Well I’ve been back home for a week now, and I’m already getting prepared to leave again. The last week in Tobago ended up going by pretty quick. After the time trial on Sunday, I had my last workout at the park on Monday. 6x300 with a three minute break. The week before I had done the workout a little too fast, so this time around control was the key. The goal for the reps was 50 seconds, so my focus was on keeping them around there. I still wanted to run them hard, but more relaxed was going to be the key. I started off hard, but instead of accelerating at each corner I maintained my form as good as I could. The first one was 51.62 so just a little faster than the goal, but not as fast as the week before. It felt really good, and it gave me a good idea of how the rest of the workout should go. The break was only 3 minutes, so just enough time to walk back and shake out the legs a bit before I got going again. I took off just like I did the first one and relaxed the whole way through. I didn’t feel like I was pushing any harder than the first rep, but the time showed me otherwise, 49.61. I wasn’t feeling too tired and the reps were feeling really relaxed, so the best I was hoping for at this point was that I wouldn’t get too tired by the end of the workout. The third rep ended up being too fast again, and part of me was feeling a bit frustrated. No matter how much I tried to relax, I was still going to fast…but I guess better too fast than too slow. I was starting to feel a little tired, so going into the next rep I just focused on keeping my knees high down the home stretch. Coming around the last bend I could feel I was getting tired, so I just fought to keep my form and finished in 50.01. Right on goal, but now I was getting tired, so the last two were going to be really hard. The break seemed to go by faster when was tired, and the fifth rep was a struggle to finish. It started off really well, but as I came around the first corner my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds each. It was really hard to keep my form coming home, and the time showed it, 52.09. I wasn’t really sure what happen, but off the start of the rep I wasn’t feeling like I was going to run well. I let the mental part of the rep get the best of me and it really effected my performance. I knew the last one was going to be my final run at the park and I wanted to make it a good one. I wanted to end my training in Tobago on a high note. I got all the negative thoughts that had accumulated from the last rep out of my head, and hit the last one with all that I had. It seemed like within a blink I was already 100 meters in, and coming around the first corner. This rep I didn’t feel tired and I just thought, ‘I wanna finish off good’. I accelerated off the corner, pushed through the pain and pumped my arms as hard as I could. I finished off in 49.40 and was ready to keel over! I felt good though about the way I had finished. It was my final workout at the park, so after cooling down I spent some time saying good bye. I was going up with the secondary school kids, so I exchanged contact with some of the older athletes then said good bye to Shaw Park. The park was a great training facility for the time I was down in Tobago. I was able to improve in my short speed quiet a bit, and the park made it a lot easier on my body to train. I know I’ll miss the great friends I’ve made in Tobago, but I do plan on coming back real soon so I’ll try not to be too sad.
One Tuesday I had to wake up super early to catch to boat over to Trinidad. This would be the final good bye to my uncle in Tobago as I’ll head back to Canada from Trinidad on Saturday. I’ve learned a great deal about myself, not only as an athlete but as a person while also getting to know my uncle in Tobago. I really look forward to returning to Tobago not only for the amazing weather, but more so to spend more quality time with my family.
I wasn’t able to train once I got over to Trinidad, so I used it as a week to rest, and just enjoyed the secondary school meet on Wednesday and Thursday. A lot of the kids that I trained with did very well at the meet, and it was nice to see their hard work pay off in competition.
Friday was my last full day in Trinidad so I did some last minute souvenir shopping. I couldn’t believe that my time had already run up and I was heading back home. It felt like I had just got to Trinidad, and now it was time to leave.
Saturday and Sunday were travelling days. Saturday I flew to Miami and spent then night, then headed back to Regina on Sunday. As happy as I was to be home to see my friend, I was not happy to see snow. Waking up on Monday I looking out the window all I saw was snow everywhere! It had been less than 24 hours, and I was already ready to leave Regina, I was not feeling this cold! I did my workouts for the week at the university with the university team. Nationals were on the weekend so, most of my friends only practiced on Monday and Tuesday then headed to Windsor of Wednesday for the meet. It was nice to get onto the softer track at the university, but the air really killed me. My workouts were similar to the ones I had been doing in Tobago, but my body was not liking the adjustments to the indoor track. After two workouts my body was already starting to feel sore and tight, so I knew I needed to get back on an outdoor track right away.
My training partners are in Arizona, so I decided to head down as soon as possible. I’m leaving Tuesday, and hoping that training inside hasn’t done too much damage on my body yet. It’s a bit cooler in Phoenix than it was in Tobago, but I guess it will have to do :-) I’m definitely happy to be back with my group, and in just under a month competition season will begin. Hopefully all my hard work so far will pay off.