Paralympics 2012: David Weir's big secret for Paralympic gold? No late nights and cancelling Christmas The plans for the four golds were set just before September 2011. My coach Jenny Archer and I had to decide what we wanted to do over the winter, so we pulled out of some races and concentrated on getting my shoulder fully fit. I had the best physio ever at St Mary's University College, Twickenham, and eventually I was pain-free. That was such a blessing: before that, it hurt just to raise my arm to use my front-door key. I needed a plan which would give me everything I needed for speed and endurance, so I gave up track sessions to join a group of cyclists in Richmond Park. There were always between three or five of them and it meant I had someone faster than me pushing me to my limits every day. The cyclists loved every minute of it and I have seen them a couple of times since the Games. I held a little do at Kingston the other week, and they were all there. I cannot thank them more for the attention they gave me. I might have won one gold without then, but four? I went to a warm weather training camp at the beginning of June, testing everything over two weeks in 30-degree heat, but I really did not want to go back to the pre-Games holding camp in Portugal. I am not the best flier in the world, and just felt I did not need the added stress. Jenny and I put an email together and told UK Athletics that I had a plan for 10 weeks in Richmond Park, with the cyclists, which I did not want to break. I stayed at home and am so glad I did. The Games could not have gone more smoothly. The 5k felt great and was just won on rhythm; the 1,500m was tougher, but probably my best race of the fortnight in terms of execution. For the third, in the 800m, I was so relaxed on the warm-up track I was 2mph quicker than I had been ahead of the 5,000m. I felt on top of the world. The marathon was a different story, though. I remember telling people not to expect anything special, because I was starting to feel the effects of a gruelling Games. I could not get to sleep until nearly 6am after the third gold as my mind was still racing. I did not even bother to go to bed: I just got my duvet and went to the front room of the flat and fell asleep on the sofa. I had 48 hours until the marathon and there was no point in pushing myself. On the Friday, I saw my partner Emily and my son Mason at the Westfield Centre. Emily put on my three gold medals and said: "We want number four now." I had a quick MOT with my physio Paul Martin. He pulled me and prodded me, loosened my neck and checked that troublesome shoulder, but I was pain-free. The main challenge was sheer exhaustion, both physically and emotionally, and the marathon was agony. The reason I was able to pull through was those hours in Richmond, and the desire to finish the Games on top. It was for me, the family, everyone who supported me, and in those final painful few miles around London, the fans. It feels like a dream now - the best kind of dream.