Nationals - Friday 7th March

We didn't swim on the Friday, but it was all part of Nationals right? So it gets its own special place in this blog!

Friday Night

I was supposed to get a lift down to Sheffield (where junior nationals are held every year, at Ponds Forge if you wanted to know) with one of my coaches (Richard) but he had to take his daughter (Ellie - who has CP, and who I shared a room with) down at lunch because she had classification in the afternoon. Jill (another coach) was going down at past 8pm because she was still doing training at Ibstock and it takes quite a while to get from Leicestershire to Sheffield.

So I was taken down by my dad, and we took Dev (who had the same problem as me - no lift etc.). It was a pretty quiet journey, traffic was okay and we only went the wrong way once. My dad did drive completely past the hotel, to be fair the turn off was near invisible in the dark.

We signed in and Richard came down with Ellie, who showed me to our room. Typical hotel room really, beds, kettle, TV. The lot. I was sleeping by the window (on the slightly lower and probably less comfy bed) which I didn't mind because I'd probably fall out of it anyway. I dumped my bags and then went to say goodbye.

Then me and Ellie (we share the same name, although not full name - she's Elanor and I'm Eléna) went back upstairs (after she'd scrounged some more hot chocolate from reception - she's addicted to that stuff!). I unpacked my stuff and re-checked my swimming bag. Ellie had her portable DVD player with her (and lots of DVDs) so we watched Kinky Boots. I didn't see most of the film 'cos the screen was tiny and to far away, but I heard a lot of it and got the jist. The DVD player did kinda die before the end so I'm yet to finish Kinky Boots.

Mike and Dev came in and asked if they could have the DVD player on Saturday - Ellie said yeah as long as they didn't break it and they left. Though Dev did come back a few seconds later asking if I had any squash with me. Slightly confused, I had soya milk. He was even more confused. Guess Mike and he like squash huh?

After the DVD died me and Ellie pretty much went to sleep straight away. I found out I'd forgotten my PJs so I had to sleep in a t-shirt and the oh-so-charming tracksuit bottoms I had for when I was poolside and if I got cold.

As usual I went to sleep listening to Radio 4 - I like my routine, and Radio 4 is a big part of it.

Well, that was Friday night for you! It was pretty freaky going to school on Friday and having normal lessons (though our timetable is funky for a bit because of mock exams) and then going to Sheffied in the evening where I'd be swimming at the same competition as paralympic swimmers! It was actually really scary the more I thought about it - so I didn't think about it much.