After a challenging 2023, our sponsored athlete, Eilish McColgan, is feeling positive about how 2024 is shaping up.
Momentum is building. The Paris Olympic Games are around the corner. It's hard to ignore. But despite the pressure of an Olympic Year, there's an added excitement and motivation for me.
There is no doubt about it - I'm against the clock - in more ways than one. But often that's when an athlete flourishes.
I haven't been shy about how challenging 2023 was for me. From Injuries to family loss, it felt never ending. I don't feel quite ready to go into all the details of the last twelve months, it's still a bit raw. However, as I nudge closer to my old self again, I'm sure I'll reflect on it knowing it made me a stronger athlete and person. For now, I'm moving forward and keeping my mind set on the here and now.
My training is progressing nicely. We spent longer in the warm weather of the middle east. This delayed our altitude camp until I had a solid few weeks of running under my belt. Fast forward six weeks, and I've just landed in Colorado Springs for my first altitude camp of the year, 2024 has well and truly begun! I'll be here for the next month on a get-fit campaign. Having not ran for around six months my fitness is not where it would usually be at this time of year. But I'm looking at the bigger picture. My body is healthy, my knee continues to improve every day and I'm building up my training with no setbacks. Every week, I'm exponentially on the up and can see improvements being made. The only question now is time.
The Paris Olympics would be my fourth games. It would be a huge achievement - taking me into a new realm for Scottish Athletics - with no man or woman ever achieving it before. My mum made three. My partner Michael made three. So of course, I want to trump them with four! The good part is that I already have my 10,000m qualifying time from last year. That's one major box ticked towards qualification. But coming back from an injury, I now must show form and fitness to my federation to be selected. The deadline for this is the British Championships at the very end of June.
In all honesty, I'm not thinking too far ahead. I'm taking each day and every week as it comes. Staying positive in the fact that I'm in a much better place than I've been for the last twelve months, and that every day I get a little stronger and fitter. That's all I can ask for. Those tiny little improvements will start to stack up. Train, eat, sleep, repeat.
I believe I can do it. I wouldn't be committing myself to the next four months, away from home, if I didn't believe. Throughout tough times in my career, there has always been a small voice inside telling me to keep going. A feeling in my gut. An instinct. So, I'm going to follow it.
If this leads me to my fourth Olympic Games for Team GB - brilliant. But if I fall short, I am confident there will be something else waiting in the wings. A bigger success. Something that was worth waiting for. I just don't know it yet.