Sunday 28 November 2010

From our Florida training camp

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been training at Pinecrest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Together with my Squad mate, Liam Tancock, we’ve been training pretty much every day, with just the occasional afternoon or day off.

The facilities here are amazing.  They have a 50 metre outdoor pool plus a 25 yard outdoor pool right next to it and a gym with everything you could possibly need. Hard to believe it’s only a high school!

I took a break after returning from the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and have been back in training for a month now.  The current theme for training is speed, power and building our basic fitness up after our time off.  With only a week and a bit left of the camp I feel back to full fitness and positive about training.  When I get home I’ll step up the training again.

But it hasn’t all been blood, sweat and tears out here.  We’ve been able to take in some of the USA sports, including the Florida Panthers against Boston in an ice hockey match.  Yes, ice hockey in Florida!  Florida lost but it was a great experience. 





Our motel here is right on the beach so we’ve been able to do some beach warm ups before training: ultimate frisbee, touch rugby and beach volleyball to name a few.

The motel owner has a fishing boat and agreed to take us out deep sea fishing on our afternoon off.  Between five of us we caught 14 fish, all different types and sizes, including red snapper. And I even had time to make a new friend..

We brought the fish back to the motel and cooked it on the barbecue. Food tastes so much better when you’ve caught it and cooked it yourself!


I've also had the pleasure of experiencing Thanksgiving for the first time. The Americans go mad for it. It’s basically feels like Christmas Day dinner a month early!  Everywhere closes down and people spend time with friends and family. 

With a little over a week to until I return, I'm looking forward to the remaining time of training, catching a few more rays and staying away from arctic weather back home!  Keep warm if you’re back there freezing. 

I know I am.. ;)

Friday 26 November 2010