Day 3: Hump day picture blog

It's hump day. Just over halfway - time for a picture blog!

Lunch prep - boys

Our hot ride 'the pea' and lovely model, Craig.

Crammed in the pea

Marcus and his entourage

The girls Rob a bank. Psych activity intended to help us with goal setting strategies! (Note: it was ENTIRELY hypothetical)

Boys team - Rob a bank. (Still hypothetical)

Gym action

FUNdamentals - sorry but they're not actually fun

Walking in to town - Widcombe Locks

Dinner at the Firehouse Rotisserie with a best friend; James

The Weir - I fell in love with Bath again tonight

Day 2: Push the tempo

We had a double push session today. On already sore hips! We were up at the track by 9 am to warm up for the first session of the day. It took a while to warm up the body this morning due to soreness from the unusual position we run in when we push. We had eight pushes this morning. The session went pretty well - we definitely all made progress from the day before.

As soon as we're done it's time to recover. I headed up to the cafe to grab some milk and a Nakd bar then into the gym for some mobility. Mobility isn't the most fun of work - stretching, using a roller or ball to work on tight spots (usually painful) but it felt necessary this morning as we had another session later that day and lots of sitting about in the middle.

We had a workshop post-lunch pre-session 2. It was an introduction to the EIS performance lifestyle (PL) service that we will have access to. PL will be able to assist us with transitions and barriers that we will face as athletes. So for example - relocating to Bath and financing this. Finding part-time work, managing your time, balancing training with social etc.

The second part of the workshop was about social media - gulp! I was expecting a workshop of this nature at some point and having heard how equivalent social media workshops have gone and embarrassed and made an example of people it is safe to say I was a little apprehensive what with my copious use of social media. However, I was fine - the PL adviser hadn't actually been able to get into my Facebook because I have decent privacy settings, She also said all our Twitters were totally fine - phew! One job for tonight though is a Facebook cull! So apologies if any of you are no longer my friend from tomorrow - we just have to be careful with a) the people (and their opinions) we associate with and b) who is able to 'share' posts etc.

Then it was time for a quick warm up and push session 2. Another 8 pushes! Unfortunately this is where our luck ran out a little. On the first run Marcus shouted as he jumped on the sled - he'd pulled his hamstring! Cue ice, compression and elevation. He later returned back to the house with a GameReady; a machine that ices and compresses and crutches! We are all hoping he gets a hopeful diagnosis Thursday when he has a scan. The only positive is that at least it happened at a camp. He is able to get instant, top quality treatment and support. Far superior than a bag of peas from the freezer at home!

Poor Marcus getting treatment from GameReady

This evening we are all pretty tired. Once again recovery is the name of the game. I'd had another decent push session, improving again. But now my hips are sore so I spent some more time stretching and working on my sore bits then a cold bath for 10 min.

Counting down the seconds in the cold bath

It's quite a strange existence if I am honest. I am used to working all day then training and having very little time for R+R. But as an athlete it is your responsibility to maximise and optimise recovery so that you can train hard day in day out. I struggle with having spare time; I always feel like I am wasting time if I am not doing anything - this might take some getting used to. Later Maddy cooked fajitas which were delicious :) Tomorrow we have a lighter day; a longer workshop in the morning and then gym and recovery which we are hoping is massage!!

Mads cooking up a feast

Day 1: Ducks and Dragons

Day one is drawing to a close; some people are watching a film, Marcus and myself have just been blown away by episode 9 of Game of Thrones (hence the dragons reference in the title) so it's time to reflect and blog on the day.

The day started with us lot (for once) being early and ready to leave ahead of time! Let me assure you this won't be the case tomorrow and for the rest of the week - we are somewhat renowned for being unorganised and disorderly. The day started with a brief meeting which was preceded by some rogue ducks running freely through the STV cafe doors - some light morning entertainment for us.

First business of the day was a session on the push track. A facility that enables us to work on the push start of the sport; the only one in the country. None of us had 'pushed' since February and that was on ice which is pretty different. The last time we'd been in Bath pushing was October so safe to say we were pretty rusty! Ten pushes later though we were all pretty we refamiliarised and unscathed (another first). My first few were pretty ropey and cowardly (not running very far) but the second half of the session was better; it was feeling like I was getting closer to what the coach was asking which is always a positive. 

Post session we needed to cool down which involves some light activity and stretching. This is to help our muscles recover and was especially important to day because it had been so long since we'd ran bent over in the push position (it isn't that comfortable). I also needed to ice my achilles at the back of my ankle because it had become a little sore from the session. All just little reminders that I need to look after myself and that I am not used (yet) to pushing.

Cool down action

After lunch we had a little while to chill so we went to the lake on campus where we were tormented by the ducks! For those of you that don't know I have a phobia of birds and these ducks are ballsy! Everyone else however found it hilarious to the point where I no longer felt safe or relaxed and spent the rest of the time stood up where I could keep my eye on the pesky creatures!!

Maddy being harassed

We had a few other bits and bobs during the afternoon including some sliding science in a classroom. But we finished pretty early and headed back home where we became primary school kids and played frisbee and if you missed you had to go down to one knee, two knees etc etc. It lead to some interesting tekkers!

No idea how Marcus got into this position!

Once we tired of frisbee we did some mobility and yoga to try and ease the muscle soreness that will no doubt rear its ugly head tomorrow! Marcus, Maddy and myself crammed into the lounge and did a couple of Yoga with Adriene's '30 days of yoga' sessions! 

Plenty of space for yoga

Cue dinner time and Maddy made a fab chilli :) then Game of Thrones for Marcus and myself. A pretty good end to a good first day; GOT was an absolute epic of an episode but let's face it it has been a long time coming! We have a double session tomorrow and a workshop - speak soon x

How do you train for skeleton in the summer?

It's the middle of June. The ice has melted in Europe so there is no 'sliding' to be had. Our last camp was in February so what do we do until we go back out on ice - October ish time?

It is simple. We train. To be successful at skeleton you have to be fast and powerful as well as a good driver. The summer is when you're able to work on the physical aspect really hard. As part of the British Skeleton Talent squad I, along with the other seven athletes have to attend camps in Bath - one a month over the summer.

The May camp had a review/preview focus and involved some testing which I unfortunately could not take part in because of my ankle injury. The June camp starts tomorrow and runs until Friday. From the timetable it looks very physically demanding - double training sessions most days as well as workshops and testing. Fortunately my ankle is all healed. I have been really fortunate to receive physiotherapy support from British Skeleton via the sportscotland institute of sport where I work. This had made a massive difference as before when I was controlling my own return to training I found it stressful having to make decisions.

Tim, Craig, Marcus and myself arrived in Bath this evening. We are all staying with Olly - Maddy's boyfriend who is also a bobsleigh driver. It's a pretty good set up as we are used to all being around each other from winter. It was actually weird in May when we were all staying separate - it felt like we didn't see much of each other. Ellie lives in Bath so we will see her at training and then Brogan will join us on Wednesday. It is just Chris who isn't here because he is on placement at a school (he is studying a PGCE).

Another bonus of staying with Olly is that is keeps the cost down. These camps are not funded by British Skeleton so we pay our own way. SportsAid, a charity that supports up and coming sportsmen and women have however awarded us with some financial support for the summer so this is a massive help and big thanks to them! For me the money will mainly go on travel and food. A flight from Edinburgh is £100 ish during the summer months so my travel expenses are pretty high.

Warming up for a push camp with some golf

I do like to make the most of trips down to England though and usually try to extend the trips to see friends or family. This camp coincided with my brother, Richard's 21st birthday which was very good timing! I have been able to spend the weekend with him in Bristol - he had a BBQ on Friday which I flew down to from work and then we spent the weekend doing a bit of sightseeing. We went to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and played part of a round of golf. I really enjoyed the bridge but am horrendous at golf - I snapped two tees in half and my PB was a bogie - I didn't even make a par! I think I'll stick to skeleton!

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Anyway bed time soon. Things kick off tomorrow at 10 am which is a pretty late start for skeleton - I'll blog every day of this camp so check in to see how it goes!

The tee suffered from my technique

Return to Play: the kankle

It's been just over 3 months since I sprained my ankle in Winterberg on a skeleton training camp. I've just finished my second week back of 'normal' training. YES it's been a long rehab process... and I'd say I'm 95% of the way back to where I was. Ankles... they're not easy (understatement). Apologies in advance for all the feet pics!

So what is it like to be rehabbing for 3 months?

It is lonely, boring, painful, frustrating, time consuming, stressful, depressing and unforgiving. Now don't get me wrong, I know that many sportsmen and women rehab for much longer time periods than 3 months - I don't envy them. Lot's of my emotions came from not expecting the healing process to take so long. When it happened (mid week) I had every intention of sliding on the Sunday - but it was not going to let me.

Rehab if you've not had to do it before is baby steps. It's not a linear trajectory back to where you were it's a squiggly line - a bit like life.

Immediate aftermath

Step 1: Diagnosis. A colleague at work diagnosed me with a grade 2 sprain with posterior impingement. Initial rehab was theraband work only - to restrengthen the ligament. No weight bearing training - not even bike.

How I spent quite a few hours

Step 2: Swelling and club foot. I limped about for probably 3 weeks post sprain. My ankle continued to swell and settle up until recently. I tried to do some running on the beach about 4 weeks post - my foot felt like a brick on the end of my leg. Too soon.

Step 3: Patience. Like any athlete I HATE not training. Like it makes me the most miserable, grumpy person in the world. For the first few weeks everything was restricted - my range of motion and pain was not good so I was restricted to drills in the pool. I remember begging the physio to check my ankle and okay me to go start on the bike (I think she was probably too scared to say no)!

Step 4: Progress. All the theraband work, single leg eyes closed balance, painful ankle mobilisation seems somewhat worth it for 25 single leg calf raises. Two weeks prior to this physio check up one caused pain.

Step 5: Patience (again). Ready to start running again I was quickly pulled back. My gait was not even remotely normal and it hurt :( My lovely coach Anne was encouraging but honest reminding me not to do too much too soon. I also got put in a air cast - Andy Murray esque. It was NOT a strong look.

The cast was so sexy

Step 6: Find where you can work hard. The gym. Usually only in the gym 2-3 times a week I was in there 5-6 times. Bike, core, mobility, strength and power (and rehab) that's what I could do so I did it. I kept at the pool too because it helped calm my ankle down if it was ever sore. I began to feel like I was an athlete again.

Acupuncture

Step 7: Two steps forward, one step back. I began to move back to the track. This is weird in itself because I hadn't been training with my group consistently since before Christmas so you feel sort of out of it plus doing different work to everyone else. I gradually did more and more running, getting quicker and eventually putting spikes on. Only for my achilles to start pulling on the bad side. Typical! But not surprising - I have a tendonopathy, and it flares when I load quickly. Hello eccentrics.

Rehab tools I can't live without

Step 8: Specifics. The thing with an injury is that the critical part of rehab is just when you think you're done with it *throws away the theraband*. This is where I'd say I am now. If I just left my rehab and followed my programme I'd be risking further injury whether it be the ankle or the achilles or something else - everything is linked. So now I am making my ankle robust. Hopping, jumping, multi directional movements, sprints against other people.

Soon I hope my rehab becomes prehab (when you do exercises to help minimise the risk of injury). I still moan about having to do rehab (my coach dragged me through it this morning) but it is SO much better than what I was doing those first few weeks. I am back in reasonably good shape - sprinting again and looking forward to being able to complete a full push camp in Bath in a few weeks.

Top tips for rehab:
1. Get professional help - I've rehabbed this with and without professional help. It is far less stressful knowing that someone else is controlling your return.
2. Work in a supportive environment - I hate rehabbing in the gym at work. S+C coaches scorn on it so I get it done before I go into the weights room when I can - I'm much less likely to skip bits then.
3. Find that balance between challenging the injured area and not pushing it too soon too hard.

Ice is another best friend

And lastly, tiger balm is your best friend for achilles.

EveryBODY is beautiful

Watch this video.

How devastating is it hearing how women describe themselves? Not one positive word to describe their bodies when asked. But we wouldn't look at any of those women and call them disgusting. Why do women (and men) have such a negative perception which is not aligned to how others see them?

We must start to love ourselves so that others will see that it is not the norm to only see the bad. Sure, everyone has bits of themselves they might change. BUT what about the bits that you wouldn't change. Focus on the positives - it will do wonders for your confidence and that will radiate from you. Kids are body conscious younger than every before. I don't recall being body conscious  until about age 17. Little girls younger than 10 worry about their appearance nowadays. This can only lead to unwanted issues as they mature. Set an example - teach the people you love to love themselves.

I wanted to share this video because it shocked me. The Embrace documentary can send a powerful message - I hope it gets made. Please share and also think of three things you LOVE about your body. And then tell someone else something you LOVE about their body.

I shall practice what I preach
1. My bum
2. Blue eyes
3. Being tall

Your turn ladies and gents.

The Election: What matters to me

The General Election is tomorrow and I remain undecided who to vote for. Disclaimer: I know nearly nothing about politics but this is my attempt to wade through the propaganda and work out what matters to me and which political party is the most likely to deliver this. I am also very cynical about politics. The first election I was able to vote was the last one and I voted liberal democrats believing that Nick Clegg would do what he said and get rid of tuition fees. And that was the last time I 100% trusted a politician.

But despite my cynicism I will vote and I will try to do so informed. It pains me to hear people proclaim 'what does it matter - it won't make a difference'. We are fortunate enough to live in a democracy where we can have a say in who runs our country and we should exercise this right. This election is pretty open and may come down to who turns up to vote. Whoever wins will have a huge impact on everyone's life for the next 5 years and longer. Decisions will be made on the NHS, the EU, immigration, the economy, education and national security to name a few; how do you want your money to be spent? People fought hard to earn the vote; we all need to make the most of it.

Okay; rant over. Where to start? Well I have been thinking about what matters to me firstly...

1) Healthcare. The NHS is a huge asset to this country but it is struggling, needing investment of resource and money. Obesity is becoming (already is?) an epidemic which the government needs to tackle through education and making it simple and affordable to eat healthily.

2) Care for mentally ill and elderly. Okay - so similar to the first point but the stigma attached to mental illness needs to disappear and patients treated in the same way as people with a physical illness. More research needs to go in to understanding the brain and how it works. We have an ageing population; people that have worked all their lives. They do not deserve to sit in understaffed nursing homes, or be unable to pay for heating in the winter. It's time the strong cared for the vulnerable.

3) The cost of living. A friend asked me the other day how come I didn't have savings when I have been in a full-time job for two and half years. The reason why (apart from student debt)? The cost of living is so high. Petrol, healthy food, bills, travel. I'm far from 'tight' but nor do I splash the cash and I spend almost £1200 a month on rent, food, petrol and bills alone. Let's just say I do not forsee me owning property for a long time if ever. Which leads me on to no. 4...

4) Owning property. It baffles me how anyone is supposed to be able to save up (without help from Mum and Dad) for a deposit ! Renting is throwing money away but I do not have any other option. I'd like buying a house as a young (is 26 still young?) person to become a reality rather than a dream.

5) Equality. As a woman I feel quite passionate about gender equality. As a woman in sport I feel even more passionately about gender equality. Men and women should get the same treatment and exposure in all aspects of life. Women shouldn't be discriminated against because we have babies or objectified because of what we wear. Women shouldn't be trafficked for sex or abused (nor should men obviously). We are all human and all equal and everyone should be safe.

6) Education. All kids should be taught how to manage finances, healthy living, politics and sex education. Sure you need to be able to read, write and do math but learning about 'real life' at school should also be included. It is pure neglect to not educate a kid about the dangers of the internet and then that same kid to be tricked online by a pedophile. P.S.H.E (or whatever it is called now) should be delivered by experts not form tutors - then maybe it would be taken seriously.

7) Science and research. For medical advancement to take place this is key, And the Govt. need to support research and not restrict which medicines/treatments can be used because of cost. Sure there needs to be controls and plenty of quality assurance but too much red tape will just repress greatness and potentially deny people solutions to their problems. The Govt. also need to control the media in how they 'polarise' findings or statements because messages are often misleading.

8) Support local business. I am pretty uneducated about the economy and business I'll admit (probably because no one taught me at school) but it is such a shame to see small businesses struggling and big companies that manufacture abroad rolling in in their place. Support local businesses to support the wider economy and employment in the local area.

Right there you are. Eight things that matter to me. Not all especially deep but I think these are the things that will affect me in years to come. I'd love to go into more detail about the EU and the economy but unfortunately I am not informed enough just now so please don't judge me on that.

Next stop. Party manifesto's (the temptation to write some zzz's here is strong).