June for me has been very busy filled with many highs and some lows. This month has been my main focus for competition performance as it had all the championship events in it.My ankles have continued to cause me problems so I have continued my intense physio treatment of 3 times a week – it’s a good job I get on with my physios!! The fact I have been in pain for the entire month has hindered my training and competition performance for sure, however I was determined just to work through the pain for the 3 weeks of championship competition knowing I had a weeks rest at the end.
The first weekend was the Maltese Championships. I did 3 events: long jump 100m and 200m though I only knew about the 200m 24hours beforehand so I had done no training for it whatsoever!!! So on the first day I turned up very nervous to run the 200m: I managed to come second with a PB of 25.7s but with an awful bend! My coach asked me if I forgot to run?!
?! Then it was to the long jump where I had a disaster of a competition so we are forgetting that! Though I was very happy as my training partner jumped a new national record of 6.22m! On the Saturday I turned up for the 100m very determined that I had to win and prove a point. I managed with a PB of 12.57s – I am now Maltese 100m champion! Then I had the delight to being drugs tested for the first time! What fun – NOT! Ha
So with lots of confidence in my sprinting I set off to England ready to compete. The first weekend it was the Northern Championships in Manchester at Sports City. On the Saturday was the long jump which was yet again a disaster so now I’m not going to jump any more this season and start again in the preseason. Then I had to go straight over to the 100m where I had an awful start and came 6th (it was a straight final) with a time of 12.7s – very annoying because if I had ran the time I had the week before I would have medalled. On the Sunday was the 200m in the semi I ran an average race with a time of 25.8s but most importantly I qualified for the final. In the final I had a poor lane draw of lane 8 but I came out of the blocks well and ran a good bend. The race was very quick but unfortunately the electronic timing system broke so we didn’t get accurate times GRRR!
In the few days before the next comp I was busy catching up with appointments and such things. But I did find time to go back into school to help with the sports day which was a lovely afternoon. I also found time to meet with one of my best friends from school that I haven’t seen since my leaving party in October! We had a lovely day chatting and catching up with all the gossip. I also had the experience of driving the people carrier as my parents had put me on the insurance – it’s like driving a bus! But I must say being high above everyone else was quite fun!! Though I was very glad to get back into Ella.
So the next weekend was the England Champs down in Bedford so off Mum and I set on a train down on the Friday (after a training session and physio of course!). We stayed in a lovely little B&B very close to the centre. On Fri night we set off in search of an Italian restaurant so I could get some decent pasta: we found a little one not too far from the B&B. But the menu was very limited so I asked the manager if I could just have a big plate of plain tomato pasta and I explained why at which he told me he used to do sports to a relatively high level so he knew exactly what I meant. When my plate arrived he had gone into the kitchen himself and made me my own dish that wasn’t on the menu!
On Saturday the weather was freezing and very windy – it appeared to be the only place in England that didn’t have glorious sunshine! But that didn’t bother me – I was SOOO nervous about my race!! It was the 100m in which I ran a huge PB of 12.33s out of lane 1 however it was windy so on records it doesn’t show! I came 5th in my semi which meant I missed the final but put me 10th out of 16 so I was very happy! In the evening we returned to the same restaurant with my Dad as he had arrived by this point and as promised the night before if I equalled my best the manager would again cook me my own dish – so appeared spag bol – my fav!!
On the Sunday it was the 200m. I was given the outer lane but this didn’t bother me as I knew I had run well from this lane the week before. I again had an awesome bend and ran another huge PB of 25.34s – with a legal wind! I missed qualification to the final by 0.03s – I was well annoyed!! But looking back I don’t think my ankles would have lasted another race! I had a lovely time and ran 2 PBs so I was very happy to say the least!!
I headed back to Malta on the Tuesday but not without another story! This time going through security I got stopped and my bags searched and then swabbed for drugs! And yes my flight was delayed again but not by soo much! Plus I had 3 seats to myself on the plane so I took full advantage of this and spread out!
The first weekend was the Maltese Championships. I did 3 events: long jump 100m and 200m though I only knew about the 200m 24hours beforehand so I had done no training for it whatsoever!!! So on the first day I turned up very nervous to run the 200m: I managed to come second with a PB of 25.7s but with an awful bend! My coach asked me if I forgot to run?!
?! Then it was to the long jump where I had a disaster of a competition so we are forgetting that! Though I was very happy as my training partner jumped a new national record of 6.22m! On the Saturday I turned up for the 100m very determined that I had to win and prove a point. I managed with a PB of 12.57s – I am now Maltese 100m champion! Then I had the delight to being drugs tested for the first time! What fun – NOT! HaSo with lots of confidence in my sprinting I set off to England ready to compete. The first weekend it was the Northern Championships in Manchester at Sports City. On the Saturday was the long jump which was yet again a disaster so now I’m not going to jump any more this season and start again in the preseason. Then I had to go straight over to the 100m where I had an awful start and came 6th (it was a straight final) with a time of 12.7s – very annoying because if I had ran the time I had the week before I would have medalled. On the Sunday was the 200m in the semi I ran an average race with a time of 25.8s but most importantly I qualified for the final. In the final I had a poor lane draw of lane 8 but I came out of the blocks well and ran a good bend. The race was very quick but unfortunately the electronic timing system broke so we didn’t get accurate times GRRR!
In the few days before the next comp I was busy catching up with appointments and such things. But I did find time to go back into school to help with the sports day which was a lovely afternoon. I also found time to meet with one of my best friends from school that I haven’t seen since my leaving party in October! We had a lovely day chatting and catching up with all the gossip. I also had the experience of driving the people carrier as my parents had put me on the insurance – it’s like driving a bus! But I must say being high above everyone else was quite fun!! Though I was very glad to get back into Ella.
So the next weekend was the England Champs down in Bedford so off Mum and I set on a train down on the Friday (after a training session and physio of course!). We stayed in a lovely little B&B very close to the centre. On Fri night we set off in search of an Italian restaurant so I could get some decent pasta: we found a little one not too far from the B&B. But the menu was very limited so I asked the manager if I could just have a big plate of plain tomato pasta and I explained why at which he told me he used to do sports to a relatively high level so he knew exactly what I meant. When my plate arrived he had gone into the kitchen himself and made me my own dish that wasn’t on the menu!
On Saturday the weather was freezing and very windy – it appeared to be the only place in England that didn’t have glorious sunshine! But that didn’t bother me – I was SOOO nervous about my race!! It was the 100m in which I ran a huge PB of 12.33s out of lane 1 however it was windy so on records it doesn’t show! I came 5th in my semi which meant I missed the final but put me 10th out of 16 so I was very happy! In the evening we returned to the same restaurant with my Dad as he had arrived by this point and as promised the night before if I equalled my best the manager would again cook me my own dish – so appeared spag bol – my fav!!
On the Sunday it was the 200m. I was given the outer lane but this didn’t bother me as I knew I had run well from this lane the week before. I again had an awesome bend and ran another huge PB of 25.34s – with a legal wind! I missed qualification to the final by 0.03s – I was well annoyed!! But looking back I don’t think my ankles would have lasted another race! I had a lovely time and ran 2 PBs so I was very happy to say the least!!
I headed back to Malta on the Tuesday but not without another story! This time going through security I got stopped and my bags searched and then swabbed for drugs! And yes my flight was delayed again but not by soo much! Plus I had 3 seats to myself on the plane so I took full advantage of this and spread out!
As agreed with my physios and coach I then had a weeks rest from doing any leg work and with intensive physio everyday to try and get my ankles back to form. But now I’m sat at the end of the week and they have not recovered! So now my physios are busy thinking what we can do next but I have to start training again tomorrow for 1 month as I have the Maltese Clubs League and I need to beat the girl ranked number 1 to prove a point! Bring it on!!!
