Lee McConnell admits an injury-plagued season will have to get worse before it can get better as she bids to change her fortunes once and for all in 2010.

The 31-year-old struggled with a hamstring injury throughout 2009, missing out on an individual 400m berth at the World Championships in Berlin but running in the relay.

McConnell ran a best of 51.52seconds at the start of June – two hundredths of a second shy of the world qualifying standard – but ultimately missed out after withdrawing from the trials through injury.

The Scot’s woe reached a new low in Berlin as the British 4x400m relay team failed to build on the world bronze they won in both Osaka and Helsinki, coming home an agonising fourth.

McConnell responded by posting a season’s best of 51.45seconds in China in September and despite starting her winter training schedule already, the Scot insists there is no sign of improvement just yet.

“Last season was definitely one of the hardest of my career – I picked the injury up around about July and despite how much I tried it just wouldn’t go away,” said McConnell.

“I started well and ended well but when it mattered things just didn’t feel right even in Berlin I was struggling and how we performed was disappointing.

“It is getting better now but not dramatically and during the season it just refused to clear up and that’s incredibly frustrating.

“It is going to be busy and difficult over the winter but I just have to put last year behind me and move on. I know I will have to train extra hard and just work out the best way to approach and organise things.”