Ness Swimwear Blog

Monday 19^th November 2007 Being in Australia during their summer, which is our winter time is exactly what you need this time of year. I’m training in 4 different 50m pools whilst I’m here. Each pool has 12 lanes and I pretty much have a lane to myself most sessions which is great for practicing strokes. Today it was 33 degrees and it is so easy to burn in Australia because the atmosphere or ozone is so thin! We have to get out half way through most sessions to make sure we apply an extra layer of sun cream. I’m looking forward to getting some work done out here in these amazing surroundings.    Wednesday 21^st November 2007 Today we trained early morning then had the afternoon off so we made the most of it and hit the beach a ‘Surfers Paradise’ and played cricket and messed around in the waves – it was class! I’ll make sure I take some photos and get them on next time. It looks really mad to see Christmas trees in the shopping centres and Santa’s out and about when its 30 degrees and blazing sunshine. I keep getting reports that is cold at home in England but its hard to imagine when your spending all of your time in board shorts – I know you’ll be cursing me right now!!! Lol  Sunday 25^th November 2007 

Training has been as tough as ever this week, we’ve had 11 swim sessions, 3 weights sessions and 2 circuit sessions so I’m tired right now! But today is the last day of our first week here, and we have not had a full day out of the water yet but its’ our day off tomorrow so I’m well looking forward to cheeky rest day off. We’re thinking of going to see Saw 4 tomorrow at the cinema, with some of the boys – don’t know if I can watch it at the cinema, can’t hide behind the sofa!!!

• Saturday 10^th November 2007 There isn’t many people at this competition and is was a little bit flat with atmosphere but we have a really cool race set up for the 50s’. Each round of 50’s that you swim the slowest is knocked out until you are left with two swimmers who race head to head for $500, which is about £280!!!! Not bad eh? Yeah not bad if you win it… I came second in that race, but I guess when I look at the results they were good times for this time of the season…. Would have been nice to win some cash! Bummer  
• Monday 12^th November 2007 The competition at the weekend went as well as could be expected…. I have lots of good points to take away but more to the point I have more things to work on that didn’t go so well. My approach into the wall needs much more work and my speed from underwater into my stroke just isn’t quite there! But that’s what these competitions are for. Today we had a huge session of breaststroke after being in the gym and I was able to sneak in the session with the Aussie swim team and race their best breaststroker – I was taken down on everything! Not the greatest feeling in the world to be beaten on every set and every rep from a competitor of yours but it’s really good to expose your weaknesses so that you can improve on them. Still feels pretty bad when you want to win the close races and there seems like no chance. 
• Wednesday 13^th November 2007ok today is a beauty of a day! The weather has really picked and it is 30 Degree’s outside so I’m looking forward to going for a stretch and a walk before training. Some of us guys go out of for a walk into the countryside to get out and around the area instead of staying on the complex all day, also its good to walk because when it comes to major games you are required to walk to and from the swim pool and to a dining hall etc… and if you’re not used to walking a little bit then you’ll suffer when it comes to the big meet! Last night we went for a nice Italian meal with some of the Aussie swimmers, I was talking to one girl from the team who won a Gold medal at the Athens Olympics – It was Fantastic to hear her story! I remember watching that race at the Olympics from the stands, so I was asking her how it felt to realise her dream… it was fascinating how she told me that she has had injuries, disasters, embarrassing swims and everything throughout her career, but she stayed strong to her belief that she was going to win something big…. Amazing!

Canberra Training Camp Blogg 1:

• Monday 5^th November We’ve been training in Canberra for 2 days now and I’m still getting lost around the campus. We are here at the AIS training for 2 weeks and the facilities are second to non… you can get video camera work done every session with cameras everywhere, on your starts, turns race speed, its absolutely amazing because you can watch it straight back on 40” plasma screens at the side of the pool. I’m training here with a group of breaststrokers and I have to admit I’m getting murdered in the tank by anyone and everyone – which at times can eat away at you but you just have to do the best you can with every session…. 
• Wednesday 7^th November Today the Aussie guys changed the pool to 15m so that we could do some speed work… it was class, they can change the pool to whatever length they want to. At the end of the session we had a huge team relay of swimming under the boom on your way down the pool and climb over the boom on the way back – it was a different way of training which I’m well up for. After doing 5,000m of quality breaststroke yesterday I am feeling it a bit especially in my groin… just hope it settles down for the racing at the weekend. 
• Thursday 8^th November Check out the photo’s of Tancock and me using the recovery centre! Basically you plunge into a 10 degree cold tub for 1-2mins and then straight into the warm bath for 1-2mins and you repeat that for 5 times – its soooooooooo cold!!!! I’m not joking, you can see from my face that I’m loving every minute of it eh! The recovery centre helps you to recover from one session to the next. We’ve done this twice now and I’m not feeling anymore recovered!!!! Help!

Me & Sydney - just like the Tyne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Australia Pre-World Cup Meet: Sydney 2^nd/3^rd November 2007 Wednesday  31^st October 2007  Ok so let me get this right you travel 28 hours on several flights, arrive in an upside down time zone and you have to swim fast when you get there? Yep… that’s exactly it. Arrived here in Oz a day or so before the World Cup started and the pool is brilliant. I can only imagine how good the Olympics were in this pool. Everywhere you go there is memorabilia and photos of people punching the air after winning gold or going mental on the medal podium – Class!  We have a pretty nice hotel and me and Tancock have a room with a view of the Sydney harbour bridge, granted you need binoculars to see the bridge but it’s still a view eh… lol….  I’m looking forward to racing here as the pool looks unbelievably short, it’s a bit like looking across the widths at the City pool back home but much, much sexier… lol…. Anyway, I’ll be back with an update with results.  Day 1 MeetFriday 2^nd NovemberI have my targets to aim for here and they involve 100% of final positions, better and faster times than Darlington Open and Oh yeah! Winning some medals…. That’s what is all about. I’m not feeling particularly flash in the water I’ve been awake most mornings at 3am and pretty tired ready for bed by 2pm but tiredness isn’t an illness and you need to find a way of making the best of every situation. At the moment I’ve been working on starts and turns because that’s what short course swimming is all about.   Heats: 50m breaststroke – 27.5 Quite pleased, nothing major but I’m in 2^nd place into the final. 200m Breaststroke – 2.13.4 Again a solid performance, a little disappointed I didn’t go quicker but I’m in the final and looking forward to improving on a few things I picked up on in the heats. Finals: 50m Breaststroke – 27.6 – Pleased with the race, tried a few different things in there but they didn’t come off as well as expected – oh well! Finished in 4^th – Boooooo!!!  Day 2 Meet:Saturday 3^rd NovemberAfter feeling a bit rough yesterday I’ve turned up ready to go for it in the 100m breaststroke today. 59. is the target, anything slower is not great! Heats:100m breaststroke – 60.4 Not the best performance, didn’t quite take it out quick enough, stroke felt like it was swimming a long course meet – not good enough. Finals:100m Breaststroke – 60.05 a shade away for a 59 so its not too bad and for this time in the season to be setting goals that high is pleasing for me. Came 3^rd equal!!!  Sunday 4^th November After reflecting on my swims last night I can safely say I hate Being beaten! I know that a few of the swimmers on this world cup circuit are in race shape, so they haven’t been training that much but it still doesn’t matter – I just hate being beaten!Anyway, that’s enough of me being a moan… we’re off to Canberra tomorrow to start a training camp at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport, for all you dummies who couldn’t work it out… lol) Apparently they have wicked facilities on a huge campus so I’m well excited for going there! I love going to a new pool – yeah I know it sounds nerdy but I do. Speak soon from Canberra – the capital of Australia here I come.   

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