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Hi there,  

With the Olympic Trials looming and Beijing clearly on the horizon it is fair to say I would like to be feeling a little better than I am at the moment.

I’m struggling with a viral infection, which was diagnosed out in Annecy at the European Cup, and I’m currently on antibiotics and hope to be back competing shortly.

I was heavy-legged and sweating in the warm up at the European Cup and didn’t feel too well. Obviously, I didn’t perform as well as I would have liked (7.89m for fourth) and the UK Athletics doctor diagnosed me as having a viral infection.

I flew home on the second day of the European Cup and was told to rest. The person I feel really sorry for is my room-mate in Annecy, the 400m sprinter Richard Buck. I think I must have given him the virus because he started complaining of the same symptoms I had and didn't compete.

I’m probably my own worst enemy in that while I’m very good at monitoring my muscles, I’m not so good when I fall ill and often take the Teesside attitude that I’ll be ‘alright.’

Every illness or twinge is magnified in an Olympic year and every day you miss training you start to worry. But I look at it the other way. A few days off at this time of year might not necessarily be such a bad thing and might help rest the body.

As for the rest of my time in Annecy I didn’t get the chance to go down to Lake Annecy as I did when the European Cup was last at the venue six years ago. I’m not one for playing computer games for seven or eight hours and prefer to relax by watching a bit of TV and I caught up with watching the football at Euro 2008.

I’m a big football fan, a passionate Boro supporter, and it is great shame England didn't compete in Austria/Switzerland.

Having said that England are rubbish and wouldn’t have stood a chance against many of the teams at Euro 2008. There are too many overseas players in the Premier League and I’m sick of reading about how well Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard play for Liverpool and Chelsea. All I care about is how their play for England.

Anyway, I’ll stop ranting about football and simply say it is hard to believe I’ve already been married to Lucia for just over a month. It is a nice secure feeling to be married but as I’ve launched myself back into the athletics season I’ve hardly had time to reflect on it. Hopefully, in my next blog I’ll be back off the couch and ready and raring to go for the Olympic Trials.  

Chris