September 2012

This month hasn’t been a very exciting one to be honest. It has been full of rehab and not much else! My rehab is progressing as expected (even if slower than I want it to!). I am still doing the sets of exercises I was doing last month but increased the number. I am now doing 5 minutes of work on the bike too every other day. I have also started some work in the sand. When I say work in the sand I mean slow walking – I started with 5 minutes at the start of the month and now I have reached 10 minutes. The last few days of the month I stepped it up to doing 2 minutes of “Nanna Jogging” in the middle of the walk, keeping the total time to 10 minutes. “Nanna Jogging” is very, very slow jogging in which if I was racing a nanna she would win!!! This was how my physio described at what speed I was allowed to go at. The worst part about the sand work is I have to drive up to the other end of the island and back every day which is about a 1hr30min round trip – that’s without school traffic! My car is just eating through the petrol – I always seem to be filling up at the moment! Plus, I can’t stay at the beach and swim etc as that would be too much work in the sand. So my ankles are definitely heading in the right direction but it’s a slow process that needs yet even more patience. It’s very frustrating especially when I see my training group running round – but they are a great support to me.

Preseason training has begun but as you can imagine I am very limited in what I can do as I can’t do any lower body work. I am doing lots of circuits and gym work to focus on building up my upper body. I am also back in the pool 3 times a week trying to build up some CV fitness. I lost a lot with all the time off with my ankles so we have taken things back down to the basics. It isn’t the most exciting training but it has to be done and I’m happy just to be back doing something!

My coach and a couple of members of my training group have been working hard to start organising sports days for the local communities. We did one this month where we closed the main road and had a variety of different activities for both adults and children. I’m happy to say it was a success and we are looking forward to doing more. My training group ran the day with a few experts where needed i.e. for the baseball!

We had some freak storms this month too with really heavy rain. Storms were forecast but no-one expected them to be as severe as they were. It caused a lot of damage to buildings and cars, many cars were washed away and deposited in very strange and awkward places! The track was totally submerged up to the height of the steeple chase barriers and the high jump mats washed to the opposite side. It has been closed most of the month to restore it to how it should be and clean it of all the mud that was left behind. So the training we have been doing has been at a different track at the other end of the island (the opposite end to the beach!) which has added to my fuel consumption!

August 2012

All I can say is thank goodness for the Olympics!!! This operation has just highlighted the point that I am really not good at sitting still –especially with my feet up! I really don’t know how I would have stayed sane during the last few weeks without the Olympics!! A very well timed operation. I must say thanks to all my friends and neighbours who came to visit me and let me go and sit on their sofa for a change of scene! Especially as both my parents were away after my op. As I had both ankles done I was given some crutches but I was very slow on them and couldn’t go very far. So when my Mum took me out I had to hire wheel chairs and motorised scooters. I must admit it was fun whizzing round town although it took a while for me to get good at steering: though by the end I was a pro!

I saw the surgeon a week after the operation and he was very pleased with how the operation went. He did less than he had expected to do and said I’ll be back to my normal self very soon. He reckons I’ll be back into full training by mid-October as long as I do all the rehab. I flew back to Malta with my Mum. Going through the airport I had a wheel chair too which turned out to be really handy as it meant I could skip all the queues which happened to be very big!! Although my chair didn’t have working breaks so at one point I was freewheeling down the ramp into the plane until the guy noticed and looked at me as I was calling him.

Since being back I have been working very hard with my physios on my rehab programme. I have just been doing exercises to get the range of movement back and to start to build up some strength. They are very repetitive and boring but they have to be done so I have been really good at not complaining and just getting on with it. I have been doing up to 4 hours a day. The next step will be walking in the sand. My Dad also flew out for the rest of the month. It was great to have my parents around to help me get around – especially as I haven’t been able to drive the car yet. They did a very good job I must say! It has been very frustrating though as I expected to be more mobile on my return so I had made lots of plans with friends that had to be cancelled as I’m not allowed to go anywhere with uneven ground or stand up for long periods. So I have been restricted to swimming at the waterpolo club with my parents and BBQs. I managed to do 4 BBQs in a row – I was sure I was going to wake up looking like a sausage!!

July 2012

The first couple of weeks this month I spent it enjoying Summer to the full: lots of sunbathing, swimming, relaxing and training too. I am really enjoying the break from uni and having some more time to myself and meet friends etc. I have been managing to train quite a lot this month however, I had a run of very bad luck! We planned for me to do 2 competitions before I flew to England for my operation. But the 1st one they moved as it clashed with another event that was being held at the track and the 2nd one I had tomiss as I had a really bad spasm in my neck and my head was stuck pointing to the side! Its quite amusing now looking back but it was extremely painful and I was SOOOOO frustrated to have to miss the competition!

I flew back a week before my operation was scheduled so I could compete for Bolton Harriers in the BAL Cup qualifying match. This competition is always good fun as there is a big team spirit and its very short as not all the events are included. I ran my first ever 400m (well 2 actually as I ran the individual and relay!). I really enjoyed it although I have a lot of learning to do regarding how to pace one!! But considering I haven’t done any work for them yet and that I had no one to pace off in the race I was happy. I also did a promotional photo shoot for Total Fitness whilst I was back. I had never done a gym shoot before so it took a while to get into it but I soon got into the swing of it! We had a really good laugh and took some fun photos too – check out my website to see some of them.

Friday 27th was one of the most important days of my life so far – the day of my ankle operation (and the day of the London 2012 opening ceremony!) As I hadn’t been able to have my pre ops done I had to be at hospital for 6:30am even though I was on the afternoon list which was a bit of a shock to the system! I had to have my own room too as I hadn’t had the tests – at first I was disappointed but it turned out to be perfect. It was opposite the nurses station so they all used to come in and talk to me and it was where the other people in the ward had to walk past whilst doing their mobility work so they all stopped to talk to me too. The surgeon moved me on his lists to be first in the afternoon so I would be back home for the opening ceremony – it was a good plan but it didn’t work. After my operation they couldn’t wake me up!! I only had to stay awake for 1 hour to be allowed home but I just couldn’t!! So I had to stay in over night – but as I was in my own room the nurses let me keep my TV on – if only I had managed to stay awake for more than 30sec at a time!! They eventually sent me home the following afternoon. The photos show the before and after!

June 2012

This month has been focused around my uni exams. I don’t think I have ever spent so many hours in 1 day studying – I developed the technique of studying during various training sessions! Thank goodness I had my brother with me – as it meant I didn’t have to spend anytime cooking. During exam periods it is the hardest time to balance my uni and training commitments. I put a lot of work into my studying and it’s important to me to get good grades but my training is always my main priority. It’s hard to sometimes take defeat and miss a session due to revision. I did quite a good job of always managing some form of training – even if not the planned session. I only missed 4 sessions which I thought was quite good. So now I wait for the results with fingers crossed!

After the exams I had a few group assignments that had to be done. They had only been given to us a couple of weeks before exams so we decided to leave them till after the majority of our exams. I had everybody round to my place and we worked none stop from 10 – 5 and we did managed to get them all done. So once those were handed in I was free for the summer!

We have already dived straight into Summer – enjoying the usual swimming and sunbathing. I must say it’s much harder to revise out here compared to England at this time of year as you just want to be at the beach! We had the Isle of MTV concert this month which was amazing! It’s a free concert that is held every year on the island – normally I miss it because I’m in England for the championships but due to my ankles I was still here. It is held outdoor just outside of the centre. Nearly the whole island goes!

Training continued to go well after exams. However, I have had a slight strain at the back of one of my knees so I had to take things a bit easier for a few days. But I’ll soon be back thanks to my physios! Though it has meant that I’m now fashioning a white stripe up the back of my leg where the tape has been!

I got the results from the scans on my ankles and they were as expected. So I have booked my flights back to the UK ready for the operation at the end of July. They are going to operate by key holesurgery on both of my ankles to clear out the scar tissue.

May 2012

I started this month with a quick trip back to the UK to have the scan on my ankles. Before scanning them they had to inject a special fluid that could be seen in an MRI. This was done under xray, initially using an x-ray dye, to ensure they were in the exact spot and then once they had the exact location they injected the MRI dye. It was extremely interesting. I have to admit that the best part was the ride in the wheel chair across the hospital from the x-ray to the MRI scanner – I’m sure the porter thought I was crazy!

Training has continued to increase this month. It’s great to be able to do some speed work and be back on the track – though we are still having to be careful and monitor things so as not to aggravate my ankles any further. I even managed to do a competition! Considering how much training I have missed I performed well. I managed to beat both my targets that my coach set = 1 smiley coach and 1 smiley athlete!

My brother came out half way through the month to stay for a few weeks. It’s taken a bit adjusting to having him around and not having the place to myself. One of the first things he did when he arrived was buy me a little BBQ as he said I couldn’t live in the Med and not have one! Though he did have a battle on his hands putting it together – it took him ages and some bending of the mental to get it to all fit together!

I don’t have much else to report as I spent every other spare minute I had with my head in my books either finishing assignments or studying ready for my exams next month.

April 2012

The most important event this month was my 21st birthday!!! I can’t believe I’m 21 already – and I’m now meant to be a fully grown up adult! I actually turned 21 whilst on a plane back to Malta! I had a lovely relaxed day with my parents and Grad who were over in Malta for a holiday. I had a birthday party later in the week at a beach bar where I used to work. It had the usual pre party dilemmas including no music and the writing being wrong on the cake but in the end everything came together and it was a great night. The only thing was there was a huge thunderstorm just as the party was due to start so some people didn’t make it due to the flooded roads – the only bad weather we had for 2 weeks! Typical!

Whilst my family were over with me I had a couple of relaxed weeks which was good. But I did have to spend a fair bit of time catching up on my missed uni work – this gave my dad the ideal opportunity to do all the odd jobs around my apartment! It was my physio’s wedding whilst they were here too and as my parents know his parents they were also invited. It was our first Maltese wedding – it was very different from a typical English wedding but great fun!

Once uni started back I have been very busy as usual. With geography we have been on a number of fieldworks which are great fun and a source of entertainment – I hadn’t laughed so much in along time. Some of them have been more like outdoor pursuit trips with ladders, climbing over rocks and under trees. However, they come with the assignments which take up a lot of time to collect the relevant information. And of course keep me inside at my laptop rather than being outdoors enjoying the start of the Summer sun! In contrast we had a psychology trip to the cinema to watch “We Need to Talk About Kevin” followed by a debate.

Training has been going very well this month Since the surgeon telling me I can start some track work as I can’t do much more damage I have gradually increased. I am currently doing track work every other day and on the days between I’m in the pool or the gym. It’s great to be back on the track – I was getting very down and frustrated not being able to run. I’m balancing the amount of pain that I can train with: this means some days it’ll be bad and I have to change the planned track session to a pool session as these involve no impact. It’s a bit like being on a mini roller coaster – one day up and the next down. Training more at the track means I have been able to work more with my group properly since changing coach – it makes such a difference having a supportive network of training partners and of course we are always up for a laugh.

My coach is good friends with an Italian coach, who was the national sprint coach for the Beijing Olympics, and the group paid for him to come over for a week to work with us. It was great to work with him and gain another set of eyes to watch and coach us. We focused a lot on technique on running and the specific leg movement which I had never done before.I learnt a lot and am continuing to work on it with Mario. My Italian vocab increased from 2 words to maybe 10 at the most –I think it’s something I’m going to have to spend a bit of time learning the basics. It was a challenge for Mario switching between all 3 languages and training himself!

Regarding my ankle I have received a date for the scan at the start of next month. So I’ll travel back for a couple of days to get it done and then wait for the results. . . .

March 2012

Training has continued to progress very slowly – we have gradually increased the amount of running I’m doing. I’m now up to doing alternate strides on the track and grass.
We couldn’t find anyone on the island to do the required work on my ankles so I flew back to England for 2 weeks to see an ankle and foot specialist. After a couple of consultations he and his team decided that I need another set of MRI scans of a better quality and using dye so scar tissue will show as he thinks the scar tissue is the problem. If the scans show what he expects then I will have to fly back again for them to perform key hole surgery on both of my ankles – but they will do both at the same time! Initially I took the news badly as I am running out of patience and just want to get back into full training. It gets more frustrating as the season approaches. However, after a few days for it to sink in and talking to everyone in my support team I feel a lot better – we have an action plan of what is going to be done. In the meantime while waiting for the scan date I can increase training as I can’t do any more considerable damage: so I’m looking forward to that!
My trip back to England was very well timed as it was also my Nan’s 90th birthday so we had a big family meal for her. I was a total surprise for her as she thought I was in Malta she kept asking everybody if they knew I was coming (including my parents!). It was a lovely evening and great to see all the family together. It was also one of my best friend’s 21st party whilst I was back too: another bonus! Whilst I was back my friends that were around did a great job of cheering me up and getting me refocused.
I finally received my exam results at the end of the month. I’m happy to say I did very well so I can knuckle down and focus on the next ones!
This month was of course also marked by a good party time for St Paddies day! It was especially good as 2 of my uni mates are Irish – so we celebrated in traditional style!

February 2012

I started the month with my last few uni exams. Which I’m happy to say seem to have gone well – now I just wait for the results!
Training has continued in the same manor: circuits with a bit of jogging, pool and bike. My gym work is improving and I’m starting to get back the strength I had before I stopped. However, the sessions are very repetitive and it takes a lot of hard work to stay motivated through – Mario and the group are key to this! The group has started to work with a reflexologist – very interesting I must say.
I made friends with a guy this month that fly’s birds of prey. I drove up to the coast one afternoon and I stopped as I saw lots of birds of prey on the ground. I got talking to them (the people that is - not the birds!) they were very interesting. It turns out that there is a group of them that each have their own bird and they meet once a week to fly them. I made particular friends with one of them and he said he will teach me more about the birds and how to fly them – so keep your eyes open for more in that department!

January 2012

This month has been another tough one to say the least! I had more scans done on my ankle and it showed no improvement. So we consulted an Italian and an English surgeon and they agreed that I need some invasive treatment on my ankles. But to do this we have to find someone on the island or I’ll have to fly back to the UK. However, they did also say I can start some jogging. So I have been doing 5min jogging at a time combined with circuits 3 times a week plus some more pool and bike sessions. It’s good to be back doing some kind of decent training but it’s nothing like being back on the track! I had a photo session with my new training group which was great fun and a good chance for me to get to know them better.
To top it all off I had my uni exams. These were an experience in themselves – nothing like Bolton School exams! I didn’t even know that the 1st exam had started! Also if the exam starts late we don’t get the time added on the end i.e. so if the exam is meant to start at 9:00 and finish at 11:00 but doesn’t start till 9:15 it will still finish at 11!
My brother also got married this month but unfortunately I couldn’t make it due to my exams.

December 2011

My ankles have continued to cause me problems this month. As there has been very little improvement we decided to get some scans done at the start of the month. It turns out I have a ruptured ligament and some inflamed bone so I have had to rest this month. To help protect it and help the healing I have to tape it every day and 2 times a day contrast bath it in hot and ice cold water. It has been hard not being able to train – training becomes addictive to people who are used to it everyday. I have only been allowed to do basic circuits 3 times a week which involve no ankle work and become very repetitive.
I put all my focus into my uni work to try and keep me distracted! I have been very busy especially with a number of geography fieldwork assignments.
I was glad to be home during Christmas and around my family and friends. They did a good job of trying to cheer me up. My Nan was at our house for Christmas too which was lovely: though she was very shocked when I set about doing a circuit on Christmas day! I had a quiet New Year with just a few family friends round - as my ankles and high heels don’t go well together. I also managed to get an allergic reaction to the tape I was using to strap it.
Whilst I was back I had a meeting with the English side of the support team to fill them in with the progress. It was very successful and I was given a good talking to about being patient.

November 2011

This month has been a hard one to say the least. I made the HUGE decision to change coach: I can honestly say it’s the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I felt I had to move on to help me progress my career to where I want it to be. This was particularly hard as I have known my old coach for 10 years and after all it was because of him I moved to Malta in the first place. It was also hard because I was very close to the people in the group and I was afraid of losing their friendships. I was very lucky to have lots of friends, family and mentor around me to help me through this hard time. I’m now training with another local coach called Mario. I have now been working with him for 3 weeks and I am much happier. I have a support team in place that is working together well to help provide me with the best training and support possible. So although, it is still a bit hard right now at times I am sure it is definitely the right decision. I’m greatly looking forward to starting the new chapter in my athletics and hopefully reaching new, higher levels.

Unfortunately I managed to pick up ankle problems at the end of last month so my training has been disrupted further. But with my new strengthened support team in place I am working my way through an intense rehab programme. I am doing a lot of work running in the swimming pool to keep up my fitness. I actually really enjoy these sessions however, I must say sometimes the pool is very cold when they decide not to heat it and the wind doesn’t help! This means I’m back at the physio again everyday getting my dose of brotherly teasing.

Malta had its census this month too which was interesting for me as it is part of the Geography syllabus. We had extra feature lectures with the organisers from the Government and a visiting lecturer from England. I have now settled well into uni but as I expected I’m now extremely busy and don’t have much time to relax.