First week of altitude training has been logged and I'm feeling very happy with how things have gone. The training group out here is great and the runs in the foothills and on some of the trails are mint. Also, the weather has been perfect (better than Edinburgh from what I hear). 

On arrival to New Mexico I was deliberately wanting to take it easy for the first couple of days so that I could adjuct to the altitude. I feel like I did take my foot off the gas and didn't push myself that much but when you look at the amount of time I have to workout and look after my body it has been hard to hold myself back. Running with the guys out here has been great because they are all very hard workers committed to running fast.

Along with the New Mexico University student-athletes and the graduated runners there are a few other ridiculous athletes out here training. When I finished my hills session on Friday and jogged to the track to change out of my flats Dathan Ritzenhein was just finshed his session and asked if I wanted to warm down with him. Completely star struck I jumped at the chance and talked Ritz's ear off about his USA marathon trials preperation and the oregon track club. At the same time as I was warming down with Ritz, Mahedine Merkhessi the french 3km steeplechase Olympic siver medalist was knocking out 3km reps. This experience alone has encouraged me to think that coming out here rather than flying home was probably the right one.

When I first arrived in Albuquerque my sister Sabine gave birth to her second child (baby boy named Blair). After speaking to my sister on skype I was very homesick and questioned myself for not going home for Chistmas. This Christmas and New Year will be the first time I will not be spending it with my family which feels weird but I'm confident that in a couple months time I will look back and say I made the right decision. Coming out here certainly appears to be the right decision for my training so far and feel this stint can propel me forward. 

I'm staying out here till the 5th of January and then will be racing a bunch of indoor races in Indianapolis. I'll be racing a few mile races in order to try and gain the world indoor qualifying time. If I do that, hopefully I can encourage my sister to take my new little nephew to come see me run the UK indoor trials.

Keep an eye out for my next couple fo blogs to see how my altitude training goes. Thanks for reading.

KG