London to Orlando

"Hi Everyone!!!"

"After a 9hr flight I arrived safely in Orlando with my training partner Thelia. We had a hour wait to get through passport control and then off to rent a car and onto the house we are staying in. The freeway was clear , no traffic like the M25 J , this is one reason why I love America. I have never been Warm Weather training in Florida before as the GB team tend to go to LA, so I am keen to see how it compares."

Day One

"I slept pretty well and managed to fight off any jet lag so far, off we head to the track. We are training in Disney Land in the “Wide World of Sports”. This place is amazing, its has every sports facility you can think of. As I’m walking to the track I see a baseball game being played and some NFL players training. The atmosphere is motivating and just what I need for a good training trip."

"Andy Turner, 110m hurdler also coached by Lloyd Cowan (my coach) has been out here for a few months so he is our tour guide for the day. As we approach the track I can see the group we will be working with. Coach Brooks Johnson will be guiding me, I believe he is around 78 and well established internationally for his talents in creating World Champions. The group is made up of around 7 people….4 sprint hurdlers, including USA David Oliver , a 400mhurdler, 100/200m sprinter and a Paralympic 100m runner. I very diverse group!"

"As we meet Coach Brooks I realise immediately this guy knows his stuff, as he watches me perform my drills he highlights small but crucial changes that I was un aware of but vital in helping me run quicker. The group were all friendly and I feel very welcome here in Florida."

Day Two

"After completing a warm up on day one and shaking the flight out of our legs, its now time to get down to business and some good training. Unfortunately, its windy and raining today so I feel like I am back in London training at Lee Valley!! Today we had race rehearsal runs, where we visualise and carry out each section of the 400m, as they say “Practice makes Perfect”."

"We start at the 400m line and drive out fast to around 60m and then jog around the top bend and along the back straight. As I am doing so I am visualising how I feel during a race and how my body should be positioned. As we come round the second bend we are preparing for the home straight. Along the last 100m, Coach has placed 4 cones and at each one we need a gear change and increase our speed. By doing this we practice how the last 100m should feel in a race, stay strong and push through the finish line."

"Coach Brooks tip of the day:

“Barr, u have been blessed with the height and long legs…..use them!!!” He altered my body position so I lean forward as I run creating a greater force. This helped massively and made the running so much easier."

Day Three

"The storm has passed and the sun is shining, now this is what Florida is supposed to be like!! Today’s session is 8 form runs which are basically technical runs over around 40m. We each take turns in running, Coach Brooks is sitting at the side waiting to give feedback, we then make the changes and go again."

"This session was vital, I corrected bad habits I have when running and tried out the new technique tips . At first it was a little awkward but then it felt easier to run and I got from start to finish much quicker. Practice will definitely make perfect."

"So far so good out here in Orlando…..I will keep you all updated!!!"

January 18 2012

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Saying Bye to 2011 and a Big Hello to 2012

"Merry Christmas to everyone and a massive Happy New Year. Hope everyone had a great time and best wishes for the year to come!!!"

2011

"2011 has had its highs and lows but overall it has been a learning curve and stepping stone to prepare me for 2012 and the year to come. Over the last year I have worked with my coach Lloyd Cowan to create the foundations and the base year to put in the hard work leading up the Olympic season. I trained harder, faster and stronger than ever before, however, injury prevented me from progressing. However, I turned this into a positive and took a little time out, let my body recover and became mentally stronger and more determined."

"2011 I began to work with WorldPay and they have supported me in my journey towards London. This has allowed me to train full time and access the facilities and advice I will need."

Last session of 2011

Saturday morning and Im training at Lee Valley for 10am, I am sitting there wondering what my coach has in store for me today. We had:

250m/ 1 min recover / 150m (3 sets of this)

Then 3 x150m sprints on the indoor track.

Hurdle drills and core stability.

"Today it was my training partner Darren and myself doing the session. Darren is great to train with as he runs the 400m about a second and half quicker than me, so he pushes me all the time and is close enough for me to stay in contact throughout each rep of the session. We finished with 3x150m on the indoor track to practice running round the tight bends and slopes in preparation for the indoor season. The session also included hurdle drills, as you can see from the photo. U may ask why I do hurdle drills when this is not my event. They are a great way of increasing your stability when moving in all directions along with releasing my hips and improving range and flexibility. I usually do these drills around three times a week." 

2012

"Moving into 2012, I am beginning with a 18day trip to Orlando Florida. My training partner Thelia (fFrench 400m athlete) and I will get the chance to work with an America coach and pick his brains. Not only will we get the chance to learn more but will also be able to up the intensity of our training due to the 80 degree heat over there. We will be staying in a place called Kissimmee and training at the Disney World track . This is a fantastic opportunity and again this is only possible due to the support of WorldPay. This will be great final preparations leading up to the 2012 indoor season, where I am aiming to secure a place on the GB team for the World Championships in Istanbul Turkey. Throughout my 18day stay I will be giving you regular updates in a video and training diary, showing you behind the scenes of a training day in Florida."

Olympic Painting

"The lifesize painting of myself will be completed in a weeks time and is due to be displayed in Heathrow at the end of January. I have seen the painting and I am amazed at how real it looks, Teresa Witz is an great artist."

January 3rd 2012

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Good News

"Thanks to the support of WorldPay, I have been able to travel to and from Derby every week to receive regular checks on my previous rib injury. I have been lucky enough to work with two lecturers and Bio Mechanist experts from Buxton University. Mark Cheetham and Adam Baker have continued to monitor my rib injury since August, providing a comprehensive rehab programme to get me back to full health again. Last Friday, I travelled to Derby and was delighted to discover that my rib had made a full recovery and was given the all clear. A huge relief for me, although I know I have to continue the rehab exercises to prevent any reoccurrences, I was still filled full of confidence and couldn’t wait for my next training session. Again I want to say a massive thank you to WorldPay. "

Training

"So today I had my usual Saturday’s hill session at Finsbury Park. The park is always super busy with visitors exercising, walking their dogs or coming to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Today I saw a group of babies all in pushchairs sitting facing each other in a circle. I thought that’s strange, however, as I got closer I could see there was a circle of women around the pushchairs all exercising together doing circuit training. I thought “what a good idea” a great way to look after your child and exercise all at the same time. My thoughts were then broken by my coach arriving and instructing a 2.5 mile run as a warm up. So off I went….followed by:"

"10 x 100m hills, jog back recovery, Continuous Plyo circuit including bunny hops, double hops and lunges, 5x80m hills, walk back recovery Finishing off with 2x150m downhill running."

"I finished the session feeling exhausted and great all at the same time. Another week completed and only 252 days to go until the London 2012 opening ceremony!!!!!"

Off the Track

"Outside of training, I have been working with a well established artist called Teresa Witz, one of the official artists for London 2012. She has selected 9 others athletes and myself from all sports to paint. When I say paint, I don’t mean a small picture, she has took on the task of doing a life size drawing. I remember thinking to myself, that is a lot of canvas to paint me, I don’t think Teresa actually realised I was over 6ft until she met me in person."

"The final paintings will be displayed in Heathrow Airport in the Terminal 5 art gallery and also in Canary Wharf (the precise location im not sure of yet). They are due to be completed in Jan/Feb. I will definitely go along and take a picture of it to let you all see what it looks like!!! Check out the artists website www.teresawitz.co.uk."

Friday 25 November 2011

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Winter Training

"I am now moving into my second week of Winter training and as I thought my Coach Lloyd Cowan means business, he is not messing around. For the first week my whole body ached, new exercises I had never done before were put into the programme. I could harldy walk up the stairs at one point but this is what I expected as London 2012 is just round the corner."

"Last Saturday morning, the whole group ventured to Finsbury Park and I knew what this meant.......the dreaded hills!!! This session involves running around a triangle section of the park with the last part sprinting up a 150M hill. We had to do this six times and you can imagine by the end of the session we were all lying on the floor exhausted...so much fun :)"

"I am now in week two and its still fulll speed ahead, I have outlined below what my week looks like:"

"Monday: Weights (testing session)... max lifts on Bench Press, Leg press, Squats, Leg extension

Tuesday: Track session at Mile End stadium...150m/100m/200m/100m/150m/100m/200m/100m, that was one set and we had to do 2 sets in total. Followed by a body circuit. Then a 40minute run later that afternoon.

Wednesday: Conditioning session...work with dumbells, hurdles, short sprints, circuits and an ab workout

Thursday: Track session at Mile End stadium: 250m/150m x4 8mins recovery and repeat. Followed by a mini body circuit.

Friday: Weights at Lee Valley athletics track

Saturday: Hills at Finsbury Park

Sunday : Recovery"

"As you can see I have a busy week, training everyday through until Sunday, each session will last from 2-3hrs. Recovery is massively important and thanks to WorldPay and their support I am able to rest, recieve treatment and nutritional advice, making me stronger for the next day. Again a massive THANK YOU WorldPay!!!!"

Wednesday 26th October 2011 

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Rest Over.....Lets Get Back to Training!!!

"My 6 weeks of rest from training has come to an end and Im ready to get back. The break was relaxing and just what I needed, time to visit family and friends and live a normal life while I could. During my break I always like to take the opportunity to do things I usually wouldnt have time for. I was asked to write an article for a global women's fitness website on my career so far and my aspirations, have a read www.womenfitness.net"

"I was also lucky enough to be asked to take part in Mark Ronson and Katy B's new Music video "Move to the Beat" which is aimed at London 2012. As you can imagine I jumped at the chance, Mark Ronson is an amazing music producer so I was very excited to be involved in the song. The video was shot on a stage right next to the Olympic site so immediately it had a great feel to it. The concept of the video had Mark Ronson as the conductor and he had all different athletes from all sports acting as the musical instruments, along with Katy B singing. So you had gymnasts vaulting and creating the drum beat along with table tennis, tae kwon do and track athletes including David Oliver USA hurdler."

"It was a great experience, my part was only small but I felt like a Rock Star for the week..... X factor here I come ;0) "

"So its Monday 10th Oct 8:30am and my alarm has just woke me up.....first day back to training and I can't wait. My session is 12x200m with walk 100m recovery in between each one; followed by a full body circuit. The weather looks nice outside, well its not raining!!! Perfect start to what is hopefully going to be an amazing 2012 season."

Monday 10 October 2011

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World Athletics Championships 2011 Daegu Korea!

"What a crazy championships this was...it had more drama than an episode of Eastenders."

"We had more false starts and DQs than I have ever seen. I remember thinking the starter was a man named Alan Bell from the North East. He did a great job but I'm sure he didn't have so many fans amongst the athletes by the time the games were over."

"I guess the main shock false start was that coming from the main man himself Mr Usain Bolt. I couldn't believe my eyes when watching the 100m, one second loss of concentration and it was all over for him. It just shows, he is human and he bounced back in his usually immense style to win gold in the 200m."

"Great Britain obtained their target of 7 medals, although not from the predicted athletes and events. The main shock for Team GB was Hannah England in 1500m getting a silver medal when she was even expected to make the final. "

"My highlights of the championships, although hard to narrow it down, was firstly the women’s 400m. Wow what a final...to see the super talented Felix run a personal best time and still have to settle for the silver medal was so exciting. She was the favourite going into the race but Montsho from Botswana, beat her on the line. Although Felix then went on to win another 3 medals and prove she is an amazing athlete."

"Another, fantastic moment to watch was Great Britain’s Mo Farah impressively winning Gold in the 5k. After seeing him narrowly miss out on the Gold in the 10k I was so happy for him. Britain has waited a long time to see a world class distance athlete like Farah to come on the scene. I'm now excited to see what he can achieve in 2012."

"Finally, the men’s 4x100m relay. The Jamaicans won it style, with Bolt on the anchor leg cruising home to gold and a world record breaking time of 37.04 seconds. Wow!!! And they were missing Asafa Powell from injury, these guys almost look unstoppable for next year."

"So now the Worlds are over and the 2011 season has come to a close. All focus switches to the London Olympics. For me to watch the Worlds and not be there was tough but it has also given me that extra appetite for next season."

"The last four weeks I have been getting back to fitness since my injury and have now become a big fan of Bodypump and Spinning at my local gym. Great way of getting fit in a fun way."

"I will now have a 2 week break to let the body relax and will start back training 1st Oct.... The hard work will then begin!!"

Friday 9 September 2011

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Life of an Athlete

"I relocated to London in 2008 in order to access the facilities, coaches and training partners I needed to help me towards London 2012."

"My coach is Lloyd Cowan and I have been working with him since Nov 2011, he is also the UK’s 400m coach. He organises my training on a daily basis and is my biggest support towards achieving what I need to for 2012. Lloyd coaches many UK athletes across all events which is a massive benefit to myself as I always have someone to train with no matter what the session. My main training partners are Christine Ohuruogu (400m Olympic Champion), Thelia Sigere (French 400m) and the new member to the UK team Shana Cox (400m). As a team we push each other and give the encouragement we need, including picking each other up off the track after a gruelling lactic session."

"My main training venue is Lee Valley athletics Centre (one of UK athletics High Performance centres). The facility includes:"

• An outdoor 400m track
• A 600m cinder track
• A 200 banked indoor track
• A 60m/120m straight
• A fully equipped gym.

"As you can see, it pretty much has everything I need all under one roof which makes it easier and more efficient to complete my daily training. You also have the benefit of the indoor track so if the British weather isn’t so great you can escape from the cold. The majority of the GB team train at this venue throughout the week which creates a great atmosphere and means you can also keep an eye on your competitors."

"An example of a training session:"

"Start at 9am"

"Warm up: Jog, running drills, stretch and strides

Track: 250m 1min recovery 150m ( we would do 4 sets of this with 5mins in between each set)

"30min break"

"Gym: My gym sessions usually take around 45mins to complete and comprise of Olympic lifts, Core stability work and rehab exercises."

"After my session, warm down and recovery is vitally important, so again we jog and stretch and finally head to the ice baths."

"This is probably my least favourite part,!!! We have a bath which we fill up of ice cold water and then add extra amounts of ice to get the water at the needed temperature. I would usually sit in the ice bath for around 8mins, to flush out my legs and help them to recover for the next days session."

"On a weekly basis I would also have treatment from my Physiotherapist and Soft Tissue therapist, they all help to keep me in one piece and able to train."

"This is a brief introduction of what life for an athlete looks like on a daily basis. More to come…….."

Monday 15 August 2011

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UK Championships and World Trials 2011

"Friday 29th July, the first round of the 400m which starts at 6:40pm at Birmingham Alexander Stadium. So its 10am, I’m all packed, double checking I have everything I need, the most important being my spikes and kit and then I prepare to start the drive from London to Birmingham."

"I arrive safely at around 12:30pm and check into my hotel. In the lobby I see that a lot of athletes are staying here including my coach Lloyd Cowan and a number of my training partners. Already I can feel the excitement and nerves building up, and can’t wait to get onto the track and run. I settle in, eat and take my pre race nap."

"I pull up at Birmingham Alexander Stadium at around 4:15pm and take the familiar walk from the carpark to the registration room. I notice the spectators are already beginning to arrive and are as encouraging and supportive as ever. I take this opportunity to sign a few autographs and smile for a few pictures. British fans are always very loyal and create the great atmosphere that is important to have at a National Championships."

"After registering and picking up my “BARR” number I head into the warm up area. I’m greeted with the familiar sight of athletes preparing and focusing ready to compete. You have sprinters, endurance runners, throwers and jumpers all in one area, so you can imagine how chaotic it gets but somehow it works!"

"I begin to prepare at around 5:15pm as first call up will be around 6:25pm. I find out I am in Heat 2 Lane 3 so after my final pre race chat from my coach I head into the call up room. At this point your in a small pen like area with your competitors and you can feel the tension, excitement and nerves as soon as you enter. The officials check my bib and spikes making sure everything is in place and abides by the rules."

"We are then led out onto the track, spectators are shouting your name offering words of encouragement and the atmosphere is great. As I’m walking to the start line, I am able to watch the first heat and see my training partner Shana Cox take first place from Kelly Sotherton and qualify safely for the final."

"I fail to make the final, I feel awful, drained and not myself. Leading up to the championships I had a virus, I hadn’t recovered fully. Even though my mind was positive and determined my body just didn’t match this. The UKA docs grabbed me after the race and took me to the examination room to make sure everything was ok. I still hear fans shouting words of encouragement which lifts my spirits for a second."

"This would be the first National 400m final I have not reached in 5 years. As an athlete failing is the worst feeling ever and my emotions are running high. My coach gives me the all important words of encouragement, telling me I just need to rest and recover, my ability is still there."

“Life of an Athlete” that’s what I always say, you have to take the rough with the smooth and as long as you have the belief and support you can always achieve."

"So I have a few days rest to reenergise and recover from the weekend and begin my journey towards London 2012."

 Tuesday 2 August 2011

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