Breaking News - January 2012
Winter Update
I haven’t updated things recently on here so I thought id take the chance to let you guys know what is happening as we are well into winter and winter training is now the focus. Following Beijing I had to take a few weeks off training to allow the body to recover from what was a tough season for me physically. Having recharged the batteries during this period I can now confirm that I am excited and looking forward to the fast approaching season.
Well, obviously my training comes first, and it’s been going pretty well. I’ve been hitting out some solid sessions in all 3 sports. Doing a fair bit of swimming with ex-national and british junior champion swimmer Felix Hinton-Smith, regularly smashing out intense 3k sets. Felix is a great motivator during our daily pool sessions and its great to be working with someone who can push you along and get the best out of you. We also have an excellent group down the track with the Hayle Runners lead by inspirational coach Simon Grose. We must have about 10 Sub 37min guys there right now (previously put 35, typo error and we are not quite there yet!!! Keep pushing guys. I know I moan and groan sometimes during training, but I am lucky to have you guys there to push me along all the way. Hayle is an up and coming club with some fantastic youngsters coming through, all keen to reach their max potential. Cycling is going quite well. Cycling on my own as well as a few sessions as a group and one session a week in the gym on the indoor bike. It’s all been a bit too inconsistent for my liking though and consistency is the name of the game as we edge ever closer the early season start in April.
Now onto that early season start in April…….I decided by the start of the year I wanted to put in another warm weather training camp as this seemed to work very well last year in terms of fitness. So I am looking ahead to maybe getting away in early April for 2 weeks to achieve that goal. Getting in a consistently hard rhythm is going to set me up nicely for the season and the European Championships in Israel at the end of April. So April will be a busy travelling month with trips to Spain and Israel. Nothing is set in stone yet though.....
Onto other news…..I am honoured to be involved with the ‘Make Sport Happen and Change Lives’ programme run by Jackie Lawrence at the Cornwall Sports Partnership. Sport Makers aims to inspire more than 400 people in Cornwall to get involved in volunteering, with each of them receiving training and spending at least ten hours organising or leading sports activities. This is something that I obviously support and without the hard work of so many volunteers, sport would just not take place. It’s as simple as that folks!!!
Now I am going to have a little rant! I just want to put the record straight with the minority who believe that all this promotional/ media work I am doing is a ‘bit over the top’. A message to you. I consider myself as an ambassador to sport in Cornwall and I am dedicated to that cause, lets face it, no one else is doing it!! I am lucky enough to have been successful in terms of sporting results and sponsorship in the past, becoming European Champion etc and I am only doing what’s ‘right’ for the county. There are always people out there who are out there to put you down!! Put it this way, put up or shut up minority!!! If you have nothing positive to say then don't say anything at all! Saying that, the majority of Cornish folk support what I do and a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone who has had an effect on my career from sponsors to fellow athletes. You’re all stars!!!
I’m really excited for 2012; it’s probably going to be the biggest year of my career in terms of ‘this is our chance to shine’ and ‘making it happen’ with the European Champs in Israel during April and then British Champs over the summer and then onto New Zealand for the World Champs in October. There are some quick guys out there at the moment and I have full respect to them, but its dog eat dog, and we are all in the same boat, striving for success. I think you will agree, it’s now or never!!
Cheers and Gone
Mark Lewarne
in Association with
