The Long and Winding Road.

The long and winding road was the St. Clare 10k I did yesterday. I had everything planned the night before the race, went to bed early and in my head I went through my race plan and how I was going to execute it. When I woke up on Sunday morning I had my usual nerves but managed to get a few spoonfuls of porridge down. Mothers Day again and I'm in my racing chair again. One day I'll manage to have a lie in on Mothering Sunday and get breakfast in bed!

I got to the venue in good time but as I was pumping up my tyres I realised that the left one was leaking. PANIC!! I had to fit a brand new tyre in less than 15 minutes and there was no one around to help me. I managed to pull a man from the crowd who helped me stretch the tyre to fit. In the process of pumping it up the loudspeaker was announcing for the runners to make their way to the start line. Wheelchair racers normally start a few minutes beforehand so I knew I would have no time to warm up.

On the start line the whistle blew and off we went! What was going through my head was that I would have to be careful because I hadn't warmed up, and the last thing I needed was to go really hard and get an injury. At this point my race plan flew out of the window and I'm already thinking what I could do to complete the race safely and also get a good position. My first 5K I felt good though I was taking it carefully because there were a few twists and turns in the course, and more than a few potholes! This reminded me of Australia in 2007 and the terrible crash I had just 200m from the finish line of the 10K and how that injury cost me Beijing.

The second half of the race was a killer and this is where mental toughness overcomes physical toughness. As I came closer to the finish line my hands felt like jelly but the crowd really helped to carry me across the finish line with their loud applause and cheers. I was the first wheelchair home. Great achievement is usually born out of great sacrifice.

I was racing in a t shirt that was provided by the RESULTS charity, an organisation that is trying to end poverty but as I looked around the grounds of the St Clare Hospice and saw people, some very young, whose lives were almost over, it really touched my heart, and the 10K was nothing in comparison to that.

Swiss Roll.

Hello and welcome to my new blog. I am a Paralympian who competes in wheelchair racing, sprinting to be exact about it, and in this blog you can read about how I am progressing in my chosen sport.
It's been a difficult year for me because I missed out on qualifying for Beijing due to a torn muscle in my shoulder. I was very disappointed not to take part because even with my injury I just missed out on getting a qualifying time in the 100m. I managed a personal best time of 17.38 and the qualifying time was 17.25 secs! Still, I got over it and started training again properly this year.
I've just returned from Switzerland where I took part in two competitions. In Ibach I managed 17.73 secs in the 100m, just outside my PB, and I was delighted with that result but, as I said, the weather was wet and windy and my 200m and 400m were just ordinary.
In Jona, a really fast track, all of the Brits were looking forward to fast times but the weather was horrendous, so bad people were turning blue with the cold! There was nowhere to get a hot drink and it was generally depressing. Still, I did my races, albeit in times that were poor so it was a bit of a disappointing end to the trip. Anyway,the weather was bad for everyone so no complaints.
Now I'm getting ready for Crystal Palace in July so it's train, train, and more training.