Diary Entry 11th July 2008
(29 days until Opening Ceremony)

IRONING OUT THE CREASES

The Japan tour has been our final test and what a test it's been - testing our physical and mental strength, patience and resilience.

The weather has continually been a challenge and at times has really affected our match preparation and performance.  It was HOT, HUMID, UNCOMFORTABLE, SWEATY, SMELLY and we had some terrible bouts of TORRENTIAL RAIN and THUNDER STORMS.  Hong Kong was always going to give us to a taste of what was to come (weather wise), however Japan shocked us, even the most senior of athletes and support staff who have experienced trying conditions couldn't believe it.  The 4th test match was cancelled due to storms and we waited, hour after hour after hour.  It is always a huge challenge to wait it out for a match, because for us we had already gone through the motions - match preview, warm up, only to find it would be played later on in the day.  It's tough trying to stay alert and focussed when you have no idea when you'll be running on the pitch.  Some athletes slept, others read - I paced (I'm not very patient).  It did eventually clear and our 10am match became a 5pm match and believe it or not it was a stark contrast - HOT and HUMID, who could have picked it!!

We drew the series after a rocky start, 1st Match 4-2 loss, 2nd Match 2-1 win, 3rd Match 3-1 loss and 4th Match 4-1 win.  It was a mixed bag of results with our 1st Match loss to Japan being only our second loss to Japan in over 30 internationals.  With each game we showed improvement, we just wasted our opportunities.  In nearly every match our circle penetrations and penalty corners doubled Japan's we just couldn't finish off.  Our 4th Match win confirmed to the group that we're capable and this was the best end to the tour that we could have asked for.  This tour really exposed our fitness, collectively we score quite well on our beep tests, but our fitness was compromised.  Of course the weather played a part, but our mental capacity to beat it was more of an issue.  Come Beijing there won't be room for excuses.  It was great exposure to train and play in these conditions, conditions that will mirror exactly what Beijing has to offer.  It now gives us a clear objective of what we need to work on in our final 2 weeks of preparation.

Amongst all of the hockey we did have a sight seeing day.  We bussed it to Kyoto. Kyoto is just stunning, a city of temples and gardens.  To this day it remains the cultural centre of Japan. We visited many temples and shrines in blistering heat - it was 10 degrees hotter in Kyoto compared to Tenri, we all sought refuge in an air conditioned restaurant! For many of us it gave us an opportunity to see a Geisha, Kyoto is considered by many to be where the Geisha tradition is strongest today with many teahouses. We saw two Geisha girls and one Maiko (a Geisha in training), they look like dolls - their flawless appearance is just amazing.
It was a long day - we left at 9am and returned at 5pm - probably too much of a long day, seeing as our final Test match was the following day.  But true to Aussie determination, we went out and blitzed it.

We're now in Hong Kong on our final stop over before heading home.  I love playing for my country and enjoy where it takes me to, but nothing is sweeter than knowing you'll be home in one more sleep. Hong Kong gives the group some breathing space - one final shopping adventure and a little taste of normality - before we're back in the Institute training environment.  We have 2 hard weeks of training and of course fitness testing (the beep test still makes me nervous), then the program tapers and we're on our way to Beijing.

As a group we all believe that our best game is unbeatable, and this is the thought that we will train with every day with the lead up to the Games.