Every day starts the same way at training camp in Gifu.
It starts with a spit test. And I’m terrible at it.
You wake up, and you can’t eat or drink anything within 30 minutes of your test. So you head downstairs and spit into a small vial. It takes most people seconds to fulfil this task, but it takes me closer to five minutes.
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Post-spit, there’s breakfast and coffee (the coffee is really hot and strong). Then, typically, the team heads to the track. The rhythm of the day is easy and slow; with most of us tapering for our races, mileage is low and rest is a priority. It goes: PCR test, eat, run, eat, run, eat, sleep.
Gifu is about six hours from Tokyo, and, for a few reasons, it’s a great place to prepare for our events. One, it’s just as hot here as it will be in Tokyo. And it is hot. Like, the-sun-is-trying-to-kill-you hot. Second, it’s helpful for adjusting to the time zone. Third, it’s a calm and easy environment to relax in, ahead of the biggest race of my life (so far).
Just like at the airport, the COVID precautions are extensive. Our movement is limited. We can only go between the hotel and the track. No walks or wandering around town in our free time. We eat meals behind plexiglass screens. You can chat during meal times, but you certainly need to project to be heard by your fellow diners.
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This was far from the Olympic experience that I envisioned in 2019, which was the first time I thought I might be able to do this. I pictured it differently then – we all did. But this is the Olympics we got.
I’m now seeing the power of this event, and feel the collective excitement that’s coming from my loved ones at home. While the Games are undeniably flawed, I’m bolstered by the excellence of my teammates, and the relief and hope that watching the Games is giving people around the world.
On Friday evening, Team Canada held a version of the opening ceremony. We gathered on a rooftop and watched fireworks that our host city put on for us. We wore gold medals made by local children. We saw a presentation put together by the prefecture. Local kids sent us well wishes – they were filled with genuine excitement. Those kids don’t yet know the ugly side of the Games; all they see is a group of people they can look up to. I hope I make them proud.
Saturday morning I ran a hard workout and ran a personal best in the 600m. I’m certainly ready for this race. We have two more days in Gifu, then the first wave of Canadians are headed to the athletes’ village in Tokyo. As per many people’s requests, I will jump on my cardboard bed promptly after arrival and let everyone know if it stands up to the bounce test.
Madeleine Kelly, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., was the 2019 Canadian 800m champion. In July she was selected to represent Canada at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. This is her first national team and her first Olympics.
Tokyo Diary: PCR test, run, eat, sleep, repeat - Canadian Running Magazine
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