ALISON WATERS – 'SQUASH PROFESSIONAL'

Its 2012!! Big Year!!

Everything is going well… I cracked on with my rehab and
training over the Christmas period as I’m not good with sitting around for too
long and I feel like I have some catching up to do!!

I have been back on court the last two weeks. The first week
back I started by doing some gradual ghosting sessions and as the week went
along I increased the time and the intensity. Then I brought in some hitting
last week and had three good sessions with Paul Carter which got me back into
it.

I’m still building it up slowly as even though my calf feels
100% now it hasn’t had the intensity in it that squash requires, so I can’t go
straight into too much at once!

I’m feeling positive about it all and that’s the key really.  I’m keeping the positive thoughts going and I know that I have done the rehab work on my calf so it is onwards and upwards…..as long as I plan my sessions out properly and bring things back in at the right time then I’m feeling good to go! (In time of course!!!)

I’m aiming to play our National Championships in Manchester
in three weeks time so am going to get in some more good training and hits over
this time. I’m still doing my calf rehab work three times a week and this is
something that I will have to continue for the rest of my career. That’s the
hardest thing about it, especially now I’m back on court, is having to go to
the gym and do my rehab. I would rather be out there on the squash court
training, but I know that my rehab sessions are the most important sessions of
the week so you just have to get on with it!!

Positive thoughts, positive feelings, positive action!!

Alison xx

Well I can honestly say that I can’t wait for 2012 to arrive!

Since my last update my calf has been up and down…turned out my calf problem was more bone related then muscle so that’s why it has taken a lot longer than planned.

Its feeling 100% now which is great news and over the next few weeks I’m building it up slowly with jogging, ladder drills and then court movements. I am just taking things slowly.

So I have decided not to play any events in January, I just feel that I would be rushing to get fit and that’s the last thing I want to be doing now. Even though I love the tournaments in the States in January and that it will be a shame to be missing them, I think I have made the right decision.

It would be easy now to say ‘yes, let’s just enter and see what happens’… but I really need to know that when I get back on court I’m 110% fit and can play matches back to back with no worries.

This has been by far my most testing year but I feel I have remained positive throughout (minus a few moments of course)

I don’t think this would have been possible without the support of my friends, family and boyfriend Pete.

So thanks guys and also to everyone who has helped me get back on track to where I am now! (too many names to mention!)

So have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in 2012

Love Alison xx

So much to my disappointment I had to pull out of the world open and Hong Kong. I tweaked my calf muscle on court a few weeks ago and I just felt that I wouldn’t be 100% by the time the tournaments arrived. So I decided to pull out of both tournaments and just concentrate on getting myself fit for the start of next year. The worst thing I wanted to do was to play the tournaments when deep down I know I’m not back to the fitness that I want to be at. It was a tough decision to make as I was really looking forward to getting back into tournaments especially playing the worlds.

So I had a few days break away in Dubai to clear my head and it was nice to get some sun and just totally relax.

My calf is feeling good now so I will be working with my physio over the next few weeks and getting my calf and the rest of my body strong again and then getting myself back on court. It has been a challenging time especially over the last few weeks as I had set myself the goal of playing the worlds and Hong Kong so not to play them is quite tough. So now I have had to re-think my goals and think about my training now over the next few months.

Life brings you challenges and this is definitely one of them but things like this only make your stronger and want it more.

Good luck to the guys and girlies at the world open this week!!

All is going well and I have been increasing my training over the last
few weeks.

I’m working hard with physio Ed who puts me through a series of
exercises, increasing the movement as we go.

Today was glute, skipping, ladder drills, mini hurdles, lateral
movements and just making it more squash specific.

I have been doing more hitting on court and started some light routines
and exercises. The key now is not to get carried away and think I’m ok to do everything. I’m still building my training up and don’t want to rush into something that I’m not quite ready for.

I have entered the World Open in Rotterdam on the 1st November. So I
still have a good 8 weeks to prepare for this.

I can’t wait to get back into tournaments as my last one was the Cayman
Islands in April so a long time ago.

All I can do now is to work hard in training and do everything i can to
make sure I turn up at the worlds in the best shape possible. Eight weeks seems a long time but time does seem to go quickly so I will make sure every session has real focus and quality to it.

Eight weeks and counting!

Alison xx

Last week I saw the surgeon who performed the operation and he said
everything is looking good and that I can start pushing on
with the rehab. So I have started jogging and am gradually picking up
the duration and pace. I started by running on a soft springy surface
doing 10 mins of fast walking and jogging. Today I did 15 mins of fast
walking and jogging on a mixture of soft and harder surfaces. (running
track)
Also did some squash specific movement as well- side to side ghosting.

So over the next week or so I will be doing the running and movement
work every other day just to give my Achilles a good 48 hours to recover.
So far there has been no reaction the morning after one of these
sessions. So that’s a good sign and the sign I’m looking for to judge if
the session the day before had been too much.

So I’m happy with how everything is going and it’s still a steady process
and a question of seeing how everything reacts to having increased
the training load.

On another note, I’m enjoying that the football season has started again
and my team Liverpool had a great result against arsenal. So am very pleased
with that. I’m doing a fantasy league team this year so will be keeping
a keen eye on what’s going on.

Also good luck to the English men at the World Teams in Germany. Bring
the title home!

Alison xx

My rehab is going well and I have been stepping up what I have been
doing in the gym. I have been adding in squats/ lunges which tends to bring
on quite a bit of stiffness the next day. Also more balance exercises
and soon to start light jumping and foot drills.

As they say ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’..!

‘It’s been six weeks now since my operation and everything is going very
well. I have just started doing a lot of different calf exercises to get the
muscle back and to get the movement and range in my Achilles. It’s amazing how
quickly your muscles shrink! (not that my calves have ever been that big!!)

It’s mainly body weight exercises to start and a few exercises with
weight on. Gradually increasing the weight and the range as well. It’s great to
be increasing the rehab now and even though its only something small it feels
like something big.

I was told that you have to wait 6 weeks post op before you can really
start loading it up more and its amazing how quickly the last 6 weeks have
gone. I thought it would be really slow and boring but i have had great people
around me who have made things really easy! I can do as much cardio work as i
want.. on the bike and cross trainer and i have started doing some inclined
treadmill walking as well.. very exciting!!! (I’m serious)

I had an interesting email from a lady with similar Achilles problems as
me and its great that i feel i can give advice on this and use my experience to
help/reassure people.

It’s always nice if you are injured or need an operation to talk to
someone who has been through it as well. To tell you that it’s not actually as
bad as you think it might be!

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. Have a great
week. I think the sun is on its way out!

Alison x

When I got back from Cayman I saw my physio and doctor and we decided that I needed to see a top Tendon specialist to discuss my Achilles problems which I have been suffering from over the last year!

To cut a long story short I ended up travelling to Sweden to have an operation on the removal of a bone spur. This had been causing the tendinitis in my Achilles. I had a local procedure and it took about an hour or so.

The worst bit was when they put the local anaesthetic in and then when they actually removed the bone spur.

As I was awake I heard this loud banging noise which was the bone being removed. I asked to see the tool he used and it was literally a hammer and chisel!!! I took the piece of bone ( a good centimetre of two) home as a souvenir!!!

So it’s been three weeks since I had the operation and all is going well. Had a week or so on crutches and gradually eased off them, two crutches, one and now walking without. Have just started to use the bike and bringing in other exercises so am happy to be exercising again.

We went to Cornwall last week and had a great stay in a place called Looe. We took our rib out on the sea and tried our hand at fishing which wasn’t that successful!! Weather was on and off but wasn’t too bad overall.

I Have had quite a bit of spare time on my hands the last few weeks and have started Learning Spanish. I’ve Got a great audio course I’m listening to. It’s quite a challenge but i’m enjoying it. I Might need a trip to spain to practice.

So all in all everything is well. Recovery time is 2-3 months as it needs time for everything to heel. I’m going to miss the start of the season but I’m aiming to come back fitter and stronger then I was before. I have to take my time with this and not rush back and will step up the level and intensity of training gradually.

On another note.. Going to Wimbledon tomorrow. Got centre court tickets so am looking forward to that. Hopefully the sun will be shining.

Thats all for now,

Alison x

”Squash wise in Cayman…. I lost in the first round to Donna Urguhart 3-2.. All credit to Donna she played really well and was slotting it in especially in the first game. After a slow start by me i managed to get back into the match and came back from 2-0 down to take it into a 5th. Donna managed to get a few points ahead throughout the game and I couldn’t close the gap. So a disappointing result for me!

Otherwise I really enjoyed the Cayman Islands, great place and we were well looked after throughout the week with boat trips and fishing trips organised for all the players. Would have liked to have got through to play on the glass court as it was an amazing set up…..will have to wait for next year.

I was meant to be playing the Texas Open in Dallas this week which I was looking forward to. Unfortunately i have had to pull out due to my Achilles playing up so a shame all round really.

I spent a few days in Miami on the way back from Cayman. Had never been to Miami before and i really enjoyed it. We went down to south beach and had a good look around and had some great food. (would recommend News cafe on Ocean Drive)

Miami is a great place to people watch and you do see some funny sights.. a man in a pink bikini with a tattoo on his forehead saying ‘Holla’ was the highlight I think!!

Back home now and my number one priority is to get my Achilles sorted once and for all.

Will keep you posted”

Alison xx

‘’I’m leaving for the last two tournaments of the season on Friday. Starting with a ‘Gold Event’ in the Cayman Islands where I’m seeded 4. I’m really excited about playing there as I missed last year through injury and all the girls say it’s a great place and event! It will be nice to be in the sunshine and Dan Kneipp and his team sound like they are doing an amazing job of getting everything ready.

After Cayman I go straight to Dallas for a ‘Silver Event’ where I’m seeded 2. I haven’t played at this event for a few years so I’m looking forward to going back there.

In both events I’m playing a qualifier first round so will find out the night before the main round starts who I will be playing.

So first up… Cayman here we come!!’’

Alison xx