Start to a New Year!

I spent one last week of the year back at the training center and had my first day of running on the Alter G. It was great to be able to do something new other than swim and bike. I also was able to start doing fencing footwork. I returned home for new years and to try and spend a little more time with my sister before she returned to school. I was also able to go and work with one of my coaches Elaine Cheris again which was great to be back to the club and see everyone again. I also found out that I would be able to move into the Training center at the beginning of the year so I needed to start packing up my things to move!
  

 

Things got off to a great start this year with earning a resident spot at the Olympic Training Center. I would get to move in and be on complex which would help out a ton with training and all of the rehab. On top of that I would have full access to the cafeteria and meals at the OTC. This helps out tremendously with training since we will have practices 4 to 5 times a day and it can be difficult to be driving back and forth and trying to find time to cook and grocery shop. I would also be starting up full time classes on the 7^th of January so this will really help out with giving me more time to study and train. I was able to get all moved in the first weekend of January and get things settled before classes started up again. 

The rehab has been coming along well and I have been able to start new exercises and increase the intensity each week. I can still feel my body coming back from the surgery at times and how quickly the fatigue will set in which can be frustrating at times. I also have to really listen to my body to make sure that I am not overdoing the training and giving my hip and the muscles time to continue to heal. 

 

There have been two qualifiers for the World Cup team at the OTC this month which has been hard to not be able to compete in. There have been a lot of new faces and people who are coming to compete which is great to see that our sport is growing! I am looking at all the progress I am making, and even though I had enough points to make the World Cup team for World Cup #1 in Palm Springs, CA from my performance at Nationals, I would still not be able to compete that soon after surgery. It is hard and I would like to push myself to compete but I have to listen to the doctors to let me know when I will be ready and prepared to compete again.

I am now up to running at 94% on the Alter G, a machine/treadmill that blows up around you and allows you to run at a lower body weight. This has been great for getting me back into running much sooner than I would have been able to. I started around 65% and have been able to increase the time and weight a little each week. I also have been able to kick more in the pool and do more in fencing lessons and drills. Shooting is even starting to feel like it’s coming back which is a good feeling. I am taking it one day at a time and trying to stay positive. It has been difficult to try and back off at times and make sure that I am not pushing my hip and body too fast. I am ready to be doing more, but having a full time course load has kept me from training too much is good. I am getting closer and closer to my degree at DeVry University and glad that I am able to use this time to get some more classes done and moving forward! I was notified that I had made the Dean's List for the summer semester at DeVry University as well which was a nice surprise that the hard work is paying off.