Spring is here finally! So a lot has happened
since my last posting back in January. First of all I turned the big 30 and was
fortunate enough to have multiple celebrations with family and friends which
included a posh afternoon tea at the Savoy in London! (Far too much
indulgence!) However, birthday week I developed the nasty cough/flu bug much
like many of you reading this may have also developed as it seemed to be quite
prevalent amongst my patient population and it completely wiped me out from
work and indeed my training. 
So despite aiming for a PB at the Cambridge
Half Marathon unfortunately it was not to be – my heart rate was still far too
high and technically I shouldn’t have ran but me being me wanted to push myself
and after the first 3 miles felt awful and did not think I would complete the
race. I did however manage to finish in a not so impressive time of 1.37
(personally disappointed after having such great training post-Christmas) and
subsequently still have the 1 hr 30 to beat (I will do it!) The event was
terrific and the weather was absolutely gorgeous – I think most of Cambridge
came out on the streets to support the competitors and I was very thankful for
the personal cheering I received from my friends and family – it’s amazing what
a boost it can give you.
My story only goes from bad to worse however
as I the ended up in hospital the following Tuesday and unfortunately had to
undergo surgery to remove a cyst – that would explain another level of why I
had been feeling so unwell. Another two weeks off from training was really hard
to take but I felt really so unwell that I knew it was necessary rest and as
most athletes may empathise, it was like pulling teeth! As I started to pick up
a little I had a slight concern that I had a Cycling training Camp coming up at
the end of my 2 weeks rest. I decided that I would pack my bike and all my kit
and head out to Mallorca with Cambridge Triathlon and Cycling Club and just see
how I felt. I am pleased to report that with a sensible start of weaning my way
in easily I managed to ride everyday an average of 75-80 miles and progressed
from strength to strength each and every day finishing with a 100 miler along
the North West Coastal road that was full of challenging ascents and descents
and forceful winds! I managed to squeeze in a few runs off the bike (otherwise known
as a brick session) but my running (despite being my strength) is really not up
to par at the moment and has taken the greatest strain from the illnesses I
have had. I have however had the chance to really improve my bike strength and
know that my running will come back to being what it was, I just need time.
So this last weekend I decided with one week
to go until the European Duathlon Championships in Horst that I really needed
to get a race under my belt and entered Diss Duathlon. Despite as I previously
mentioned not running at my best and still not quite feeling a 100% managed to
win my age group and finished 4th female overall. So I have to take
the positives of that race and move forwards to Holland where I will be
competing for GB in the Female Sprint race on Sunday April 13th. I know it has
not been the perfect preparation for such an important race but I feel that I
am starting to get my mojo back and will target the World Championships at the
end of May as the race to peak for.
On another note, I was extremely honoured to
speak at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Monday 7th April
at a conference for Aesthetic Performers and Athletes. I spoke about the uses
of Performance profiling for rehabilitation specialists and how I as an ex ice
dancer used profiling regularly to help achieve personal goals and
achievements. The conference was extremely interesting covering topics from
nutrition to strength and conditioning and bone health in sports such as
dancing, gymnastics and diving. I hope that more opportunities arise in the
future to discuss Performance profiling as it is the foundation of my current
Masters dissertation and I am extremely passionate about helping our athletes
maximise their performance.
All in all turning 30 hasn’t been so nice to
me but I will keep on striving to stay fit and healthy and get my race face
back on!
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