Nation on Trial Blog: Olympic trials? I'll be watching the rugby (From Sutton Guardian)

Nation on Trial Blog: Olympic trials? I'll be watching the rugby

3:59pm Friday 9th March 2012 in Sport By Stuart Amos

Molesey Boat Club’s Andrew Triggs-Hodge may win a medal at the 2012 Olympics, but as far as I am concerned he has a lot to answer for.

Last week I fell 14 seconds short of my sub seven minute target for 2,000m on the ergo after a month of my Nation on Trial training.

Triggs-Hodge is in the running for a seat in Team GB men’s coxless four and had advised me to take it steady for 1,000m and then ‘boot it’ – his words not mine – over the last 1,000m.

A casual tweet to the Molesey skipper post-challenge –thanking him for his advice and highlighting the point that, despite not making my target time, I had taken 24 seconds off my PB – got the following response: “@ealingroad @NationonTrial awesome progress! Rome wasn’t built in a day! Keep training, you’ll smash 7 mins!”

So here I am, sat on the rowing machine again at Nuffield Health in Twickenham, with iPod play list at the ready and preparing to put myself through it for another month.

Triggs-Hodge bids to qualify for Team GB’s 2012 rowing squad this weekend... I will be watching rugby.