November 25th, A Tuesday, yay track session! My absolute favourite.
I find nothing better to do than sprint and jump, 100 metre sprint that is, and triple jump.
I had just joined a new college, moved 2 hours away from home, all because it hosts one of the UK’s leading athletics programmes, Oaklands college.
I had began training September 15th, strength and conditioning training and this is because I have never had any strength and conditioning training before. I needed to build up a strong base therefore when I begin speed training and training for jumping, I would be fit and strong. S&C training involves a 6 week programme of hard winter training. Endurance sessions, hill sessions, long heavy lifting gym sessions.
Finally 6 weeks later, winter training programme complete! The count down for the college indoor competition begins.
21 days to go and counting… Speed training begins, short sprints, 80m/60m/30m sprint sessions, short sessions/high intensity gym sessions begin, ready to compete in the 60m sprint on the 3rd of December.
15 days to go and counting… block sessions begin, reactions to the b of the bang being rehearsed, time gates are out predicting what times shall be ran for all.
8 days to go and counting, November 25th, A Tuesday, yay track session! My absolute favourite. 60m sprint session, rolling starts. I am building up to maximum velocity, hitting positions of front side mechanics, a sharp shooting pain in my foot begins to occur. I finish my run, as I slow down this pain becomes close to unbearable, although I push this pain to the back of my mind, ignore it as much as I can whilst completing my session, fighting back tears which slowly begin to pool in the base of my eyelids. I can’t stop my session, I’m competing in 8 days and too excited!
Heading home up a mile long hill to get the bus back to campus… Hell. My friends are powering up the hill, and I am struggling to walk, although it is raining and cold, there was no slowing down in their minds. I push through the pain I am experiencing, I just want to get home!
The night of the 25th I am led in bed with the worst pain I have ever experienced, I get up to head to the toilet and cannot walk. I am struggling to limp to the bathroom. Okay, maybe I need to tell someone about this bad pain.
November 27th, Thursday, GB Athletics physio comes to our college as routined. I lie on the physio bed, he introduces himself, prods, pokes, fliddles with my foot.
“Does this hurt?”
“Ouch yes”
“How about here?”
“Yeah, that reeaaaallyy hurts”
“Do you experience pain at night?”
“Yes, really bad dull ache kept me awake all of Tuesday night…”
“This is really not what I want to be hearing” he said.
“We need to get her on crutches ASAP, phone the hospital she may need to be in a boot, this seems like it could be a stress response or a stress fracture, Abbie.”
Tears flood in my eyes, rolling down my face “so that’s the competition next Wednesday over then?”
“I’m afraid so, Abbie”
Gutted.
7 days later, Friday 5th December. Dr. Pollick, British athletics doctor, 7:30am appointment, yaawwwn. More poking, prodding, fiddling, Ouch’ing.
“I’m afraid it is a navicular stress fracture, Abbie. 6 weeks offloading on crutches whilst in a boot, 3 further weeks walking in the boot.”
And so, Rehab begins.
abbiechaundy 