Lisa Corrigan: RT Journals

posted by rtross on June 14, 2010, 12:16am

I began my Australian domestic season feeling confident after a win in the Noosa5km for the first time, and was really looking forward to running well on the track......or not!

Around Christmas time I found out I had a bad bacteria in my stomach. It was something called “helicobactor pylori”, which I have preciously had three times. They say you can get it in China ... from animals! They don’t know too much about it, but I was told that usually if you get rid of it the first time it’s unlikely to come back. Not in my case!

I spent the majority of the season on antibiotics to fight off the helicobactor and a few chest infections, sinus infections and throat infections which was definitely frustrating.
My first race was the Sydney Track Classic where I finished 3rd in not the fastest ever time, however I was just so happy to be back out racing. I followed that up with Melbourne the week later, which was better and once again very enjoyable.

After Melbourne I felt good leading into a meet in Christchurch, but the day before the meet started I felt a few cold symptoms coming on and once again was not overly happy with my result.

I was feeling a little lost and couldn’t work out why I was always getting sick and why I wasn’t getting any better. I was doing full time university studies through the season so had a lot on my plate. However I was still getting all my training done, but the results just weren’t coming.

The weekend before Nationals, I did one of my best track sessions all year. I was pretty pumped for Perth.

That was until 5 days before when I woke up with a really sore throat and feeling terrible yet again. Come race day I could barely get out of bed that morning. I was still hopeful that perhaps I could run and somehow get a top 3 placing. But I had to finally accept the fact in the afternoon that I wasn’t going to be racing at Nationals.

It was a long way to go over to Perth to just be a spectator. Lucky for me, my sister had recently moved to Perth, so it was great to see her again. Perth is also the same place where my new manager, Sam Maxwell, is based, and I got to properly meet him for the first time. Sam was great. He made me feel like an athlete again and made me realise that it was just one race, and there was plenty more out there!

I left feeling better about things.

I had to complete my 10 week teaching Internship which started on the 31st of March and ended on the 4th of June. It was a long and tiring 10 weeks. Surrounded by secondary students all day and constantly having to be talking, yelling, marking ... the list goes on. The experience was great and the school I was teaching at was fantastic.

The hardest thing was teaching full time and trying to fit in my training. I found myself getting very run down and stressed. I had to change something. With strict instructions from my coach, Richard Telford, I began running once a day. At first I didn’t like it as I felt I wasn’t doing enough training, but as the weeks passed I don’t think I could have done it any other way.

Finally my Internship was finished and that night I flew to Perth to race in Leonora on Saturday. I have never enjoyed a plane trip as much as I did that night. No kids around. No papers to mark. No school work to do! I felt so relieved and excited and was really looking forward to racing in Leonora.

I was a little nervous about the race. I thought perhaps I was a little under done... had I done enough training? Had I gotten enough rest? Had I eaten well enough? The usual things that go through your head when you race. But, in the end I just wanted to run. It had been a long time since I raced and I was excited.

A week before, Sam managed to get me a sponsorship with Ryders Eyewear! I was stoked as I didn’t expect it after the season I had. It felt good to have a sponsor again and to know that someone still had faith in my running. I have always run in sunglasses, so to have Ryders on board is such a privilege and one that I am very grateful for.

I lined up in the final of the Leonora Mile, a little nervous, but so glad to be racing. It was unusually cold for Leonora but the crowd was still out supporting us and I had such a great time.

LEONORA ELITE WOMEN'S FINAL

To win my third Leonora mile was an amazing feeling. I can’t say I was the most confident I had ever been going into the race; Bridey Delayney had out-kicked me in just about every race this season and Erica Sigmont was looking as fit as a fiddle! In the end I was really determined and it all worked out well.

I am now looking forward to heading to Europe and trying to run the Commonwealth Games Qualifier. I want to get back into PB shape and start moving up in the world rankings.

Now my teaching Internship is over, I can be an athlete again and do everything right.

My short term goals are to make the Commonwealth Games team and run a personal best for the 1500m. However, long term, my ultimate goal is to make the final of the London 2012 Olympics and run sub 4minutes for the 1500m.

With the help and backing from Sam, Ryder’s Eyewear, my coach, and my family and friends, I believe it is possible and I’m looking forward to every step of the journey!

Tags: Lisa Corrigan, RT Journals, Australian Running, Leonora
Read more | Comments (1) | Updated on August 10, 2010, 12:16am

One comment to "Lisa Corrigan: RT Journals"

Tom Gleeson says:

June 15, 2010

Hello Lisa.
I havn't seen you for ages (I think it was at the Food Court at Comm. Games, Melbourne)but I hear how you are going through the media.
You are doing really well.
I hope you stay fit and healthy.
Keep up the good work.
Regards, Tom.

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Lisa Corrigan: RT Journals

One comment to "Lisa Corrigan: RT Journals"