Travel to Athens for tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies

August 12--Travel to Athens for tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies

Another lazy day of training and rest this morning with a short flight to Athens scheduled this afternoon. Last night's festivities were memorable, though. The local track club that has been helping facilitate the US track team's transportation, security and facility use on Crete hosted a traditional Greek feast at a small local village restaurant.

Tucked into a grotto, surrounded by cascading waterfalls and set with starched white linens and gleaming silverware, the restaurant was a dream. As we rambled off the bus, all 80 athletes and officials 'oohed' and 'aahed.' Cameras that had been tucked away for anticipated post-dinner indiscretions courtesy of too much ouzo or wine were quickly pulled from pockets and bags. Flashbulbs blinked and bounced off myriad waterfalls and pools, strobe-lighting the athletes procession down the winding stone steps into the restaurant's grotto and caves. The food and drink only added to the atmosphere: tomato-rich Greek salad smothered in olive oil and vinegar, wild lamb, creamy rice, smooth red wine and water in large crystal vases gathered directly from one of the alcoves roiling with mountain spring water. To say we left full and happy would be an understatement. We were satiated by the Greek hospitality, cuisine and sense of atmosphere. On the winding bus ride home, we could see similarly happy diners sitting comfortably at street-side cafes sipping wine and commenting on the large police-escorted buses that drifted past in the night.

This morning I got in one more road workout on the 3km loop that skirts the beach on one side and the highway from Chania to Rethimno on the other. A session with one of the USATF chiropractors was followed by a short rest and a few pages from Seabiscuit. After another delicious lunch on the pool-side patio that looks out over the sea, I went back down to the sports medicine clinic for a 30 minutes sports massage. I know, it's a rough life here on the island. :) Seriously, though, I don't always look forward to the sports massages. I know that they help my muscles relax and recover from the week's training, but the massages can be quite painful when the trainer finds a particularly tight spot in my calf or ilio-tibial band.

During the hottest part of the afternoon, I finished up Seabiscuit and packed for tonight's trip. If i get a chance before my flight, I'll upload some photos from last night's dinner. Until then, have a wonderful day.