ALEX Carter may not be yet blazing a trail on the race circuit, but the Winsley junior international admits he is feeling very much at home in America.

The 18-year-old former St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, student moved to the East Coast in August after being offered a four-year scholarship to Ioana University in New York State.

An injury problem, the legacy of a stress fracture he suffered at home in the summer, means the university coaches have decided not to race him this year so the focus has been on settling in and getting used to his new lifestyle – and Carter is making a very smooth transition.

“I am having a great time at Iona,” said Carter.

“New Rochelle is a perfect place for me because it is very close to New York City (25 minute train journey) meaning that there is always something going on.

“However, New Rochelle is far enough outside the city to have stunning trails where we can do most of our runs.

“In terms of the team, we are all very close.

“It seemed easy to fit in and everyone is up for a laugh, while at the same time focusing and taking things seriously when they need to.

“This focus is showing this year, with the team ranked in the top five in the country.”

That makes it even harder for Carter to sit on the sidelines while his teammates are out racing, but for his long-term development it will probably be beneficial.

“In terms of the racing, it is slightly frustrating but I am still dealing with a few issues that came up due to my ankle stress fracture before I arrived,” added Carter.

“However, this is my redshirt year, meaning that I am allowed to stay five years in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) system instead of four, which means when I am running at my best in a few years, I will still be able to compete for the team.”

In terms of training that will give Carter time to adjust to the new schedule, and he adds that the support offered to the athletes is superb.

“Training has changed considerably for me,” added Carter. “Generally we do two workouts a week and easy runs on every other day.

“The workouts are very aerobic-based, including tempo runs, hills and long intervals.

“The main difference that I have found in my training is the fact that there is always someone to run with.

“This is both in workouts, where everyone benefits and pushes each other, but also makes the longer easy runs go a lot faster!

“In terms of facilities, one benefit is definitely recovery. For example, ice baths and the treatment room.

“There are also weight rooms and a gym on campus which is likely to benefit me a lot, because core strength was always something that I needed to improve."

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