improved, Gill said those set to take the baton from the stalw

Mark English has dazzled on three big European athletics stages in the last two weeks as his preparations for Rio pick up pace. After a tough three weeks training in South Africa, the 22-year-old rising Irish star was second in a high-class field in Dusseldorf on February 5. Beating American rival Erik Sowinski followed at the Globen Galen in Sweden. On Saturday, a bigger test awaited at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix with Sowinski and Polands European outdoor champion Adam Kszczot heading a strong field.In his latest blog, the Sky Academy Sports Scholar gives a dramatic account of his race build-up and how he fared against some of Europes top 800m runners......Theres no greater thrill than competing in front of a sold-out stadium. Racing in Glasgow on Saturday was doing exactly that and I loved every minute of it.Standing on the balcony overlooking the track before the race, I felt that excited nervousness that only flows for big races. I couldnt wait to get racing!I had spent the previous two days recovering from Stockholm where I raced a 500m and I was happy to run a new national record.I always enjoy running this distance - its a distance that suits a speed-oriented 800m runner. But I was certainly glad to leave the sub-zero temperatures and snowy conditions behind, even if I was just swapping it for rain! English says the 800m is not a race where you can stop and start and hope to still run fast. RACE BUILD-UPSo it was on to Scotland on Saturday. I arrived at the Kelvin Hall stadium two hours before my race. I headed down to the warm-up area with 50 minutes to go. Like always, I did my 15-minute warm-up, starting slow and working into a faster rhythm towards the end.It was time to lace up the spikes and do some activation work, followed by some strides. I felt really good at this point.Its easy to tell if youre in shape when you feel that pop in your legs. It was there! And I knew I was ready to run fast!With 30 minutes to go, the final call came. In the call room I looked around and evaluated who was nervous and tense, who was relaxed and ready.That tells me a lot about how each athlete will approach the race. We all got up from our seats, left our bags in boxes, and headed to the track. Its funny to see athletes stride out as soon as we reach the track. It must look like weve just been let out of prison!RACE TIMEThe 800m race itself went out quick and I slotted into the slipstream as early as possible. My aim was to up the tempo between 200-400m but unfortunately the rhythm was disrupted when the pace of the race slowed after the first lap.That will always cost you a fast time in 800m running - it really is not an event where you can stop and start and hope to still run fast!Its about fatiguing least as opposed to accelerating most! But thats indoor racing - you have to adapt to the circumstances that youre in.The race felt a bit pedestrian until Sowinski made a move to the front after 400m.It was a strange thing to see him do that as he usually likes to run out hard from the start. I think he caught most by surprise. Anyway, I was certainly thankful as it sped the tempo of the race back to a respectable pace again. Adam Kszczot finishes ahead of English in a competitive 800m race in Glasgow Heading into the last lap, I knew Kszczot was close by. I glanced over my shoulder with 200m to go, waiting for him. At the bell he took a few steps out of me and I tried to go with it.I got bumped out wide into lane two and I only really got into my running over the last 50m. It was a bit too late to catch a world silver medalist but I was still happy with how strong I felt.RACE REFLECTIONTheres one certainty from the weekend in Glasgow. Thats knowing I have a huge time left in me.Ill take that confidence with me to the outdoor season - in the full knowing that Ill ready for all opposition coming at me during the summer.Its less than 200 days away until less than two minutes of work. Every day will count until the Rio Olympics and Im relishing the challenge.WHATS COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS...JAN 16 - MARCH 5: Siobhan OConnor, AustraliaFEB 22-28: Jack Bateson, Strandja tournament, BulgariaFEB 27: Lucy Garner, Omloop Het NieuwsbladFEB 28: Lucy Garner, Omloop van het HagelandFEB 27/28: Mark English, National Indoor Champs, Athlone Also See: English bows out in style About the Scholarship Meet the athletes Blogs Custom Moses Malone Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Moses Malone Jersey Large .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. http://www.custom76ersjersey.com/ . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Custom 76ers Jerseys . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. 76ers Jerseys China . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Departing Queensland Reds star Liam Gill says his young teammates must heed the lessons of a horror fortnight or face yet another barren year in Super Rugby.The Reds were beaten 31-28 by the Melbourne Rebels on Friday night, unable to provide Gill, Greg Holmes and a number of other players who were playing their last game for the club with a winning farewell.Gill, who was acting as captain in the absence of James Slipper (sternum), slammed Queenslands first-half performance as the worst 40 minutes of football hes ever been involved in.Just like in the 50-5 belting against the Chiefs a week earlier, the Reds were shellshocked after conceding a try in the opening seconds of the match and were so bad defensively, they can count themselves as fortunate to have only gone into the half-time break down 24-7.While the second half was vastly improved, Gill said those set to take the baton from the stalwarts who are leaving the Reds need to realise they cant afford to keep playing as they have.Theres been a couple of stern lessons in the last two weeks, said Gill, who has signeed for French Top 14 club Toulon.ddddddddddddWeve got a lot of young players in the squad so the best thing they can do is learn from it, but not forget whats happened.The last 40 minutes summed up how we want to play.Hopefully they figure out how to get there so they can move forward.If they dont its going to be another ugly season, but I have faith if they put their head to it and front up, we showed what we can do - we can put points on a good defending team.The injection of Taniela Tupou, Campbell Magnay and Lukhan Tui - arguably the three best young players coming through at Ballymore - in the second half helped change the game, which Exeter-bound prop Holmes said was a sign of the calibre of talent the Reds now have at their disposal.It hurts, I really wanted to win and the team wanted to finish the season well, but in my bigger scheme of things... thats the way footy goes, he said.I think the Reds are looking good for years to come. 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