows I could join the names of elite athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, imagine that ;o)

The thing with me is I love a challenge and I give it my all to try and succeed. I am confident this is going to another amazing adventure as part of development I have some great things coming up and I plan to grasp it with both hands and make the best of it and come out on top and who knows maybe an Olympic Champion! How sweet would that be?!

Rocky

Last time I wrote I talked about myself going through a midlife crisis and signing up to step into the Boxing ring for Charity in aid of St Lukes Hospice. Well I did it......

Put me on the track in front of thousands any day, stepping into a Boxing ring to fight was the most nervous thing I've ever had to do, to say I felt sick is an understatement!! I did have good preparation going in as I had a nice massage before my warm up by Becky and then Dave talked me through what I had to do and then helped me warm up! When it was my time to step out I could have easily thrown up with nerves, I was about to step into the ring with another girl and we were to hammer seven bells out of each other!!

I entered the ring to Eminem Lose Yourself with my corner men Dave Smith and Dezzi O'Connor. As soon as the bell went for the first round adrenaline kicked in and so did the nerves and we went for it!! It was the hardest 6 minutes of my life, I was blowing come the final round, how anyone can do 12 rounds is beyond me I was dead on my feet I'm not designed for that haha. Did I enjoy it? Yes I did, would I do it again? Hell no!!
I'm a sprinter and i do not have the lungs for that. So what was the result? Well I WON ;-)

The girl I joined in the ring was 18 years old and I take my hat off to her, she had a great engine on her and I'm sure she could of carried on all night. It was a great night and everyone enjoyed the show and I'm sure a lot of money was raised for a fantastic cause. The next time I am asked to do the raffle I shall think twice about it haha I shall stick to training at Boxing not fighting I can officially say I have got that one out my system for sure it doesn't matter what anyone tells you to do when you step into the ring all that goes out the window when someone is trying to beat the living daylights out of you ;-)

Indoors Complete - So What's Next?

So last weekend at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham was my last race of the Indoor season for 2011. My indoors didn't go as well as I would have liked but I still have some positives to take away from it. I ran quicker over the 60's than I did last year and my reactions from the blocks this indoors has been way off! Its been as though I have fallen asleep in the blocks every time. My reaction from the blocks at the UK Champs in my heat for the 200m was 0.311 what's that all about???? I found this very frustrating as I am normal a quick starter but this indoors it wasn't to be, and now it is something I have to work on and get right for the outdoor season and I'm confident I will.

I found the indoor season came around very quick and it felt like I didn't really have much of winter training base as the Commonwealths kept me competing later in the year than normal and then all of a sudden it was time to go again for the indoor season but I am now glad its over and I can get back to the hard work again. This summer season I plan to open up the outdoors later than normal and won't compete until May. I normally do a lot of low key meets to get me going and I start early April as it takes me a few races to get race fit but this year I am going to try something different and make sure I am in the best possible shape and good to go.

So what's next for me?! Well I have taken this week off from the track to recover, but it doesn't mean I haven't been working hard in fact I have been busy in the Boxing gym as for some stupid reason I have agreed to take part in an Amature Boxing match in aid of St Lukes Hospice. Its a Boxing - Wrestling night which takes place at the Plymouth Guildhall this Saturday the 26th!! Am I mad you ask?! YES! Haha plus I am starting to think maybe I am having a midlife crises at the ripe old age of 31!!! My thought behind it is its for a good cause, I was only meant to be going to draw the raffle but someone informed the organiser that I do Boxing Training and now I shall be stepping into the ring for the 1st time ever, nervous? MUCH! Ha. But I am sure its going to be a great night. I even have my own entrance music but I'm not going to share that with you yet.

I have also been asked on numerous times if its true I am going to be taking up Bobsleigh? All I am going to say is watch this space you never know what I may share with you ;-)

So that's it for now I am going to be busy getting myself prepared for my adventure on Saturday then after that who knows...........

week Of The UK Indoor Trials

So this is it.....its now the week of the UK Indoor Trials and now is the time where I get myself fine tuned and ready to roll on Saturday where I go in the 60mtrs and then Sunday I will step up the distance and take on the 200mtrs.

I've had a really good start to the week in the weights room where I managed to achieve 2Pb's in both my power cleans and bench press by 5k on each, I could have gone heavier but with having to race this weekend I didn't want to push it! I have not attempted any squats as I don't want to over do it on the legs and feel dead when I need to run fast. I've been fine tuning the block situation also and avoiding any dq's after my upset in Linz and I won't be making that mistake this time round. So the rest of the week will be about tapering down with some technical work and some fast runs.

I can't wait to race at the trials this year. I've not really been in the competitive mode yet this indoor season and run in a quality field, but this year I think will be the best 60m Women's line up seen in a long time. All the girls have posted some fast times and I can't wait to get in the mix and lay down my fast time which is long overdue in the 60's ;-) Then on Sunday I will do the 2's which I love running indoors, I shall be using the three rounds as part of my training and a bit of fun as the 200mtrs is not an event at the European Championships. It will all be about the 60mtrs and trying to achieve the 7.30 which is the standard for the Europeans, I'm going to have to pull out a massive lifetime best and run the race of my life but the good thing is I'm in the shape to do it!! :-)