With my current injury, I am currently on a break from training, just doing rehab exercises. Watching the World Champs long jump from the stands is certainly fuel for 2008.

I am taking advantage of the leave I had requested from work and enjoying a small holiday in Europe before I head to Las Vegas for Jamo’s wedding. I’m currently in Berlin where they forecast of a top of 16 degrees while Brisbane is sitting on 31.

Train hard, enjoy life!

I’m currently in Japan and rooming with my partner in crime - yes the crazy Sarah Jamieson. We keep one another sane (or maybe it’s insane, not sure which).

An athlete’s psyche in a World Champs / Olympic village is an interesting thing. You feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. There’s the excitement of being at a major, there’s the stress and frustration from niggles, anxiety about your performance and the highs and lows or your fellow athletes exceeding, meeting or falling short of their expectations. I’m like every other athlete and although I send much of my time smiling and joking around, it’s not uncommon to shed a tear while I’m in a village - usually for no real reason other than being at the bottom of rollercoaster loop.

Most athletes I know become an alien on competition days. They don’t like to communicate with many people, they become easily agitated and molehills seem like mountains.

There really isn’t anything that can prepare you for this other than exposure to it and just being ready for your mind and body to play tricks on you.

I was appointed the female team captain for the Australian Athletics team and hopefully I’ll be able to provide support to the other team members so they don’t have too many downs on their rollercoaster ride.

World Championships kick off tomorrow - Saturday 25th August so tune into SBS and get updates off the Athletics Australia website.

Cheers loudly, we might hear you from Osaka.

The conditions were great - the sun was out (it is the first day since I’ve been in Europe that it hasn’t rained except for my first day in Ostrava) and we had great tailwinds. Just like last year, the atmosphere was electric. The stands line the runway, the crowd is very enthusiastic clapping every jumper on every jump and they play your song of choice - LOUD!!

I jumped 6.72m (+1.6) on my first attempt to put me in the lead after round one. I slipped to 3rd place by the end of the third round. The competition stepped up a gear during the final round. I slipped from 3rd to 4th as Keila da Silva Costa (BRA) jumped 6.76m which I was unable to match with my sixth-round foul. Karen Mey (RSA) jumped a new national record of 6.93m followed by a personal best produced by the final jumper of the competition, Bianca Kappler (GER) with 6.90m, both surpassing my meet record of 6.88m set last year.

Although pleased with my improvement since Ostrava on my road back from surgery, the competitor in me was jealous of the other girls’ jumps.

I’ll return to Bad Langensalza next year to try and reclaim the meet record.

Next jump Cuxhaven on 14th of July.

Nothing too exciting has happened since being in Cologne. Just getting around by bus, tram and underground to the track, city and home. On my first day in this apartment, I was checking the place out including the washing machine in the basement. There were two machines side by side and although they both looked like washing machines, I thought maybe the machine on the right was a dryer so I opened it up to have a look inside. Out pours putrid water all over me until my lightning reflexes kicked into gear. Nothing a change of clothes and a shower couldn’t solve. The funny side of the story is there was a note in German that the owner had left informing us not to open the right hand side washing machine but Steffen, our German speaking agent, chose not to read the note until about 5 minutes after my little incident.
I’m jumping in Bad Langensalza (the long jump only meet in Germany that I went to last year) this Saturday and I’m looking forward to jumping there again.

Keep smiling

Obviously, the faster you can run, the greater your speed on the runway. The only difficulty is that the faster you are running, the more difficult it becomes to control your position and technique. To improve your control on the runway requires plenty of practice to develop rhythm and improve your stability.

The easiest way to get height off the board is to stick your foot out at the board. If you stick your foot out and prop, this will cause a big drop off in your speed. This drop off in speed will negatively influence the distance you jump and it can also cause numerous injuries. Therefore it is important not to prop at the board to minimise how much speed you lose and how many injuries you sustain.

At the end of your run-up, there are two very important technical components to limit your drop-off in speed and minimise the risk of injuring yourself at take-off.

Number one – have an active second-last (penultimate) stride. By the time your foot touches down on the second-last stride, your take-off knee should be in-line with, if not in front of, the penultimate knee. This allows you to set up for take off.

Number two – make sure your body keeps up with your feet. At the time you hit the board, it is important that your body is fairly upright and only just behind your foot. The further your body is behind your take-off foot, the greater the “breaking� force hence the more you will slow down and the more you are likely to injure yourself.

These are two of the most difficult technical aspects to execute at speed and require plenty of practice, patience and perseverance. Good luck!

Image courtesy of Jen Manning, QAS

I’m basing in Cologne, Germany again this year. My coach will be over for the entire duration which will make my preparation for Worlds ideal. Training squad members Amy Harris, Chris Noffke and Kane Brigg will also be in Cologne - somewhat different from last year when I was flying solo for the first month or so.

Now that I’m not at work, I will have a little more time to tinker on my website - with more frequent posts.

Train hard and have fun!

When I started the year with my best domestic season opening jump, I was very excited about what 2007 may hold.

Subsequently, I experienced some knee trouble which made my preparation leading up to Nationals very challenging. With my sights firmly set on Beijing next year, I wanted to ensure that I’m not carrying any injuries so I had a knee arthroscopy. This is a very minor operation to look inside the knee joint.

As a result of the operation, my preparation for World Championships will be rushed. I’m still optimistic about my chances at this year’s World Champs as I recall my equally rushed and inconsistent preparation for 2004 Olympics with my very pleasing Olympic performance.

All athletes will have at least one injury during their sporting career. I believe the success of an athlete is dependent on their ability to cope with their challenges and how much these fuel their desire.

As they say – that which does not kill you can only make you stronger.

Sleep is one of our bodies’ best methods of recovering. When you get inadequate rest, your body releases a chemical called cortisol which can interfere with growth and repair which reduces the effectiveness of training and increases the likelihood of injury. Eight hours is generally recommended for adults.

Some athletes find an afternoon nap also helps them get through their afternoon session. Personally, I feel a little lethargic if I nap prior to training.

Psychological and emotional stress may also influence recovery and performance so make sure you take the time to relax.

Resting with your legs elevated reverses hydrostatic pressure which can improve recovery. Some people also recommend putting your legs up prior to training / competing. Compression tights may also provide a similar effect.

Contrast (hot/cold) immersion is commonly used as it is believed to increase blood flow (eg alternate one minute in ice bath / one minute warm bath).

Massage is often used to expedite recovery.

It is important you don’t exert yourself outside of training with strenuous employment or other recreation sports but nor should you spend all your time on the couch.

Nutrition plays an important role. Adequate protein and carbohydrate intake is important not to slow recovery. Many nutritionists recommend intake of small portions of protein and carbohydrate within 30 minutes of training to aid recovery. A nutritionist can assist you in this area.

This is not an exhaustive list of ways to improve recovery but hopefully will help you to focus a little more on this important component of training. Research doesn’t support all of these strategies but it’s good to experiment to find out what works best for you.

Part of the reason I enjoy the Melbourne meet so much is because historically I’ve jumped so well there - often doing my season’s best. The track, the conditions, the atmosphere and the consistent tailwinds all contribute to my good performances in Melbourne. There are other reasons I love Melbourne so much and I believe they help me to Jump Long.

Shopping! I have to confess I love shopping and in my opinion, Melbourne is home to the best shopping in Australia. It may be psychological and it may be a superstition but I tend to perform well when I’ve had a good shopping day prior to the competition. I rationalise my shopping by saying that it gives me a natural buzz which improves my mood and performance!

I’ve compiled a list of tips for performance-enhancing shopping:

1. Don’t overtrain – limit the shopping excursion’s duration.
2. Set realistic goals – have an idea of what you are looking for but don’t be too specific – you don’t want to risk disappointment.
3. Avoid injury – wear comfortable footwear and make sure when trying on clothes, they’re easy to get on and off – you don’t want to dislocate your shoulder in the change room.
4. Maintain good hydration levels during the event – it’s ok to stop at a café or juice bar during the spree.
5. Training partners may help or hinder – you don’t want a shopping buddy who has different goals or tastes from you, it may hamper your performance.
6. Performance analysis – review your purchases on return to the hotel.
7. Believe in your training – avoid buyer’s remorse.
8. Give something back to the sport – share your triumphs with other athletes to improve their performances (eg location of various shops and sales).
9. Facilitate recovery – put your feet up after you’ve been shopping.
10. Celebrate your success – have a great competition and the prize money in Melbourne will cover any costs incurred.

Although I didn’t jump a season’s best this year, considering how little I have trained over the past month due to injury, I was pleased with the consistency of my series plus I won my event.

Even if it is just a stroll through one of Melbourne’s fabulous shopping precincts, take some time out for yourself, enjoy your travels and the opportunities athletics presents to you.