Greetings from the busy athlete hospitality area here at the Brisbane Marriott. More than 30 more U.S. Olympic Track & Field athletes showed up today to pack the dining hall and fill the computer and PlayStation terminals. The ping pong table was hopping until someone got overzealous and broke all of the balls smashing them into their opponent.
Today started like most days: training training training. My teammates and I took a short taxi ride down to the river bike path and prepared for a very very long workout. 35 kilometers (nearly 22 miles) and almost 3 hours later, I was done with one of the tougher distance workouts I have done recently. It gave me a lot of confidence to get through a long workout like that in warm conditions.
A few days again, we measured out a 2 kilometer stretch of the bike. Curt brought his special measuring wheel that clicks off each meter as you roll it along the ground. It makes it very easy to measure out a nice flat, paved asphalt course that we can use. The reason we use a short course of only 2k is that we need to stay well hydrated during a long workout. Every ten minutes or so, we can pass by our coach who hands us a water bottle full of an electrolyte solution. We try to drink at least 8-12 ounces of fluid every ten minutes. Every hour or so, we also will take in a more concentrated electrolyte solution like CLIF Shot or Power Gel to boost our energy levels. When you walk a 50 kilometer race, you have to keep taking in calories in order to survive the distance.
I was very pleased with the way the 35K went, especially because I wasn't super tired when I was done. After it was over, I told myself, "I still have another 15K (9.3 miles) in my race, and I feel tired but pretty good now." We have been doing a lot of speedwork recently, repeat 5Ks and 3Ks, but for some reason I always feel more prepared after having done a good long workout like I did today.
After lunch and a short nap, the U.S. racewalk team was asked to do an interview by one of the local news stations. The reporter and camera crew came into our athlete hospitality area and interviewed each of us. When we watched the piece tonight, I was surprised that they cut everyone else but me. So I got to be on TV and talk about how we were enjoying our stay in Brisbane.It was fun.
Now I am going to bed early because I am still exhausted from this morning's walk. Back in California it is 4AM, so I'll just pretend that I am staying up late.
G'day!
Philip
Wednesday, September 6, 2000
Monday, September 4, 2000
Brisbane
Good evening class!
Today we are taking a geography quiz. Ready?
Where is the nation of Qatar?
Where are the Cayman Islands?
Where is Sierra Leone?
If you can find them all on a map, then you should also be able to find Australia. During today's workout at the University of Queensland track, I met athletes from Qatar, the Cayman Islands, and Sierra Leone. It is amazing to me how many different countries will be sending athletes to Australia to compete in the 2000 Olympic Games.
I've heard that there will be 197 countries represented with over 10,000 athletes competing. To test your knowledge of the world's countries, try to see how many you can name. Did you get more than 20, 50, 100?
I got to ride the CityCat ferry again this morning to get to practice. It was pretty warm this morning, so the speedwork on the track became very difficult for all of us. I managed to get through the entire workout of 5,000 meter intervals. Some of the guys were too tired to finish. Like last Monday, I did four 5Ks and was horribly horribly tired by the time I was done.
It was one of those workouts that was physically brutal, but the real struggle was in the mind. In order to endure a really tough training session like today's, I have to prepare myself mentally beforehand. I have to make a short-term goal. To do that, I usually do a little talking to myself. I decide, "Okay, I am going to do this workout. I know that it may be hard, but I am making a commitment to finish this thing. Let's go." If I have set a goal to finish the workout, then when it does get difficult and my body is screaming for me to "stop, stop STOP!!" I can remind myself of that goal. Then it makes it easier to get going again and finish.
I got back to the Marriott at 1pm after riding back on the ferry and spent the rest of the afternoon lying down, sleeping, reading my book, and talking on the phone to my girlfriend back home. At 5pm, I met my teammates for a 30 minute easy walk from the hotel, along the river path to the Botanical Gardens, past the Mangrove Swampwalk, and back to the hotel.
We have a sports medicine staff of six people here helping us out with three athletic trainers who double as massage therapists, two medical doctors, and a chiropractor. We also have two sports psychologists on staff. After a hard workout, I try to go in to the sports medicine area here at the Marriott and get help stretching out or get a short massage to help loosen up my tight, sore muscles. Right after today's second workout, I spent half an hour getting some help from the athletic trainers for a sore quadriceps, sore hip flexors, and a blister on the big toe of my left foot. Now it's time to read a bit before bed, digest my dinner, and get some sleep.
G'day, mates!
Philip
Today we are taking a geography quiz. Ready?
Where is the nation of Qatar?
Where are the Cayman Islands?
Where is Sierra Leone?
If you can find them all on a map, then you should also be able to find Australia. During today's workout at the University of Queensland track, I met athletes from Qatar, the Cayman Islands, and Sierra Leone. It is amazing to me how many different countries will be sending athletes to Australia to compete in the 2000 Olympic Games.
I've heard that there will be 197 countries represented with over 10,000 athletes competing. To test your knowledge of the world's countries, try to see how many you can name. Did you get more than 20, 50, 100?
I got to ride the CityCat ferry again this morning to get to practice. It was pretty warm this morning, so the speedwork on the track became very difficult for all of us. I managed to get through the entire workout of 5,000 meter intervals. Some of the guys were too tired to finish. Like last Monday, I did four 5Ks and was horribly horribly tired by the time I was done.
It was one of those workouts that was physically brutal, but the real struggle was in the mind. In order to endure a really tough training session like today's, I have to prepare myself mentally beforehand. I have to make a short-term goal. To do that, I usually do a little talking to myself. I decide, "Okay, I am going to do this workout. I know that it may be hard, but I am making a commitment to finish this thing. Let's go." If I have set a goal to finish the workout, then when it does get difficult and my body is screaming for me to "stop, stop STOP!!" I can remind myself of that goal. Then it makes it easier to get going again and finish.
I got back to the Marriott at 1pm after riding back on the ferry and spent the rest of the afternoon lying down, sleeping, reading my book, and talking on the phone to my girlfriend back home. At 5pm, I met my teammates for a 30 minute easy walk from the hotel, along the river path to the Botanical Gardens, past the Mangrove Swampwalk, and back to the hotel.
We have a sports medicine staff of six people here helping us out with three athletic trainers who double as massage therapists, two medical doctors, and a chiropractor. We also have two sports psychologists on staff. After a hard workout, I try to go in to the sports medicine area here at the Marriott and get help stretching out or get a short massage to help loosen up my tight, sore muscles. Right after today's second workout, I spent half an hour getting some help from the athletic trainers for a sore quadriceps, sore hip flexors, and a blister on the big toe of my left foot. Now it's time to read a bit before bed, digest my dinner, and get some sleep.
G'day, mates!
Philip
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