After returning from a Florida training camp, we’re now moving into the final phases of training..
There’s now just seven weeks of work left before we start a three week taper into the Olympics. A little under seven years ago it was announced that we’d get the Olympics and now we’re down to the last seven weeks of work.
We usually head off to warmer climates to avoid cold and flu bugs, but there’s also benefit to be had in breaking up a long block of training in Loughborough. Changing the training stimulus and environment can help to break the monotony and make you feel better mentally, while it also helps to smooth the passage from one training phase to the next.
So a 13-day training camp in Florida was just what was needed as the next step to preparing for the Games. We stepped up our training from a speed base to longer, more difficult sets which concentrate on speed endurance as we move into a new phase in our pre-Olympic training block.
Instead of focussing hard on both fitness and speed at the same time, extra fitness is added once the basic speed is achieved. This makes sense because the more fatigued you get, the less speed you carry, both through training and races.
Although the weather was good, there were a few thunderstorms during our time out there. But if it rains when you’re training outdoors it doesn’t make a difference - we’re wet anyway!
We’ve been to the Florida pool before and the family who run the motel are very accommodating, occasionally providing us with some home cooked meals. We normally look after ourselves but it’s great to return from training to a nice spread.
Now we have another two weeks in Loughborough now before travelling to Canet in the South of France for a week long training camp. The plan is to race for two days in the Mare Nostrum Series and then travel to Monaco to race there for two days, which I’m really excited about as I’ve seen the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix on television, but never visited until now. I’ve competed in the Mare Nostrum for the last 8 or 9 years but never in that leg, so it’ll be nice to get there and see it at last.
Fundamentally though, it’s all about race practice ahead of the Olympics.
I’ll be competing at the ASA Nationals in Sheffield too but won’t be tapering off my efforts. The mission now is to reaffirm my place in Great Britain’s top four for the relay team. Not tapering means that I might not be race sharp at the ASA, which means I might not be as competitive; but it does mean that by the time of the Olympics I will be as fit as possible and raring to go – which is all that matters.
We have a really strong relay team and I think there’s an outside chance of a medal, which would be the icing on the cake for me as it’s my third Olympic Games. I’ll give everything I’ve got to achieve that. It’s been close in the last two Games, coming 4th in Athens and 6th in Beijing. This will be my last Olympics and to win a medal in front of my home crowd would be fantastic.
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We heard some terrible news while we were away. The Norwegian Breaststroke World Champion, Alexander Dale Oen passed away after a training session. I didn’t know him personally but we were based at the same place during a winter training camp and he came over to have a chat with us. He was a really nice guy and looked every inch the World Champion. It was shocking to hear the news and just shows how nobody is invincible. He was odds on favourite to add the Olympic medal to his World Crown so it’s devastating news for the swimming world, and of course for his friends and family.
It was also sad to see Derby in the national news for all the wrong reasons after the tragic death of six children in a house fire. I always keep tabs on Derby news so to read about that was really sad.
As if that wasn’t enough, a few days ago seven year-old Lewis Mighty lost his battle with cancer. Lewis and his family were responsible for some hugely impressive fundraising campaign efforts and he will be massively missed. My thoughts are with these local families.https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lewis-Mighty-Fund/168731214213 http://www.lewismightyfund.org.uk/
They say bad news comes in threes, so hopefully that’s all for now.
To end on a lighter note, as a proud Derbyshire man I’m looking forward to keeping an eye out for any others who make it through to the Games too. Let’s hope there’s plenty!
