Aware, but not alarmed.

I occasionally I feel like I get an idea of what it feels like to be on an isolated reality TV show when I come to Europe. Time seems to speed up and slow down unexpectedly, and things are generally just a bit surreal. I think it’s been about 3 weeks since I got to Europe, but as I am on this new TV show “The World’s Next Top 400m Hurdler”, things aren’t always as they seem. 

Luckily for me I am healthy and happy. It’s been a real laugh staying with Mitch Watt and Steve Hooker, often going for rides through the small country sized park here in Cologne, and Mitch constantly entertain us with hypotheticals and questions like “are handle bars stiffer on bikes you can ride with no hands?”. Steve and I also have a great coffee machine in our apartment so the usual time and effort trying to get hold of decent made coffee in Germany has been spent on latte art and good conversation instead. 

Three races down, and I haven’t hit the times I was hoping for as yet (50.3, 50.4, 50.9). I really try and avoid excusing under-performing with blaming conditions or hitting hurdles, so I won’t. What I do know is that I am training amazingly well and staying positive and am of good health, and I generally come good when those boxes are ‘ticked’. Besides, I have worked way too hard and for too long to beat myself up over crappy races. They happen, so I won’t. I am just loving racing and training at the moment. It’s a very special thing that I have the privilege of doing. 

Next up: this weekend is my last race before going into London. It’s in Belgium and not a bad little meet that I won last year and ran fairly well in. I just hope I don’t get evicted this week.