This year started off on the wrong foot for me…literally. After breaking my ankle back in January, I thought I would be sharing my latest update on the cusp of the racing season. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for the worst and this year is now a complete write-off in terms of competitive performance.
Initially, we believed this injury would be a small blip in the road meaning six weeks off from running. However, that prognosis gradually worsened, week on week. Six became ten which became fourteen. Sadly, the fracture has fully extended. The area of the ankle I have broken is a particularly problematic area to heal as there is very little blood flow. In my case the break has struggled to heal fully.
There is nothing I can do except rest and attempt to let the bone heal as impacting the joint will continue to open the fracture. The healing becomes less likely as time goes on, so shortly I will find out whether I need to undergo surgery in order to force the bone to heal.
Looking towards the future, it's important that I stay positive and focus on my longer term goals. Missing the World Championships this year is a huge knock but I have to remain calm and optimistic about the future.
It will be difficult, being a fit and healthy athlete and having to rest and face the restrictions of crutches but it's essential I make the correct decisions. Rehabilitation will be crucial over the coming months to ensure I maintain as much flexibility and mobility as I can, so that my return to running is made a little easier. Continual cross training is pretty bleak for an athlete but it's a necessary evil. It keeps the body active and the cardiovascular system strong which is vital for me to get back running again.
I would do anything to be jogging again, pain free. It's such a basic wish but you don't realise how much you’ll miss it, until it's taken away from you! Hopefully from September I can slowly build up my training again. A completely injury-free, illness-free, winter is going to be central to my preparation for 2016 and many athletes struggle to achieve that.
Rio 2016 will come round before any of us realise and at the end of the day the Olympic Games is the pinnacle. All the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices are purely for the Olympics. Every athlete wants to be a part of it. My event choice is still under question - perhaps a move to the 5000m or 10,000m will be more feasible after foot surgery, rather than risking injury over the steeplechase in such an important year.
Fingers crossed my luck starts to improve, but that's what makes our sport exciting - it's a battle, nothing is easy. I had foot surgery in 2011 and went on to make my first ever Olympics in London 2012 - so it's definitely within my grasp. We often say 'history repeats itself', let's hope this remains true.
