Elly Gandy’s Postcard from Oz - August Update

I've just got home from Shanghai and had the best time. We were away for about three weeks (including the preparation camp in Japan beforehand) but it feels like it went so fast!

I'm not a fan of taper - I always feel rubbish in the water and it's a bit demoralising when you cut down the number of sessions but they feel just as hard.

Japan was great. We went back to Osaka which was the same training centre we used for the Olympic preparation in 2008.

It was really lovely going back to somewhere familiar. We knew the route on the train to the pool and everything there was to do around.

A lot of people love it but I’m really not a fan of taper. I always feel rubbish in the water and it’s a bit demoralising when you cut down the sessions that you usually do every week and they feel just as hard.

Although obviously the thing I do love about taper is chilling out and watching movies and tv shows all day - it’s a perfect excuse to be lazy!

I have to say the highlight of Japan was going to see the final Harry Potter film in 3D with Japanese subtitles.

I was gutted because Harry Potter came out in Australia the day I left for Japan so it was a bit of a mission for me to go and see it before we left for China but I managed it! It was brilliant but it felt a bit sad and surreal that the whole Harry Potter story was over.

We arrived in China a few days before the meet started so it was good to have some time to train in the competition pool and get used to the whole atmosphere before the competition started.

Being at a meet like the worlds or the Olympics just has a totally different feel to any other competition I've been to.

I’m getting a lot more comfortable in it now and in Shanghai, I felt more comfortable than at any other. I just soaked up the whole atmosphere and didn’t let the occasion change my focus.

I had such a great week finishing fifth in the 100m Butterfly and winning silver in the 200m Butterfly. It was definitely the busiest program I’ve ever had at a major meet which was really exciting.

  I’d like to write something about my races but it really just
  feels like a blur at the moment. I wrote a diary almost every
  day that I was there so I’ll be able to look back on it in a
  few months and remember the moments a lot more.

  Overall China was brilliant. The crowd was incredible,
  especially for the Chinese athletes, and it really gave me
  goosebumps thinking about what the London Olympic
  crowd will be like. It all makes me want to get back to
  training for the Olympic trials next year. 

  Now that I’m back from the competition and all the
  excitement has died down a little bit I’m really glad to be
  spending a bit of time away from the pool.

We leave for Darwin this week for a few days of 30 degree sunshine - I cannot wait!

I had a few days of training when I got back just to keep in contact with the water for a bit. But now I’m having a few weeks of relaxing and spending time with my brother and our family friend who has come over to visit Australia for a month.

It's great because even though I live here, I don’t really do all the touristy stuff but now I’m showing my friend around we’re doing everything possible!

We leave for Darwin this week for a few days of 30 degree sunshine which I cannot wait for! It's still a bit cold here in Melbourne because we're just coming out of winter.

I am a bit nervous about all the deadly creatures there are in Darwin - especially the crocs and sharks, so I won't be swimming out too far in the sea.

But it's great to have a bit of time off before the big push to London begins.