Eilish McColgan’s race to Rio

Eilish McColgan trains harder than ever following injury in the hope it will lead her to the Olympics for the second time.

Last year an ankle injury meant that the Scottish Steeplechaser was unable to run for 9 months. She returned to training in Winter beginning her race against the clock to get fit enough for the Rio Olympics this August.

After a long process of rehab Eilish looks to repeat almost exactly what happened to her back in 2011-2012 when she came back from a different problem in the same foot to qualify for the Olympics in London.

With competing for Team GB at Rio in mind the 25-year-old athlete follows strict training plans with little time off.

“Injuries and illness is like starting from scratch again. But improving and the build-up is exciting.”

“I want to improve, and run faster. I chose this - It has become what is normal, but I also enjoy it. A run relaxes me otherwise I sit around worrying.

“I love competing, and the build up to racing. It is also a good social life; there are good people around and my friends. It was a hobby for me and I love it, I feel fortunate to have managed to turn it into my job.”

During her steeplechase event she propels her light 5ft 11 frame over 30 inch hurdles with assiduous prowess over  3,000 metres (7 and a half laps). There are 5 hurdles per lap, and a total of 35 that must be cleared, and of course the 5^th one is followed by a 12 foot long pit of water.

Whilst injury has hindered several of her efforts her determination always gets her back on track.

Foot injury in 2011.

Eiliish broke her foot when she was age 20 during a water jump at a London Diamond League race during 2011. To everyone’s amazement she continued to finish the race that day running 600m and leaped over 5 jumps with a broken foot.

After surgery she had to wait for her foot to recover and the injury stopped her chances to go to the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, despite qualifying. Months after she stated "running pain free is a distant memory".

However she was able to rehabilitate herself and then went on to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics but did not reach the final.

In the 2013 she made the World Championships in Moscow having previously missed out.

“It was a good achievement for me in Russia, but stands out for me because it was so difficult for me to get there after injury,” she said.

Eilish at the World Championships in Moscow.

Just before that race following tightness in her calf she got a scan which showed that the start of a stress fracture in her shin was causing inflammation and a 6cm oedema (collection of blood) in the side of her calf.

Doctors advised her to end her season resting the bone so that it would heal with no impact for 6 weeks. Eilish couldn’t believe that this was happening again after the last time and after training so hard for so long. After lots of frustration and tears Eilish decided to ignore her doctor’s advice risking her leg fracturing and take her chances and run the race anyway. She came 10^th in Russia and considers it to be one of her career highlights so far.

Later in 2014 she came 6th at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. Dundee and the whole of Scotland were behind Eilish. She finished 6^th but finished feeling unhappy with her result.

Eilish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014.

“Glasgow was a great experience, to be on my home soil. But I was disappointed with my performance. After a shin injury the year before and waiting for a diagnosis for so long I felt like I had run out of time for training and preparation. It’s not the performance I’d have liked to have given. But there are lots of ups and downs and I was grateful for everyone’s support.”

Today Eilish trains at Loughborough University Athletics in the East Midlands. The world class sport facilities offer her first-rate medical support and she likes the doctors, physiotherapist and facilities there. She also trains in Kenya for altitude training.

Attending these large sporting events, amongst other famous athletes I wonder whether she ever gets star struck?

“The base I stay is packed full of athletes in this elite environment. It is normal to see them all the time. They are the people I am close with, and I live with two other athletes.

Eilish enjoyed meeting with her hero Usain Bolt.

“At events you do become so focused on your own performance that you don’t notice things or people around you as much. But seeing Usain Bolt for the first time was unreal!”

Many people know Eilish through her Dundonian mum, and coach, Liz McColgan. Liz was a world class track and field athlete. Her sporting legacy now lives on through Eilish, her first of 5 children with Irish Steeplechase Athlete Peter McColgan.

Eilish grew up surrounded by her parents training and in awe of their sporting achievements. It isn’t surprising that she chose to follow in their footsteps.

“I have always enjoyed all sports like hockey and netball. But athletics I enjoyed the most. It is individual, having all the responsibility and it being down to me. It also clears my head, being able to put my music in and just run.”

Her Mum and Dad divorced in 2010. Liz was remarried in January 2014 to John Nutall. John worked as head of endurance coaching for British Athletics and the ASPIRE Academy in Qatar. The pair were recruited by the Qatar Athletics Federation to identify and develop endurance athletes ahead of the 2019 World Championships in Athletics and recently moved to Doha in Qatar. Eilish is still coached by her Mum from Qatar.

Eilish said: “I’m lucky to have my mum as my coach because she has been there. She had a long career and has done it all so I respect her and rely on her advice. She has had so many achievements so I take her word for things and believe her over other coaches.

“Since she moved to Doha there is a three hour time difference which can be hard but we message enough so I know what to do.”

Her Dad and 3 younger brothers and her sister all remain in Carnoustie, and family including her uncle and cousin stay in Forfar. Eilish visited them in December on a trip back to Dundee. She doesn’t see her siblings following her path.

“There is a more than ten year age gap between me and them. So when they were growing up my Mum and Dad weren’t training and they had retired. They weren’t happy so they had a divorce. They weren’t surrounded by it in the same way by my parents so don’t have the same interest as me.”

As a baby with her mum Liz and dad Peter.

She continues: “I don’t know if having an older sister doing it puts them off. My oldest brother, he is 15, enjoys running though, he will run 8 miles easily just for fun.”

Eilish first started running with the Dundee Hawkhill Harriers at age 11.

“I was in Ian’s Group. He took the kids group where we were introduced to all athletic sports. When I was 14 my mum said that if I wanted to just run that she’d coach me.”

Eilish continued to run with the Hawkhill Harriers for many years.

“I miss everyone I used to train with. Most have left though and moved on, and grown up, things don’t stay the same. But I made close friends and they were a good group, some of my best memories are from being with the club.”

Eilish describes how when she was last back she enjoyed redoing a run she used to do around Caird Park with her old Hawks group.

Whilst also completing a degree in Mathematics and Accountancy at Dundee University, she trained Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with the Hawkhill Harriers.

She adds: “I worried what else I could do, but I’m concentrating on being an athlete now. I don’t regret picking Dundee, it’s a wonderful place to study and I met some great people. Now most of my friends from university have moved away, bit by bit there are less people there.”

When visiting last time she went along to the Malmaison. Looking out at the view, she reflected on the city’s developments.

“The waterfront looks completely different - it’s amazing to see all the changes. They have gradually upgraded everything each time I visit.”

Eilish hasn’t let her sporting fame get to her head and is down to earth and just like any other girl in her 20’s. She shares her thoughts on life in her tweets and blogs. With comments about TV shows she is watching and updates and advice about training.

Keeping cool in an ice bin in Moscow.

She explains how she loves writing on her blog available at http://eilishmccolgan.blogspot.co.uk/ and the social network she has come to know there.

“Other people, even people I don’t know will talk to me who are also training and sometimes share what they are doing or sometimes people message me for advice and I love that.

"Athletics is a close-knit sport because everyone is going through the same thing whether they are elite or doing it for fun.”

Eilish continues in her journey of self-development and current pursuit for success whether it is in the steeplechase or in a change to 5,000 or 10,000m on the flat for her Olympic bid. 

I know that I - a fellow Scot and Dundonian - support her, as I’m sure you do too, in overcoming injury and achieving more sporting accolades.