Michael's Blog - Busy, Busy Busy...

Apologies for the delay in the blog – I’ve had a busy few months and plenty of news to fill you in on!

I have a wee house! I’ve managed to get myself on the property ladder in Bath with some lovely scenery and of course just a few miles from my other home - the pool. Moving house is an enjoyable but hugely stressful experience. I’ve found myself losing entire days to completing fairly trivial tasks like navigating the DVLA website to change my mailing address and deciding on which colour my cereal bowls should be.

[caption id="attachment_6882" align="alignright" width="300"] Michael with InStore's Team Pastel[/caption]

Last month I took part in the Swim Britain Bristol event; a relay challenge in teams of four in the hope of boosting participation numbers in the sport around the UK. I haven’t swum with my mum since I was a kid and I was impressed with her breaststroke skills. Watching my sister, Lauren, however was a different story and I thought at one stage I would have to jump in! I did advise her to do some training before the event ;)

The InStore team were strong too and congratulations to Laura, Lisa, Sam and Sophie for completing the event in some impressive times.

In between settling into the new house, I’ve been competing at the World Cup circuit; a series of 8 competitions in 8 different countries around the world from August – November. Most recently I competed in Moscow, Dubai & Doha with some encouraging results. It’s not often I get to stand atop the podium but I managed to do so in Dubai and Doha after collecting a few more Silvers (shock) at the earlier stage. My results there have given me a nice boost of confidence after a difficult finish to last season and things are back on track.

Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing are the last 3 destinations on the circuit which will start next week. I’m looking to build on the results from last month and continue to build confidence in the lead up to the European Championships in Denmark early December, followed by the Duel in the Pool meet – Europe vs USA just before Christmas in Glasgow.

An exciting few months of racing is lined up. Travelling is one of the great perks of the job. Visiting places like Moscow, Tokyo and Beijing is a great experience and one which I may not have had, if it wasn’t for swimming.

The World Cup circuit is acting as a tough travel and racing schedule for me in preparation for the Europeans and Duel meet. The European Champs is another opportunity for me to challenge the best in the world and another race with some great rivals including Daniel Gyurta – the Hungarian swimmer that has dominated the 200m Breaststroke in recent years.

These competitions are all key markers in the race to Glasgow 2014 – the biggest race of my career. I’m training harder than ever and doing everything I can to stay fit and healthy for the trials event next April and the Games themselves in July 2014.

Thanks for your continued support.

…if anyone is in the area, feel free to stop by for a cuppa!

Thanks for your update Michael - we were so pleased to see you strike gold in the World Cup races! Team Pastel were also thrilled to meet you at Swim Britain in Bristol :)

Good luck for the next set of World Cup competitions, the Europeans and the Duel in the Pool, your busy schedule looks set to continue!

NB Michael's too modest to mention he's a Games Ambassador for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, alongside Jessica Ennis-Hill and Nicola Adams :D

Day four Bike Ride report: The Trouble With Technology

[caption id="attachment_6827" align="aligncenter" width="640"] We made it! Posing outside Rowan House for the final group photo[/caption]

They're home! But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to tell you about our intrepid team's return to English soil and their final day's ride. Mark Charlton closes his Bike Ride Diary for this year with news of a great Smiths News homecoming...

The trouble with technology is that we come to rely on it.  So when it
goes wrong...

[caption id="attachment_6831" align="alignright" width="225"] Just the last few yards to go - arriving at Rowan House[/caption]

The route from Portsmouth to Swindon is 76 miles long, and according to our mapping software it had only 1000 feet of climbing.  Not too bad as a final day’s spin to the office.

But as anyone who’s driven the route would know, there’s something not quite right with those figures.  The miles are about what you’d expect, but surely there’s a big rise above Portsmouth – and the South Downs to cross, and then the Ridgeway?

In fact, the route has 4,500ft of hills!

But, hey, we’d come this far, so it shouldn’t be a problem – or at least that’s what our route leaders said.

And as it turned out, it wasn’t.

In typically English drizzle we made our way north, clocking up the miles, ticking off the hills – every push a little nearer to home. By lunchtime, Paris was a distant memory and everyone was keen to press on. It was great to see how the novice riders had improved – peddling together, moving slowly through the gears, taking the hills in their stride.

If you ride this way the miles soon go by. On the other hand, you could take the ‘Cayleb and Max’ approach, which is to wind up the pace so you gradually leave everyone trailing in your wake and in awe of your fitness (fantastic riding guys!) Either way, everyone was making progress.

The rest is a blur and the detail doesn’t really matter.

[caption id="attachment_6834" align="alignleft" width="300"] All together now, "Congratulations... "[/caption]

What does count, is that at 3.45pm the group rode in together, arriving at Rowan House to a warm reception, hearty cheers and a well needed curry!  After some group photos the energy levels sagged, but the sense of satisfaction kicked in. We’d ridden 230 miles, made new friends, and along the way, raised thousands for good causes.

As I was packing my bike, our ride leader Andy Cooke, said, ’There really is something special about the Smiths News rides – of all the events we organise, they have the best spirit and the most friendly people – it’s been a pleasure.’

That seems as good a note to close on as any.

PS  On behalf of all the riders I would like to thank: Andy Cooke Cycling for guiding us safely home; Claire Phillips-High for the background administration; Ludovic Lautussier for hosting us in Paris; Martin Beach and Eddie Griffin for van support; our sponsors for donating so generously; and everyone across the Company who has sent messages of support, read this blog and wished us well.  

...And thank you Mark for giving us an insider's view of this year's bike ride. It looks like it's been the best yet!

Now, who's for curry...

Day three Bike Ride report: That Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

By the time you're reading this, our intrepid cyclists will be well on their way back to Rowan House. Before we welcome them home to Swindon, let's catch up with Mark Charlton and the rest of the team for our last taste of cycling the French way. It seems he also wants to remind us of an old fable and its salutary lesson...

Do you remember that story about the tortoise and the hare?

As the sun broke the horizon our steadier riders were on their way to Le Havre. It was 7.30 French time (6.30 UK) and Michael Williams was heard to  mention that it must be longest ever bike to work!

Following the river Seine to Rouen we made good progress, passing the cathedral after an hour or so. At which time the faster riders had finally decided to start...

The groups came together at thirty miles, but the steady group pushed on and the faster riders decided to have a longer stop - not surprising given they'd been riding at an average of 18 mph.

After a long... long ... long hill, the road gradually came back to the river, and the cool weather helped keep the riders moving. At fifty-five miles the groups came together again...

And once again the steady group kept rolling, while the fast boys, confident of their eventual success, stopped for some rest. Evidently, for some, the 'rest' involved Calvados and Pernod; rumours that Nick Gresham (Group CFO) was soon asleep on the job are entirely correct.

The hill at Tanqueray (no gin involved) was even longer... and longer... than the morning's challenge. But by now the steady group was moving smoothly:  Gillian Bonthron showing her climbing legs to win queen of the mountains.

A few miles over the plateaux and a steep descent to Le Havre approach road, and it looked as if the hares had miscalculated.  Speeds of 43 miles an hour were recorded as they fought to catch up.

Entering the town the two groups were edging closer - no stopping for punctures now.. every man (and woman) for themselves.. through the docks... past the industrial zone... into the town centre... left over the bridge to the ferry port...

And believe it or not, on that final bridge the two groups came together to ride the final yards as one.

An appropriate end to fabulous day!

Day two Bike Ride report: at 9.00am we counted them all out...

[caption id="attachment_6802" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Setting off from Paris[/caption]

Day two saw a first full day of cycling, and riders got off to a great start at 9.00am on Saturday as they set off from sunny Paris to make their way to their destination at Louviers. Today's ride will take the team to the ferry terminal in Le Havre where they will cross to Portsmouth in readiness for Monday's final push back to Swindon HQ.

Group Communications Director Mark Charlton brings us his report from the heart of the action on day one:

At 9.00am we counted them all out...

After enjoying a welcome evening in Paris, hosted by Ludovic Lautussier and colleagues at Dawson France, our cyclists headed north west from the capital at 9.00am this morning.

There were some bleary eyes from those who'd stayed up to sample the vino and beer - nonetheless the group made a brisk pace along the river Seine to escape the traffic. Ten miles later we were in open countryside.

Riding in the quieter lanes, I had a chance to notice the variety of approaches to this year's ride - from 'racing snake' Adrian Howitt (all carbon fibre and top spec kit) to Polly Baker’s more casual 'would anyone like a jelly snake' attitude. There's a wide range of bikes and abilities as well, but two things everyone has in common are fellowship and determination.

Our route took us on small lanes through beautiful villages and even avoided most of the hills. With sunshine all day and temperatures in the twenties it’s hard to think of more perfect cycling. Quite a few were red by lunchtime - some from effort, some from sunburn, but importantly everyone was smiling.

For quite a few, today's route was the longest they'd ever ridden - a real physical and mental challenge. So it was great to see the cooperation and camaraderie, with the more experienced cyclists encouraging and coaching the others. As our route leader Andy Cook reminded everyone; this isn't a race, it's a ride that we’re starting together and want to finish together.

And so it was, at 5.00pm, with 80 miles completed, some tired legs and sore behinds, we counted in the last of our riders for today.

Here's to the same again tomorrow.

Day one Bike Ride report: what a day!

What a day the first day has been! Everyone was up bright and early ready to make their way to St Pancras for 11am. Nicola and Jodie from Bertrams were up at 4am to travel from Norwich to London – now that’s dedication for you! Polly was "amazed and slightly shocked" to discover that Cayleb had packed his travel iron. Cayleb replied, saying: "I don't do creases." Does lycra crease... or even iron?! – Ed.

The cyclists caught the Eurostar straight to Gare du Nord, Paris and arrived, greeted by a 22 degree sunny day. They then made their way to the hotel before quickly getting ready to meet with our French colleagues Ludovic and his team from Dawson France, whose office is located in the city. The team chaperoned our cyclists on a sightseeing trip around Paris, followed by a meal at traditional French restaurant Le Pré Verre. After the meal everybody headed back to the hotel via Notre Dame and the Champs-Élysées, which gave everyone the perfect opportunity for photos!

Keep your eyes peeled for our report on day two of the bike ride, when cyclists embark on their first full day of the cycling challenge! In the meantime, enjoy a couple of sneak peek photos from preparations this morning before they said farewell to Paris.

[caption id="attachment_6790" align="alignleft" width="300"] Day two preparations[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6791" align="alignleft" width="225"] More day two preparations[/caption]

Michael's Blog: Finding a Way to Come Through

We have a wonderful guest blog today from the newly awarded British Universities and Colleges Sports Personality of the Year! Ahead of the World Swimming Championships which start tomorrow, Michael Jamieson reflects on his preparations leading up to the event...

Where to start – there’s a lot to catch up on! I’m in Mallorca on a two-week training camp, putting the final preparations in place before the World Championships in Barcelona in around two weeks’ time.

I have finally finished my degree course at the University of Bath; I got there with eight hours sleep over five days in my final week before dissertation deadline, not recommended! This was the first period throughout my degree where I failed to balance training commitments with University and I almost paid a hefty price. My final month of University was void of sleep and my usual intricate nutrition plan and instead replaced with all – night library sessions, the odd takeaway and a period of substandard training which led to an untimely injury.

I managed to acquire a small tear in my bicep tendon during a gym session about five weeks before the trials. It was a worrying time as I was aware that I needed a strong block of training to make up for the period of late nights finishing my degree. An injury to a tendon is very different to a muscular injury. Tendons heal much more gradually and require rest, putting me in a difficult position with World Championship trials looming.

The support staff networks in Bath are a great team of individuals that guided me through the injury on a daily basis and I have them to thank for being named on the team. Just five days before my 200m Breaststroke, and my best shot at qualification, I asked my coach to pull the plug on my season and forget about racing for medals in Barcelona. I hadn’t been able to train at a high level and I was beginning to lose strength and muscle mass due to my heavily restricted gym programme to protect my shoulder. Thinking about the consequences of not competing – an opportunity of a major medal missed and loss of my UK Sport Lottery funding being the primary concerns, were causing a lot of stress.

My coach of almost four years, David McNulty, knows me well and knew what to say to change my mind-set and begin to get me fired up and ready to fight for my place on the team.

At the trials, I was still feeling low – something I’ve never experienced. Usually competition is the most enjoyable part of being an athlete. The possibility of remaining British number one seemed very slim and qualification seemed just as far off. Dealing with pressures and self – doubt are nothing new in athletic life but after the London Olympic Games last summer, there is a sense of expectancy and pressure on my results. Until now, this has never fazed me.

I managed to put these thoughts at bay and was ready to race aggressively for the number one spot and for qualification. I couldn’t quite believe the time after my race – 1^st in 2.07.77, just a finger away from the time I set in the final of the Olympic Games. It is the fastest time in the world this year so far and I’m going into the World Championships seeded number one. What a turn of events.

I have taken huge positives from this. I wasn’t fully fit and managed to swim my second fastest time. My coach said to me before the race, “the great athletes always find a way to come through” and I wanted to prove that last year was not a fluke.

I’m more determined than ever to deliver a medal in Barcelona after a turbulent season and I’m now full of belief. Sometimes as an athlete, your mind tries to play tricks on you, but I think I have now learned how to win these battles.

As always, thank you all for your continued support and I will do my very best to deliver in Barcelona!

Michael Jamieson  

Thanks for a great blog Michael :) I see from the schedule that you'll be swimming almost to the dates of your great swims at the Olympics last year. Once again, everyone at Smiths News is ready to cheer you on for that gold medal!

NB Michael's due to swim in the 100m breaststroke on July 28th and the 200m on August 2nd. Daily TV coverage of the championships is on Eurosport from 9am. I'll update you if there's any news of live streaming from the championships.

Michael's Blog: Life at Altitude

Our latest guest post from Michael Jamieson, sees his life scaling new heights...

I’m currently in Sierra Nevada – a mountain range in Andalusia in the south of Spain. This is the final block of training before a short rest period and competition at the British Open Champs next month.  There are 10 swimmers here, with a support team, training at 2,300m above sea level. It’s a popular training centre for swimmers and is busy at the moment. My former coach, Fred Vergnoux, is here with his group from Barcelona as well as teams from Slovenia, Ukraine and Italy. Sierra Nevada is a popular ski resort, unfortunately not something I can engage in due to the injury risk…sledging will have to suffice! :)

Training at altitude helps promote an accelerated production of red blood cells in your system due to the smaller concentration of oxygen in the air. Basically, it means that the most trivial of tasks, including brushing your teeth, can leave you out of breath! Its tough going but I’m a big believer in hypoxic training and the positive effect it can have on your fitness levels and this is a continuation of my training after sleeping in an altitude tent in the lead up to the Olympic Games.

Training camps are one of the best parts of an athlete’s life. It provides the opportunity to do some high intensity training with the time to recover and concentrate on areas of weakness etc…and there’s plenty of time to catch up on tv shows, movies, reading…and sledging!

I spent my weekend off sledging and walking to the mountain top, 3,000m above sea level! The weather changes are surreal and the snow must be four feet deep – you’re never too old for a snowball fight!

I’ve just recently met with my coach about the plan for the coming months, identify areas of my program that need improvement/maintained etc and the camps and competitions that we’ll do in the lead up to the Trials and (hopefully) the World Championships in July this year. It looks great and I’m confident about producing some good results this season, although the competition is greater than ever. There are a number of young Brits closing the gap and there’s no doubt I’ll have to improve on my times from last season in order to firstly qualify, and then go on to challenge for honours in Barcelona in the summer. I still have the same emotional responses to these challenges this year as I did last, which is comforting as it shows my motivation is still as strong as ever. My life has changed since the Games and I owe a huge part of that to the people reading this, but I’m still the same athlete and I want to add to last year’s success.

Time to relax now; get ready for a tough session tomorrow morning and console my roommate after his team (Arsenal) were just beaten in the Champions League…I think I can see some tears!! :)

Thank you for your continued support :)

And thank you Michael for your latest guest blog! It's seems incredible that this time last year we were gearing up to watch you swim in the Team GB Olympic trials. I'm sure you'll continue to do us all proud here at Smiths News in the coming months :)

A New Year Message From Michael Jamieson

I hope you all had an enjoyable break over Christmas and New Year and very best of luck in 2013!

I haven’t written a blog in a few months so this is a bit of a summary of 2012 – what a year it was! It’s undoubtedly been the most rewarding and enjoyable year of my sporting career thus far.

Back in 2002 I remember sitting down with my coach with a list of career goals and an accurate timeline to match. Each season for the next ten years showed target times and selection to the international stage along the way. I was behind on this schedule from 2002 until 2010.

Like any person, athlete or not, I can vividly recount some experiences along the way that I knew were important, character building chapters.

One of the biggest challenges of my career was the move to Paris after falling a mile short of Olympic qualification in 2008. The move was a gamble, the last throw of the dice. I was 19 going on 20, not fast enough to qualify for Lottery funding, with one international cap, contemplating early retirement and in desperate need of a sizeable personal best.

Due to the fact my parents were my main financial sponsors and on a budget, I moved into an attic room in the city which wasn’t much wider than my wingspan. It was very basic. The small shower cubicle doubled up as a wardrobe, there was one hob to cook on, a communal toilet and no elevator – 123 stairs to the top. I had no TV and was without a washing machine, having to carry a suitcase full of washing every fortnight to the local launderette and wait four hours with a book of Sudoku until it finished – I couldn’t bear to climb the stairs on a Sunday, my day off!

I immersed myself in a new culture and attempted to learn a new language. Surprisingly, the Glaswegian accent was very helpful, rolling R’s and pronouncing accents wasn’t much of a problem however it became a very lonely place at times and maintaining motivation was difficult. I knew this was a key season in my career.

In the end the move proved to be the right decision, I made some huge improvements and although my parents were close to financial meltdown, I was back on track!

I’ve had some incredible opportunities and experiences since the Games which I’m hugely thankful for - meeting Pele, a true sporting legend and a half time parade at Celtic Park being the highlights.

These events have only increased my hunger and motivation for the coming seasons. My journey to this stage has been a long one but it has more than paid off in the experiences I’ve had. The Olympic Games and an Olympic medal have changed my life but it has not changed my personality. I finished second, which was a great result but we have now started a new four year cycle with World Championships, Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games on the horizon.  It’s taken ten years to reach the standard I want to be at and I want to stay there for as long as possible, enjoying the journey along the way! :)

Thanks Michael - it's always great to hear from you! You always provide such a great insight into life as a top sportsman. I wonder how many of us would be prepared to go another country and live in less than ideal circumstances in the pursuit of a dream. It helps having parents like Jackie and Michael too.

Like the rest of 'Team Jamieson', we're all looking forward to seeing how you get on in 2013 and cheering you on along the way!

Michael's Blog: Post Olympics

[caption id="attachment_4155" align="alignright" width="300"] After a post - Olympic whirlwind of activities, Michael has got back into training at Bath University. He also visited Swindon Dolphins last week, who described him as a "great ambassador for our sport" :)[/caption]

Where has the time gone?! I can't believe it's been over 2 months since the Olympic Games. There have been so many exciting events in the aftermath so there’s a lot to fill you in on!

Firstly, thank you all for your messages and support over the last 12 months, especially during the trials event in March - it really has made a difference and I'm delighted we have a medal to show for it.  My whole career has been in preparation for the 2012 summer and I didn't give much thought to events taking place in the seasons following the Olympic Games but it’s already underway.

The Games were everything I hoped they would be. The atmosphere in the Olympic village, the enthusiasm from the games makers and volunteers, bumping into sporting superstars and having breakfast with them too all helped create the Olympic experience.  I felt there was a mutual respect between the athletes, all aware of the commitment and preparation that has gone before.

From a performance perspective, the British swim team didn't perform as well as we should have and I'm not too sure why. The advantage of a home crowd was a huge positive for me and a pressure that I felt comfortable and relaxed in. I love the big occasions, it's the main reason I'm in the sport and I couldn't help but smile when parading to my block pre races.  Swimming in the 100m breaststroke before the 200m was perfect preparation. I swam a sizeable best time and from then on, the nerves were outweighed by excitement.

After the semi-final of the 200m, I knew I had more in the tank and that a medal was a possibility, but I never allowed myself to think of Gold - something I regret now. Daniel Gyurta, unbeaten in 4 years, was the overwhelming favourite and I didn't believe I could beat him, until it was too late. I'd targeted 2.08.0 in 2006 as a time I was capable of swimming and one which 'should' be enough to make the podium. The final turned out to be the first race of my career where I've surprised myself.

I felt strong during the race - the years of 'one more rep' circuits, sleeping in altitude tents, living in a cardboard box sized studio room in Paris and the self-imposed alcohol bans all paying off.  Relief and happiness were closely matched after the race; I definitely had a fear of failure in the lead up to the Games, which I managed to get under control after the trials in March.

Since the Games, I had a busy but sizeable break from the water, the highlight being meeting my sporting idol, Pele, at a function in London. I was hugely honoured to meet him and to have a few words of advice about the importance of respect and self-belief.

In the past few weeks, I've gone back to the water and started training again. The challenge for me now is to look at the Olympic Games as another breakthrough. I'll have much more pressure on my performances now and any major international that doesn't result in a medal finish will be viewed as a disappointment.

I don't want the Olympic Games to be my career highlight and so have had no trouble in terms of motivation to get back to training. I'll be competing at the World short course Champs in Istanbul in December and then the British Champs as a qualifier for the World long course in Barcelona next summer.

Thanks again for all your support & hopefully we will be celebrating more medals in the coming seasons! :)

Thanks Michael - it's great to hear your personal experience of the Games! There were lots of hoarse voices around Smiths News for a few days from cheering you on so much ;)

We're all so proud of your achievements and glad to have lent our support along the way. We're looking forward to welcoming you to our Community Awards event on November 2nd.

Simon's Alpine Challenge: Non-stop

Simon is King of the Mountains!

My final blog entry is, rather appropriately, reserved for possibly one of the best known mountain climbs on the Tour de France - Alpe d'Huez. My mate Mike suggested that we should try to cycle the climb non-stop. That's 13km uphill with an average gradient in excess of 8% and an altitude gain of over 1000 meters! At the outset I was not confident that we could achieve this.

A dramatic view

We set off from the town of Bourg d'Oisans in sweltering heat so I made sure that I had taken plenty of liquids beforehand. The first 3km were extremely difficult with the gradient exceeding 10%. Even though I was going slowly I was right on my limit and thought I would have to take a break to let my heart rate return to a sensible level. Fortunately, I managed to ride through this rough patch as the gradient eased off a bit i.e. around 8%.

As we slowly ticked of the kilometers other riders would pass us offering words of encouragement. What pleased me was that many of these riders weren't going that much faster than us.

Eventually we reached "Dutch Corner", about two-thirds of the way up the climb. During the Tour de France this area is just a sea of orange: orange shirts, orange hats, as the whole area is taken over by Dutch cycling enthusiasts. At "Dutch Corner" I was feeling more confident about my prospects of doing the climb non-stop.

Phew! Made it :)

The kilometres ticked away slowly until we finally reached the last hairpin - Turn One. From here it was a long, drawn out final ascent to the town of Alpe d'Huez. The last 400 meters seemed to go on forever but we finally passed under the "Arrivee" banner about 2 hours after we had started the climb. We had done the ride non-stop - I never thought in a million years that I would be able to do it!

Now my Alpine Cycle Challenge has completed I would like to thank again everyone that sponsored me. I only need a few more pounds to take me over the £1000 mark so if anyone out there would still like to donate some money this can be done via my Just Giving web page.

Many thanks.

Simon

Message From Jackie Jamieson: Wow!

Jackie Jamieson has been in touch asking that the following message of thanks be circulated to everyone who supported Michael...

[caption id="attachment_3904" align="alignright" width="180"] A very precious thing[/caption]

I cannot put into words how we all feel. We knew going into that Final Michael would have to pull out a spectacular performance.

He did exactly that. I honestly thought I was going to combust. The noise inside the stadium was overwhelming and when he touched the wall euphoria kicked in. He has had an absolutely amazing time at his first Olympics and I know that he's done us all proud.

The messages from everyone including staff that have since moved on in the business has been totally overwhelming. I was still reading them at 5am this [Thursday] morning...

So happy so many people were able to be a part of Michael's journey.

Thank you all so much.

Jackie, Mike and Lauren

As well as Jackie sending us a picture of Michael's medal he tweeted another photo of it yesterday, saying:

..almost! :P can't believe this is mine... Thank you for all the notes & to everyone at Parkhead*!! :) ... amazing...

Another tweeter asked him how many times he'd looked at his medal. He replied:

...I slept wearing it last night ... :)

* = Michael's race was broadcast live on the big screen at Celtic Football Club ahead of their Champions League qualifier. As Michael chose swimming over football and is a huge Celtic fan, he must be pretty chuffed!

Simon's Alpine Challenge: The Big One

[caption id="attachment_3884" align="alignleft" width="640"] It's a long way down![/caption]



Today was the big one! - the Col du Galibier. We started out at 08:00 to get as many miles under our belts before the sun was high in the sky. On route to the Galibier we had to pass over the Col du Telegraphe, which was quite tough as it is 12 km long with gradients in the region of 8%. After the Col du Telegraphe we descended into the town of Valloire - a tacky ski resort. We couldn't wait to get out of it.

After Valloire that is where the real climbing began - 18km uphill to the top of the Col du Galibier.The first 10km were hard but the last 8km were the real killer with gradients in excess of 9%! For the last 2km I had no "fuel in the tank" and the air was getting thin so I really struggled over the final kilometer. Despite all pain we had to go through we finally made it to the summit about 7 hours after we had started out.

The views from the top were stunning and we could see Mont Blanc clearly in the distance. After a very rapid descent of the Col du Galibier we stopped of at bar on the Col du Telegraphe for a very well deserved beer, or two! We had a fantastic descent of the Col du Telegraphe, even passing cars and motorcyclists on the way down.

Arrived back at our hotel about 19:00 - a very long but very memorable day!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9hMNSl3Ryk]

As promised I have uploaded a video to YouTube showing our descent of the Col du Glandon. [If the embedded video above doesn't work, then try this link instead. It's just over 8 minutes long - Ed]

Tomorrow [i.e. today, Thursday - Ed] is a rest day then on Friday we will be doing Alpe d'Huez.

Wow Simon, you've given a prime example  of where there's no pain, there's no gain! It must be worth all the effort to be in the clear mountain air and sunshine, looking at that stunning scenery.

As Simon's account of his final day will reach Smiths News over the weekend, we'll be publishing his final Guest Post next week. Sounds like we're in for another treat :)

Simon's Alpine Challenge Day 2: The Hardest Climb

[caption id="attachment_3834" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The mountains around Col du Glandon with Mont Blanc just visible in the distance[/caption]

Well we made it! We reached the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer and I can safely say it was the hardest cycle climb I have done to date - even Alpe d'Huez. It was a long hard slog of 30 km with very little respite and things weren't helped by the fact it was very hot day. I went through over 6 litres of water and isotonic drinks before I had reached the top!

When we got to the Col de la Croix de Fer the views were spectacular. We treated ourselves to a well deserved beer outside a cafe at the Col. Loads of other cyclists were there looking professional with their shaved legs!

After the Col de la Croix de Fer we moved onto the Col du Glandon where we took some more photos including a sculpture that had been prepared for the Tour de France that had only just passed over the Col du Glandon only a couple of weeks before us.

After the Col du Glandon we made a high speed descent to the Maurienne valley - the roads still covered with slogans and the names of Tour de France cyclists: Go Wiggo!, Allez Voeckler etc. I hope to provide a video of our descent of the Col du Glandon at some stage.

After we reached the valley floor I noticed that one of my water bottles was nearly falling out of its cage because it had become squashed - I then realised that because we had come from high altitude the increase in air pressure lower down was the reason this had happened.

The next big ride will be the Col du Galiber on Wednesday so my next blog entry will appear on Thursday.

Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day!

Simon's Alpine Challenge Day 1: Warming Up

[caption id="attachment_3805" align="alignright" width="224"] View of the hotel - looks like it welcomes cyclists![/caption]

As promised a couple of weeks ago, Simon Cousins brings us his first guest post about his Alpine cycling challenge. Without further ado, it's over to you Simon...

Well we finally made it to our destination, Saint Jean de Maurienne, after a 14 hour drive through France. Our hotel is in the centre of town and only a few yards away from the start of the Col de la Croix de Fer climb.

The weather today (Sunday) has been perfect, so we went out on a "warm up" ride along the Maurienne valley towards the town of Saint Michel de
Maurienne, which lies at the start of the really big climb of Col du Galibier. My legs felt pretty good considering that I hadn't done any training for the last 4 weeks due to illness, so we decided to do some small climbs for practice. These went well.

[caption id="attachment_3808" align="alignleft" width="300"] Imagine the noise from all those bells![/caption]

In the afternoon we drove up the Col de Madeleine, which is very steep and goes on for several miles. On the way up we passed several cyclists slowly grinding it out - which only reminded us of what was in store for us! At the top of the Col de Madeleine I took some photos. One photo I took was of about 200 cows - many of them were wearing a bell.
The noise they created as they clanked across the alpine pasture was pretty deafening!

Tomorrow is our first big climb - the Col de la Croix de Fer. It looks like it is going to be very hot so we are setting off early in attempt to avoid the midday sun.

I will let you all know how we got in tomorrow's blog.

Wish us luck!

Thanks for a great first post Simon - looking forward to your next one!

Michael's Blog: Ready for the Games

We received Michael's latest guest post a couple of weeks ago. As he's in a more reflective mood this time, it seemed appropriate to save it for when the Games are just a few days away... 

It seems like yesterday I was celebrating the success of London’s bid to host the Olympic Games in July 2005. I was in school, huddled around the TV with my class mates and I distinctly remember thinking that 2012 would be my chance to become an Olympian!

I’ve swam up and down the black line on the bottom of the pool since then, with the thought of becoming an Olympian providing more than enough motivation for the early morning starts.

The journey has been a long one, but I wouldn’t change any of it thus far. I couldn’t have swum any longer or any harder since I made the decision to pursue this and that is proving comforting as we enter the final stretch of training before competition.

The last of my training cycle was completed in Paris over the weekend – I finished 1^st in the 200m Breaststroke, an important victory against a few swimmers who were in the World Championship Final last year. Also, if it’s any consolation, the weather is just as unpredictable in Paris – my race was delayed due to a thunder, lightning and hail storm!

From now, I have three weeks of ‘tapering’ –a gradual decrease in volume and intensity in the pool and gym, in the hope of peaking in London. It’s a great time of the year :) my main concern is how many episodes of the latest TV show I can fit in between training sessions!

I can’t change the work I’ve done in the past few weeks, months or years, it’s all in the bank now. The key for me is to stay relaxed. If I do feel like I’m losing perspective or putting too much pressure on myself, I’ll use the strategies that I’ve been working on with the psychologist.

I’ve now been selected to swim the 100m Breaststroke Individual, sadly because of withdrawal from my friend Dan Sliwinski. I had mixed feelings about this at first. I finished 3^rd at the trials in March, undeserving of a spot in this event.  I was desperately disappointed for Dan but now it’s important for me to put in a strong performance, to prove I am worthy of the Individual spot and to give me a boost in confidence before racing the 200m later in the week. Having a positive first swim settles the nerves and will be invaluable in preparation for the 200m. Racing the 100m also means I will be eligible for selection in the 4x100m Individual Medley Relay. I was part of the Relay at last year’s World Champs and loved it, we finished 6^th with a young, inexperienced team so will be looking to improve on that this year!

I’m feeling confident and relaxed in my preparation - I have nothing to lose. No-one is expecting medals from my performances, except myself.  I’ve targeted a medal since I decided to chase this Olympic spot and it’s not going to change now. There are nine swimmers ranked within 1.5 seconds of each other in my event, so making the Final will be more difficult than achieving a podium finish. The difference could be that I’m the only one with home court advantage – a man with nothing to lose and an arena full of Brits behind him is dangerous!

As always, thank you all for your continued support. Hopefully, the next blog you read will be in celebration!! :)

What a fab post! Now, Michael needs all the help he can get to ensure he gets to those all important Finals. Show your support by leaving him a Comment below and we'll make sure he gets all  your messages to help get him well ahead of his rivals.

You can also follow Michael on Twitter where he tweets as @mj88live. His supporters have already adopted the #teamjamieson hashtag and we'll be following this and Michael's twitter account to bring you news of Michael's Olympic journey.

On Friday we'll be publishing the dates and times of Michael's swims, plus details of where the best TV coverage is to be found.

So, COME ON MICHAEL!!!!!

Update - just after 10am, Michael tweeted:

Holding camp in Edinburgh finished - had a great time! Back to the village today, almost time to race!! :)

Ian's blog Day 6: Towards the Angel of the North

As the storms swept overhead on Thursday evening, we gratefully sat at the Premier Inn, thinking we had missed the worst of the weather. But later on that evening we found out the river which flowed just 20 metres outside the front of Newcastle House was about to burst its banks and push floodwaters thorough the depot. Arrangements were made later on that evening to cancel the official celebrations at Newcastle so they could concentrate on the necessary clean-up operation. We would stick with the plan of visiting the Angel of the North and then head back home afterwards.

The next morning, the storms of the night had blown over and a fresh breeze brought in sunshine and a bright start to the day. Last minute checks and repairs were made before departure.

[caption id="attachment_3426" align="alignleft" width="599"] Gordon Scott helps to repair a puncture on Steven Clark’s bike – the first of three that day![/caption]

 

Leaving Stockton-on-Tees, we commenced the final 38 mile leg of the journey towards the Angel of the North.  Heading past the west of Middlesbrough we pushed north back into the countryside and then left the sun behind as the clouds and the wind pushed a strong southerly wind behind us. Once again we were able to appreciate some great views of the countryside, passing by various fields, hills and landmarks, including the Great Eppleton wind farm.

Here’s a photo I took of the wind farm as we passed by. Although these four turbines generate enough electricity to power over 5000 homes, opinion was divided whether they were a good idea. Fortunately, apart from arguing with Gordon on the directions this was probably all we disagreed on all week.

Pressing onwards we skirted around Durham through the village of Sedgefield, passing by the racecourse and local cricket ground, going through the former constituency of Tony Blair. Then onwards through some smaller villages before regrouping up just a few miles from the Angel of the North.

Together one last time, we caught sight of the famous landmark and urged our bikes towards our final destination (this was the end of a hard week’s cycling). Arriving at the Angel of the North, the clouds broke for us,  we left our bikes around the sculpture, taking advantage of the sunny weather and taking lots of pictures.

After a final thank you from Mark Charlton for putting in a great week’s cycling it was time to make the final arrangements for collecting the bags and our last group photo opportunity.

[caption id="attachment_3429" align="alignleft" width="599"] Pictured from left to right: Martin Beach, Ben Beach, Steven Clark, Paul Reeves, Ian Tallamy, Fred Napier, Brett Hanley, Cayleb Needham, Paul Reeves (in front), Hugh McGill, Mark Charlton, Andy Cook, Gordon Scott, Chris Benger, Ian Evans & Paul Northover.[/caption]

 

I'm not quick sure what happened to Neil Barker’s bike – hopefully he got it back before we all left.

To make it easier to sort out final logistics, we decided to head downhill to Newcastle House to make the arrangements for bags, transport etc. We weren’t expecting anything formal at the house, but it really surprised us and was great to see a number of the house staff coming out to welcome us to Newcastle. Many of those had worked through the night, clearing out the flood waters and getting things back into a serviceable state, and somehow still found time to welcome us and share a hog roast lunch with us too – fantastic guys – many thanks to Ian Rothwell and the rest of the Newcastle team.

And so, with sadness we all went our separate ways.  Without an official count, I know that many thousands of pounds were raised by the cyclists, helped by you the people who have sponsored us, so thank you for all your support. Thank you too to Mark Charlton for organising and ensuring that this year’s bike ride was a great success, and also to Andy Cook and the support team for helping us. That’s it from my blog, hopefully it’s kept you informed about some of the things that have gone on. There are lots of things I could have added , which were probably best left for the individuals themselves to tell you their own tales.  I’ve not doubt lots more stories will start to come out when everyone’s back in work next week …

And thank you, Ian for sending in your guest posts after each day's ride, when everyone else is relaxing and probably having a well deserved beer. The comments left on previous posts show how much your daily updates have been appreciated :)

Ian's blog Day 5: The Clouds Let Loose Their Payload

So this was the penultimate day of the cycle ride, the longest and the most challenging of all the rides. As you may have picked up before, the average speed of the cycle rides has been increasing every day and today again was no exception. But before we talk more about that, a special mention to Hugh Mcgill who earlier this week managed to cycle for ½ a day with his rear brakes locked on! Fortunately Hugh found the problem and managed to get them working properly for the start of today’s ride.

[caption id="attachment_3391" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Hugh McGill – with the faulty brakes - and one of the Bike Ride award winners (see later)[/caption]

The weather at the start of the day was overcast following a night of heavy rainfall. Roads were wet and the conditions were slippery in places. Little did we know at this point that many parts of the North East would be subject to flooding today. As we left the Humber we headed along some picturesque roads and headed towards the North York Moors. But as the journey progressed, the weather started closing in. Lunch time arrived and rain was in the air.

[caption id="attachment_3392" align="aligncenter" width="597"] Many of the cyclists took their lunch at this delightful tea shop en route. Steven Clark is putting on his waterproofs before the rain closes in.[/caption]

The clouds let loose their payload on the forlorn cyclists, making conditions more tricky, splashing up muck and spray from the bikes as they wheeled their way through the puddles and potholes.

Continuing on the journey, we pressed towards the North York Moors, climbing some steep hills and going through the gateway to the Moors via the Castle Howard Estate.

[caption id="attachment_3393" align="aligncenter" width="596"] One of the gatehouse entrances we passed through today leading to the Castle Howard Estate.[/caption]

Although the rain had fallen on all the cyclists, we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. Soon the weather began to ease, the clouds lifted and we even saw some sun giving us a clearer view of the beautiful scenery laid out in front of us. The roads offered challenging climbs and descents, but with some gusty cross winds cutting across the cyclist on some of the steeper parts of the journey.

Dropping down off the Moors, we descended into the village of Stockley. Whilst one group of cyclists paced on to the Premier Inn, the second group planned a far more civilised visit: to a friend of Hugh McGill and were duly treated to tea and chocolate cake in the Orchard of their garden.

[caption id="attachment_3394" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Getting set for the onward journey after their tea and cakes[/caption]

Incredibly despite the hills, the rain and the mud, the average speeds of the groups increased once again with the fastest pace ever for a Smiths News cycle ride.

At the end of the day everyone arrived safely at the Premier Inn for the evening meal and for the presentation of the ‘awards’. The awards are democratically decided alone by Mark Charlton and the worthy winners are presented with the illustrious  Smiths News Bike certificates. Here is the lists of the winners:

• The ‘Half Wheeling’ Award – the award for refusing to let the person alongside you get their front wheel ahead of yours,  went to Martin Beach.


• The ‘Quote of the Week’ Award went to Steven Clark – For politeness I can’t quite tell you exactly what the quote was, but it was something to do with the application of the soothing cream that cyclists need at the end of a bike ride.


• The ‘Nutcracker’ Award went to Hugh McGill for falling off his bike and banging his head (Hugh was fine afterwards, although the same can’t be said for his cycle helmet).


• The ‘Chunder and Lightning’ Award went to Cayleb Needham (you had to be there).


• The prestigious ‘King of the Mountain’ Award for truly magnificent uphill cycling went to Ben Beach.


• The ‘White Jersey’ Award for the best newcomer went to Paul Northover for a fantastic ride with the least aerodynamic bike and the widest handlebars ever seen on a Smiths News bike ride.


• The ‘I bought some great tyres from a guy in Germany  . . . . psssssssssss’ Award went to Ian Tallamy for having 2 punctures in an hour on the same tyre.

[caption id="attachment_3395" align="aligncenter" width="545"] Steven Clark after receiving his award. Tomorrow his colleague Fred Napier joins the team as the final Day Cyclist supporter for the home run into Newcastle[/caption]

Tomorrow will be our last day and together with the ecstasy of celebration, the achievements made during the week, will be a touch of sadness that it’s all coming to an end. We head off towards the Angel of the North for a final photo opportunity and then towards Newcastle House for the finish. You can read about the final blog early next week.

Ian's blog Day 4: Past the land of power stations

Yesterday we reached the half-way point, and after today’s journey we’ve now got about 125 miles to the finish post at Newcastle House.

Although the navigation this week has been pretty good, today one of the groups got lost after just ½ mile, (for those who did this ride last year, you’ll fully understand when I say this was Gordon’s  group). Meanwhile the other group pressed on, putting miles in front of Gordon’s group. After pushing the pace, Gordon’s group caught up and passed the other group, but then due to ‘technical problems’ (I think it was a puncture), the second group passed us once again gently reminding us of story of the ‘tortoise and the hare’.

[caption id="attachment_3332" align="aligncenter" width="418"] Gordon going through the route instructions for the rest of the journey[/caption]

Despite the predictions of a downpour, the weather held up and as we left Nottingham we passed through some quaint country lanes and tracked past the east of Sherwood Forest and past the land of power stations. The rain held off for the day, despite the predictions of the BBC weather forecasters and the sun came out to raise the temperature at the end of the day.

Although today was the furthest distance wise so far (82 miles), due to the flatter route and the prevailing south westerly, we were able to reach the Premier Inn in record time. At some points in the journey today, Gordon had to remind riders to slow down the pace as cyclists were pushing speeds of up 25 – 30 mph on the flat – truly phenomenal cycling!  But now everyone is starting to feel the aches and pains of 4 days of punishing pedal pushing.

[caption id="attachment_3333" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Ben Beach from Bertrams illustrates how we should stretch the legs and help to prevent the muscles from cramping up.[/caption]

As the route took us around Newark, we headed further north towards Gainsborough and then turned north-east again towards Scunthorpe. After passing round the west of Scunthorpe, we headed directly north the Humber Bridge. The Bridge was opened just over 31 years ago in June 1981 to traffic. Car drivers would normally pay £1.50 for each crossing, but there were no such demands on the cyclists to empty their pockets at the toll booths. Instead we were treated to great views along the Humber estuary.

[caption id="attachment_3334" align="aligncenter" width="598"] The Humber bridge from the south side of the river. The Premier Inn we’re staying at tonight is about ½ mile from the north end of the bridge.[/caption]

The other group leader is Andy Cook who is a very experienced cyclist and has cycled with Mark Charlton for a number of years [you may also remember Mark went on one of Andy's training camps in Mallorca earlier this year and Andy was also involved in the cycling arrangements for John Bishop's 'Week of Hell' - Ed]

Andy Cook has organised the route and the logistics for this year’s cycle ride as well as cycled with us and given a great deal of encouragement and advice.

Tomorrow is expected to be the hardest day’s ride. It’s a 87 mile journey climbing through the North Yorkshire Moors and will be a tough challenge for all the cyclists especially at this stage in the journey.

Thanks once again to everyone for your continued donations during the week and for your comments on the blog.

Ian's blog Day 3: Having a good 'try' at getting around Rugby

If you read yesterday’s blog then you would have seen where we were staying, so after finishing our breakfast at the Wobbly Wheel restaurant, we all made sure all the fixings were secure and there was no danger of the wheels coming off!

The weather forecast was mixed for the day, starting off cooler than the previous day and with a possibility that we might hit some rain spots before the day was out.

Starting from Banbury we headed across to county of Warwickshire crossing the Oxford Canal, having a good 'try' at getting  around Rugby and heading past the outskirts of Leicester, avoiding most of the main roads and continuing with the path which set us on some quiet and peaceful country roads.

At one point on the journey, the road was blocked by three different  5 bar steel gates. Opening the gates takes you through a narrow strip of road across a farmer’s field which you have to pick your way through avoiding the kamikaze sheep darting out in front of you.

Continuing with the ride, most people are now getting settled into the pace which is now floating around an average of 15-20 mph, although with a tail wind today’s journey may have been slightly faster for some.

The lunch stop was due to be in the village of Desford, but after a quick glance around, we didn’t see anywhere for us all to stop, so instead we headed towards the Desford Bird Centre. Surprisingly may of the parrots are uncaged and have freedom to fly around wherever they wish. One parrot landed on the wire of a telegraph pole just above causing us to quickly clear the area just in case he left any messages for us.

We continued our journey towards Nottingham heading round the east of the city, avoiding the traffic in the centre of town and heading towards the premier inn at the north of the city, again avoiding many of the main roads where possible, although we witnessed a couple of police cars chasing what we assumed was probably a stolen car.

[caption id="attachment_3325" align="alignleft" width="599"] Everyone enjoying their evening meal at the local Beefeater restaurant – something we have to endure at the end of each day’s cycling.[/caption]

Although I talk a lot about food, Mark Charlton was quite keen on letting you know that food is very important and necessary for us .

Today’s cycle ride of over 80 miles burns up several thousand more calories than the average of 2000 calories the average person needs every day, so everyone looks forwards to the evening meal, with no-one missing out on the three courses.

On Wednesday, we increase the daily mileage once again and look forward to crossing the Humber Bridge at the end of the ride – let’s just hope the weather is going to be good enough for us to appreciate the views.

Ian's blog Day 2: Across the Magic Roundabout

There was a possibility that the England score from Sunday night might dampen the spirits of the cyclists, but as the day started, all thoughts of the football quickly disappeared and melted away under the warm sunny weather that stayed with us for the duration of the ride today.

First stop on the journey was a trip to Head Office in Swindon, where we had a great reception from the folks based at Wakefield House, and a rare privilege for us turning up to work in a pair of shorts.

[caption id="attachment_3308" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Proof that we made it to Wakefield House. What you can’t see is the group of Nationwide visitors prevented from entering the building.[/caption]

After some more photos (what happened to the coffee and cakes), we headed through Swindon across the Magic Roundabout (a first experience for many of the cyclists) to get across Swindon and head for Stratton St Margaret.

As we headed out of Swindon, we switched to country roads and took in some fantastic Wiltshire scenery.  Views of the rolling English countryside came into view, and we stopped briefly for a rest break to take in the scenery.

[caption id="attachment_3309" align="aligncenter" width="601"] This was the scene set before us at one of the rest breaks. Unfortunately we couldn’t dwell for long and it was soon time to move on again.[/caption]

Next stop was Burford, an idyllic Cotswold village to take a lunch break.  Taking our time to regain our energy levels it was time to move further north towards Chipping Norton for our afternoon tea at the premises of an independent bookseller supplied by Bertrams.

[caption id="attachment_3310" align="aligncenter" width="602"] In the centre of the picture is the owner of the bookstore pictured at the back[/caption]

Following a brief stop for a cup of coffee it was time to head over to Banbury for the Premier Inn and the evening rest.

As the day unwound, it became clear that 3 of the riders were competing to see who could get the next destination before anyone else (this isn’t meant to be a bike race). However many congratulations to Chris Benger, Cayleb Needham and Ben Beach for getting to the Premier Inn a good 5 minutes before the next rider.

[caption id="attachment_3311" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Congratulations gentlemen for some energetic riding, but I’m not quite sure whether the name of the restaurant adjacent to the Premier Inn is a good omen![/caption]

Once again it’s great to say that there were no accidents today, although Nick Gresham came close when a driver opened the car door in front of him. Today Ian Evans’ bike refused to behave itself and Mark Charlton very kindly donated his ‘standby bike’ to help Ian get back on the road. On the puncture list, I count 4 punctures today (I daren’t say who had two of them within ½ an hour – I just hope there are no more for me tomorrow).

Thanks to everyone for your continued support – there’s a number of hard miles left ahead of us – more details tomorrow.