5 months after surgery and finally things are starting to look a little more positive. I have one final scan to undergo in order to check the status of the bone and metal work before commencing my road to full recovery. I took a trip out to Qatar to visit my mum (and coach) for the month of October. I felt it made sense to start my build up into running somewhere with good weather conditions – the last thing I needed was to slip on a wet road or ice and break my other ankle!
Qatar
Doha has grown on me hugely. In my first visit, I was a little taken aback by the culture but I’ve really grown to love it. Although it is very strenuous to run in such scathing heat on top of wearing leggings and a t-shirt to cover up, there's something about it that I love.
My mum has set up an athletics club, which I helped coached for the month I was there. It was so inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable to be around such wonderful kids. They love running and have a considerable amount of respect for my mum as 'Coach Liz'. Amidst all the chaos surrounding the athletics world with doping scandals and corruption, it's refreshing to see the pure enjoyment that kids possess. I was honoured to be a part of the club’s first ever competition in Dubai. It was an amazing experience to watch the young athletes compete for the very first time. Within the group was a young Qatari girl, which is unique as many Qatari females are discouraged from sport, but her family were hugely supportive which was lovely to see.
We also took a few trips to the local international schools around Doha. It was unbelievable the amount of kids who truly had something remarkable about them. A young Moroccan girl was effortless and floated around the track, despite having never run before. She had no idea just how talented she was. To me, that is something special. It really got me thinking – I would love to set up something similar in Scotland to encourage kids, especially girls, into athletics.
My Training
Being able to run again is the best feeling in the world. I love being outdoors, hearing my own breath and getting lost in my own little world. It clears my mind. I have now managed to build up my running to 5 miles, four days a week. It's a far cry from where I would like to be but I’m encouraged by my improvement. Unfortunately, my ankle is still giving me a few hiccups. It's difficult to distinguish between pain and stiffness, due to the fact I have a total of 7 metal pins within my left foot. Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier at the moment.
Over the next few months I hope I can continue to increase my mileage gradually to where I need to be. I would like to head out to Kenya in January for some altitude training with the GB squad, but these decisions can only be cemented once I know the ankle is 100% healed. I can't afford mentally, physically or financially to make a mistake. Everything has to be moving in the right direction.
Although things are heading in a positive direction for me, I was dealt a personal blow recently. With less than three hundred days till the Olympic Games, my funding was removed. It didn't come as a huge shock as I have missed the entire 2015 season due to injury and funding is based on performance – it's the way our sport is. Although the financial restraints and lack of medical support, especially after dealing with a major injury such as mine, will make things evidently harder, this doesn't have any real impact on what I aim to achieve. Regardless of my funding level, I love athletics. Nothing will ever stop me doing the sport I love; not finances, not injuries, nothing. I need myself, my trainers and the great outdoors. I know I can be on that start line in Rio, but it's a shame I don't have the support of my governing body behind me. I would like to thank Linsday's for their ongoing support throughout the season – it has been a huge help on my road to Rio.
