Each month, Olympian and Team GB athlete, Tom Bosworth writes exclusively for Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing about his road to Tokyo 2021.
“Finally, October has been a ‘normal’ month for me, well at least for training any way. My first month of work, any where close to what I was doing before we all went into lockdown.
After taking a few weeks break in September, I started the Olympic season (take two) at the start of October, freshly motivated and excited for the year ahead. What helped majorly was finally getting away for some warm weather work to begin the adaptations needed to deal with racing in Tokyo next summer at the Olympics. I’m currently writing this from Sicily where I’ve been for the last 10 days.
The warmer climate and a change of location has helped freshen my mind up to the challenge of another big winter. Heading towards next season, the aches and pains of suffering from Covid finally seem to have left my joints and I’m training freely and actually enjoying it again. Finally!
After hitting my biggest week of mileage since March in mid October, this has been a brilliant starting block to the much bigger months that lay ahead through to February. Taking it step by step has been crucial even more this year after so many weeks without getting proper training done and recovering from Covid.
It seems the world is also starting to get excited for the Olympic Games too, with some exciting projects lined up this winter, all I can say for now is to watch this space, more will be revealed as and when.
It only takes a few good weeks of training, some sunshine, great food (and a little bit of great wine) to really turn my mindset around. Focus is back on the main goal of next year, whilst enjoying the day to day tasks of training, recovering, hydration, massage, sleep, training again, getting the calories in and more sleeping – tough life! But staying committed every day is not easy, but what with exciting things going on off the track and training getting better by the day, it’s very easy to remain focused each day.
I travelled here to Sicily with a friend I met through athletics who runs the 1500m, Tom Lancashire (a Beijing 2008 Olympian). Being professional athletes we have the huge benefit of being exempt from some of the restrictions and can travel back and continue training despite Italy now being on the quarantine list. This is something I’m truly thankful for, as now I know I can get away and get the much needed altitude/warm weather training I’ll need ahead of the Olympics next year.
Having not been away for so long, a training camp certainly has been a very welcomed trip. However, I’ve become accustomed to having my fiancé Harry and my wonderful dog Jess with me every day, so it’s become a little tougher being away from them. Especially as we are finally planning our wedding now, for a couple years time mind, I’d like a few more than 15 people to attend!
It’s been a real pleasure to be able to tell you that I’m back in training and getting plenty of work done. Some longer walks (20km) and speed sessions have been completed and my training is starting to get the variety required to build a decent foundation for next year. It’s such a relief! Till next month, I’ll leave you knowing I’m working hard and thoroughly enjoying it. – The scary thing is the next time I’ll be writing to you, the build up to the strangest Christmas we’re going to experience for a while will be well and truly underway!”
You can get in contact through the usual means, across social media @tombosworth or check out my website and get in touch that way www.tombosworth.com.
