Well...what can I say about the altitude training camp in Spain?! Three weeks on top of a mountain, where we eat, sleep and train in the same building is pretty tough going, but I know it will be worth it in the long run. I much prefer warm weather camps where I can swim outside! What it has been though, is an experience I have never had before in swimming.
We spent the first two and a half days indoors because we were tired from travelling and just being at altitude has an effect on your body, the snow and fog outside didn't help either! On the third day, we decided it was time to get out of the building and walk down to the local town, Pradollamo. Our coach had walked it the day before and told us it was about 20 minutes and down a few steps...little did we know it was 20 minutes of walking down 407 steps!! Needless to say we were all a bit shakey walking down but we were in high spirits and throwing snow balls at each other the whole way down.
Pradollamo is a little ski town in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Spain. We are staying a little higher up the mountain, at the "Centro Alto Rendimiento", which is the Altitude Centre. The reason why training at altitude is beneficial is because there is lower air pressure up here, therefore less oxygen, this stimulates the body to get better at absorbing and transporting oxygen by increasing the number of red blood cells. When we get home on Thursday I'm off to the English Institute of Sport to measure the change in haemoglobin mass (red blood cells) to see if we have achieved what we came out to do.
As well as our time spent training, which is roughly 77.5 hours of swimming in 3 weeks - with an average of 70,000m per week - we went sledging which was so much fun! Watching Michael Rock do a face plant in the snow was the highlight and I have it on camera! We also went into Granada for the day and saw the Alhambra Castle and had a very nice lunch.
With only two days to go until we go home I will enjoy looking at the breath-taking scenery and watching the skiers on the ski runs looking like ants in the distance. What I am most looking forward to is getting home for Christmas and spending time with my family and my fiancé David Carry.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Busy, busy, busy!
I haven't stopped since getting back from Delhi!
I've done a couple of photoshoots. Myself, Liam Tancock and Becky Adlington did a shoot with Simon from GB Swimstars which was really good fun – I can’t wait to see what the shots look like. And the other shoot I did was with Liam Tancock at the Nottingham Virgin Active which is such a great gym – it’s in an old train station so the walls are all old red brick, stunning! The shoot was for Speedo’s Aquafit products, I even got involved in an Aqua Aerobics class when I was there...which was great fun and pretty hard too!!
I also had a lovely surprise awaiting me when I got back, for which I’d like to thank Links of London. They gave me a London 2012 friendship bracelet which is my new favourite piece of jewellery! They gave it to me as congratulations for my medal at The Commonwealth Games, so kind of them.
Now that’s all done and dusted, I am currently at the start of a three week training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain. It’s an altitude training camp at 2,300m above sea level, it should be an interesting experience as I have never been this high before!! We get back home on the 22nd December which is pretty close to Christmas so I’ve had to be really organised this year and have all my presents sorted before I went away. It’s also my birthday while I'm away so that should be a nice break in the camp.
I've been back in the water for only 5 weeks and so far it’s going well, it’s not been easy that’s for sure, but I’ve enjoyed getting some hard work done!
The weekend before we flew to Spain, I raced at the Stockport Open Meet which went brilliantly! On Friday night I swam the 1,500m and clocked a 16.29.4 long course which is only 15 seconds off the British record!! Not bad for 5 weeks of training! For Saturday and Sunday the meet went from long course to short course and I did the 400m Medley in a 4.41 and the 200m Freestyle in a time of 1.59.8. I was really pleased with my swims and looking forward to racing them at nationals next March.
I’ll let you know how I get on in Spain!
I've done a couple of photoshoots. Myself, Liam Tancock and Becky Adlington did a shoot with Simon from GB Swimstars which was really good fun – I can’t wait to see what the shots look like. And the other shoot I did was with Liam Tancock at the Nottingham Virgin Active which is such a great gym – it’s in an old train station so the walls are all old red brick, stunning! The shoot was for Speedo’s Aquafit products, I even got involved in an Aqua Aerobics class when I was there...which was great fun and pretty hard too!!
I also had a lovely surprise awaiting me when I got back, for which I’d like to thank Links of London. They gave me a London 2012 friendship bracelet which is my new favourite piece of jewellery! They gave it to me as congratulations for my medal at The Commonwealth Games, so kind of them.
Now that’s all done and dusted, I am currently at the start of a three week training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain. It’s an altitude training camp at 2,300m above sea level, it should be an interesting experience as I have never been this high before!! We get back home on the 22nd December which is pretty close to Christmas so I’ve had to be really organised this year and have all my presents sorted before I went away. It’s also my birthday while I'm away so that should be a nice break in the camp.
I've been back in the water for only 5 weeks and so far it’s going well, it’s not been easy that’s for sure, but I’ve enjoyed getting some hard work done!
The weekend before we flew to Spain, I raced at the Stockport Open Meet which went brilliantly! On Friday night I swam the 1,500m and clocked a 16.29.4 long course which is only 15 seconds off the British record!! Not bad for 5 weeks of training! For Saturday and Sunday the meet went from long course to short course and I did the 400m Medley in a 4.41 and the 200m Freestyle in a time of 1.59.8. I was really pleased with my swims and looking forward to racing them at nationals next March.
I’ll let you know how I get on in Spain!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Back in Blighty
I’m back home now after a couple of brilliant weeks, so I thought I’d just spill the beans on what I’ve been up to.
After all the excitement at the pool for the Commonwealth Games, some of my teammates and I decided to stay in Delhi and see a few sights. Perhaps India’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, was absolutely amazing, truly one of the best sights I’ve ever seen - just pipping the Great Wall of China to first place!
We also went shopping to one of Delhi’s many markets, where I bought a very cute jewellery box. When we weren’t out and about, my fiancée, David, and I spent a lot of time around Scotland House – which was great fun. I also really enjoyed the closing ceremony where David was brought out on a tuktuk!
The morning after the ceremony, I had to be up early for the flight home, and it was great to touchdown in England after a few weeks away. I spent first the few days back in Manchester with my family - we had a party, my mum made cup-cakes and my favourite meal!!!
After the welcome home, it was down to London for a few days with my sponsors, Speedo. Becky Adlington, Liam Tancock and I all went to watch Arsenal play a Champions League game and were invited out onto the pitch at half time, we got an amazing response from the crowd! The next day the three of us had a Speedo photoshoot outside its flagship store in Covent Garden and following that we did some media interviews and taught a handful of journalists how to improve their stroke!
The day after I did a talk with another sponsor, Lloyds TSB. They were giving a staff member tickets to the opening ceremony for the Olympics in 2012 – it’s really getting that close, how exciting!
So it was a busy return from Delhi! After London, it was back up North and some wedding planning with David – scary!
After all the excitement at the pool for the Commonwealth Games, some of my teammates and I decided to stay in Delhi and see a few sights. Perhaps India’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, was absolutely amazing, truly one of the best sights I’ve ever seen - just pipping the Great Wall of China to first place!
We also went shopping to one of Delhi’s many markets, where I bought a very cute jewellery box. When we weren’t out and about, my fiancée, David, and I spent a lot of time around Scotland House – which was great fun. I also really enjoyed the closing ceremony where David was brought out on a tuktuk!
The morning after the ceremony, I had to be up early for the flight home, and it was great to touchdown in England after a few weeks away. I spent first the few days back in Manchester with my family - we had a party, my mum made cup-cakes and my favourite meal!!!
After the welcome home, it was down to London for a few days with my sponsors, Speedo. Becky Adlington, Liam Tancock and I all went to watch Arsenal play a Champions League game and were invited out onto the pitch at half time, we got an amazing response from the crowd! The next day the three of us had a Speedo photoshoot outside its flagship store in Covent Garden and following that we did some media interviews and taught a handful of journalists how to improve their stroke!
The day after I did a talk with another sponsor, Lloyds TSB. They were giving a staff member tickets to the opening ceremony for the Olympics in 2012 – it’s really getting that close, how exciting!
So it was a busy return from Delhi! After London, it was back up North and some wedding planning with David – scary!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A Dream Come True!
What an amazing, but challenging, few weeks it has been!
I'm writing this while watching the rugby 7's Tonga v Papa New Guinea match. One of the best parts about being at a multi-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games is that you’re able to watch all the other sports after you have competed, which I am enjoying very much!!
The biggest challenge for me since I’ve been in Delhi has been the anticipation and waiting around I had to endure before my swim. Five long days of watching my teammates win medals or narrowly miss out on making finals - the highs and lows of swimming! That said, the athlete village was great. Everything in my room was clean and working so I was very happy to spend time before race day in comfortable surroundings. And the food hall is every athlete’s dream! A room with all kinds of (great) food, ready for you, when you want it, amazing!
Eventually Day 6 of the swimming programme arrived and with it the 400m I.M. - my chance to show what I could do. After a comfortable heat I was the fastest qualifier, but I didn't read too much into that as I knew the meet had been long and most of the girls were tired. I just decided to enjoy it, waving at the camera as the announcer called my name.
It might have been one of the hardest races I have ever done and I remember screaming at myself to dig deep in the last 25m. I didn't want to come 4th. After touching the wall I didn't know the result and didn't want to look in case it wasn't what I wanted to see. I must have taken about 30 seconds to turn around and see that I had come 3rd!! Finally a pool medal, the one I desperately wanted!! Standing on that podium was an amazing feeling, one I will remember forever!
I’m going to be staying in India for the rest of the week and will be doing a bit of sightseeing – I’ll let you know how I’m getting on!
I'm writing this while watching the rugby 7's Tonga v Papa New Guinea match. One of the best parts about being at a multi-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games is that you’re able to watch all the other sports after you have competed, which I am enjoying very much!!
The biggest challenge for me since I’ve been in Delhi has been the anticipation and waiting around I had to endure before my swim. Five long days of watching my teammates win medals or narrowly miss out on making finals - the highs and lows of swimming! That said, the athlete village was great. Everything in my room was clean and working so I was very happy to spend time before race day in comfortable surroundings. And the food hall is every athlete’s dream! A room with all kinds of (great) food, ready for you, when you want it, amazing!
Eventually Day 6 of the swimming programme arrived and with it the 400m I.M. - my chance to show what I could do. After a comfortable heat I was the fastest qualifier, but I didn't read too much into that as I knew the meet had been long and most of the girls were tired. I just decided to enjoy it, waving at the camera as the announcer called my name.
It might have been one of the hardest races I have ever done and I remember screaming at myself to dig deep in the last 25m. I didn't want to come 4th. After touching the wall I didn't know the result and didn't want to look in case it wasn't what I wanted to see. I must have taken about 30 seconds to turn around and see that I had come 3rd!! Finally a pool medal, the one I desperately wanted!! Standing on that podium was an amazing feeling, one I will remember forever!
I’m going to be staying in India for the rest of the week and will be doing a bit of sightseeing – I’ll let you know how I’m getting on!
Friday, September 17, 2010
A Date with Delhi
The next few weeks are going to be so exciting. I’m off to Doha next week for an eight-day preparation camp and then it’s the main event of the year – the Commonwealth Games.
There’ll be about 50 of us in Doha, and we’ll be doing a bit of fine-tuning ahead of jetting off to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games. The Games is the only international event outside the Olympics that have all the competitors staying in an athlete village, so its promises to be a great experience.
In terms of events, I’ll be racing the 200m Medley and the 400m Medley. And there’s a surprise event! I’ll also be doing the 800m Freestyle, which I haven’t done in a competition for quite a while, so it should be interesting to see how I do in that. I’m pretty confident going into the Games, but I never make predictions of how I’m going to do – so we’ll just wait and see.
After the racing, my Stockport Metro teammates and I are going to stay in Delhi for the remaining week, watch a few other events and see some of the amazing culture that India is famous for. It will be great to spend a bit of time with my teammates out of the pool – we all get on really well. We’d like to catch a bit of the men’s hockey as they have been doing so well recently – and you can’t go to India and not see the Taj Mahal!
So as I said, it’s a really exciting few weeks – I’ll be posting another blog from Delhi to let you know how I’m getting on, stay tuned!
There’ll be about 50 of us in Doha, and we’ll be doing a bit of fine-tuning ahead of jetting off to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games. The Games is the only international event outside the Olympics that have all the competitors staying in an athlete village, so its promises to be a great experience.
In terms of events, I’ll be racing the 200m Medley and the 400m Medley. And there’s a surprise event! I’ll also be doing the 800m Freestyle, which I haven’t done in a competition for quite a while, so it should be interesting to see how I do in that. I’m pretty confident going into the Games, but I never make predictions of how I’m going to do – so we’ll just wait and see.
After the racing, my Stockport Metro teammates and I are going to stay in Delhi for the remaining week, watch a few other events and see some of the amazing culture that India is famous for. It will be great to spend a bit of time with my teammates out of the pool – we all get on really well. We’d like to catch a bit of the men’s hockey as they have been doing so well recently – and you can’t go to India and not see the Taj Mahal!
So as I said, it’s a really exciting few weeks – I’ll be posting another blog from Delhi to let you know how I’m getting on, stay tuned!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Home Sweet Home!
I'm finally home after a very busy couple of months - and my attention is now fully on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October. I will be swimming in the 400 I.M and hoping to be in the 200 I.M too, but I'll have to wait and see about that one.
The last 2 months have been a real whirlwind! I have gone from the Open Water World Championships in Canada to being a pundit for the BBC during the European Championships in Budapest. I have really enjoyed it but I am so happy to be able to be home with my friends and family.
I'm really excited about Comm Games and even more excited to start the next season and right all the wrongs I made this season! Up first for next season is a 3 week training camp in Sierra Nevada in Spain which is at an altitude of between 2,400 to 2,800m!! It's going to be a little tough doing three sessions a day - I do love a challenge though .....
The last 2 months have been a real whirlwind! I have gone from the Open Water World Championships in Canada to being a pundit for the BBC during the European Championships in Budapest. I have really enjoyed it but I am so happy to be able to be home with my friends and family.
I'm really excited about Comm Games and even more excited to start the next season and right all the wrongs I made this season! Up first for next season is a 3 week training camp in Sierra Nevada in Spain which is at an altitude of between 2,400 to 2,800m!! It's going to be a little tough doing three sessions a day - I do love a challenge though .....
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Carnage in Canada
I think its fair to say that the World Championships in Canada have been one of the most extraordinary meets ever.
On Saturday, I raced the 10k – surely one of the most brutal open water races there has been. There were four red cards (two of which were for fighting) and five or six yellow cards. It was a real battle out there.
I must have led the race for about eight of the ten kilometres, but ended up coming 8th. I did manage to stay clear of most of the incidents but couldn’t quite finish it off in very difficult conditions. Obviously I’m disappointed with the final result, but there are plenty of positives that I can take from this and I have no doubt it will stand me in good stead in the future races. Better to get a result like this out of the way now than closer to 2012!!
The 5k took place earlier today and I was forced out of the race at the last minute due to severe stomach cramps. I was suited up and ready to go, but the cramps were just too painful and when I went to see the doctor he agreed that swimming would be the worst thing I could do.
Overall, the results in the water haven’t been what I would have wanted, but I am still in the World Top 10 for my events – so it just goes to show that even on my off days I’m up there with the best, which is one of many positives I can draw from my experience in Canada.
I’m flying back to the UK on Thursday and when I get back into training I’ll really realise just what a valuable learning experience this has been and that it can only make me a better swimmer.
On Saturday, I raced the 10k – surely one of the most brutal open water races there has been. There were four red cards (two of which were for fighting) and five or six yellow cards. It was a real battle out there.
I must have led the race for about eight of the ten kilometres, but ended up coming 8th. I did manage to stay clear of most of the incidents but couldn’t quite finish it off in very difficult conditions. Obviously I’m disappointed with the final result, but there are plenty of positives that I can take from this and I have no doubt it will stand me in good stead in the future races. Better to get a result like this out of the way now than closer to 2012!!
The 5k took place earlier today and I was forced out of the race at the last minute due to severe stomach cramps. I was suited up and ready to go, but the cramps were just too painful and when I went to see the doctor he agreed that swimming would be the worst thing I could do.
Overall, the results in the water haven’t been what I would have wanted, but I am still in the World Top 10 for my events – so it just goes to show that even on my off days I’m up there with the best, which is one of many positives I can draw from my experience in Canada.
I’m flying back to the UK on Thursday and when I get back into training I’ll really realise just what a valuable learning experience this has been and that it can only make me a better swimmer.
World Championships in Canada
I’m currently in Canada for the 6th FINA Open Water Swimming World Championships.
I’ll be competing in Lac Saint-Jean near Roberval, which is in Quebec. I’ve never been to Canada before and it really does live up to it reputation – it is absolutely stunning.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to see too much of it though as I will be focusing on my races. The Women’s 10k is on Saturday July 17th with the Women’s 5k on Tuesday 20th.
Its always really difficult to predict how I’m going to perform in the races as there are so many variables in open water swimming, not to mention the fact that as it’s the World Championships so the field is really strong. But I am feeling confident, so let see what happens!
I’ll be competing in Lac Saint-Jean near Roberval, which is in Quebec. I’ve never been to Canada before and it really does live up to it reputation – it is absolutely stunning.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to see too much of it though as I will be focusing on my races. The Women’s 10k is on Saturday July 17th with the Women’s 5k on Tuesday 20th.
Its always really difficult to predict how I’m going to perform in the races as there are so many variables in open water swimming, not to mention the fact that as it’s the World Championships so the field is really strong. But I am feeling confident, so let see what happens!
Great North swim in Windemere
Sorry it has been a while since I last posted a blog - things have been hectic since I got back
I swam at the Great North swim in Windemere 13th September 2008, a one mile swim (1600m) in 15.2 degrees BRRRRRRRR!!!!
I finished 2nd just behind Cassie Patten. It was a really great event all the family were there and many of them swam
My dad swam in a time of 53 minutes finishing 1632nd - not bad for a 54 year old!
My Brother Mark did it in 30 minutes finishing 310th over all!
My sister's boyfriend Phil swam a time of 38 minutes he finished 924th over all - very good considering it was his first ever swim!!
last but not least my sister Janine swam an amazing time of 26 minutes she was very close to the lead pack in her race!! Well done Janine, she finished 106th overall!!
Well done guys you did amazing!!!
Next year we hope to see more people swimming the Great North Challenge.
I swam at the Great North swim in Windemere 13th September 2008, a one mile swim (1600m) in 15.2 degrees BRRRRRRRR!!!!
I finished 2nd just behind Cassie Patten. It was a really great event all the family were there and many of them swam
My dad swam in a time of 53 minutes finishing 1632nd - not bad for a 54 year old!
My Brother Mark did it in 30 minutes finishing 310th over all!
My sister's boyfriend Phil swam a time of 38 minutes he finished 924th over all - very good considering it was his first ever swim!!
last but not least my sister Janine swam an amazing time of 26 minutes she was very close to the lead pack in her race!! Well done Janine, she finished 106th overall!!
Well done guys you did amazing!!!
Next year we hope to see more people swimming the Great North Challenge.
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