Manuel loses it

This morning Spanish-UK relations were further strained.  Due to an EU working time directive, the Spanish kitchen staff decided that breakfast opening times should be 7-7:30 am then 8-10 am.  Unknown to the GB men's squad, who all planned to eat from 7:30, ready for training at 8am.  Tension's in the canteen had been rising, sources at the training centre claim this may be due to excessive glass smashing (currently an average of 4 a day).  At 7:30 am all diners were told to leave, and food was removed from the counters; at this same moment a group of GB rowers arrived to feed.  Security was called and arrived in the form of an out of breath, baton wielding Guardia.  Mark "don't touch me" Earnshaw, GB coach, was not impressed and stood in the doorway.  A heated argument took place with neither individual sure of what was being said, but eyewitnesses claim "Gibraltor" was a key theme.  The doors were subsequently locked and feeding resumed at 8am.  Lunch took place with no drama [except for a further 3 smashed glasses].

Half day on camp

This is the training centre in Sierra Nevada [Spain].  You can make out the oval running track on the roof (under the snow in the middle is an astro-turf football pitch).  As you can see the views are spectacular.

This is where the magic happens; lined up and ready to go.

 This is the view from just outside the erg room.

And this is the view from the erg (apologies for poor lighting).

Training has been going well but my back has been sore; the journey on the plane and then coach for 3 hours isn't ideal coupled with an increase in time spent on the ergo, it was likely I would get some grumbling.  On the positive, my erg splits have been coming down and I have been holding my body form well, which will all reap rewards as the season goes on.  Work in the gym (lifting weights) has been going well and I expect to produce some PB performances by the end of the camp.

The camp generally works on a 3 day cycle, with heavy work for the first 2 days and then intensive pieces on the 3rd day.  For the next 3 days I will be focusing on reducing irritation in my back and building up the mileage on the ergo.

p.s. the battery in my watch went today, gutted, that bad boy has lasted since 2006.

The Last Supper

This will be my view for the next two+ weeks.

Tomorrow I will fly to Sierra Nevada [Spain].  This camp is notoriously savage; just over two weeks of pure physicality at 2320m above sea level.  Nearly all of our sessions will be on the ergo or in the weights room.  With four sessions a day (and sometimes more) this will be a real test of my body.  My memories of this camp last year are painful, you end up in a dark place - living from session to session, hoping to hang on.  Very few people will complete the camp without injury or illness, the challenge is to be one of those few.  Deep down I love it.

The camp will be a huge strain on the body; it is this strain that your body adapts to and thus gives you a greater work capacity, and will mean you return a significantly better athlete.  As the camp is at altitude the training is substantially harder, meaning you have to re-adjust the 500m split time you pull on the ergo.  The programme is also intensified with more sessions, bigger mileage and less rest.  You have to be time efficient; eat, row, sleep becomes a 3 hour ritual. But the time I put in at Sierra Nevada will be worth double that time I put in at Caversham - I just hope I can survive!!

Today I came across this on the BBC website.  It's a short article and interview with Jurgen.

For my last supper I will be having Spring Chicken with Rice.

Happy New Year!!!

If you missed the fireworks on the BBC at midnight, here is a clip.  I wasn't at the Embankment, but was impressed by the BBC coverage.  Every now and again things are done that make you sit up and go "wow, someone actually did a decent job this time, that was really good". 

This New Year's Eve was more low-key than normal.  I trained in the morning and then got the train back to London.  I went for dinner with Louise and then watched The Blind Side before the fireworks at 12.  The Blind Side is one of the best films I've seen and definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet (rent for £3.49 on iTunes).  Today I'm relaxing and will be back at Caversham in the morning.

I hope you have a good year.