Lynsey Sharp

Lynsey Sharp

The light at the end of the tunnel.

Winter training is a crucial part of the season for athletes. It's all about the long runs and tough sessions which will hopefully lead to a strong season ahead. Snow, wind or rain, the show must go on.

There are two underground walkways near where I live, one is 150 metres and the other is 600 metres so that’s where some of my training sessions have been taking place. I have to laugh when I can’t even see my mum who has the stopwatch at the other end of the tunnel! It’s just an alternative option for the training which needs to be done.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time out training in Florida for a few weeks. It was fantastic to be out in warmer climates for some time preparing for the year ahead. It was hard work but it was good to see some progress being made and I’ll be looking to build on that in the next few months.

Last year was quite incredible for me. I only started training with my new coach, Dave Sunderland, in January so I didn’t really get a full winter under him. Basically everything throughout the whole season was a surprise. With each race I ran I progressed and this culminated in running a personal best at a race in Prague. I never expected to be running outside of the UK and running well in Prague lead to a flight with the rest of Team GB to the European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava.

Throughout the competition, Team GB did really well. So many people in the team were winning medals and I didn’t want to be going home as one of the minority who didn’t get one. The men’s 100m final was just before my race and the call room where athletes wait before going on to the track was under the stand. I watched James Alaka winning gold and I was thinking ‘I have to get a medal now!’ Later that day I was standing on the podium with a new personal best of 2.00.65 and a bronze medal around my neck.

Now it’s 2012 and I’m completely focused on the challenge ahead. I’ve run the Olympic B standard and if I shave three quarters of a second from my personal best should make the qualifying time for London 2012. To be involved in a home Olympics would be an amazing experience.

At Glasgow 2014, I want to get a medal. I think once London 2012 is over, the spotlight will be on Glasgow. To have a home crowd at London 2012 is special but for the Commonwealth Games to be in Scotland is huge and so unique so hopefully it all works out.

I remember when watching Glasgow winning the bid on TV, it seems like so long ago and my mum said ‘that could be you there’. In 2007 it seemed so far away but now it’s a real possibility. I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure that possibility becomes reality.

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