Injures are inevitable - not only in
elite sport but persistent throughout all levels of 'sports' down to
the generic person popping along to the gym. Sadly, in elite sport
there is evidently a higher risk of injury, as we are constantly
trying to propel ourselves beyond the limit. Athletics in general, is
a tightrope – you are always a few inches away from plummeting off
and having to grind your way back up to the top once more! Each
injury is an immense learning curve. It allows you time to truly
assess things and implement changes in order to reduce the chance of
something similar from occurring again!
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| Stellenbosch Track |
This winter had been my most consistent
yet. Everything was going extremely well – perhaps a little too
swimmingly for that time of year. I was fit and prepared to get the
indoor season underway and keen to trim down all of my personal
bests. Woefully, it wasn't to be! After travelling out South Africa
for a training camp with the British Athletics team – I fell ill on
the first day! I couldn't appear to shift the illness and regrettably
it ate into almost 10 full days of training. Training hard and
consistently – weakens the immune system – which makes the body
highly susceptible to picking up bugs! Airplanes seem to be my
nemesis and I find it very challenging to not fall ill, particularly
after long flights. I'm going to invest in a mask, that Chinese
Tourists are renowned for wearing, in the hope that this reduces my
possibility of contracting viruses! It may sound a little excessive
but sickness really does impact an athletes program and i'm sure
it'll be a great conversation starter. A simple cold virus can be
gone within a week but lie dormant, within the body, until an athlete
hits another arduous week of training. It then may decide to rear
it's ugly head afresh! I experienced this the entire 2014 year and
found it highly frustrating to deal with.
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| Happier times in South Africa |
On my comeback from illness, I was
perhaps a little too eager to restore normal routine again. There was
also a vast disparity between the surfaces I was running on - out in
Stellenbosch - in comparison to what I ordinarily run on, in
Loughborough. I primarily keep to the gravel canal paths and road,
whereas in SA – there were not many safe routes that I could go
out on, alone, and so I was restricted to running all my weekly
mileage on a very soft, grass loop. I found that the spongy grass
truly did sap all the energy out of my legs, especially after
illness. On my Sunday long run, I unluckily twisted my ankle very
sharply, which ended my run abruptly. Although I didn't think about
it too much afterwards - the following morning, I woke up with a
precise needlelike, nervy pain in my left ankle. Again, I tried not
to concentrate on the pain excessively. As an athlete, training twice
a day – every day – aches and pains are part and parcel of the
sport, so it is easy to not deliberate too much and batter on with
the day. However, perhaps a mistake on my behalf – I attempted to
carry on with my scheduled track session that evening. After being
blown around the track, by Stellenbosch’s 29 miles per hour winds,
with my spaghetti legs– it was safe to say my ankle had popped it's
little clogs. I could barely walk. Promptly, the decision was made to
hop home as soon as possible for a scan and await the news. It didn't
come as too much of a surprise to hear the ankle was broken but it
was still a colossal kick in the teeth.
It's always the same regarding bad
news, especially an injury. Running is not only my job – it's what
I love doing – so it's challenging when such a huge aspect of your
life is removed. 'Normal' people never really understand my
attachment to running but when you babble to other people who share a
passion for running – they fully relate and understand how vexing
it can be! Without fail, I initially have a few days where i'm really
down-beat about everything. I would argue with any living soul,
within a 10 metre proximity to me, that the sky is NOT blue or that a
crow isn't black...but once this passes, my mind then switches into
over drive. I think this may be a standard McColgan trait! I then
direct all of my focus on demanding cross training sessions. I
repeatedly remind myself, how valuable all the cumulative cross
training will be once I am back doing what I love to do – running!
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| Manchester Velodrome |
I was told at first it would be 4-6
weeks out but after further scans and investigations the doctors
realised the ankle was unquestionably fractured. This then extended
my healing time in a 'moon boot' to 8-10 weeks. I tried my best to
rock the 'moon boot and jeans look; but it's an acquired taste.
Mentally, the aspect of being injured is sometimes frustrating to
deal with - when you believe there is only a week to go and can see
light at the end of the tunnel, it's a hard knock to be told you're
actually only half way! The doctor was a nervous man breaking the
news to me but he escaped unscathed. For the entire duration of the
injury, I was allowed to aqua jog each day. Slowly, I built up to the
watt bike before finally adding the elliptical cross trainer after 8
weeks. You wouldn't think adding in another form of cross training
could have such a positive impact but my quads were starting to rival
the size of Chris Hoy's and it was a delightful break from cycling.
It's safe to say I won't be switching sports any time soon and I have
a whole new respect for cyclists (as I try to squeeze myself into a
pair of jeans that once used to be baggy!).
It's taken me almost 3 months to
finally get back running outside – but even that is very limited.
Presently, I have progressed to running twice a week outside with all
my other training being supplemented on the cross trainer, bike, pool
and alter G. I did however, make the huge mistake that many people
suffer from, when they find out they're injured - I unreservedly
flogged myself cross training for around 8 days before having a
colossal crash in energy levels. I was significantly fatigued by
attempting to train hard, twice a day, every day – which clearly
isn't sustainable... but it was my way of dealing with the initial
frustration and the 'why me' sympathy stage! Subsequently, I was
quick to wise up and started making smarter decisions towards
balancing my cross training and allowing myself enough time to
recover. It's been a huge relief getting outside again, releasing my
hair from the Marge Simpson beehive, that's been permanently
positioned on top of my head and allowing fresh air to hit my skin
rather than the constant drench of sweat. Cross training isn't
attractive – so kudos to anyone whom can make it look relatively
pleasant!
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| Channeling my inner Marge Simpson. |
I've had quite a few people email me
regarding their own injuries, particularly - what cross training
sessions I do in order to try and maintain fitness and how to keep
motivated during extended spells of being injured.
I'm very fortunate that when i'm cross
training, I can completely switch off. I would go as far as saying
it's a special skill! I zone out, into my own little world, staring
at the wall and barely flinch when someone enters the room. I put
every ounce of my energy into it because every minute sweating it
out, is bringing me closer to returning to what I love the most.
1. I would encourage anyone to acquire
whatever music they enjoy listening to. Weirdly enough, I don't
listen to music during track sessions but for some reason I find it
helps me enormously whilst slogging out sessions on the cross
trainer. A loud, fast beat - forces your legs to move to the same
rhythm and speed. As you tire, throughout the session – you do your
best to keep the leg turnover fast in time with the music. I am also
partial to weird documentaries during my easy hour cross trains –
Transgender Children, Wild OAP's, Dog with 8 legs – you name it,
i've most certainly watched it.
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| Blood, sweat and zero tears. |
- Make some goals – this will assist with motivation. In the back of my mind, I have my main objective of my year. I keep it there permanently and constantly reflect on it during the hours and hours spent cross training. I never tell people my long term goals or aims – it's my secret and what i'm constantly working hard in order to achieve. By telling someone, you're disclosing something personal, something that's confidential to you. No one can tell you, 'you can't do that' or that it's 'unachievable' because they don't know what your personal goal is and it's completely unique to YOU! Not everyone can be an Olympic Champion but it doesn't have to be on such a grand scale. Making a school team, completing one park run a month or taking a few seconds off your marathon time. It can be anything. It's also crucial to have some minor goals and aims along the way. These are markers that I make in my head. Perhaps something like, I want to start back training on the track again by X day of X month or I want to be able to race X by X. If it is achieved then I'll focus on the next goal – if i've not been able to achieve it, I don't dwell on it too much, re-asses and make a new one.
- Rehab, rehab, rehab. Injuries give you a vital opportunity to correct things or become stronger in different areas. In the past, I have always neglected that time and just purely focused on maintaining my cardio fitness. This time around has been a little different. The majority of my focus still remains on cardio but I have also brought in two strength sessions in the form of a circuit, alongside balance drills, foot drills and core almost daily – I still won't be winning any press up contests anytime soon... but it's progress! Being injured turns out to be a lot more time consuming compared to my usual training routine. A typical 5mile run transpires into...travelling to the gym, an hour slog on the cross trainer followed by rehab drills, stretching, barefoot drills alongside physiotherapy and foot mobility etc etc. By the time I look at my watch, a good 4 hours of my life has flown by! It can end up becoming very intense and devour your time like a vulture but it's important to really implement some time out. Both my boyfriend and housemate are athletes and also currently injured, however they are much more laid back with their routines – which is a huge help. They force me to rationalise things and not obsess about it all, because ultimately what's done is done! It makes no sense to live in the past and dwell on what may, or may not have been a mistake. Focus on the future and things you CAN implement or change. It really isn't the end of the world having some time off and injury is not going to change life in the longer term! AKA – CHILL THE HELL OUT, YOU'RE 24 EILISH. I'm a worrier though – it's another lovely McColgan trait.
Spending time with the important people. <3 - Physiotherapy – it can be awfully expensive but depending on the injury it may be vital. I am very lucky to receive regular treatment through UKA. It allows the mobility in my foot and ankle to be maintained whilst I try to return to full training again. If you can't afford regular treatment then make sure you have a vigorous stretching routine in place. Even something as simple as foam rolling 10minutes before bed each night, can make a huge difference when you are making the transition from cross training back to running again – (and it makes you sound really cool to all your non-running friends....). Biking especially, shortens the quad muscles and can really force them to overwork so it's particularly important to hold the length in these muscles as you return to running.
My sneaky flatmate catching me at work... - Supplements. In the past, I have never taken any supplements or medication other than the odd protein shake every now and again whilst training on altitude camps. With all the recent news of contaminated supplements – I am the type of athlete who is scared to take a plain paracetamol tablet when I think I may be knocking on God's door! I once spent 40 minutes in Sainsbury's (there are other supermarkets available) scouring over all the medicines, texting my doctor, to double check that plain Ibuprofen was definitely OK! Over the last few months, under the advice of the nutritionist – I have decided to start supplementing with Calcium tablets daily and Omega 3 Oils. I have no idea whether this will make any substantial difference to my actual injury but I do hope that it may reduce the chances of picking up a further bone injury in the future! Only time will tell. These tablets have all been batch tested by Informed Sport and are on a regular basis consumed by many athletes – HealthSpan Elite. I have also made changes to my day-to-day diet in order to improve nutrition and give my body the best possible chance of recovery after sessions. After an exceptionally hard session, I have reverted to taking a scoop of the protein powder in my standard recovery fruit smoothie – PAS Strawberry Protein Powder. It's the only powder i've been able to drink without wanting to gag – so that's a bonus!
There's never been too
much of a focus on what i've eaten and when.. but over the last few
months I have made a conscious effort to try and eat cleaner. Even if
it only gives me an extra one percent than i've had previously –
after being injured for the past three months... I need every
accumulated percent I can acquire! My coach has always been very
influential on how much diet can affect an athletes performance but
it's entirely up to the athlete to finally make the ultimate
judgement on things. It's one of those ' I TOLD YOU THAT FIVE YEARS
AGO' scenarios. I now make sure every morning before training, I have
a big bowl of porridge, mixed with normal milk, some almond milk,
topped with banana and berries. Previously, I have always refused to
eat anything other than sugary cereal but as a professional athlete –
that's ridiculous! - I needed to make some minor changes to my
current diet. Food is the fuel to your body – putting the essential
fuel into it will effectively make it preform better, so why not make
the minor change and see?
It's important to remember there is
always a finish line. Things may feel like they are never improving
and that you are stuck within a viscous cycle but even a one percent
improvement, is still an improvement! All of the hard work that is
done behind the scenes, whilst you are injured, will eventually pay
off... but what if it doesn’t? Well, at least you can say you gave
it your best shot and have no regrets!
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| RUN FAST, LIVE FEARLESS. |
Typical cross training week for me:
Monday
Two easy
ellipticals. HR zone easy – 140 average
Tuesday
am. Watt Bike
session, e.g. 40 minutes of 45 seconds hard – 15 recovery. HR max
186
am - Circuits
pm. Easy elliptical - HR zone easy –
140 average
Wednesday
am - Aqua jogging
session, lower HR – 155 average, 2minutes on 30 off.
Pm - Easy Elliptical, HR zone easy –
140 average
Thursday
am - Bike tempo -
HR zone 170 average. 45minutes-1 hour of 3minute-2minute-1minute
(continuous, no recovery)
pm - Easy elliptical - HR zone easy –
140 average
Friday
Two easy elliptical
- HR zone easy – 140 average
am – Circuits
Or a REST DAY
Saturday
am - Elliptical
session, eg. 40 minutes of 90 hard 30 easy. - HR max 186
pm - Easy elliptical - HR zone easy –
140 average
Sunday
Two easy elliptical
- HR zone easy – 140 average
This was typical training of around
week 7 after my injury – all completed whilst wearing the ever
fashionable 'moon boot'. Once I was allowed out of the boot and
walking properly again in trainers – we introduced the Alter G
treadmill around 10/11 weeks a few times and then finally outdoor
running by 13 weeks. I am still very limited to the amount of
running, as the pain within the ankle has not fully subsided. It's a
little discouraging, as after 13 weeks, I would of hoped the foot
would be totally healed, but unfortunately that's not the case. It's
slowly turning into the never-ending saga. I've made the decision
that I can no longer take anymore time off – if I want to try and
get myself back running this summer and possibly make the World
Championships in August. - then I need to start pronto. It's a long
shot – but next month is crucial as to whether that is achievable
or not. At least I know, I have given it absolutely everything to try
and accomplish that.
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| First session back - thrown into the deep end with Gemma Steel! |
If anything, the injury has reinforced
to me how much I want this. Running is all I have ever known. From
October to December, I had managed to get myself into the best
physical shape I have ever been in – so it has reconfirmed the
goals I want to achieve this summer because I know they are possible
and within my grasp. I've always been told 'running has many more
lows than highs' but that the lows are often forgotten in favour of
the highs– so this is just another obstacle to hurdle.
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| 'Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see...' |
I hope this answers anyones questions –
if you guys have anymore then please post them below and I will do my
best to respond or write another blog answering them!
