Another 48hrs

6 March 2012

I would be lying if I told you I had less than one thing on my mind. I woke this morning well rested with a real sense of excitement and anticipation (also known as nerves). I feel in control though and can literally turn the butterflies and racing pulse rate on and off!

Why the importance for such a minor event?

When I set out in Q Power under the watchful eye of James Bailey back in June this year I demanded results within myself immediately. Due to the nature of the training, slogging away day by day, breaking the body down to rest and re build stronger, results were hard to come by and often progress was non apparent (Q however sat behind the data rubbing his hands together as the magic came together).

I set a target. The target being 6.XX.X by my first race – it just so happens that the first race is the RN Championships. The race stature was irrelevant – it was the time we were after. Ok so off course I want to win on Thursday but I aim to sit on the start line and pull the fastest possible 2k I can on that given day. That day had been geared around the 6 week speed work and the pain and suffering that has come hand in hand with it. Not to mention the 5 months of work the past summer.

So even though I have 2-3 more ‘bigger’ races in the coming weeks and into next year, my immediate goal is this and that is why I have taken the approach so seriously. It means we can learn from it especially in the next phase when we prepare for the World Championships in February. We can adjust and improve in the future – that is the importance of my blog/training diary as well as for friends and family to witness what I get up to on a daily basis but to look back in the future and reflect.

This isn’t a mindless hobby for me. I wouldn’t commit and dedicate my time day in day out every week for months and soon to be years on end for a hobby or to ‘keep fit’. I wouldn’t go through the suffering both mentally and physically and I wouldn’t be bothered about learning of what I am doing and how it works. This is my chosen path and I will strive to put 100% in. The day I can’t do that is the time to re evaluate the purpose of pushing myself through training and racing.

With that in mind today was a final bit of preparation geared around the start and staying sharp. Usual 5km warm up with bursts and then 2km polishing up the first few hundred metres before turning of the engine and paddling home.

I have a real sense of energy from today’s session and am quite literally like a coiled spring. The work is done – it is now time to produce the goods.

One more final light piece tomorrow before show time.

Will blog again tomorrow before I leave.

Thanks to all who have supported me on my journey so far.

Ollie Osborne

ꜰᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴍᴀʀɪɴᴇ | ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ | ᴋᴇʏɴᴏᴛᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋᴇʀ & ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ | ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ & ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴏᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ | ᴛᴇᴀᴍꜱ & ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ᴄᴀᴘᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴅᴇʙᴛ ᴛᴇꜱᴛ & ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀᴘᴀᴄɪᴛʏ!