Surgery and technology has come a long way

Whilst browsing the net this morning I came across this clip of Jermaine Dupri having LASIK eye surgery.

This is something I had some 4 years ago, with not one side effect or change in sight since. Why do this you might ask? I was fed up of being on the first leg of the relay team because I could not see the check mark. lol

I was fortunate enough to have an agent who contacted Optimax and asked them if they would treat me. They did and it was free.

I was curious to watch this clip. At the time I did not want to know in full detail what was about to occur. All I do know is there was distinct smell of burning chicken in the room, during the procedure. lol

No for real there was no down side a little discomfort whilst trying to sleep that night. But, well worth it. All I kept reminding myself through the pain was no more contact lens or glasses.



I recommend LASIK to everyone who asks me. To not be able to see is a crime. This procedure takes roughly 20 mins.

Don't be scared I did it and I can be a whimp with the best of them.
Jx

(Note the clip is a bit grim)

Rainy Days

Its a rainy day here in Orlando and Im stuck in the hotel. My apartment is not ready until Monday.

Those who know me well know that I live for music. So as I sit here listening to my IPod I have decided to put a little play list together of the songs that I'm feeling today.

I can find a song for every mood/emotion so here you go my rainy day play list.

Keisha White - Weakness In Me - 2006

Musiq Soulchild - Teach Me - 2007

Lyfe Jennings - Must Be Nice - 2005

Sexy Cinderella - Lynden David Hall - 1997 (RIP Lynden)

Lynden David Hall - Do I Qualify - 1997

J Holiday - Suffocate - 2007

Beyonce - Crazy Feeling

Jamie Foxx - Do What It Do - 2005

Aaliyah - John Blaze

Marques Houston - Alone 2003

Amy Winehouse - Valerie - 2007 (I love it when she sings live. Great outstanding voice)

Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game feat Mos Def (Love this version)

Amy Winehouse - F*&k Me Pumps (This one always makes me laugh)

Gwen McCrae - All This Love I'm Giving (Always one to make me shake a leg in the club)

Shalamar - I Can Make You Feel Good - 1982

Jackson 5 - I want you back

KP & Envyi - Shorty Swing My Way

Kelly Rowland - Work (Put It In)



Ok thats enough. The sun's come out. I'm sure you can tell from the change in tone of the songs.


Chat soon

Jx

No rest for the ................................

I’m officially back in Orlando ready for the next phase in my training program. It feels great to be back as I have missed the group aspect of training. Being home was good the fruits of my labour in my races shows that but, putting the bigger picture in to perspective I just scratched the surface during my indoor season.

2 personal bests over 200m and a season best that lowered in my last race in the 60m is not a bad effort.

But, here I am back to reality which is the world of Brooks Johnson. He ALWAYS makes me hit the ground running (excuse the pun) when it comes to me getting back to Orlando from London.

Session 1
So my first session was 2 x 20minute runs. For all you distance runs and joggers out there your probably thinking what’s hard about that? Well let me tell you I’m a sprinter with the attentions span of a gnat. I have done these runs before and the question is always the same what do you think about? To add insult to injury he sent me out with two 800m runners and three 400m runners. I snuck my IPOD shuffle under my t-shirt and proceeded to walk out into the playing fields of Disney for my runs.



Started off ok, if I do say so myself even had a little chit chat with the guys as I had not seen them for a while. Then the monkey jumped on my back my bouncy stride turned into me shuffling along and the gap opened, and continued to open. I was 6 mins into the run. HELP!!!!

On came the IPOD and I sang along to the songs as I tried to keep up with the guys who now looked like pin dots in the distance. Shuffle along I did as I promised myself no matter what I would not stop. I then got smart and started cutting across the fields to catch up. It’s a 20 min run not a race course. In my mind as long as I kept moving for the full 20mins I was completing the work out. I felt like Rocky as I ran through the fields. Probably looked like a pensioner on a Zimmer frame.

Needless to say I completed both runs having 30mins recovery between each. This according to Brooks is the best way for me to get the 9 ½ flight out of my legs. Hmmmmmmm

Session 2
What could he possibly have in store for me? How about 2x3x300m. For those who cant add up that’s six 300m.

I take the slow walk across the field with my training partner and start the session. Brooks shouts instructions to us as we run past. I’m trying to make them as technically sound as possible. It started raining on the second run of the first set but we continued. The heavens opened and the rain came down during or recovery. Brooks tells us at 5pm we should head back out to finish the session. Its 4:45pm and trust me it don’t look like the rain is going to relent. 4:50pm and Brooks shouts out ‘Ok ladies’. We both look at each other with that ‘Is he for real look?’ and then get up and walk out into the rain. The only way I can discribe it is the World Champs in Helsinki 2005.



Set two is completed with me doing an impression of a drown rat who can’t see. My is head is down as I run the 300s with my eyes partially open. My eyes are stinging with the rain and Brooks is threatening to make us run again if we ease up before the line.

Yep I’m back in Orlando in ‘The Sunshine State’ well not yesterday anyway.

Birmingham Grand Prix Feb 16

Birmingham was officially my last race of the indoor season. This was decided in December 2007 by my coach Brooks. It was nice knowing so early that I would not be going to or trying to qualify for the World Indoors. My focus of the indoor season has been working on my strength and other aspects of my race. The best place as I have said in the past to put everything that I have been working on in practice into place is in a race.

Birmingham was a challenge for me because of the timetable running both the 60m and 200m. According to the schedule there was to be a heat and a final for the 60m. Going by the times that I had been running in the 60m I half expected not to make the final and to use the heat as a warm up for the 200m. You must appreciate that the warm up areas for indoor meets are not the best. Sometimes racing is the only or the best way to warm up.

My coach Brooks was in Birmingham for my race so it was great to catch up with him. A little nerving because he had not seen me run in nearly 4 weeks. So I admit I was trying to impress him in my warm and of course my race. When he looked at my warm up starts he commented on things that I needed to do and focus on (which somehow I had forgotten) so all round it was great having him there.

The heat for the 60m was at 15:17 I ran a seasons best of 7.36 finishing 4th which qualified me for the final. The final for the 60m was at 16:30. I ran 7.36 again finishing 6th. This is when I took the deep breath and mentally re accessed if what I had planned on paper was actually a good idea. The 200m final was at 16:58.

I ran another PB for the 200m exactly 1 week since my last PB over 200. I dropped the time to 23.37.

15:17 - 60 METRES Women - Heats - Heat 2 OFFICIAL RESULTS
First 3 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified

1 Tahesia HARRIGAN IVB 7.24 0.130 Q

2 Angela WILLIAMS USA 7.25 0.157 Q

3 Laura TURNER GBR 7.33 0.185 Q

4 Joice MADUAKA GBR 7.36 0.154 q SB

5 Johanna MANNINEN FIN 7.37 0.104 q

6 Montell DOUGLAS GBR 7.38 0.178 SB

7 Anyika ONUORA GBR 7.38 0.118

8 Bettina MULLER-WEISSINA AUT 7.40 0.158
really happy with the time but not the way I ran the race.





16:30 - 60 METRES Women - Final OFFICIAL RESULTS

1 Angela WILLIAMS USA 7.15 0.163

2 Kim GEVAERT BEL 7.15 0.151 SB

3 Jeanette KWAKYE GBR 7.20 0.201

4 Laverne JONES - FERRETTE ISV 7.28 0.203

5 Laura TURNER GBR 7.29 0.164 SB

6 Joice MADUAKA GBR 7.36 0.168 SB

7 Johanna MANNINEN FIN 7.37 0.176

Tahesia HARRIGAN IVB DQ



16:58 - 200 METRES Women OFFICIAL RESULTS

1 Joice MADUAKA GBR 23.37 0.196 PB

2 Christine OHURUOGU GBR 23.41 0.310 PB

3 Moushaumi ROBINSON USA 23.49 0.312 PB

4 Ivet LALOVA BUL 23.72 0.175 SB

5 Hazel-Ann REGIS GRN 24.97 0.196

Ellena RUDDOCK GBR DNF 0.235


Positives from the day
1. I ran a PB which is also a calander PB. Never in my life at this time of the year have I ran this fast.

2. The combination of the 60m and 200m in such a short space of time I had never done before. I was happy with the fact that I did not feel like I had been to battle body wise like I have in the past.

Negatives from the day
1. I did not attack the top bend as I would have liked in the 200m

2. I ease up at the line. Or was it a case of the 400m girls closing in on me in the last 6 steps.

So with all of my positives and negatives I put the 2008 indoor season to bed. Later on this week I will be returning to Orlando for the next phase of my training program. This time I will be away for a solid block of time which means I will be able to get alot of work done.

All I have heard is when will I be running a 400m. Those who know Brooks know that its coming. So I will leave it to those interested to search the net for the time. You will only hear it from me IF.................


I promise not to go silent over the coming months. But, will change the topics that I blog about to be either stuff that's going on in Orlando or things that spark my interest generally.

Birmingham here I come

I'm off to Birmingham this morning for the Grand Prix on Saturday.

The good thing is my coach and two of my training partners David Oliver and Kenta Bell will be there. I have not seen Brooks since the Glasgow Match (Jan 26th). Which is nearly 4 weeks ago. We have talked by email and on the phone constantly during this time. But, I am sure you an appreciate how happy I am that he will be here for the event.

I'm competing in both the 60m and 200m. Birmingham will be my last event of the indoor season, as I return to Orlando next week.

Practice whilst at home

So ok yesterday I patted myself on the back because I am a 'Committed Athlete'. It took me 2 hours to get to practice. The fog was horrible. I took the journey in my stride as I sat south side of the Blackwall Tunnel for 1 1/2 hours in low lying fog. Full tank of petrol, a couple of CD's and a protein bar.





While I have been home I’ve been working with Lloyd Cowan and Christine Bowmaker. I call them my surrogate coaches.

Please don’t think Lloyd Cowan is just the coach of Christine Ohuruogu, Andy Turner and the other athletes he coaches down at Lee Valley. He was once an athlete in his own right. I think his PR is 13.75 for 110 hurdles. While Christine is someone I used to train with and compete against. So I’ve been in good hands.




I have known Lloyd Cowan since I was 11 years. Yes some 23 years. Its funny how along the way Lloyd has always been around. He was the young man that the Catholic girls from Notre Dame High School used to swoon over for an hours athletics PE lesson at Southwark Park. I used to call him Mr Cowan and Sir. Those days are long gone.


So once again Lloyd becomes a fixture in my life. He had a past training stint with my current coach back in the 80s or was it 90s. Anyway Lloyd understands what Brooks is looking for and it is with strict instruction that when I’m in the UK I’m to find Lloyd for my technical sessions. Blocks etc, the only thing is it has turned into near enough every session. He’s not complaining and I am enjoying being the step child of his training group.

We have already been present at one Olympic Games together (Athens 2004). God willing we will be in Beijing together too.


So daily I leave my Mums house in Catford (That’s where I stay whilst in the UK) and head over to Lee Valley . The road leading up to the Blackwall Tunnel is a beast. But, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to get to practice.

Giving the coach some props

This morning whilst browsing my training partner David Olivers blog, I saw he had posted a link to an article about my coach Brooks Johnson.

So I decided to swipe it and post it here too.


Good job David!!!

Chat soon

Jx

National Indoor Championships day two

The word for the day is CRAMP. Yep in my calf and my feet.

I had a pretty decent run at 10am this morning. Pretty good warm up etc. Then into the semi final roughly 4 mins before I was due to run I got cramp. Not sure why. But it put a dampener on the semi. On guts alone I managed to qualify for the final. Thinking I could work with the medical team to get me through the final.

I had a chat with my coach Brooks Johnson and he told me to scratch the final. After all I had no plans of running in the World Indoors. He also pointed out it would be crazy to try and prepare for the 60m with just 30 mins medical treatment.

So I had to sit in the stands and watch the final go on without me.

I now have to go into training for my last race of the season which will be the Birmingham Grand Prix this weekend.

Not a bad day at the office

Today has been a good day
I ran the 200 and managed to run for the Brits a PB and for the Americans a PR. lol

It was a good day all round. I went into the World Indoors trials knowning that the 200 is no longer contested at indoor championships. So why run the 200? you might ask.

Well I had to run another 200 after the disappointment of Glasgow Jan 26th (where I did not hit my cue) and also because I knew from times in practice that I was strong. This indoor season for me has really been about indicators for how practice is going.

Im learning so much in practice. Competition is the best place to see if I will revert back to old running styles under pressure. Im happy to say that I am managing to retain all the new skills I am developing.

Early this afternoon I ran a seasons best in the heat 23.65. I finished off the day with as a mentioned earlier a PB of 23.43. This is significant for me because I had not PB'd over 200m indoor for many years. Its odd I forgot how to actually celebrate a PB because it had been so long. lol

I also move up IAAF rankings and the Great Britain all time rankings which is always a bonus. Im now behind Kathy Cook with my indoor PB. Kathy is our 100m, 200m and 400m record holder.

Positives from the race
1. Seasons best in heat and PB in the final
2. I hit the race cue (race focus point) that I missed in Glasgow


Negatives from the race
1. I could have ran throught the line with a little more determination



Result
17:24 - 200 METRES Women - Final OFFICIAL RESULTS



1 Joice MADUAKA WOODFORD G 23.43 0.159 PB

2 Kadi Ann THOMAS MILTON K 23.73 0.282 SB

3 Ellena RUDDOCK RUGBY 24.19 0.259 SB

4 Holly CROXFORD WIN 24.24 0.152 PB

5 Melinda COOKSEY TIPTON 24.53 0.189




As always at national championships the UKA medical team were on hand. The guys gave me a massage to work out the stresses of the day from my legs. Sending me home to ice bath and prepare for tomorrows 60m.





So off to bed I go.

The blog makes 'The Voice' newspaper

Well this is a turn up for the books.

Earlier this week I recieved and email from my friend Antonia. She told me there was a nice article about me in The Voice.

Being stuck up in Sheffield for the best part of this week, I was unable to find a copy. This morning however I recieved an alert and low and behold here is the piece. (Check out the press section)

Joel Campbell (Sports Writer for The Voice) is one person from the press that I have known for years. So it was really nice of him to write this piece for me. Considering he got most of it from my blog. I can say that for once I am not misunderstood or misquoted.

Nice one Joel!!!

My quote for today which I will be using as my motivator is


Devote today to something so daring even you can’t believe you’re doing it

So watch out for the results from my 200m :)

Satallite relay practice

Emily Freeman is one of those people that you just love. She’s always full of smiles and jokes and never up herself to say hi. She has invited me up to Sheffield to

a) Prepare for the World Indoor Trials this weekend
b) Have a relay practice sessions whilst I am in the country.

Emily and I have a very strange connection when it comes to relay’s. It’s something we have developed over the past 2 years. We sense each other and trust each other when it comes to passing the baton. I can feel her presence as I am running away from the check mark. I trust her implicitly to pass the baton to me. [None of that looking back to see where she is]. I know she will call ‘Hand’ and all I have to do is give her a clear target for the baton.








Em knows it takes me a couple of steps to get the legs turning. But, that if she leaves it too late I will hit that point where I go from 3rdt to 5th gear in a stride. We have been able to play around with check marks. Pushing the boundaries to limits that have put Roger Walters (women’s relay coach) heart in his mouth a couple times. All of course only in practice.

The relay programme has developed and changed a lot from programs I have been part of in the past. The confidence we now have as a team means that we can work on different legs for different runs. The programme is growing incorporating the Juniors and Under 23’s. The recognition that the Senor Women have got from UKA since Gothenburg 2006 and Osaka 2007 has given all the girls the opportunity to cut work hours, to focus on developing our flat speed which will only help the relay. This is why I’m up in Sheffield for the week working with Roger and Em along with preparing for the trials.

The practice went well considering we arrived at the track the same time as the BBC team. They had the whole area booked out so they could begin work on the cabling for the weekend. Not to be detered we used one of the basket ball courts. Roger had driven up from Birmingam to over see the session. As a team we are still working on the new 'Push Pass' that has been adopted across the nation. The beauty of the satallite session is that we had the time to work on personal specifics. In a full session we usually have between 12 and 18 present. Juniors, Under 23's and Seniors. [a little crowded].






So relay practice complete [check] and now focus on the weekend.

Chat soon

Jx

Rome was not built in a day

Ok how do I put this into words? I feel like I should be disappointed but I’m not. I am fully aware of all the new things that I have been working on since moving to Orlando. What’s that line Rome was not built in a day? I would have liked to have set the world on fire with a blistering time in Linz but it did not happen. I’m still trying to own my start on the new leg and it’s been a while since I was competitive over 60m indoors. So I chalk this one up to a good/better start for the 60m for the season. With that the final being quicker than the heat.

My coach Brooks was ok with the times. If anything he was more interested in the sessions he has set me for the week coming. He has the bigger plan in his head for me and that’s all that matters.

It funning my good friend Mr No sleep was trying to wind me up after the race telling me he expected me to go quicker. I refused to rise to the bait. I know what I’ve been doing in practice and know that I am not discouraged at all.

Roll on the next race I’m looking forward it.

Positives
1. My start improved with each round
2. I felt more competitive in the final than the heat.

Negatives
1. The time was not as quick as I would have liked
2. The position I finished in was not acceptable.

Quote:Failure is an event, not a person.Yesterday ended last night.

Zig Ziglar