A shining star in long-distance running, Eilish McColgan has always been dedicated to excellence. But there is something that sets her apart from other athletes. She believes that health should always come before performance. As she prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics, her journey has become an example of struggle, endurance, and the importance of self-care.
The Olympics: A Bigger View
It’s so easy to get focused on performance, especially when you’re competing on a platform as big as the Olympics. Eilish herself acknowledges how easy it is to focus only on performance. “It’s so easy to focus on perform, perform, perform and everything else falls behind,” she says. The Olympics are like no other competition — it’s bigger, it’s more intense and it’s more important. But Eilish reminds us that it’s just as important to enjoy the experience and the opportunity while striving toward success.
“Focus on yourself, your performance and the family and friends who got you to this place,” she advises. The pressure of race day can often feel overwhelming, but Eilish believes the key is to not put too much pressure on yourself. After all, the Olympics aren’t just about the medals; it’s about the experience and the journey that comes with it.
Facing physical and mental challenges
The road to Paris hasn’t been easy for Eilish at all. After knee surgery, her Olympic preparations have been completely different than past competitions. She admits that the physical and mental challenges have tested her many times along the way.
“I’ve started this year with a completely different mindset,” she explains. The challenges are real, but Eilish sees this as just the beginning. “Being healthy and seeing my body in a place after surgery, that’s a huge step for me,” she says. It reminds us that sometimes, just being fit and injury-free is an accomplishment in itself.
Eilish isn’t focused on breaking records or hitting a specific timeline this time around. Instead, she’s grateful for her resilience and progress. This time around, her vision is focused on enjoying the process and not putting any unnecessary pressure on herself.
The difficulty of training after injury
Training for a grueling race such as the 10,000m, especially after recovering from a serious injury, is no easy task. Eilish admits that after missing so much training following knee surgery, she had to adjust her expectations. “It’s impossible to be at your absolute best and break records or run personal bests (PBs),” she explains.
Her focus now is on consistency. It’s all about taking one step forward, sticking to a daily training plan, and believing that consistent progress will pay off as she heads towards Paris. She also points out the importance of patience, saying that getting back to your best takes time and dedication.
What may surprise people is that Eilish incorporates a lot of cross-training into her training. “A big part of my plan is cross-training — on the cross-trainer, the bike, in the swimming pool — all the things I absolutely hate, but I know they’re so important,” she admits. Cross-training is an important part of his rehabilitation, as it gives him the opportunity to stay active without putting excess pressure on his injured knee.