It’s Been a While

So it’s been a pretty long time since I’ve updated my blog, and quite a bit has happen.  I’ve been training my butt off and I’ve survived my hardest base training season EVER! Training has been taken up to a different level and I feel like its really paid off. 

In December I was able to go to a training Camp in St. Kitts (with the help of several great friends) then after Christmas it was time to get my game face on.  Last year I didn’t run an indoor season because I was in Trinidad, so opening up on Sunday felt a little foreign.  First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever run on a Sunday, and second, this is my first season competing out east. 

The races went pretty well none the less.  I ran a 60, which I haven’t ran since 2006, and a 200.  Both in the heats and the final for the 60 I was able to run a new personal best, 8.01, and in the 200 as well, 25.50 for an indoor personal best.  I can feel myself getting stronger and quicker and its nice to feel it pay off.  My starts are getting a bit better but they still need a little bit of work.

This weekend I will run a 300 at the University of Toronto and I’m really excited.  I feel better this week I did then last week and I’m ready to run another personal best.

Where Does The Day Go

Monday’s and Wednesday’s always feel like the longest days ever.  I wake up around the same time everyday, but each time something different hurts.  Today as I woke up and tried to get out of bed, I realized my abs were still hurting from an intense core workout last Thursday.  I tried three times to sit up, but the only thing that would rise was my head.  I accepted defeat and just rolled out of bed instead.  This looked like it was going to be a great day already.  Every morning I start off with a protein shake, just milk and a couple scoops of the grossed protein I’ve ever tasted.  I’ve always learned though, if it taste bad, its going to work…Thanks Buckley’s for that life lesson :-s  I choke down the concoction along with the ten different vitamins and minerals I take to start off the day.  After drinking my shake my taste buds are usually pretty disgusted with me, so I wait a while to eat anything.  I use this time to creep! I spend a little time on Facebook to check out what my friends are up to and try to respond to any emails that I get. Creepin’ definitely makes me miss home a lots, but I just remind myself that I’m here for a reason and I just focus on that to get me through it. 

After the nasty taste finally dissipates from my mouth, I can finally eat breakfast! I try to eat the same thing every morning, that way I know it won’t mess with my stomach at practice and I will have enough energy to train.  Once I’m done eating I still have a bit of time before practice starts so I do a little on my own before I head out.  I took a yoga class in my last semester of school as a joke, but now its actually paying off.  I spend about 45mins doing yoga to help loosen up, and stretch out any nagging tightness before practice.  After yoga I shower up then start packing and get ready for practice.  I’m use to dressing in layers for practice because around this time in Regina it would be starting to get really cold.  Old habits are hard to drop, so five layers later I’m ready to go to practice! I pack extra clothes because after practice I still have lifting to do, and lifting in sweaty clothes is no fun.

Every practice is hard, but Monday’s always seem the worse.  This Monday is no different, 600-300-200-200 is on the  plate for today.  I’ve slowly getting better at running 600s but no matter what they still hurt.  The five layers of clothing turn out to be too much, so after my warm up jog, I’m already down to two.  As the layers come off I know the workout is coming closer and closer.  I work through my drills and dread what’s coming at the end.  Once again I stretch out anything that is tight, then I’m ready to go.  The first time I did this workout I ran the 600 in over two minutes, my goal this time is just to beat that.  I line up and tell myself that its going to be ok and just to give it all I’ve got.  I take off pretty hard and at first I worry that it may have been too hard.  I set myself into a good pace and just tell myself to hold it.  300 meters in and I’m actually still feeling pretty good, I’m actually a little surprised.  I pick it up just a little and continues to keep my form.  With 200 meters left I expect fatigue to set in, but nothing, I’m still feeling great.  I pick it up one more time and pump my arms faster. I finish in just over 1:38, I’m more then pleased with my results!  I can’t believe the improvement, now just to finish the rest of the workout.  We have a rest before the next rep so I try to conserve my legs and prepare for the next one. Anything after a 600 feels like a piece of cake, I fly through the rest of the workout and leave the track pretty satisfied.  After the running portion we still aren’t done.  A couple lengths of drills are up next.  When your tired running As and walking Bs are just that much harder. My legs can barely lift, they feel like 100 pounds each. I activate my core to keep my balance as my hips and my legs burn with each step. Thirty meters feels like 100 and the drills seem like they take forever to finish.  Even though it all hurt, taking off more then 20 seconds in the 600 in just a couple weeks felt pretty awesome. I’m excited to see how this will improve my time in my races.

Even though the workout is done, I’m still not done training for the day, off to the weight room.  I take a bit of a break though before hitting the weights.  I give my body a minute to recover so I can put in a solid effort with the weights.  This week I’ve only got 3x3reps of bench press, back squat and hang cleans.  Even though its low reps, its going to be pretty heavy so I need all the energy I can get to do them. 

After the little break my body feels ready to go, and I hit the weight room.  I am able to do each rep and each set with no problem.  I’m pretty close to where my maxes were at the end of last season, and I’m just getting started.  Once weights are done my body is exhausted.  I spend a good ten minutes in the ice cold tub to give my body the therapy it wants.  I never though water that cold could feel any good, but today it feels amazing.

By the time I get home its been close to six hours.  All I want to do is sleep, but I muster the strength to cook myself a nice little supper and plop in front of the TV to finally relax.  I’m not really sure what’s on but I know it feels good to finally sit. 

This is day 1, only 4 more to go…

Feelin Good'

So coming to this group and this training program was a pretty big shock to me. I’ve been doing running like I never have been before, and getting my butt whooped in workouts like I never did before.  The first few weeks were pretty hard on the body and the ego.  I was never good at running anything over 300 meters in a workout and now I’m getting distances like 600 meters thrown at me.  I tried my best when I started to not get too down on the long runs, but the home stretch was always a killer.  I would lose my form and the pack would just get farther and farther away from me. 

This week started off a little different for me though.  The workout was still really hard, but something felt different, something felt better.  Monday’s workout was 6-3-3-2-2-2 with 15-5-3-3-3 minutes break in between.  The first 600 meter I did when I came was 2:10 and ever the couple after that were still in and around there.  When I stepped to the line for this one though, I knew it was going to be different.  I pushed through the first 400 meters with ease and kept my form and my rhythm.  When I came to 200 meters left I expected my legs to get heavy and my form to break down.  It didn’t happen though, not this time.  This time I felt fine.  I was able to bring it home with easy and 20 seconds faster then before.  I was able to complete the rest of the workout with ease.  The last two were hard, but I still gave it my all.  I can feel my body adapting to the workouts and it feels great!

Up and Running

Where to even start?  It has been a VERY long time since I last blogged.  I think when you last heard from me I was just heading back to Regina for my convocation.  I finally got that piece of paper after six and a half years of university.  I didn’t stick around too long to enjoy it though.  By the end of the week I was on the road again.  After running two races in Alberta I headed back to Toronto to prepare for nationals.

Nationals didn’t exactly go how I wanted, but it was a learning experience.  A week before the event I went to Tobago for a family get together, which was amazing, however it was not good for my back.  Returning to Toronto the week of nationals was a not enough time to get repaired in time to race. 

On race day I knew things were not right, but I wanted to run anyways.  As the gun went off and I took my first step out of the blocks I knew my injury was real and a pain shot from my stomach to quad.  I tried to push through, but with every step the pain got worse and worse.  Coming around the last corner I told myself, ‘150 to go Ese, you can do it!’. I attempted to put it into another gear, but instead more pain.  I couldn’t take it anymore, it was too much! I pulled up just at the end of the bend and watched the rest of the field run past me and finish.  I wasn’t sure which hurt more at that point, my leg, or the shame of not finishing. 

I headed back to Regina a week after nationals still very disappointed in my performance.  The pain in my leg persisted as well as the one in my heart.  I had never not finished a race, and it hurt more then I thought it would. I spent a lot of time lounging around the house re-playing the race over and over in my head, each time ending with tears.  I hated the feeling and knew that I never wanted to experience it again.  I went to physio to help get my leg better so when base season came I’d be good to go.

The Toronto experience over the summer was a good one and I learned a whole lot in the two months I was there.  After some discussion with my coach in Regina and the coaches in Toronto we decided that Toronto might just be the best place for me.  I was super excited, and also scared.  So far in my life the Regina and White City were the only places I had ever lived and trained, was I going to be ready for this kind of move?

The offseason flew by faster then I thought it would and next thing I knew it was September 18th and I was on the road.  After several teary good-byes I was out.  I packed up my Lancer and headed due east.  Two provinces, six states and 2500km later I found myself in Canada’s biggest city.  I wasted no time to get to training, straight from the road I jumped into my first workout.  Nothing too hard though, a couple 100s on the grass just to get the blood flowing and get that nasty drive out of my legs.

So now I’ve been here for just over three weeks and the training and the city are definitely a lot more then I’m use to.  The group I’m with is amazing and a big change from back in Regina.  The first full week was real hard and at times I thought I was going to die! As the workouts keep coming though I slowly got better and I’m very excited to see how it will help my racing.  My injury from the summer hasn’t really bothered me yet, knock on wood, and I use the experience at nationals to fuel me to do well in workouts.

I’m excited for this change, and so far its been good.  I’ll try to keep updates coming, and I’ll try to keep then interesting too ;-)

The Toronto Experiment

Well I've been in Toronto now for almost three weeks. I'll be heading home on Tuesday in order to attend my convocation on Wednesday, then back on the road Friday to hopfully compete on Saturday.
This has definitely been a year of suitcase living so far. Starting off in Trinidad, then Arizona and now Toronto. All three locations have had their benefits. The first two were really nice because the weather was beautiful and I was missing winter back home. They were still missing something though. Since being in Toronto I've realized what it was...training partners! Now don't get me wrong Wade and Nathan were awesome dudes to train with, but they were boys and long jumpers so it just wasn't the same.
Since coming to Toronto I've been able to train with an awesome group of girls, and no only girls but sprinters too! The dynamic of the workouts is a lot different when you have someone on your level to train with and I've loved every minute if it. So far the Toronto Experiment has been a success and this weekend we'll find out if it pays off in my race.

On To The Next One

I made it safely out of camp a little injured but still functioning.  I wasn’t able to do all of the workouts, but I did do the last hard workout with the group.  Every year we finish the camp with a Brazilian, not the wax, a circuit.  This year was no exception, and to mark the 30th anniversary of the Tucson camp, the coaches pulled out a retro Brazilian from back in the day.  I tried my best to stay near the front of the pack for the workouts and for the last run I gave it all I had.  It was definitely tough, but I felt pretty good when it was all said and done. 

I took the next day off before starting my adventure back to Canada.  It was hard to believe I’d been in Arizona for almost two months, it seemed like I had just got there.  I did some last minute shopping and sun bathing, then prepared to head back home.  Some how when I packed my bags they seemed lighter than when I came down, I’m not complaining though, it made it a lot easy to get on the road.  After a stop off in Scottsdale to pick up some clothes that were left behind, I headed on the road.  My training partner Wade and I drove back to Canada in our other partner’s, Nathan, car and over the span of the two day drive we experienced all four seasons.  The drive started off nice through Arizona and Utah, the sun was out but not beating down on us and the sky was pretty clear.  As we got closer to Colorado the wind started to pick up and tossed the little car back and forth on the highway.  As we started our way up into the mountains the clouds came out to play and the temperature started to drop.  Before we knew it, it was raining, then soon after it was snowing.  For 5 hours straight we drove through the snow before stopping off in Wyoming for the night.  When we got out of the car we were clearly not prepared or dressed for the weather. We ran into the hotel and instantly pumped up the heat in the room.  The next morning we found out the highways heading east to west were closed because of all the snow! Lucky for us, we were heading north.  The snow had stopped falling but there was still plenty of it on the roads.  Wade did most of the driving, which both of us were pretty ok with.  It had been a while since I drove at all let alone in snow, so this probably wasn’t the time to start.  Slowly but surely though, the clouds started to part and the snow turned to sleet, then rain and finally it was clear.  It seemed like we turned a corner and it all disappeared, then next thing we knew, we were in Montana.  I drove a bit once the roads cleared up and with only one state left till we were home, I didn’t hold back on the gas :-)

The two day tripped when faster then I thought it would and I was super happy to be home.  The stay was a short one though.  We got home on the 12th and by the 17th I was on a plane heading to Toronto. 

I arrived yesterday and the plane ride was remarkable quick and comfortable.  I got a whole row to myself so as soon as we reached cruising altitude I sprawled out across all three seats.  Once we landed I found Toronto a little cooler than I thought it was going to me, so I instantly put on two sweater even before I was out of the building.  I found my uncle right away when I got out and we headed straight to the track to check it out. 

By the time we got home and I got settled in it was already 7 but it definitely didn’t feel that late.  I ate supper and headed to bed by 930 in hopes of getting the time change under control.

So far I haven’t worked out yet, but I’m hoping to get on the track today.  The track is 45 minutes away which is just a bit farther then I would drive back at home. I’m still in the process of figuring out how I’m going to get to and from practice, but I know something will work out…

Ooops…

After resting up my leg and taking it easy for a couple days I decided it was time to test how its doing.  Wednesday morning I did some short speed, but just on the grass to see how things felt.  My hamstring held up pretty well for most of it and I was looking forward to finally lighting it up in the afternoon session.  The workout for the afternoon was some starts on the corner then some speed endurance, 150-120-80 with three minutes break.  After the starts things were feeling pretty good, I could still feel a knot in my leg but things were definitely better.  My coach was a little hesitant to let me do the speed endurance workout, but I was able to convince her that I was ready to run.  Several days of ‘easy’ workouts were really starting to get to me, I was ready to run!  I told my coach that if I felt anything funny I would stop running and call it a day.  I lined up and awaited the commands.  I felt like I was ready both mentally and physically.  *GO!* I pushed off hard and everything was feeling good.  As I came off the bend I went from pushing, to standing up tall and pushing down on the track.  Halfway through the stretch I started to feel something, I had felt this before.  I could feel the knot in my hamstring starting to grab.  Everything was feeling so good! Why was this happening!  I let up at the first feel of the grab and coasted in for the remainder.  I thought I could just walk it off and be ready for the next one.  I started to walk back, and as I did my leg started to burn.  From my bum to my calf was on fire and I could barely move.  As each second passed, the pain got worse and I had to stop in my tracks.  I knew this was going to be the end of my workout.  I took off my spikes are retreated to the pole vault mat to raise my leg and hopefully keep down some inflammation.  I spent the rest of the evening icing and taking Advil trying to keep it from getting any worse.  I knew going into the workout it was possible this was going to happen, so I wasn’t too upset about it. 

I took the next morning off and did an easy workout the following evening. I continued to feel the soreness, so I didn’t push it. After doing some weights and some general drills my hamstring was still holding up pretty well.  I continued to ice all night with hopes of being able to get back to normal workouts. 

This morning I was able to put spikes back on and do some short speed without any pain.  I’m hoping that tonight I’ll be able to do a full workout again without any pain.  I think for the rest of the camp I’ll just try to get the most out of the workouts that I can and not get anymore injured.