Out and About.

Last Monday I was being filmed by BBC for a special programme to be shown soon. I felt really good in the morning when the crew were filming me on the track. It was a glorious, hot, sunny day and I felt full of energy and positive thought. I was wishing I was competing because I was sharp and fast, vital ingredients for a good performance. The producer, David Waters, was great to work with and he made the whole experience a positive one.


In the afternoon Dan Walker arrived to do an interview.  'Football Focus' and here he was in my front room! He was great, very professional, and he was  easy to talk to. I really enjoyed the whole experience.


In the evening it was 'back to the office' for a hard training session with Ken. As I worked I couldn't help thinking about the difference between filming on the track in the morning and working hard on it in the evening. I know which one I prefer but I also know it is the training that will help me achieve my goal.


On Tuesday I was invited down to the Harlow Canal Boat Project to wave off one of their boats,'Red Watch', which was making its way to London to be part of the flotilla celebrating the Queen's Jubilee on Sunday. I am very proud to be Patron of the HCBP and it was wonderful to see some of the learners from St.Elizabeths Specialist College, their carers, and the crew,waving to us on the shore as they set off on their unforgettable journey. The boat was beautifully decorated with union jacks and banners. I must admit to feeling a little jealous that I wasn't on board with them. It is such a blessing that Queen Elizabeth is celebrating 60 years as sovereign. Sometimes God selects people for different missions and I think she was picked for this one. Whether you are a Royalist or not you have to admit it is a unique occasion.

On Thursday I was invited to Mark Hall School to present awards to staff for their service to the school. This event was organised by the Board of Governors, including Dr.Valerie Shepherd, and was meant to reflect the importance of the school in the community and the hard work and dedication of the staff in running it. I was amazed to learn that one of the staff, Marge Green, has been teaching at the school for 40 years! Now that's what I call dedication to a profession. I think teachers generally get a bad press so it was really nice to be involved in such a positive event. Well done to everyone who got an award.

1000 Days to the 2012 Paralympics.

On Thursday I attended a fantastic event at Mark Hall Sports College in Harlow to celebrate a 1000 days to the start of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. There were a lot of disabled children there to try out a wide variety of sports and they all seemed to have a great time. Who knows, we might even see some of them actually participating in the Paralympics in the future. Harlow has already produced three Paralympians in Noel Thatcher, the late, great, Isobel Newstead, and myself and it would be truly fantastic if we could add a few more in the years to come.
In the evening it was back to the gym for another session on the dreaded rollers. My muscles ached after a really hard session but I basked in the afterglow in a hot bath feeling really good about myself and what I'd achieved. I'm feeling really positive about myself and feel confident that if I can remain injury free I will do really well in the coming season.
Of course, athletes have Christmas to celebrate as well and my eight year old son, Tim, has to be the centre of my attention so I'll have to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy his pleasure and excitement at the arrival of Santa in just three weeks time, not to mention having to shop for the toys to put in Santa's sack! Come the start of the year it'll be back to my routine of training 6 days a week.

A Hard Road

On Saturday I did 10 miles on the road with lots of hills. I felt really good afterwards and know I'm getting into good shape for next year. I really want to do good times next season and improve on all my personal best times.
I had a rest on Sunday, then on Monday it was back on the road for another 10 mile push. On Tuesday the weather was terrible so I did a hard session on rollers in my front room. It's not ideal because I have to open all the windows and doors to get enough fresh air into the room so I can breath freely but that's what really hard training is all about. You have to suffer a bit if you want to do your best.
Yesterday, Wednesday, I went to the local track at Mark Hall school and did 4 laps as a warm up then did a lot of work on my starts. In wheelchair racing its essential to get off to a good start in sprints, and its in this area that I really need to work hard to improve my PB's. I'm feeling very confident at the moment that I can do this. I finished the gruelling session with another 4 lap warm down, then came home and enjoyed wallowing in a hot bath before having an early night.