World Champs, Baby!!!

Hello Friends,

Between challenging travel, lack of internet connectivity in our hotel, and trying to stay focused on doing all the necessary preparation for my race(s), I haven't been able to post as much as I've wanted. I'll do the abbreviated version of the past 2 weeks, leading up to this evening and the final sleep before my first World Championships race.

SportsCentrum, Kamen

I met Team Canada in Kamen, Germany 2 weeks ago, where I enjoyed the company of over 50 athletes, coaches, therapists and support staff who were brought together for the final phase of preparation before departing on Wednesday for the 2013 IAAF World Championships. The Kamen-Kaiserau SportCentrum was a great site for our base camp: our accommodations were beautiful and comfortable, the staff were friendly and obliging, and the surrounding areas are scenic and great for running. Coming into Kamen, I was warned by several of last year's Olympians (who were also based at the SportCentrum leading into London) that with very little going on in the immediate vicinity, I should be prepared to get bored pretty quickly. And although they were generally accurate in their description of the activity level of the surrounding neighbourhood, I found that the 12 days went by in a blur. Between running, meals, therapy, stretching, napping, planning with coaches and support staff, catching up with e-mails from home and writing these blog posts, my days were sufficiently busy and before I knew it, we were on our way to Moscow!

Unfortunately, a lot of my energy early on was spent focusing on my health; coming off the PB in Ninove, followed by a full day of travel, having only arrived in Europe less than a week before, my immune system took a hit and I came down with a small cold. I spent 3 straight days only moving from my bed for meals, resting as much as possible and incorporating lots of home remedies into my Klean Athlete supplement regime. Its never ideal to get sick in your final phase of race prep, and I was frustrated by the

Mid-Distance Gals

timing of the cold; however, I knew that both training through it and wasting energy worrying about it would likely prolong the illness. So I rested and waited, and was able to hit the track a few days later executing one of my strongest workouts of the year. With my legs back under me, I focused my sights on our final week in Kamen and despite a small lingering cough, I have come out of training camp feeling healthy and strong. I'm really grateful for our time in Germany: it gave me a chance to get to know my delegation in a more personal and individual way, and to have productive, encouraging conversations with a few of Athletics Canada's top administrative staff about the future direction of the federation. Our awesome team captains Angela Whyte and Justyn Warner also organized a hilariously embarrassing rookie night towards the end of our stay that really pulled us all together and kept things fun and light despite the prestige and importance of the event for which we were all preparing (it helps that my team, consisting of jumper Christabel, pole vaulter Shawnacy, sprinter Cheria Morgan and chiropractor Duriell Bernard, won the overall rookie competition!)

Arriving in Moscow!

Our trip to Moscow was eventful to say the least: we dealt with a delayed flight, team members with invalid travel visas, half our team's baggage not arriving in Moscow, and almost 3hrs spent in customs trying so sort everything out. When we finally arrived at the meet hotel, we learned that about half of our team would be in rooms with cots, despite AC requesting that we be put in rooms with 2 beds. But Canadians are resilient and optimistic by nature, and after a good meal and few laughs we were all feeling a lot better.

In the last 3 days I have undergone my first major meet doping control procedure, I've done strides a few lanes over from Usain Bolt on the warm-up track, strategized with my coaches, and have run awestruck around the track in the World Championship stadium! I have rubbed shoulders at meals and at workouts with Deena Kastor, Mo Farah, Hannah England, and many other of track and field's greats; my heroes. And although this has been an unbelievably cool experience, its also made me realize that everyone is here to do exactly the same thing: compete with every ounce of passion, pride and strength that we possess.

 

World Champs Stadium

I am so humbled a deeply appreciative of all the kind, loving, encouraging messages that I've received over the past several weeks. I have been reflecting on how incredibly blessed I am to have a vast and committed network of caring and supportive souls who have raised me, picked me when I've fallen, celebrated victories with me, and cheered me on through every step of this journey so far. I began writing down all of the people to whom I owe unending thanks, but the list goes on forever, and will take another post entirely. All of my coaches, past and present; every one of my teammates throughout the years; all the sensational therapists and medical staff who have kept me healthy and strong; my loving and patient friends; my tremendous family who offers unconditional and unending love. You have all played distinct and tremendously important roles in helping me get to the highest level of athletic competition. Tomorrow at 10:25am Moscow time I will toe the line in my first ever IAAF World Track and Field Championships, and I will be running with the collective strength of each of you. My foremost goal is to run my heart out, to leave nothing on the track, and in the process I hope to make you all proud. Many, many thanks, and much love. I'm at the World Championships, Baby!!

Streaming available at:
http://www.trackie.com/track-and-field/2013-IAAF-World-Athletics-Championships/
or via BBC Sports