Training Group in Phoenix
This year was a very different one. Usually, I trained from Sept to March, competing at CIS championships. But being on two Team Canada trips through a fork in the plan. Competing in Russia at the World University Games and France at the Francophone Championships caused my season to last till mid September. Due to this, I took some time off before searching out some warm-weather training.
Next came my trips to Phoenix. I’ve only ever been to Phoenix once, back in April 2012. That trip was made up of a couple of weeks of good training and a couple of weeks of having a broken toe, thanks to sprinting through a sprinkler hole. These two trips were different, to say the least. I attended the World Athletics Center, where I was introduced to many of the best athletes in the world, including national record holders from Great Britain, USA, Canada, Korea, India, and China, and even the hurdles world record holder. I am convinced that Phoenix is the perfect place to train, with ideal weather (no wind or rain, and enjoyably hot temperatures aside from July/August), amazing facilities, access to all major health food and grocery chains, the best coaches in the world, and the best training partners. This is where I hope to call home for as long as I can leading up to 2016.
One huge change that I highly recommend was to get a life coach. Once a week, I have a skype call with Steve. Between the productivity system we have set up, goals we have achieved, and habits we have built, I honestly feel like I am moving towards my goal of the Olympics twice as fast as before. The productivity system is allowing me to stay on top of my tasks, which keeps my stress much lower. I have gotten into all kinds of good habits, like flossing (simple task yet challenging to follow), self massage, and sleeping from 11-8 at least 5 nights a week, to name a few. In a nutshell, he helps me do lots of the things that I have never been able to quit get consistent with. One drop in the bucket at a time, things are starting to move forward!
I am sure I will mention my life coach in many more posts, but the biggest change-of-the-year award definitely goes to coaching and my training program. 2014 consisted of trying out a new coach (world-renowned Dan Pfaff), adapting his amazing program, learning how to implement it with my 2 current coaches, and then having my HJ technical coach retire. I do owe the world to Rick, and I am so glad to have finished with earning two CIS golds together. But now it is time to move on, with the intention of spending 6-8 months in Phoenix next year and building toward two huge summers.
The Next Two Years
The up and coming two years are huge in the track world. Following is a quick summary of the events that I will be working toward!
- Training in Phoenix for 6-8 months/year
- 2015 World University Games in Korea
- 2015 Pan American Championships in Canada
- 2015 World Championships in Beijing
- 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro
However, for the next month the focus is preparing for hip surgery. Time for weights, foam rolling, and banking up some money!
Dasvidaniya!
