Yet Another Random Thought

Back in Princeton and in the grind again. Although it's a little easier now because it's warming up instead of getting colder and the days are getting longer instead of shorter. Also I'm coming off a long rest week now so I'm feeling a little better than when I was in the middle of my last hard training cycle.

So I realized today that I'm inside my last six months of rowing. It hit me when in a team meeting with the nine guys who are realistically in contention for the lightweight four that will race in Beijing today and we were discussing various scenarios later this summer, and I actually said to the group the words "I'll retire...." I'd been thinking it for a long time, and there's never been any question - and I didn't doubt the words when I said it... and I'm pretty sure I didn't surprise anyone. But it was still weird to say that. I've taken time away from the sport - but the finality of the words, and how close 'retirement' really is were kind of strange...

Later on I realized that when I am wrapped as a rower later on this year, I won't have to wear unisuits anymore - after all, they look really lame unless you are a rower yourself. And I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all the ones of I've accumulated - I've got like 20. And they usually cost about $50 each. I haven't paid for most of them, but still.... that's a lot of uni that's not going to get anymore use.

Back in NJ

Finished up camp in Chula Vista and back in NJ. I don't love the cold, but it's nice to be out of 'prison', aka the training center. So I'm back in the house that I've been living in... but the drawbacksto being 'paroled' is the lack of dining hall. I've suddenly got to shop for myself again - no one is going to provide the five food groups to me.

So big day on Valentine's Day. No, I didn't go out on a romantic date - trapped at the training center with no car and practice three times a day puts a crimp in your love life. But I got a decorated cookie from the US Women's Field Hockey team. It said "U R A 10". Yeah, that's right....

Lots in the last two weeks

So I've been up and down California the past few weeks. I headed up north for an Olympic Ambassador conference, then spent a week in Berkeley training with an Australian technical guru coach, now I'm back in San Diego (in prison) and heading out of here next week.

The conference was kind of interesting, if a little cheesy. The USOC flew us all in and put us up at the Union Square Hilton in order to teach us not to embarass them on national TV. It was a little interesting... they hired an improv troop to teach us how to handle ourselves with the media. We had breakout groups, and we put really lame skits together about handling pressures at the Olympics. I actually had Kerri Walsh from the AVP in my skit group - she's really tall. Was surprised the bigshots actually had to attend this... the best part of it was meeting athletes from other sports - soccer, boxing, track, synchronized swimming. The other best part was partying in San Francisco at the Fiddler's Green.... good times.

Spent the following week in Berkeley - I was bitter because I got downgraded to a little roach motel in Alameda. And had to spend about 7 - 8 hours a day at the boathouse which is excessive even for me. But the coaching was really good, and I learned a lot. Tim McClaren was the coach of the some legends and multiple gold medalists from Australia, so it was cool working with him.

Flew back to San Diego on Sunday and missed the Superbowl due to bad weather in SD and a broken airplane - and then had to the workout I missed because I was sitting on the runway until 10 PM. Now I am back to the training grind.... and tired. Looking forward to upcoming 'regeneration' when I arrive back in lovely Jersey to catch the tail end of the winter.

Nothing to do w/rowing

Cool video made by one of my grad school buddies (slightly obsessed with the Bruins)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Ag_TLtDLU