The one with the Silver

As usual travelling is always chaos when we rock up as the British Diving team. The night before we stayed in London to catch an early 8am flight to Toronto, when we got to Heathrow we were told to pick up bags in Toronto before flying again to Windsor. With an hour and 25-minute turn around I said to the check in desk "do we have enough time?" In which he replied "Yeaaaahh you have plenty of time!!!" ... We ran out of time.

The plane was slightly delayed landing in Toronto, it took 20 minutes to get off the plane, went through passport control, ran/hobbled through the airport to the baggage collection point, some of the team's bags came 20 minutes later. We had missed the flight to Windsor and three staff along with mine and Tonia's bags were a no show.

We then went through the process of lost baggage, sluggishly walked through security to meet the other half of the team (with bags) and cheered ourselves up with food. The plan was to train when we arrived, due to the delayed flight landing at 4pm and getting to the hotel at 4.45pm I thought we couldn't be training. 15 minutes later, we were out of the hotel and into a bus to the pool, I am getting too old for terrible travel arrangements!!

After a day’s chaotic travel, evening training and slightly broken sleep because of the five-hour time difference, we only had to be up the next morning at 6am for training! Give me a break. Training was terrible but we improved for the afternoon. It's a good job we only moan about poor preparation and don't let it mess with our competition game. Different to the other World Series, our synchro event was in the evening, we felt ready, somehow. We put in our best ever performance, coming away with silver, and just under 2 points behind the Chinese pair!!! It is the best feeling when we put all of our dives together, we got this now, we know what we are doing leading into the World Championships this summer.

I trained well before my individual competition on Sunday; I was ready and up for fighting for a place in the final but it didn't happen how I wanted it to. I tried my best and with everything leading up to individual; bad travel, being on a high on Friday and trying to keep that high all weekend was tiring.

It was great to see Jack win his third 3m title of the World Series, being slightly off in London just showed that everyone has bad days but with a strong head game, it put him right back up there where he belongs.

Windsor is a nice city to compete in, the people are very friendly and every year we get to see baby geese crossing the road. 

Across the river at the diving pool is the USA city of Detroit; it is strange to see another country whilst standing in a different one. 

A couple of birthdays were celebrated while were away, Tonia’s 26^th and Tom’s 21^st! The perfect excuse to eat cake!

Hopefully Mexico will be chilled with a lot of sunshine and success, after my 4.30am alarm goes off.

SB x

The one with the London surprises

London was a whirlwind of a week; we started with a nice three-hour tour of London from Heathrow Airport, we only had to get to Stratford!!! Luckily we had the Westfield shopping centre to chill us out before training on Tuesday morning.

Being in London for the World Series comes with its pressures and I was a little bit more aware of stress in training than the other World Series events. But the themes of the week were to chill and have fun and the team did just that at Tom’s pad with a Mexican night. It was different and fun to be with the whole team of athletes as we normally stay in our rooms in pairs.

London was thrown with a lot of surprises and celebrations; there was an intense 3m women’s dive off for a bronze medal between Russia and Canada, a streaker ran up the diving boards during the Men’s 10m final where Tom Daley went on to win his event. Alicia and Becky were an agonising 0.24 off a bronze medal, Chris Mears couldn’t even walk a week before his 3m synchro competition but went on to win a silver with Jack. Tonia won her 3^rd bronze individual 10m medal out of 4 and it just wasn't Jack's day on 3m. The first GB mixed sycnhro pairs not only competed but won medals and the GB team got the most medals ever from a World Series event!

The GB medallists

With added surprises in my events, divers are so used to competing in silence after the whistle is blown. It is only really in China where a lot of people come to watch that there is rustling or empty bottles being dropped and divers are used to that happening in China, well I am. To have noise and shouting all the way through each dive in our 10m synchro competition on Friday morning was something completely different, the announcer tried to explain and it quietened down towards the end but it was so loud! It was great London schools came to support all of the divers but noise is  much more welcomed after divers have finished their dive.

Andy and our medals

On the podium

Only in my individual semi final (something that doesn’t normally happen either) the presenter went into the crowd in between each round of dives. It definitely made it feel more like a show than a diving competition but the crowd were great with the support (after each dive). I was really happy to make it into a World Series final at last, looking back I wish I had gone into the final with more confidence. Individual has been slightly knocked since Europeans last August, with various situations flying around. However, the next final I make, will certainly, be dealt with better. 

Canada and Mexico are next! Two fun World Series events that I am looking forward to.

SB x

The one about Russia

It has been a busy but successful three weeks at the third and forth legs of the World Series. Before the competitions we were prepped for our 'nothing to do' week at the training camp in Krugloe, Moscow. The pool and hotel were together in the middle of a forest along with the typical Russian cuisine - dill. Sometimes I struggled with the food, especially when cows liver was served; I thought it was a nice beef burger shaped slightly differently. Cornflakes for dinner a couple of nights felt satisfying. 

Our bedroom view 

Krugloe pool

Krugloe gym

To prevent boredom the team ventured out for a walk around the forest, we found a strange part of the forest. I think many things may have happened there . . . It will be nice to come back in the summer and turn it in to a BBQ area.

BBQ area?

Shower area? 

I have no idea

Forest snow

We also had a game of team twister, we had a hot chocolate, we played cards and Tonia and I watched a whole lot of Breaking Bad in between sessions! Knowing the idea of the training camp was to train without distraction, I got my head down for a week and worked at things that needed fixing. There was a great video feedback system at the pool; a Russian coach played the dives back in slow motion on a big screen television, which was great for our synchro.

Team Twister

Tangled

Hot Chocolate 

Sunday the team took a bus ride into Moscow centre, I have been to the centre a couple of times before but we were all keen to get out of the forest. It was nice to get some pictures and see the Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin again. We will be coming back to Krugloe before the World Championships, bringing all sorts to keep us sane!

Saint Basil's Cathedral

The Moscow Kremlin

To move to Kazan for the third leg of the World Series we experienced a different way of travelling, a 12-hour overnight sleeper train. I was a bit anxious about it but it looked nice when we got on and it wasn't too uncomfortable ... until we started moving. The rockiest transport I have been on, I last looked at the time around 4.30am without sleep so I wasn't the happiest getting on 10m a few hours later in Kazan and when we only had 2 days of training before competitions started. Somehow my training was the best it had been all week, I put it down to the hard work we put in the week before, the coaches seem to believe it was the comfortable train ride that they witnessed?

The Moscow train station

As we walked in

My rocking bed

Some of the team had Thursday afternoon off in Kazan; it was my first time in the city so we took a tour around some of Kazan's religious buildings. It was interesting having a mosque and a church within metres of each other.

Leaning tower Syuyumbike 

Inside of the Kul Sharif Mosque

On Friday’s synchro competition, I knew we both felt nervous but we were ready. In China and Dubai I felt neither because we weren't competition ready, being nervous and confident certainly works for us. Tonia and I were really pleased with how we dived, it took a lot of effort with Andy (coach) to sort out some issues in the synchro but we got through it and are now set up for the rest of the season.

Andy and our 3rd place

Medal ceremony

In the individual I was disappointed with how I dived, I started off well but I didn't continue, a lack of confidence was to blame compared with the synchro, something to build on for the next few World Series events. For the majority of the training camp and the competition I am pleased with how my shin and now shins held up. The medical team, Andy, Tonia and including myself have a great deal of patience, pain is different everyday but as long as they are pain free on competition days it is enough to compete well.

Hope to see the pool again for the World Championships

The British team are defiantly on a high at the moment, Jack winning his second 3m gold in a row, Tonia and Tom mixing with the 10m individual medals, Becky and Alicia in the synchro medals and Tonia and I on the podium again for synchro! It takes the pressure off Tom and it's looking good for the World Championships in Kazan this July.

Part 2 coming up - London World Series.

SB x

The one about the World Series part 1

The start of the season is always a bit tough, a lack of sleep in Beijing due to the time difference and then playing catch up in the next leg in Dubai. It took over 24 hours to travel to Beijing, two days of training then boom straight into competition. The Beijing pool has changed a bit since I first competed there at the 2008 World Cup, together Monique Gladding and I secured a place for a synchro team to compete in the Olympic Games. There is now a warm up area on the pool deck now looks.

Beijing Pool

The World Series Team

Hard scoring for the 10m synchro put Tonia and I in 5^th place. Nerves just didn’t kick in, probably due to the lack of sleep but I felt very flat on competition day, its something I don’t get often and it is hard work. I compete better on adrenaline and nerves, I have no idea where they were.

We were both disappointed with our score in synchro but we had to move on looking ahead to our individual competition two days after.

Both of my individual competitions over the two weeks scored just four points apart, consistent scores, which I settled with but I can and have done better.

Buses are put on from the hotel to the pool and back again a few times a day. China does have some odd driving rules, which normally means none at all. We were sitting on a full bus with a few of the team when another bus went into the back of us! I am surprised this is only the third accident I have seen in all my trips to China! We all got off and walked back to the hotel instead.

Bus crash!

 Up at 3am to travel to Dubai a week later, another two days of training before competition starts. Not the best amount of time for my preparation, I have to get used to a different board surface, different water agitation, colours of surroundings and time difference, it is quite difficult on top of tiredness. But it is always the same every year, maybe next year we should look at changing our preparation.

Dubai Pool

Down time before our competition was a trip to the beach, it wasn’t too hot and it was nice to chill after the madness of travel and training before another competition.

Rest afternoon on the beach

Our synchro competition improved in Dubai but we were making changes to timings for take-offs up until the day before the meet. It is not going to be perfect whilst competing through changes plus the platforms are not big enough to even train next to each other. We finished 6^th in Dubai with a better score than last week. Bad competitions just mean we will be even better at the next one.

The whole team came away with an incredible Gold from Jack Laugher, silver from Tom Daley and a bronze from Tonia Couch. We have 3 weeks of training until we leave for a training camp in Russia for a week before the next two World Series legs in Russia and London. Working hard to grab a medal myself. The London leg is from May 1-3 at the Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Jack the Champion

Competitions are streamed online on:

http://www.omegatiming.com/Sport?sport=AQ

And tickets can still be bought for the London leg on:

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/FINA-Diving-World-Series-tickets/artist/1814747

Bring on the next legs

The one about preparing for the British Championships

It is less than a week until the first competition of the 2015 season with the British Championships being held in Plymouth. Preparation has not been perfect due a late start, a second operation in November on my shin (see blogpost: The one about Terry) and then not being able to train fully throughout the pre season. I was hoping that with a second operation I would get a pain free leg back, I still don't have a pain free leg but it is a lot stronger, it is manageable and I have a good support team around me to carry on hopefully competing at my best.

Just a couple of management techniques: Flipper rehab

Just a couple of management techniques: Ice

From November I had a couple weeks out of the pool post operation, two weeks later I gradually started jumping but then to be stopped by the medical team just before Christmas. It wasn't until the Rio training camp did I start properly on a rehab plan and went full on into a two week strength programme. 

I put my full list back up when I got back from Rio, 3 weeks ago, ideal preparation would have been around 14 weeks ago! My list has significantly improved over the last 3 weeks due to both Andy and Tonia ensuring me it will come with patience (I was struggling a bit at the start).

Both Tonia and myself have been working hard on getting our synchro back in time, with one of us being out for a while, often the other one gets very comfortable being an individual diver but we have managed to turn it around just in time for next week and the upcoming World Series events.

I had a great start to this week in training with some videos below:
If you can't see the videos on blogger try my instagram: sarahbarrow88

The British Championships in Plymouth start on Friday 20th February and I am competing in the afternoon with Tonia in the 10m synchro. Saturday morning I am in the 10m individual prelim with the final in the afternoon.

I am looking forward to being able to compete again, not the best preparation but I have been in this sport for 13 years now. Hopefully I know what I'm doing by now ;) 

Wish me luck!

Sarah x

The one about Rio 2015

If anyone follows the GB Diving Team on social media it may have looked like our training camp in Rio de Janeiro was just an exotic holiday! Rio is an amazing city but I worked my butt off for 2 weeks. 2 months after surgery on my shin the medical team put together a pretty extensive rehab programme. I was having to literally roll out of bed and I kept waking up because my body hurt when I turned in my sleep! For 18 months I haven't been able to single leg squat on my right leg, within a week so much confidence and strength was built up I managed to do two on my right. A big achievement in very little time. My shin is still slightly painful but I am hoping it will go within the next few months I am now back to training a full list and ready to take on this seasons competitions. My training days consisted of warm ups, strength rehab work, pool session, pool rehab, more strength rehab, ultra sound and ice. Repeated again on double sessions every day. Thank you medical team, GB (doctor), G (physiotherapist) and Spud (massage/ S & C) a successful two weeks.

Leg push press with Spud

Deadlifts with Spud

Ultrasound with G

The strength rehab was made easier because of the incredible gym facility at the pool. Any type of equipment specific to any sport was there, the best gym facility for sport I have seen. Weights cages, weights machines, rehab and prehab equipment, cardio machines, plyometric equipment ... Everything! The diving pool wasn't too bad either, amazing views up on 10m, it was mostly in the shade and the pool was warm. A refurb on the matting for the towers, the railings put nearer to the side of the platforms, new springboards and hopefully some better water agitation and Rio 2016 is ready.

The Rio gym

The Rio 2016 Olympic pool

 Yoga was a new addition to a training camp, made even better by doing it on the beach just outside our hotel. Tonia, Becky and myself had a 7.30 start every morning, half an hour just before breakfast taken by our Massage guru Paul Murphy aka Spud. Yoga started the day off being slightly less sore and slightly more flexible. In between training the team would work on vitamin D intake ... Tanning either at the beach or the hotel pool. The beach is beautiful in the mornings, the whole strip was filled with 1 million people on a weekend (it's a big strip) and people always working out on it in the evenings.
 

Yoga on the beach

There are some amazing sights to see in Rio. On one of our afternoons off, part of the team hiked a mile to the top of a mountain called Pedra Bonita. We were sweating in 35 degree heat, legs in pieces from weights sessions earlier that day and walking up was effort, but effort that was completely worth it. Insane views over Rio and Barra Plaza 2283 feet up. People were above us hand gliding with selfie sticks and go pros at the same height as the birds, we could also see Christ the Redeemer on the other side of the city. We took a lot of pictures, sat down and chilled taking in the view and the sun, then we had to walk down and it was just as bad as walking up.

The trek

View from Pedra Bonita

When in Rio, Christ the Redeemer is another sight to see. We caught a taxi to Copacabana Beach on our day off, we bought tickets to take a mini bus up to the top to see Christ the Redeemer. So so hot and so busy we were quick to take a load of pictures have a look at each view point, buy some souvenirs and get an ice cream. Perhaps Copacabana beach is famous because of the song but iv never seen a busier beach, we made space for a back somersault picture, got bashed about in the sea by waves, drip dried off and caught a taxi back to the hotel pool to relax.

Some of the team at Christ the Redeemer

Back somersaults

On Copacabana Beach

 London to Rio is a 12 hour straight through flight with only a 2 hour time change. I wasn't ready to go back to the cold English weather. I can't wait to go back to Rio. Fingers crossed!