Saturday 30 June 2007
Night...
Just back from the opening ceremony. I'm too traumatised byb the experience to write about it now, it was that bad. More from me in the morning.
Friday 29 June 2007
More miracle workers and strange occurrences...
Day 3 of our stint is now nearly over, and to be honest i just want to get out there and compete as soon as possible!! The period of acclimatisation is doing us all the world of good, but there are times when it feels we're kicking our heels and waiting for something to happen. I've been out in the sun for about 2 hours today, an hour and a half of which was down at the track training, and given that most people are expecting me to come back black just by looking at the sun i've got a bit of work to do when we're eventually let out to play!!
The last comment is made in jest, of course, but it is a sign of how seriously the management team are treating these games as well of the athletes. I don't think i've been involved in any team which was poorly run, but i have to say that this is easily the best run team i've been part of. This includes perhaps the biggest miracle worker on the island in our masseur, Andy Watson. Andy has been working tirelessly pretty much since we got off the plane (the bloody treatment table went missing at the airport), and is averaging around 15-16 treatments PER DAY for our athletes. I've just come down to the computers from a treatment on my quads and calves as i felt a bit of a twinge, and have come out feeling even more battered and bruised but its all good in the long run Andy did say i was the most difficult treatment of the day and the only person to have squealed like a girl, but we'll keep that one quiet shall we... He's doing a tremendous job not only with the massages but also the rehydration strategies which are keeping us all safe from the perils of heatstroke etc over here.
Training was good today as we finally got to use a pit and throwing cages!! Not at the actual stadium, to think that would be ready days before the games is just absurd - rather at an older stadium in Rhodes town. The board was a little precarious (welded in and no plasticine) and its the only pit i've ever seen with grass growing in it as a permanent fixture!! But i had a good workout with the jumping sages of Andy, Di and Chris looking on. Between us we made a bit of progress i think which is good... just looking forward to Tuesday now!!
As for the strange events of the past 24 hours, these include a bizarre 'love triangle' between John, Sarah and Andrew Duncan - John and Andrew have been flirting like you would not believe and i think Sarah is beginning to get suspicious. Also rumoured to have happened was a late night skinny dip involving a few of the younger lads - there was a Riley involved yes, but not me!!! Ben is still hobbling about - he wasn't able to get physio today due to the need to rest up but he's not outwardly showing and signs of being worried about missing events.
Anyways i'm being harrassed for the comp so i'll send you some more rubbish tomorrow...
The last comment is made in jest, of course, but it is a sign of how seriously the management team are treating these games as well of the athletes. I don't think i've been involved in any team which was poorly run, but i have to say that this is easily the best run team i've been part of. This includes perhaps the biggest miracle worker on the island in our masseur, Andy Watson. Andy has been working tirelessly pretty much since we got off the plane (the bloody treatment table went missing at the airport), and is averaging around 15-16 treatments PER DAY for our athletes. I've just come down to the computers from a treatment on my quads and calves as i felt a bit of a twinge, and have come out feeling even more battered and bruised but its all good in the long run Andy did say i was the most difficult treatment of the day and the only person to have squealed like a girl, but we'll keep that one quiet shall we... He's doing a tremendous job not only with the massages but also the rehydration strategies which are keeping us all safe from the perils of heatstroke etc over here.
Training was good today as we finally got to use a pit and throwing cages!! Not at the actual stadium, to think that would be ready days before the games is just absurd - rather at an older stadium in Rhodes town. The board was a little precarious (welded in and no plasticine) and its the only pit i've ever seen with grass growing in it as a permanent fixture!! But i had a good workout with the jumping sages of Andy, Di and Chris looking on. Between us we made a bit of progress i think which is good... just looking forward to Tuesday now!!
As for the strange events of the past 24 hours, these include a bizarre 'love triangle' between John, Sarah and Andrew Duncan - John and Andrew have been flirting like you would not believe and i think Sarah is beginning to get suspicious. Also rumoured to have happened was a late night skinny dip involving a few of the younger lads - there was a Riley involved yes, but not me!!! Ben is still hobbling about - he wasn't able to get physio today due to the need to rest up but he's not outwardly showing and signs of being worried about missing events.
Anyways i'm being harrassed for the comp so i'll send you some more rubbish tomorrow...
Thursday 28 June 2007
Miracle workers!!!
Hi everyone,
Our second full day in Rhodes is nearly over, and to be honest its been a pretty quiet one. The heat, whilst still fairly oppressive, relented for the large part of the day which made it feel a little more comfortable but not by much!
Training was split down the middle today, with some athletes choosing to train in the morning again whilst others (myself included) went for an evening session. Choices are being mainly determined by when individual events are, which will give us all a chance to get used what it will be like when the action begins.
The second group arrived down the track around 6pm, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Not only were the conditions much more suited to being able to train without melting, but the elves have obviously been working overtime as the track is beginning to resemble something near what it should be like. I still found it funny that they were cementing in the throwing circles as we arrived there today, but it looks like our girls will be throwing after all now which is a relief!
On the injury front, Ben has picked up some kind of problem with his calf/achilles. He will undergo extensive physio between now and Monday, but being Ben he'll no doubt bounce back and put in a couple of cracking performances - no doubt running me pretty close in the Triple Jump on Friday too!! A lot of minor injuries have been sustained in the pool of all places, with various cramps, cut feet and bruises appearing on our athletes, but overall i'd sum the mood of the camp up as relaxed, injury-free (ish), but raring to go.
Thats pretty much it for today guys, hopefully a little more to report on tomorrow.
Our second full day in Rhodes is nearly over, and to be honest its been a pretty quiet one. The heat, whilst still fairly oppressive, relented for the large part of the day which made it feel a little more comfortable but not by much!
Training was split down the middle today, with some athletes choosing to train in the morning again whilst others (myself included) went for an evening session. Choices are being mainly determined by when individual events are, which will give us all a chance to get used what it will be like when the action begins.
The second group arrived down the track around 6pm, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Not only were the conditions much more suited to being able to train without melting, but the elves have obviously been working overtime as the track is beginning to resemble something near what it should be like. I still found it funny that they were cementing in the throwing circles as we arrived there today, but it looks like our girls will be throwing after all now which is a relief!
On the injury front, Ben has picked up some kind of problem with his calf/achilles. He will undergo extensive physio between now and Monday, but being Ben he'll no doubt bounce back and put in a couple of cracking performances - no doubt running me pretty close in the Triple Jump on Friday too!! A lot of minor injuries have been sustained in the pool of all places, with various cramps, cut feet and bruises appearing on our athletes, but overall i'd sum the mood of the camp up as relaxed, injury-free (ish), but raring to go.
Thats pretty much it for today guys, hopefully a little more to report on tomorrow.
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Track or no track?
Well our first full day is nearly at an end now, and its been pretty hectic to say the least! After an early breakfast we set off for the track en masse and got there around 9am. The track itself is... well... unfinished. So unfinished, in fact, that it'll take a minor miracle to get everything sorted out by Sunday. Lane 4 currently has a hole in it and the high jump equipment was only being delivered as we got there. The most interesting event promises to be my Triple Jump, where at present i'd have to hop over two motorbikes, step over a wheelbarrow and jump into a pit that, not only isn't ready, but doesn't look like its going to be either....
The training itself was tough in extremely hot conditions. All athletes were weighed on Tuesday night in order to assess the amount of weight lost during each session, and whilst i was fairly impressive with 2kg lost (despite drinking around 2 litres of water DURING the session), Kev Loundes lost a massive 3kg, which equates to roughly half a stone in old money. Forget Atkins Diets et al, if you wanna lose weight fast try doing a training session over here! In total today i've gained and lost the equivalent of almost a stone today, which says a lot about the challenging conditions we're all facing.
A few of us also took the opportunity to try out some of the technological aids brought by the management team in the form of cooling devices. Shaun and I looked pretty fetching in our bright blue cooling vests which, despite making us look like overweight slimy Teletubbies (Shaun more so than myself, might I add) actually did a really good job. I certainly hoe to incorporate one into my pre-comp routine. The Orkney athletes looked relatively impressed by our attire, although given their climate is worse than ours i may have mistook the look of impression with one of "help me, i'm melting!".
I can't begin to describe the heat over here, except to say next time you open the oven door to check on food (men take note here) then take that feeling and imagine living in it 24/7! The fact that i ended up getting shivers this afternoon was mainly due to severe overheating, and having shoved 7 litres (no exaggeration) down me this afternoon i'm beginning to feel a little more human. One of the more disturbing aspects of our trip is the cursed "wee charts" which we use to assess dehydration levels. Any cries of "yes, i've done a number 2" from athletes are no longer met with disgust but rather a pat on the back. This worries me greatly....
The half marathon runnners have now had a chance to look over the course today too and it seems to be fairly flat, which i'm sure will make their lives really easy on Sunday. Gail is feeling pretty good about her form having spoken to her before and there seems to be a quiet sense of optimism throughout the team - without this period of acclimatisation we'd be in serious trouble next week though...
Thats more than enough for today, more drivel to come tomorrow.
The training itself was tough in extremely hot conditions. All athletes were weighed on Tuesday night in order to assess the amount of weight lost during each session, and whilst i was fairly impressive with 2kg lost (despite drinking around 2 litres of water DURING the session), Kev Loundes lost a massive 3kg, which equates to roughly half a stone in old money. Forget Atkins Diets et al, if you wanna lose weight fast try doing a training session over here! In total today i've gained and lost the equivalent of almost a stone today, which says a lot about the challenging conditions we're all facing.
A few of us also took the opportunity to try out some of the technological aids brought by the management team in the form of cooling devices. Shaun and I looked pretty fetching in our bright blue cooling vests which, despite making us look like overweight slimy Teletubbies (Shaun more so than myself, might I add) actually did a really good job. I certainly hoe to incorporate one into my pre-comp routine. The Orkney athletes looked relatively impressed by our attire, although given their climate is worse than ours i may have mistook the look of impression with one of "help me, i'm melting!".
I can't begin to describe the heat over here, except to say next time you open the oven door to check on food (men take note here) then take that feeling and imagine living in it 24/7! The fact that i ended up getting shivers this afternoon was mainly due to severe overheating, and having shoved 7 litres (no exaggeration) down me this afternoon i'm beginning to feel a little more human. One of the more disturbing aspects of our trip is the cursed "wee charts" which we use to assess dehydration levels. Any cries of "yes, i've done a number 2" from athletes are no longer met with disgust but rather a pat on the back. This worries me greatly....
The half marathon runnners have now had a chance to look over the course today too and it seems to be fairly flat, which i'm sure will make their lives really easy on Sunday. Gail is feeling pretty good about her form having spoken to her before and there seems to be a quiet sense of optimism throughout the team - without this period of acclimatisation we'd be in serious trouble next week though...
Thats more than enough for today, more drivel to come tomorrow.
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Feelin' HOT HOT HOT....
Well, after a long, if relatively uneventful day of travel we've eventually arrived at the Hotel. The flight over seemed to fly by (no pun intended), possibly due to the fact that for the first time in living memory i actually got a seat with legroom!
Bizarre fact of the day is that Bruce Dickinson, former lead singer of 70s and 80s rock legends Iron Maiden, was the pilot of our flight. This has led me to believe that the last minute costs panics were caused not by a charter cancellation but the desire of IGAM to ensure we get celebrity pilots in order to make us feel special. Chris Quine reckons we've got Jade Goody on the way back, so we'll be nice and safe then...
Its hard to judge just how hot its going to be tomorrow morning, but at present its around 25 degrees i reckon (10.23pm) and showing no signs of relenting. Everyone is safe and well - Mikey Haslett is using an icepack on his sore knee but thankfully is more than optimistic of being fully fit by the time of his heats early in the schedule. Everyone is pretty tired so i don't think there'll be too many intentional late nights - the heat may have other ideas on people's desire to get a good night though.
The majority of us are heading down to the track early tomorrow to get a feel for track and early morning conditions, vital for the morning heats next week. We're due to get up at 6am (4am UK time), so spare a thought for us poor souls slapping on the suntan lotion early doors ready for a hard day in the sun... ;oP
I'll give you an update tomorrow folks, as i said earlier please let me know if you have any questions/suggestions and i'll do my best...
Bizarre fact of the day is that Bruce Dickinson, former lead singer of 70s and 80s rock legends Iron Maiden, was the pilot of our flight. This has led me to believe that the last minute costs panics were caused not by a charter cancellation but the desire of IGAM to ensure we get celebrity pilots in order to make us feel special. Chris Quine reckons we've got Jade Goody on the way back, so we'll be nice and safe then...
Its hard to judge just how hot its going to be tomorrow morning, but at present its around 25 degrees i reckon (10.23pm) and showing no signs of relenting. Everyone is safe and well - Mikey Haslett is using an icepack on his sore knee but thankfully is more than optimistic of being fully fit by the time of his heats early in the schedule. Everyone is pretty tired so i don't think there'll be too many intentional late nights - the heat may have other ideas on people's desire to get a good night though.
The majority of us are heading down to the track early tomorrow to get a feel for track and early morning conditions, vital for the morning heats next week. We're due to get up at 6am (4am UK time), so spare a thought for us poor souls slapping on the suntan lotion early doors ready for a hard day in the sun... ;oP
I'll give you an update tomorrow folks, as i said earlier please let me know if you have any questions/suggestions and i'll do my best...
Monday 25 June 2007
The wait is almost over...
Its been 710 days since the sun set on the last Island Games in Shetland. I don't mean this literally, however, as we weren't exactly blessed with glorious rays during our time in Lerwick. Something tells me we're about to experience a bit of a culture shock over the next 11 days or so, with the BBC site showing Rhodes at a scorching 31 degrees, whilst my sister, currently 'enjoying' two weeks on a tiny boat swanning about in the Med, reckons they'd have touched 40 today. That's some serious heat.
I am relatively fortunate, in that i run 35 metres and jump into a sandpit. Not exactly the most physical of events, but everyone is going to have to adapt very quickly to the conditions or there'll be more tears than cheers over the next week or so. None more so than our courageous (a.k.a. 'daft') half marathon athletes in Kevin, Ed, Sam, Gail and possibly Andy. Many of the athletes have been trying to create their own microclimates right here on the Island. Andy, for example, has been spotted on more than one occasion strutting his stuff on Douglas Prom wearing a bin bag of all things. Reports suggesting that was all he was wearing and problems with the Manx constabulary are as yet unconfirmed... These guys though, without doubt, have the most demanding event of perhaps any sport in the games. As all four confirmed runners are Games debutantes i'm sure i'm not the only one who wishes them every success for Sunday morning.
Anyway, i'm off to finish packing as it may take a while. I just inexplicably found the 100 euros from my last foreign adventure in my wash bag, after a pretty frustrating 90 minute search. Now where did i put that passport......
I'll do my best to keep you posted as often as possible on the progress of all of our athletes - these next few days will absolutely fly by but i'm confident we've got an exciting young bunch of talented athletes who are set to dominate the papers back home for years to come, let alone the next two weeks...
PS i'm relatively new to this blogging lark so any suggestions for themes/posts/info etc will be greatly received.
I am relatively fortunate, in that i run 35 metres and jump into a sandpit. Not exactly the most physical of events, but everyone is going to have to adapt very quickly to the conditions or there'll be more tears than cheers over the next week or so. None more so than our courageous (a.k.a. 'daft') half marathon athletes in Kevin, Ed, Sam, Gail and possibly Andy. Many of the athletes have been trying to create their own microclimates right here on the Island. Andy, for example, has been spotted on more than one occasion strutting his stuff on Douglas Prom wearing a bin bag of all things. Reports suggesting that was all he was wearing and problems with the Manx constabulary are as yet unconfirmed... These guys though, without doubt, have the most demanding event of perhaps any sport in the games. As all four confirmed runners are Games debutantes i'm sure i'm not the only one who wishes them every success for Sunday morning.
Anyway, i'm off to finish packing as it may take a while. I just inexplicably found the 100 euros from my last foreign adventure in my wash bag, after a pretty frustrating 90 minute search. Now where did i put that passport......
I'll do my best to keep you posted as often as possible on the progress of all of our athletes - these next few days will absolutely fly by but i'm confident we've got an exciting young bunch of talented athletes who are set to dominate the papers back home for years to come, let alone the next two weeks...
PS i'm relatively new to this blogging lark so any suggestions for themes/posts/info etc will be greatly received.
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