We have roughly one month to go before our first race of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
I just got home from China (after a 28 hour trip home). I literally started my stop watch when the wheels went up in Qingdao and I stopped my watch when the plane touched down in Gulfport… just shy of 30 hours.
A number of people ask me what I am feeling. Am I nervous, stressed, excited? Honestly I am ready to get the Games started. I am tried of talking about it. I am ready to get over there and give it everything we have. Total focus, total energy, total dedication. Just like we have done for the past 3 1/2 years.
People also keep asking me who are the favorites to win the gold? And what about the algae?
My mind set going into the Olympics will be much the same as it was during our Olympic winner take all trials. Full head down, eye on the prize. I am not worrying about the other competitors. They’re all professionals. They have all beaten us. But guess what? We have beaten all them before too. You can’t get too bogged down worrying about what the competition is doing. I can’t control that so I don’t worry about it. Instead, I focus on what I can control doing my job 150%.
My mentality is basically the same for the algae. My thinking is that with the amount of manpower the Chinese have working on it, it will get sorted out one way or another. Secondly with a target race time of just over an hour, there will not be huge amounts of leverage on the race course (like you see at a 100 boat regatta). In other words, the boats will be really close around the race track and everyone will deal with the algae. Some might get luckier than others, but nonetheless we will all have to deal with some kelp from time to time. I can’t control what happens with the algae, but I can control working on my keel swipes and rudder cleaning techniques.
It’s been great being home. Sally and I have been laying low and trying to relax as much as possible! It’s been very nice. I pinched a nerve in my neck so I have been doing re-hab about two times a day. I finally got back in the gym after a few weeks of being absent (not to worry I was still riding my road bike daily).
I also have an old coach in town, John Difede, who lives and operates out of Miami. John is currently living at my house, so with multiple sessions during the day (including massages that are NOT relaxing and lots of stretching), we are getting the issue sorted out.
This past weekend was the 4th of July. Big holiday here in the states. JD has a family tradition on showdown and Sally and I joined the small group of 96 other family members for a day out on the Mississippi Gulf. It was great! It’s funny when you marry a gal such as Sally that has such a huge family its seems like I meet new family members all the time (but between you readers and myself) I have met all of them 100 times but I gotta be honest I don’t know half of their names….. I gotta work on this one. All good though. A great day on the water followed by a good time at JD’s new restaurant “The Dock”.
That’s all for now, but here’s what’s coming up:
10-12 July – San Francisco
12-23 July – China
July 23-25 – St FYC dinner send off & pre-games ‘processing’ (credentials and team gear for opening Olympic Ceremonies)
25 July -August 1st – San Francisco , relax with Sally
August 1st – China
August 8th – Opening ceremony in Beijing
August 14th – Practice race
August 15-23 – Racing for Star Class
August 25th – Return home
August 26th – Sleep for one month straight….
Later
Austin