Hannah Miley: Full focus on training as trials in new Olympic Pool loom large

And then, just three weeks today, on 3 March, I will be at the new Olympic Pool taking part in the most important event for years, the GB Olympic trials. I’m really looking forward to trying out the new pool and getting a flavour of what it might be like in July. But it is going to be a really tense week as I try to clinch my Olympic selection. I have to finish in the first two and I’m looking forward, hopefully, to getting the trials out of the way and then being really able to concentrate on London 2012.

My main event is the 400m Individual Medley and it is on the first day of the trials – just as it will be at the Olympics. The heats are in the morning and the final in the evening. I’m not taking anything for granted. There are lots of youngsters coming through and I’ll need two good swims.

I know that, during the week-long event, I will also be competing in the 200m IM but Patrick, my dad and coach, will be deciding on the rest of my programme – I just leave it to him so I’m not sure yet what other events I’ll be swimming.

If I’ve already qualified in the 400m IM, it will be nice to be able to be a little more relaxed for the other races.

The university work is hard, but it is quite a good diversion from swimming. I had to do four 3,000-word modules for my sport and exercise science degree at Robert Gordon’s and I couldn’t quite finish the last one in time and I was getting really stressed out.

But I asked for an extension and that’s when the university really help. The lecturers appreciate that I have enough to worry about with my swimming and they give me the extra time I need. But that’s me finished with studies until after the Olympics.

Tenerife was fantastic. It was just dad and me and we got in some really good long course work. It was lovely and hot – although I didn’t do anything except eat, sleep and swim. Nights out or seeing the sights – you must be joking.

Dad is a helicopter pilot who goes out to the oil rigs and has been back at work since we got home a couple of weeks ago but I’ve been training as hard as ever at the Garioch Pool. When you are a medley swimmer, there is so much variety working on every stroke. It’s a great challenge.

It’s nice to be here in Sheffield. I took part in the Championships last year and I was the only swimmer from Robert Gordon’s. This year it is a really big team – another three girls and five boys. There is a huge entry for the Championships and it’s nice to catch up with all the other university swimmers. There are quite a few here who will also be at the Olympic trials.

As for the Olympics – and it’s now less than six months away – I have a pretty weird feeling abut the whole thing. It is so close and people are always talking to me about it. But I know I still have to qualify and I just can’t look too far ahead.

I know it’s a cliché but I’m just trying to keep my head down, work hard in training and trying to treat the Olympics just like any other major meet. My 17-year-old brother, Alastair, is also hoping to be at the trials. Unfortunately, he was hampered by a foot injury towards the end of last year. Even if he doesn’t make it this time, I am really proud of what he has achieved, and he has been a terrific training partner. In fact, I couldn’t do my swimming without all the support of all my family.

I’ll be back training at Garioch on Monday for the final push towards the trials. In the final few days before we head south I’ll go into lock down mode. No distractions – just focusing on what I have to do.

• Hannah Miley is the European and Commonwealth Games 400m individual medley Champion and she won the silver medal at the World Championships in Shanghai last July. She is one of Scotland’s leading prospects for the 2012 Olympic Games and is sponsored by Kellogg’s www.kelloggs.co.uk/freeswim