Life Updates: How’s World’s Training Going? How’s the Calendar Coming? What Reality Show is Rocking My World Right Now?
Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback and questions about many different things in my life. So here’s a quite eclectic selection of the most popular topics people have asked for updates about in my life.
Can We Suggest Blog Topics? Yes! I Encourage It! Please!
Last week's topic, an introduction to disability etiquette, was really positively received and has now become my most read and shared blog post to date. I want to wholeheartedly thank you all for the lovely feedback and a massive shout-out to Susan for suggesting the topic. If you have any topics you’d like to hear my take on, please make sure to let me know. Feel free to direct message me or comment on social media with suggestions. As much as I enjoy babbling on and amusing myself, and hopefully you all as well, in these blogs I really cherish and appreciate the feedback and topic suggestions.
How is the Calendar Coming Along?
A couple weeks back I dropped a sneaky (okay, not so sneaky) hint that I am releasing a calendar… That's right, get ready for 12 months of this guy being the highlight of your home or work’s functional decor...being all cute. Plus, I was blessed to have the fantastic Jake Lappin join me for some of the months. So, honestly, how can you resist? Big thank you for all the feedback and interest in them. For those of you wanting an update it’s well on its way having quite a few of the months completed (I just did some photos for Easter this week). Also I’m open to taking suggestions on photo ideas, so if you are desperate to see me embarrass myself on your special month let me know! But act fast, because I’m wrapping it up. Also while I have your attention i'll drop a quick shout-out firstly to Q for helping put this madness together. Total babe. Don’t blame her if it’s bad, she did her best with my silly self. And secondly to Dave and Angie for helping out being the magic behind the camera. In case you haven’t heard, shameless plug, my mate, Dave, has got some real talent. Plus, being able to hang out with my best mates working on something fun for my racing career is always a blast.
What Am I Watching Right Now?
When I’m getting too much in my own head about life, I like to run away to some dumb reality TV. So, if you’re looking to waste some time in front of your TV or laptop and let out your inner diva, listen up. This has probably taken up too much thought, this week but it’s “Tell All” week on 90 Day Fiancée: The Other Way… For those of you who are unfamiliar, it’s an American show where Americans who have met their partners online in other countries, gotten engaged, and travel to their partner’s second or third world country in the hope to get married before their visas expire and is faced with the most dramatic reveals and culture shock that reality TV has to offer. “Tell All” week is where the 6 couples actually come together in-person to watch their most dramatic moments and comment on each other’s terrible decisions. The drama is real and the relationships are without a doubt ruined! Its reality television at its best. 10/10. We all need a guilty pleasure.
Where am I? And How’s World’s Training Going?
I realized I haven't given ya’ll an update on where in Australia I am at the moment. Guess who’s back in Geelong baby!? It’s me, FYI. Quite often, when I come back home I find myself in a bit of a slump after longer training blocks up at the Autralian Institute of Sport. You get used to having other athletes around you and being in an elite training environment and home can sometimes make you feel like you are stuck in the slow lane having to self-motivate every training session. This time I’m happy to report that's not the case! Having been selected on the team to race at World Champs and that slightly scary fact that they are now under three weeks away, I’ve been beyond motivated, even on the slower track back here in Geelong I've hit new top speeds (on this track) and feeling really strong. It's amazing what a few sunny days and a positive mind set can do.
As I mentioned briefly above, coming back from a controlled training environment like I had in Canberra back to a mostly self-managed training environment can be a real test. I always train fast at the AIS thank, in-part, to the awesome track up there. Coming back to the slower track and seemingly always windy conditions in Geelong, it's easy for the slower performances at training to take their toll on my motivation. I’ll start off by welcoming the challenge, grinding out sessions to prove to myself that I am are strong, which is great for the first few days or even the first week but inevitably the resistance on the slower track will catch up to me. I just have to remember, “If you feel fast you go fast. If you feel slow you go slow.”
Before every session I always remind myself what I’m training for. I’ll memorise the session I’m about to complete and focus on certain aspects I want to improve on. With the 100m race being a sprint, it’s easy to think its just pushing as fast as you can to the line, but the way it is executed is nothing like that. There are so many components of the race to fit into such a short amount of time and distance, each step needing to be performed, timed and maximised to reach the highest speed. So, focusing on smaller aspects and setting smaller training goals is great, because chances are you won’t nail the whole session, (and if you are giving it 100% nor should you expect too), but you’ll be able to complete the training hitting that aspect throughout the whole session. That’s right people, goals within goals within goals… Goals-ception!
Overall I’m happy with where I am right now. No doubt the panic of “have I done enough?” will inevitably set in closer to the competition and I’ll have to re-read these blogs to remind myself how I am in fact prepared for this. After all these blogs are as much therapeutic exercises for me as they are entertainment for you. Thank you all for being part of the “Quadzilla Sam” family.