Hi Everyone!

Just a brief update on how things are going with me now that summer is drawing to a close and the dark nights and chilly autumn days are approaching…
As mentioned in my last blog, my track season finished after the World Championships. I have just come back from a prolonged break cross training in the pool and working hard on the bike before I progress back into my full running programme. No plans on becoming a tri-athlete but I definitely feel like I am working like one at the moment!

The Cross Country season soon begins, which means my emphasis in training changes from working on faster, more intense sessions to bigger mileage, slightly less intense training sessions across a variety of different terrains.

Some athletes are primarily track athletes’ who don’t race over the winter but I am a slightly different animal as I am an endurance athlete with plenty of opportunities to race on the roads and over cross country. Some people ask me which season I prefer – I always say it is very difficult to have an out an out favourite as they are both different in many ways.

When asked what the differences are I would say ‘one is green and one is red’. When training for the track I am pushing my body against the watch – trying to run a faster time, I am pushing my body for distance to get around a certain distance as quickly as possible and finally to race head to head against eleven other athletes, whereas throughout the cross country season, I am pushing my body against natural elements such as the wind, the rain, running through the mud or up hills and through puddles.

It is so exhilarating being in the outdoors exploring new running routes in woodlands and I love nothing better than getting up first thing in the morning, (more than likely before the rest of the world is awake) and running with the crisp air biting against my skin. It is always my perfect start to my day as I use it for thinking space and plan how I am going to take on the everyday stresses that life throws at you.

My main targets for cross country pre Christmas will be to win a medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin in December and to compete in the McCain Cross Country Challenge series to help me become a stronger athlete ahead of the track season next year.
Whilst athletics is the most dominant part of my life, on Monday I am starting back into my third year studies at St Mary’s University College. I am really excited about new challenges ahead and getting my head down in the library working on my dissertation! The ‘D’ word is a scary prospect but one that I am sure (despite the stress and money spent on coffee to keep me awake at unearthly hours of the night) will aid my understanding of a specific area in Strength and Conditioning Science! I also have a work placement to look forward to which will put me out in the big wide world to face reality that I am not going to be a student forever! Unless I decide to do a masters, and then maybe a PhD…

Well as usual I have waffled on again! So I had better say Ciao for now and I will write again soon! : )

Steph

Xx LONDON 2012 xX