What would training be like without a little rain!

The girls all set for training

Today was finally a chance to adjust to life in Moscow, the heat, food and all that it had ahead for us. Getting into the swing of things we kicked the day off with a high tempo, good quality training session. It was a great chance for us all to finally kicks a ball as a complete squad as a few of the girls unfortunately missed last week’s pre-departure camp and it’s fair to say the feeling was good within the camp and everyone’s bonding well.

The greatest challenge of today was the unorthodox weather; something you would think us British citizens were used too. One minute, during the morning session, we were slapping on the sun cream, wearing iced wrist bands and rolling up our sleeves as the weather reached highs of 28 degrees. Our sexy GB caps, which I think you agree suit us to a tee, even made an appearance on the way home from training as the sun continued to blaze down! Then, unexpectedly and unforeseen, the weather switched from beaming sunlight to continuous thunderstorms which frustratingly hindered our afternoon session as the lightning struck and the rain poured down! But in true British fashion we powered on and battled through - after all what would a game of football be like without a little bit of rain… it’s what seems to have plagued most of our ‘summer league’ this season! 

Pre-training weigh in.
Please note the 'sexy' caps being modeled by Luke!

In true training camp fashion we headed for an ice bath and a pool session post training; a key part of our schedule in a bid to aid recovery ahead of what was planned. Arriving at the swimming pool, which thankfully was on site, felt similar to a flash back to the 1950s. Not that I was alive then but how I imagined swimming pools to be… stone brick walls, old school concrete diving boards, dimmed lights. Which all made sense when I later found out that CSK Moscow’s training ground used to be a military training base!

Dinner, a team meeting and time to chill followed as we looked ahead to tomorrow - our first friendly on Russian soil, against a currently unknown Russian team! All will be revealed in due course but whoever we face it will be a key step in our preparation plans as we look ahead to the Games.