Hi

There is a great atmosphere in the camp this week, especially among the field eventers! The guys have been doing amazingly and it’s filling everyone with confidence. Greg, the three high jump boys and two triple jumpers qualified and are doing really well.

Greg did really well, he was really confident going into the final and I was feeling confident for him. He nailed the qualifier, it’s a shame, he deserved better.

Things are really heating up now and I just can’t wait to get started.

Preparation

I have just had my penultimate training session, it went really well. I used the track in the stadium to get used to the Mondo surface. Mondo is harder than normal rubber crumb tracks so it’s important to train on it and make any necessary adjustments before competition. The difference in track, in my case, means an elongated run up.

I have been preparing for the competition by doing some performance s analysis. UKA provide me with filming and data which I use to focus on specific parts of past performances and get in the right frame of mind.

I use good and bad performances, for example this year I have jumped 5.60m well and badly. I look at both, taking the positive aspects to build my confidence and looking at the negatives to remind myself what to focus on. It helps to reinforce good techniques etc.

In and around camp

I try to stay out of the flat during the day, I want it to be a place where I go to sleep and am not cooped up. I have been spending a lot of time with the Aussie pole vaulters, I know them well from competing on the circuit with them for years, we have rented bikes and have been exploring the village today, which has been good fun!

Keeping to my program and schedule is important while away at competition so I have been trying to stay in my Loughborough routine here including eating, sleeping and training. I have been eating a light lunch of salad and a main meal. Keeping hydrated with water is important here but milk was a bad idea. It’s too hot!

Thanks for stopping by but mainly stay classy UK

Steve