It's annoying while you're on a training camp coming down with an illness, even harder when your entire group goes training and you cant.

I rested for a few days, took the course of antibiotics the Doctor have given me. I wanted to make sure I got over my cold so I could get in some good training sessions before I came home. I had a light fast track session last Friday.

All went ok, but on the last run, I did feel a bit tired, think the cold was still a little bit in my legs.

I chatted with Nick, my coach, and told him I want to do a tough session before I flew home. I trained well on the first week in South Africa, but then getting ill forced me to reduce training on the second week, and to be honest, I still didn't feel great doing the session on Friday. I was a bit concerned, everything was going really well, and now I was worried things were falling apart. I wanted that feel good factor of knowing I have worked hard out here and go home knowing I'd made the most of the camp.

I needed to get back up on the horse and wanted to build up my confidence again. So we decided on Sunday, I was going to do a hard session. But I was to do it by myself as my training group were going to do a different session, a session I had already done.

I was nervous on Sunday morning, all these sessions would tell me what sort of shape I was in and also if I was to run any indoor races this February or March. Also throw in the fact that my last session I didn't feel the best so I was feeling the pressure on myself to perform to the shape I knew I was in.

So my session was 3 sets of 350, 250 with 3, 4, 5 minutes recovery between each run and then 10 minutes between each set. Nick gave me a target time for each run, I had to look at him twice, and these were tough times.

I did my warm up with the group; it was really hot and was still only 10am. A lot of factors thrown in to the pot and I really had to get my head in to the session and start focusing on what I had to or else I wouldn't finish it. Time to man up and get positive!

Started my session well, with my first set all under the target times, was a little worried I may have gone a bit too quick, meaning I was going to pay for it in a later set. My second set was also good, was happy with the way I was running, but my legs were beginning to get heavy at the end of the second set, and I still had one set left. I began to think maybe I should finish it off by just doing shorter runs for the last set. My legs were heavy and with being ill last week, maybe I should play it safe. On the other hand I was thinking I would be annoyed with myself if I didn't finish the session out. I would be cheating, chickening out of working hard...No I had to finish this or id regret it after.

Last set, the 350 was my quickest run: Wow I was really hurting now, the heat, my legs...c'mon, c'mon, one more run, put it in. Nick shouts 3...2....1...Go, I just leg it, my god trying to get my legs to move was so hard.

I finish the run and am straight flat on my back, shouting obscenities...I have never been in so much pain...water. I need water; my mouth is as dry as a bag of sand!!

Again, I'm lying on my back for about 20 minutes, my body is in pain, but my mind couldn't be happier. I was nervous about this session, I doubted myself, but it turned out to be one of my best sessions. I needed to get out and hurt myself, and I did!!