NORTHERN PLANNER

These days, kids and stuff mean I go swimming a lot less and go the gym a lot more, on a lunchtime to be precise. Next to swimming or being out on the bike, the gym comes distant third, but when can't do without either the endorphine rush, the sense of Flow and the release from being anything but me from time to time, it's still special.

It happens to be the same place where Jessica Ennis trains (no photo proof of course, you don't take photos half naked women in gyms. Not even the famous ones).

When you get that close to someone, you realise just how extraordinary world class athletes really are. What they do week in, week out is beyond the realms of what is possible for most of us.

Let me correct that, it's possible for nearly anyone, champions are made, not born, but the levels of practise, commitment and sheer hard work to get there are just too much for most of us.

When you face that level of focused, brilliance, it's pretty inspiring.

I was lucky to play a few games with a pro-tennis player once. I asked him to hit a few proper 1st serves against me, I barely saw them, let alone got a racket on them.

You don't really see that on TV, not even in a big stadium.