First race of the season!

Our first week back in the UK was awful, it was freezing and it was so windy we could only get out in our boats twice before the race at Nottingham. We were both thinking the same, why did we come back? But luckily we found this amazing coach in Worcester, Matt Brown. If it wasn’t for him I’m really not sure I could have carried on kayaking. Before Ant and I went to Australia we were actually at a very low point. Matt entered us in all the K1 races and all the K4 races too. I was so worried about racing in front of the British Canoe Union lot I really wasn’t sure I could compete yet. But you know you just have to think, no one cares about these races as much as you, so the only person you are really letting down is yourself. So basically just get out there and do it, as there will be just as much pressure built on the next race and it will be just as mentally hard!

So we did the first 500m and came middle of the pack but once that was over I felt ecstatic and enjoyed all the following races because I realised that it didn’t matter what my times were because as long as I put in 100% I know there is only room for improvement. Plus I did all my races in a much more stable boat which meant I could put on full pressure without the worry of falling in. Ant is doing really well in a sprint boat so yes she is still faster than me, but when I eventually do get in a fast boat we will see who REALLY is quicker!

Matt Brown has been an amazing support and I feel we are actually getting somewhere for the first time in a long time. Since then training has been the best we have had it since we left Nottingham! Now I feel like we can finally make a real difference and ever since competing I am highly motivated to train hard and get chunks of seconds off for the following regattas.

One thing I have learnt recently is every athlete is very complex and must be treated individually, it is easy to underestimate someone because they aren’t improving the text book way. If you look at the bigger picture there are always areas of improvement but each area progresses at different rates for each individual and it takes a good coach to recognise these and develop them with skill and enthusiasm - Matt does this.

Don’t read if your vegetarian!

I haven’t written for a while now mainly because the sprint season has started and fitting work around training can be a struggle. Luckily I like my design work unlike my sister who has endless delivering all over the country side and then there is dealing with the meat for the farm shop. Actually not long a go a customer asked my sister for some ribs, Dad was out and as there were wasn't any prepared by the in-house butcher, so Antonia thought she would use her initiative and cut the ribs from the cow she knew was hanging in the chiller.

From all our weight training squatting a large amount isn’t usually a problem but when it’s a full grown cow on your shoulder it’s another story (btw I would never do something like this!) So Antonia using all her will power gets this cow into the cutting room and attempts to saw the ribs out. If you can imagine sawing through bone then you will realise how hard it is. So after half an hour of sweating and sawing away decided this just wasn’t going to happen and went out to tell the customer in fact there were no ribs available and would she prefer a chicken? The woman just looked at her stunned and left. Then Ant looked down at her apron to see that she looked like she had just massacred something!

Ant managed to put the cow back but it looked as though a couple of alsations had been at it. She was so worried what dad would say that she didn’t tell him and that was the day before we left for Australia. Dad still hasn’t said anything to her and actually he offered her the business yesterday, so I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know she had anything to do with it!

A few things I have to mention . . .

Well done to Phil who also did the Sydney Harbour Swim! I know Liz forced you to do it in a hope that you would win another holiday but it was worth it and you achieved your goal of surviving!

Thank you Liz for showing us the beautiful Royal National Park despite only just being able to walk after a serious back operation! . . . you better get training asap as I'm coming back to challenge you to another Ocean Swim! (you've got 6 months!)

Antonia you must start using your own camera, I can't have these kind of photos blocking up my memory card!

and last but not least . . . THANK YOU Lucy for letting us stay with you and being the most wonderful second mother and fantastic friend, you are one in a million!

Goodbye my beautiful Australia

Fridays racing of the 200m were still nerve wracking but not half as much as the first one plus we had a chat to a couple of the aussie Olympians who were really friendly. We both felt we were able to get a good start and we both got through to the semi finals which we didn't realise until a club member came running up to us saying we were racing again in half an hour. We were shocked but glad to get the chance to put in a better time. Ant's heat was before mine and there were 4 false starts by various people, I felt very sorry for her. Then in my race the same thing happened but lane 6 a NZ girl made two false starts which isn't aloud and was disqualified. She slowly paddled past us with tears rolling down her face. After all that I didn't do a PB!

The K2 200m were moved to the Sunday and by this time with all the advice we had been getting and being told not to care about anyone around you, just do it for yourself, this is your first year racing just enjoy it spiel I really felt relaxed, so relaxed I nearly made myself worry about being overly relaxed so managed to control that feeling and the K2 was far more in time and actually felt some run on the boat so it just proves the more racing experience you have the better you can perform under pressure.

I heard there were storms in England last week!!!! I was wearing factor 50 on Manley Beach today so I am really not feeling the urge to come home. But we have our first Sprint regatta in Nottingham on the 5th and 6th of April which will be another interesting experience as this time it wont be the Aussie Olympians we are racing but all the girls we started this kayaking lark with in the first place!

Sport doesn't build character it reveals it!

In my head I already knew I was going to come last in my heat at the Nationals when I was up against girls qualifying for Beijing not just from Australia but from countries such as New Zealand and Itally so I had set my own goals. 1. was not to fall in 2. to beat my last PB for 500m and 3. to beat Antonia! (she doesn't know the last one but she will now)

Before the race I was a nervous wreak which I think i had every right to be, imagine warming up with girls who where wearing their country's lycra and Ant and I in our Bristol all-in-ones! Plus being that nervous made me even more unstable than usual. When I came round to the start we had to back the K1's onto the start where a kid holds your boat until the starter beeper goes off. I was just thinking please give me a bloody rowing boat this is a stupid sport, why would anyone in their right mind want to do this. Actually why am I here? Then they called . . . starting in 10 seconds beeeeep. . . and I basically crawled off the start line while the Olympians raced ahead. I was so nervous my whole body was shaking. When I eventually finished, miles behind the others I nearly cried because I was so glad it was over. The pure humiliation of it all there was no way I had a PB and what was worse Antonia had beaten me ahhhhhhh.

We then did a K2 together where we fought all the way to the start line (very stressed at the thought of racing Olympians again) as we have rating issues then the race went better than my K1 but felt rushed and out of time. Anyway it's over and we don't have to do it again until Friday when we have the 200m. The say sport doesn't build character it reveals it. I certainly felt ripped raw to the core with that experience. I am so glad we have got tomorrow off, we are going surfing at Bondi where I can fall in as much as I like! Oh yes I didn't fall in!!!! (but think I held back for fear of falling in)

Also we got talking to a few of the officials and one of the old guys works in a School with my Grandma and the other invited us to Kayak at Windsor (Sydney) Canoe club who train at Penrith where we raced today so if nothing else comes of it apart from the great?? experience we might have opened a door of opportunity as we are thinking of coming back in September for a bit longer. Australia is the place for kayaking that's for sure!

This post sounds quite negative but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Things can only get better!

Sydney Harbour Swim (on a not so sunny day)

2k swimming race in Sydney Harbour sounds quite easy but when your amongst hundreds of other swimmers as well as the natural swell of the sea and wash from other boats it turns the swim into a whole new skill. The hardest bit was to control my breathing but after the swimmers have broken out a bit and found space it became easier. Antonia's age category started before me but the funny thing was after about 3/4 of the way through I knocked someone swimming by and looked up and it was Antonia, out of all the people we were in there amongst, we just laughed at each other and swam on then I thought I can't believe I wasted energy laughing! I finished the swim in 26.59 which I didn't think was so bad for my first ocean swim plus I have had no practice. . . . apart from back in the Summer in Nottingham oh and few few endurance swims here on the lake (with a kayak full of water) so that is a small lie but it's nothing like the sea!

Here is a non attractive photo of Ant and I in our lovely swimming hats we had to wear!

IRON MAN!!! I soooooo want to do this!!

Surfski Kayaking, Paddling on a board and swimming x 3!