Some of you will know me, others I'm sure will get to know me and others aren't lucky enough to have the choice! My names Emma Baird and I've been asked to blog about increase and adaption to training.
Personally for me a lot has changed in the last six months, the main word being ‘change’ including the ability to adapt to a new coach and an increase of training.
Most human beings hate change as most of us are creatures of habit. However it is vital while in a high performance training environment to be able to cope with change and bring along with it a growth mindset!
Athletes can get very fixed in their ways and sometimes it's the 'being taken out of your comfort zone and grasping opportunities when they arise’ that allows the magic to happen!
I'm not going to bore you about my past journey, it's been a mixture of highs and lows and for every athlete it's the same. We aren't robots and if we were programmed in such a way success would happen faster, but the journey wouldn't be as special.
As an athlete you have to be prepared to deal with injuries so that's why 2015 was a good year for me. I became Scottish National record holder in the team sprint with my team mate Ellie Richardson, and I finished 4th in the same event at the British Championships with my other team mate Robyn Stewart.
This helped the bitter disappointment of being plagued with injury in 2014. Both these occasions have helped lead me back onto the Performance Programme and that’s why I’m writing this blog now!
I’m training on average about 10 sessions a week. This involves double days which include a mixture of track, gym, and road – as well as the dreaded turbo! I’m fortunate to have a great team of experts around me and team mates pushing each other to our limits to help be the best we can be.
The first few months’ key aim was to increase capacity. This simply involved becoming an endurance road rider for a few months to help improve aerobic fitness. I can honestly say it's worked; the proof being that I no longer need the oxygen mask I used to require at the top of the steep hill on my commute to work!
The last few weeks have been enjoyable as the base miles have been reduced and we've moved into a power phase which all sprinters love! This has involved me jumping over hurdles and providing entertainment value for other SIS athletes when I have a near miss!
It's important to have set goals and monitor what you're trying to achieve so you can adapt the plan accordingly. Fluidity of a programme is crucial to success; when things don't go your way don't change your goal, change the plan.
Well I'd better be off, alongside juggling training; I work as a gym instructor, this year on a part time basis in order to commit more time to training. Work gives me a bit of balance as I can take my revenge of what I go through on a daily basis out on my clients - they love it really!
Till next time...
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