Imani Lansiquot on studies and training ahead of athletics outdoor season
By Mark Ashenden
Last Updated: 31/03/18 8:20am
Exams, aching muscles, a new coach, heavier weights in the gym and dragging a rucksack around on the London Tube during rush hour.
It's no wonder Sky Sport Scholar Imani Lansiquot is looking forward to a few protein shakes on a warm-weather training trip in April.
GB call-ups and a positive mindset... what else has the 20-year-old from south London got on the radar for her second season as a senior?
March for any sprint athlete is a bit of a lull, as we transition from the scintillating speed and excitement of the indoor season, to the friendly reminder that we actually have to go back to a bit of hard graft!
My first year at university has been coming to a fast and increasingly stressful end, which has been a crazy but great experience. I just can't believe how quickly this year is going.
In the first week of March, I definitely went through the initiation phase of spring training, and enjoyed a hefty helping of DOMS (muscle soreness), extreme fatigue and the overbearing pressure of university growing as I prepare for my exams.
For athletes, it is a time where coming off the back of the indoor season, we use spring training as an opportunity to put more money in the bank and get those hard sessions in with the outdoor season on the horizon.
The indoor campaign is also considerably shorter, and so is easier to plan for, as opposed to the longer outdoor season where we need the endurance and fitness to progress in championships.
So, what does this mean for my training? I've gone back into heavier lifts in the gym, more volume in my speed endurance work and an even more specific approach to my technical running.
It's not been easy - especially with a new coach! There's constantly new information to process every day, and as daunting as that can be, I relish the opportunity to acquire new skills.
We have a good gap between the indoors and the outdoors, and I see it as an opportunity to refine and improve what's already there.
You'd think I had enough on my plate with this vigorous training regime. But the journey to and from the track sometimes is the real workout!
I train at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in north London, and getting there from south London can be a struggle.
On a good day, if you're lucky enough to escape the poisonous trap of the Blackwall Tunnel, it can take just over an hour to get there... in a car. But sadly, I don't drive!
With the wonderful arctic weather we've had, I've had the pleasure of dragging a rucksack on my back on the Tube during rush hour, followed by a 20-minute walk from the station to the track.
By the time I actually get there, I feel like I've completed a Night's Watch! (Game of Thrones fans will relate).
With all that being said, I do love what I do and the journey is totally worth it. Notably, warm weather training is fast approaching soon which means: Sun, sea and cocktails... I mean protein shakes!
But more seriously, there are loads of benefits to training in the sun; the warmer climates allowing for better quality sessions and the change in environment allowing better focus for training and revision.
Everything I'm doing is working towards the bigger picture, which is the outdoor season. I'm excited to get out there and run my favourite distance of 100m. I'm also going to explore the 200m, as well working on my relay skills with the girls in the 4x100m.
This will be my second season as a senior and my theme for the summer is confidence. I had a great indoor season, and aspire to translate that momentum into the summer season.
We have the European Championships in Berlin, and I would love to qualify for the 100m. It would be my first-ever senior call-up.
Aside from this, my goals are to build confidence racing on circuits with faster competition, and gaining experience in more world-class races.
I think there is great value in taking small steps before reaching your pinnacle, and so that's my mantra in my journey to 2020 and beyond.
