RT Kit - Runner Chats #3
Profile
Name: Amy Hillyard
Event/Distance: 400m
PBs: 54.83
About you
How did you to get into running?
In year 6 my teacher made me take part in the Wolverhampton Schools cross country championships, which I won and from there I got scouted by my local athletics club which, at the time, was Wolverhampton & Bilston. I was with them from the age of 11 till 15 until I moved to Birchfield Harriers, which is the number 1 UK athletics club. At the age of 16 I got my first England Vest and ever since then I have been in love with the sport. However, it hasn’t been easy dealing with injuries and the passing of my coach in 2014. It was hard, particularly as a junior when I was in the top 10 in the UK whilst having to deal with those circumstances. It affected me massively but now I feel more focused and motivated than ever. So fingers crossed for what the future holds!
Describe what a typical training week looks like for you?
A typical training week consists of 3-1-2-1 cycle, so 3 days on 1 day off then 2 days on 1 day off. But a Sunday session would always be double session with running followed by gym. We work on short to long progression through each micro cycle (training week). Either progressing from, acceleration work on Sunday to top speed on Tuesday and then speed endurance based activity on Thursday. Or a progression of speed endurance into special and then specific. On our 4th final running day each week, we aim to target an element of pure anaerobic power development usually though using intensive tempo based protocols.
What are your goals for the 2021 year?
Well my main goal for 2021 is to gain a personal best again in my event, as that would have been my goal for 2020 but due to the current pandemic it has stopped all competitions that were meant to go ahead this year. So for now, I have to stay focused on my long term goal which is to make the GB team for a championships. Luckily, 2021 is full of opportunities for that. Now I just need to stay fit and healthy and be able to carry that over to next season.
How would you encourage people to get involved in your sport or keeping active in general?
This is a good question. Looking at this from an athlete’s perspective I think the encouragement comes from within. You have to want to do this for yourself whether that is for health or mental benefits. To get involved you need to be motivated from the offset because I know the thought of exercising/training can be quite daunting at times but it has to be done if you want results. For someone starting from scratch, they need to gradually build up the exercise they choose to participate in. For example, if someone wanted to start running they could start by running for 10 minutes and then gradually increase their time or distance, if that is the case, depending on how many times they want to do this per week. But the main incentive is what the overall goal is for the person, and how hungry and motivated they are to achieve it! What I have found out during my athletic career is that you cannot do this if you do not love what you do because most of us can agree that, if you aren’t enjoying it and having fun, it can be difficult to motivate yourself.
About RT Kit
What were your initial thoughts on the kit when it arrived?
When the kit first arrived, I saw the blue hoodie jacket and fell in love instantly with the colour. When I got the rest of the kit out of the packaging I tried on the leggings which had such a soft touch and fit perfectly. The t-shirt I received was lovely except one size larger would have been a better fit for me. And lastly, the pair of socks were nice. Overall, the kit is high quality clothing that I cannot wait to continue training in!
How does it feel and look once you put your kit on?
The kit I received was leggings, hoodie jacket, t-shirt and socks. The leggings and hoodie jacket fit my figure nicely with the texture feeling smooth and of good quality. As I love to wear bright colours training, the baby blue hoodie jacket is perfect for that as it stands out and I can always match it with the grey leggings and my blue trainers, as I like to match my outfits.
What type of training would you wear this kit for?
This type of kit would be used for my athletics training so that would consist of running and gym sessions.
You can follow Amy and her journey into her 2021 season via instagram: @amyhilly