Hosting an Olympic Games amidst a global pandemic was always going to be a challenge. Many thought it wouldn't be possible whilst others argued it shouldn't be happening at all. But Tokyo did an incredible job at hosting us and you would be stretched to find any athlete leaving Japan without a smile on their face (albeit behind a mask!).
As you can imagine, Tokyo was very different to previous Games. There is no doubt I've been spoiled by a home Olympics in London and I've gone into every championship since then with very high expectations. Rio 2016 fell a little flat and so I imagined that without spectators, Tokyo would follow suit. Of course, there wasn't the same buzz within the stadium but we all knew that back at home everyone was watching and wishing us well. That thought alone was enough motivation. First up was my 5,000m. I was the best prepared that I had ever been - stacking up consistent blocks of training, feeling fitter, stronger and healthier than ever. I headed into the champs with a new PB and British Record under my belt over the 5,000m and even felt ready to go a little faster. But sometimes life doesn't go as planned and you can't control every situation or what others do!
Throughout the race, I was constantly getting clipped and tripped. But despite this, I covered all the moves and kept myself in the top three at all times to secure my place in the final. But with 600m to go, I was tripped badly from both the inside and then from the outside within quick succession. I lost balance, twisted my ankle and found myself gapped by the leaders. Jostling is part and parcel of racing, but this was a little extreme and not like I've encountered in other major champs. I'm tall and have a long, bouncy stride which can mean I get tangled with others but I felt like things were exaggerated this year - perhaps as athletes haven’t had as much chance to race on the circuit. There seemed to be a lot of athletes getting tripped or falling over throughout the Games, but I imagine it was race rustiness due to the pandemic rather than outright aggression.
I made it to the finish but was outside the qualifying positions. Honestly, I was gutted. I started to wallow in self pity, wondering why I had dedicated the last so many years of my life for this moment. And for nothing. I tried my best to get through the media tribune interviews without crying but when I called Michael and my family back home, I couldn't stop. I felt like I had let them all down. I sat on the edge of the warm-up track, alone, thousands of miles from home, wondering why. Why me?
That evening, I couldn't do much of a cool down as my ankle was pretty sore and irritated. The doctor took a quick look and asked me to return for an ultrasound the following morning. For the first two days I just wanted to get home. I was miserable but didn't want my sadness to bring down the rest of my incredible roommates! So instead of moping around my room all day, I switched my intentions to the 10,000m.
Mentally, I found it tough to reset and go again and my body was finding it even tougher. My ankle was still playing up and so the majority of my day was spent keeping it on ice, taking painkillers and doing numerous rehab exercises! But I made it to the start line and gave it everything I had to finish in 31.04. It was only good enough for 9th place but considering half the field were needing medical attention at the end, with a lot of athletes not making the full distance - I was proud of my effort.
There aren't many European women in history who have run the 10,000m in under 31mins, so to come away so close to my personal best in the most oppressive conditions I've ever raced in - it wasn't too bad an effort. Of course as an athlete we always want more and I would have loved to sneak under my mum's Scottish record of 30.57 or to break into the top 8 in the world but I gave it a good go and that's all I can ask of myself!
Conditions in Tokyo were pretty extreme - especially for the 10,000m. It had been raining earlier in the evening and so the humidity had ramped up a lot, with the temperature nearing the 30s. I felt I coped with the conditions well. We had spent a few hours each week in a heat chamber getting acclimatized to what we thought Tokyo would be like and that definitely helped with the perception of heat. But of course, when running a full 10,000m in those conditions, it doesn't matter how prepared you are, the body will eventually say ‘no’. I'm proud of my race as I went through a tough patch around 8K but muscled through and managed a strong finish over the final 1K. I surprised myself with how quick my final 400m was but by that point I was just excited that my ankle hadn't given way!
Next year, I'd love to have a go at the British 10,000m Record of 30.01. Pre-Olympics, training was indicating I could get close. However, 10,000m races at this level are few and far between and so you need a little luck on your side too. It's definitely one of the hardest track records around but I'm excited to see just how close I can get!
During my stay in the athlete village, I had the absolute pleasure of sharing with some endurance ladies such as Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and steeplechaser Lizzie Bird. All three had incredible performances out in Tokyo which was incredibly inspiring to be around. It sounds very cheesy but the whole endurance squad are a good bunch of people. Everyone is chasing their own goal; whether it be a medal, a personal best or to make a final. Some have crashing heartbreak and fail to fulfil their dreams whilst others exceed their own expectations to write themselves into the history books. That is what I love so much about the Olympics. Everyone has their own story and some of the best stories aren't standing on top of the podium.
Covid testing was an everyday occurrence during our stay in Tokyo. Our movements were limited to within the athlete village and travelling on accredited buses to take us to the athletics venues. It's the first Olympics where we haven't been able to go and view other sports which was a shame but our Team GB block had big TVs around the apartments to ensure we could keep cheering for our fellow teammates.
The village was pretty cool and the food was incredible. I love Japanese cuisine and so I was in my element - living off noodles and gyozas almost daily! The choice in the food hall wasn't just restricted to Japanese foods; it was similar to previous Games - enormous, open 24/7 and filled with everything you could possibly want. Mask wearing was mandatory and alcohol gel was everywhere.
You would think that all the restrictions would make the Games a little more stressful but we are over a year into the pandemic so most of these requirements have become part of everyday life and so everyone knew what was to be expected of them.
If anything, Tokyo has made me even more excited to head back to Japan once the world has returned to normal. We may not have got to see much of the country but we were welcomed with open arms throughout our entire stay. For me, the volunteers made this Olympics. They were the kindest and most energetic volunteers I've ever had the pleasure of being around. From the people who served food to those waving at you as the buses left for the track - they went above and beyond every single day to make us feel that being an Olympian was something special. It's an energy that every athlete felt and I have no doubt there will be plenty of people adding Japan to the top of their travel bucket list - me included.
Finally, I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their support over the Games - especially Lindsays for being part of this journey. I had lovely messages from individuals all over the world which helped to bring out a smile and reminded me that being a three-time Olympian is something to be proud of.
With less than three years to go - Paris 2024 feels closer than ever and I'll be working harder than ever to make my fourth Games a reality!
