Uphill

Getting back to full fitness after the holiday is a giant uphill struggle. Most people probably can't comprehend the kind of pain and exhaustion an athlete feels when they reach this point in the season. We are just starting to attempt full programme run throughs, which means 5 minutes at 100% full throttle, no holds barred. What’s amazing is that once a week seems tough but in just a couple of weeks we'll be up to five full programmes a week on top of our normal training schedule. However at this point in training mental strength is just as important as physical strength, the ability to set aside the distractions of pain, lack of energy and keep full commitment, not to let up, just keep on truckin'. Come that first competition, we'll be glad we did!

We've completed all our Choreography for both programmes now, working off ice with Artur a hip-hop instructor who won Poland's 'You Think You Can Dance' competition a few years back. It’s been a complete change from the classical and Latin American we did in the past and just refreshing to challenge a new aspect of dance. On ice the short and long programmes get smoother the more we do them. Some of the elements are a bit scrappy at the moment but that's normal, we can't be perfect all the time, as much as we try! That's the fun part anyway, taking someone else's choreography and turning it into your programme - complete with your tricks.

So it’s pretty repetitive stuff at the moment at home in Torun, Poland. It's the ‘practice makes perfect’ rule and we keep going over and over our programmes to gain almost an auto-pilot mode so we can get past the choreography and start pushing the speed. This week we are filming a review of our training to send to our federation. We used to come home for screenings but expense is a major problem for us this season and we have to cut down on all cost if were going to reach Sochi Olympics in 2014. Our money has dwindled since we moved out to train in the best Pairs School in Europe and British Olympic funds have sadly ended. But you can always replace money; what you can’t replace is your time and place in such a competitive sport.

Well sorry there isn’t anything more exciting to report this time but we have competitions coming up real soon and this is where the fun begins!

All the best people and work hard.