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Sport - Athletics: Barbara’s new initiative for Olympics selection
OLYMPIC hopeful Barbara Parker has obtained the help of a sport psychologist in a bid to improve her times for the 3,000 metre steeplechase for the London 2012 games.
The Lynn-born runner, now living in Atlanta USA, runs up to around 80 miles a week and follows a very strict training regime.
The former West Norfolk sports woman of the year said on her blog: “I am at that point in my career where I am hitting my peak.
“With London 2012 less than 200 days away I am training harder, longer and more intensely than ever before.”
The Pott Row athelete, now has a river trail 400 metres from her Atlanta home where she runs every morning, before going to see her massage therapist to ensure she keeps herself fresh.
About working with a sport psychologist, she told BBC Radio Norfolk: “It is really helping. That’s the one thing that I feel has held me back a little bit in the major competitions – being able to push myself through races.
“I’m hoping that alone will bring my times down.”
On her blog she stated: “My coach and I decided my psychology during races is something that we needed to address.”
The Florida State University graduate has now been presented with an altitude tent, meaning that she effectively sleeps at 12,000 feet each night for twelve hours. It is said that sleeping at this altitude is effectively 25 hours sleep a day at 6,000 ft.
She said: “It helps create red blood cells which carry oxygen, and everybody else in the world is doing it so it’s great that I can do that now.”
Parker missed out on automatic selection for the 2012 games after finishing 14th in the final of the World Championships, where she needed to finish 8th.
Hopefully Parker can build on the success she has already achieved in her career at the London Olympics, with the full backing and support of everybody in West Norfolk.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
