Since the World Rowing Championships In late August 2007 life has been pretty hectic and stressful but these are probably a few of the ingredients needed in successful High performance sport.

Having a three weeks off finished off the 2007 season nicely, or depending on which way you look at it inhibited the first few weeks of training through my rapid loss of fitness. Nevertheless I came back to start the 2007/08 Olympic season mentally and Physically refreshed, and ready to start; without a doubt the most intense period of my rowing career to date.

The First training camp of the season came quickly after only a few days training in the UK we flew off to Germany, home of the chief coach Jurgen Grobler. This was the first time we had been to this location. Looking down from my hotel room over a huge river we were to train on I forgot, if only for a few seconds about my loss of fitness.

We soon unloaded the boats and rowing machines and resumed training, however we had one stop to make first to the bike rental shop. we were to cycle to training twice a day which was only a short ride away down a really steep hill which was great fun on the way down but after 1 14 mile rowing session was like torture on the way back to the hotel. So i had crash landed back to training, normal service had been resumed.... Two 14 mile sessions a day plus weight training was a typical day.

Twelve days later and I'm on the plane home feeling exhausted but on the up side my fitness is coming back because apparently was doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Back at home and we continue with a high volume training programme with the coaches monitoring everything from split times on the water and rowing machine to how much weight we can lift in the gym. Pretty soon I'm off again this time on a high altitude training camp in Granada, Spain.

Our home a purposely built training facility at 2400m which looks more like a villain from a James bond movie might plot the downfall of the world. The idea behind altitude training is that the air is thinner and therefore any physical activity is harder and in turn the physiological responses are greater form the human body adaptation to training. Be under no illusion this place is torture but as I'd been here before I was well prepared and got down to pushing myself hard and feeling good about all the good quality training we were doing.

A typical day would be five sessions, 2 on the rowing machine for around 75 minutes and 60 minutes, 2 sessions of weights and rounding the day off with a sixty minute football session,. Twenty 16 stone guys with little in the way of football skills I imagine would be a lesson to anyone how not to play the game.

Forward ten days and I'm sat on the plane again heading for Heathrow feeling tired but knowing I'd really made some good progress.

Back Home once again and back to the sport of rowing actually on water and what fitness and strength I'd gained needed a more than a few days to apply this to the subtleties of rowing technique! It's only a few weeks till Christmas now and while many of my friends were letting their hair down and enjoying more than a few late night and getting into the festive mood I had some trials in the form of rowing machine test and rowing a pair with Alex Partridge for a water trails on the 21st of December so it was still early to bed I had a few beers in the fridge but I wasn't allowing myself to touch them.

Rowing machine test came first and this is particularly unpleasant experience 2000m, the day of the test came round quickly and I was wanted to produce something good do I could at least have a few days of a well earned rest over Christmas. The test went well and I recorded a new P.B of 5 minutes forty eight seconds, I'm happy with that and now confident of a good performance in the pair in a few days time. Pairs racing day comes around and Alex and I are going well, I think. First heat is a time trail which Alex and I recorded the fastest time which was great. However before the next heat I fall down the stairs so I call it a day on the rowing for the day and head off to casualty for an X ray.

Turns out nothing is broken which is good news but I'm annoyed I couldn't finish the days trials.

Christmas comes and goes and 2008 is arrives I report to Heathrow on the 2nd and fly to St Moritz in Switzerland for two weeks of cross country skiing and of course the rowing machine and weight training. My cross counrty skiing gas improved over the last few years but is still best described as rudimentary but 4 hours across some of the most beautiful parts of the world, sort of takes your mind off the the minus 20 temperature and how your lack of technique is tiring you out even more.

Early February and I'm in Seville on the first warm weather camp of the year rowing on fours and eight we stay there for nearly three weeks clocking up nearly 300km each week on the water. I get back form Spain and It's only ten days away from our final set of trials held in Belgium because the weather in England is far from predictable at this time in March.

,p> Alex and I have some Good racing and progress to the final comfortably and finish third overall an encouraging result.

Back home we have some further tests in fours which I come out high up and record the quickest tome on the final rowing machine test of the year. Following all of the trailing I earn my seat in the mens eight for the first world cup race in Munich in Early May.