Hi ,
It has been a long time since my last blog but a lot has
changed.
I found myself rushing here there and everywhere trying to
juggle many commitments. On Sunday the 13th September I came back
from a week training in Wittenburg and moved into my new house, on the Monday I started my new job and the
Friday I was flying up to Stirling for a weekend training camp provided by the
Scottish Institute for Sport.
Wittenburg was a great experience; I found some amazing
drills that really helped my body understand the position it needed to be in. I
found myself feeling more and more comfortable on the bulletproof ice as the
week went on.
Stirling dry land camp (an event organised by Scottish
Institute for Sport) was a milestone for myself. We were given tests to judge
our maximum heart rate and were assessed on our overall movement patterns. On a
static bike we were set to a specific cadence and every minute we had to increase
the resistance until we could go no further. I dropped out on the 18th
minute but felt positive, as I would have done a lot less a few months
previous. This was also the first time I have been able to jump freely off the
floor and land using only my legs, which was a big confidence booster (never to
old to learn, its only taken 23 years to learn to jump.) See video here.
I have moved down to Basildon Essex and I am commuting into
Central London every day for my Job at the Post Office. It was a hard change at
first and is something I am still getting used to. I found myself getting really run down and
tired from the commute but after a few changes, such as getting taxis instead
of being my usual stubborn self, I acclimatised.
The Job itself is great. I am on a graduate programme at
Post Office Limited; the programme is a 24-month contract, working in different
areas of the Business. I am really enjoying it and finding it a great
challenge. There are 6 graduates in this cohort and we get on really well
(pictured). We started with a month induction, which involved getting to
know each other and gaining a better understanding of the business.
At the moment I am working in Financial Services but around March time next
year I will move into Commercial and then into Network 6 months later.
At the moment I am currently sat on a Ferry on my way to
Landgraaf (Holland) for the first race of the season. Those of you that have
been following my blog for a while now, will remember Landgraaf from last year.
I am really excited to get back in the gates, it seems like an eternity since I
was out in Wittenburg in September.
In the gym I have been training hard, I have adopted the
advice from the dry land training camps in Stirling and Bishom Abbey. I’ve
tried to make them part of my daily routine. I have been focussing on more body
weight type movements to get more activation from my muscles and to create a
more efficient body position and walking gait. I have noticed the benefits in my every day
life and I am feeling more stable and like I have more control over my lower
body (which is always a positive.)
The first race of the season is on the 17th November. My goal
for this race is to finish and get some points on the board. I am keen to get
some practice in before my race and get the feel for the snow (ice). I have been
rummaging through my old videos and decided to make a progress video from last
year to this year. I was astonished by the difference and feel motivated to
keep on pushing forward. Click here if you would like to see that video.
So, I will leave it there for now, No doubt I will update
you after my race. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Cheers
Alex
x
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