Thursday 2nd November 2017

I normally don’t sleep before flights.  I always worry that I’ll somehow oversleep and then miss my flight.  As a result I will normally stay up the night before I travel, constantly checking my luggage and worrying about leaving some item or other.
But I’ve been acutely aware of how much Wessex League Reading took out of me.  I’ve felt mentally drained for most of the week and my schedule has meant that I’ve been unable to catch up on much needed sleep.
So I had no real option but to try and get some sleep and hope that my alarm woke me up in time.
It did thankfully, but even so the 4am start left me feeling exhausted before I’d even left.  There were all the usual last minute panics but all turned out to be nothing.  The packing I did last night had worked out and I’d not forgotten anything.
I was a little late leaving the house and this was compounded by the fact that my junction to the M4 was closed, resulting me in having to turn round and travel in the opposite direction across town to get onto the motorway.  Between the two I seemed to lose 45 minutes.
Now, I always travel with plenty of time to spare.  I hate being late, although I always find myself running so.  As a result I always leave with plenty of time to allow for things like delays or traffic jams.  My plans would have got me to Gatwick two hours early whilst also allowing for the journey to take half an hour longer than the minimum travel time.  Yet that didn’t stop me feeling like I was going to miss my flight, and I put my foot down in a slight panic.
I got to the car park about 15 minutes later than planned, still more than 2 hours before my flight took off.  But that didn’t stop me tapping my foot as the bus from the car park to the airport decided to stop at the Northern terminal first.
Bags were checked with ease and security at that time of the morning wasn’t an issue.  Yet, I still found myself refusing to go to the loo until I was through security.  I met up with Pim only to find our flight had been delayed.  We then met up with Pedro and Jack from another school  and hung around chatting whilst the flight continued to get delayed.
We didn’t end up taking off until gone 11am, about 2 hours later than planned.  This was one of the reasons I’d opted for such an early flight.  I figured that even if it got cancelled I could still get to Gothenburg before the tournament tomorrow.
Listened to my tournament playlist most of the way, filled with anticipation and excitement.
At the airport, I ended up being dad and getting everyone onto the bus and trams.  Josh and I had done it last year and whilst I didn’t remember the process, I did remember that it wasn’t difficult.  Pedro and Jack were staying at the venue but Pim and I had a hotel so we left them and went and checked in.  We dumped our bags, went to the supermarket for supplies of drink and the like, and then took our kit up to the venue.
We left it where Jack and Pedro had set up their sleeping bags and then went and said hello to a few people.  Josh was after a new sword so we sent a load of pictures back about the ones they had on sale and I got them to put one aside for me.   Just as well as I was looking at a gorgeous montatne that despite having no practical need for, I fell in love with.
We were sharing our hotel room with Sasha and Masha but they weren’t getting in until very late.  So Pim and I made the very adult decision to go for an early dinner and then get some sleep.
As a result, we had Chinese (I’d forgotten the size of the dishes) and were in bed by 7pm.
This proved to be a good idea.  I was shattered from a mix of Wessex League, travel and my early start.  I figured that even if I couldn’t then sleep the entire night at least my body would be rested.
Sasha and Masha turned up at around midnight but given that we needed to be up at 6:30am to get breakfast, get ready and be ready to fight, we spent only a brief amount of time chatting, looking at the pools for tomorrow and then went straight back to sleep.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day.  I’m feeling pretty calm considering.  I have no real expectations of my fights, although I’d obviously love to do well.  Placing in the low 20’s would be awesome, getting into the eliminations would involve an incredible amount of luck, but I’m just going to enjoy the experience and see how far I’ve come since I was here last year.
If you want to follow more of my journey, then be sure to check me on my social channels.  Likewise, if you’d like me to expand on any point mentioned above, please say so in the comments.

Past Issues: 284 | 283 | 282 | 281
280 | 279 | 278 | 277 | 276 | 275 | 274 | 273 | 272 | 271 | 270 | 269 |  268 | 267 | 266 | 265 | 264 | 263 | 262 | 261
260 | 259 | 258 | 257 | 256 | 255 | 254 |  253 | 252 | 251 | 250 | 249 | 248 | 247 | 246 | 245 | 244 | 243 | 242 | 241
240 | 239 | 238 | 237 | 236 | 235 | 234 | 233 | 232 | 231 | 230 | 229 | 228 | 227 | 226 | 225 | 224 | 223 | 222 | 221
220 | 219 |218 | 217 | 216 | 215 | 214 |  213 | 212 | 211 | 210 | 209 | 208 | 207 | 206 | 205 | 204 | 203 | 202 | 201
200 | 199 | 198 | 197 | 196 | 195 | 194 | 193 | 192 | 191 | 190 | 189 | 188 | 187 | 186 | 185 | 184 | 183 | 182 | 181 |
180 | 179 | 178 | 177 | 176 | 175 | 174 | 173 | 172 | 171 | 170 | 169 |  168 | 167 | 166 | 165 | 164 | 163 | 162 | 161 |
160 | 159 | 158 | 157 | 156 | 155 | 154 | 153 | 152 | 151 | 150 | 149 | 148 | 147 | 146 | 145 | 144 | 143 | 142 | 141 |
140 | 139 | 138 | 137| 136 | 135 | 134 | 133 | 132 | 131 | 130 | 129 | 128 | 127 | 126 | 125 | 124 | 123 | 122 | 121 |
120 | 119 | 118 | 117 | 116| 115 | 114 | 113 | 112 | 111 | 110 | 109 | 108| 107| 106| 105| 104| 103 | 102 | 101|
100 | 99| 98 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82| 81|
80 | 79| 78| 77| 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 65 |  64 | 63 | 62 | 61 |
60 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53| 52| 51 |50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 |45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 |
40 | 39| 38| 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 |30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24| 23 | 22 | 21 |
20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15| 14| 13 | 12 | 11 |10 | 9 | 8 | 7| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1