Heather Fell, Olympic modern pentathlete silver medalist, writes about her life 'on and off' the track.

THE second week of any training camp can be testing on the squad dynamics. When training back in the UK everyone heads home in a relaxed manner after completing their individual programmes, where as on a camp everything is done as a group, including all transport and meals.

There are very few distractions in Font Romeu in the Pyranees, it's especially quiet in June before the tourist season begins. So you can imagine our shock — or should I say very pleasant surprise — when a whole rugby league team turned up at the training centre out of the blue. The whole women's squad became a bunch of giggling teenagers but unfortunately it was only a very fleeting visit and we did not even have chance to speak to them. In hindsight maybe that was a good thing as I think the chance of any male attention after ten days in the mountains would have tested the girls' competitive spirits!

Training camps and competition dates may be out of my control but these recent few are clashing rather frustratingly with many British sporting events.

The first week of our camp it was Royal Ascot, last weekend it was the Henley regatta, currently it is Wimbledon, and to add to that the Tour de France started the day we left the mountains. However missing these events is a small price to pay to be in the UK for the big one, I can't believe the Olympic Games actually start this month. I have one more trip abroad for the European Championships before hiding my passport for a month or so; I just hope that our summer appears at the same time.